Party food for any occasion
Sesame pumpkin skewers
I guess for most part it is my own fault that people expect food if they visit us. And I do not mean the regular bowl of peanuts or olives, noooo, they expect me to have made something new and something exciting! My dad is one of the worst as I have told you before but now Tom’s friends are equally spoiled. Or maybe not even his friends but more Tom… Twice a month he is having a bunch of friends over to play D&D (Dungeons and Dragons). Once on a sunday afternoon and once on a Saturday evening. The Sunday starts lazy, with breakfast in bed and coffee and then some more coffee.
Yummy bites
So this morning – while reading my new cookbook from Bea La Tartine Gourmand – Tom looks at me, looks at the cookbook; ‘So what are you gonna be baking today?” I give him a quizzical look. “Baking? Well, nothing really..”
“O but we’re having D&D this afternoon so maybe you should bake something for the guys?” I look at the clock, thinking; well, that’s all nice and all but by the time the baking is done and photographed it will be beer time, so that doesn’t really make sense. “I can maybe make some savory bites?” I suggest, knowing he’s gonna go and jump right in. Which he does…So then I have to think of what to make for a couple of hungry guys that is not too fancy (needs to be finger food after all) and will still be easy to eat while playing a board-game at a table.
Mini pizza’s
In case you do not know what D&D is, let me enlighten you a little bit. While there are many versions out there, including once where people do a real life enactment of some sort (thank god, that is NOT what Tom does!) in essence it is a role playing game. Tom, as the Dungeon Master, comes up with a story and his friends are basically the characters that decide on the course of action at every point in the time. For instance, they walk into a cave and they encounter a dragon (yes, that is all very normal..) Each character has certain abilities, either healing or magic or whatever and based on the points they have gained they can get stronger or weaker (or die). Now if they encounter the dragon they can decide to fight in which case dice are thrown to decide how it’s going.Obviously that is the game from my perspective and I’m sure there are people out there who know much more about it then me.. so forgive me if I’ve got it wrong!
Tom has been playing the game ever since he was 14 years old, so for all the twenty years that we’ve been together the guys (the groups have changed a bit over the years!) have come over twice a month. A quick calculation tells us that they have been here for roughly 480 times playing D&D. Lol… I’ve never played it, except the one time when we hadn’t been together that long and Tom felt he needed to explain what on earth he was doing up in the attic. I just think it’s an entirely silly game but hey, he likes it, so all fine by me!
So D&D finger-food it is then… I searched and found a couple of really delicious recipes which I will share with you below. My favorite was the naan-goatcheese combo with the lime and chili jam. You could use fig jam or maybe ginger-jam would be nice too, but I LOVED the chili jam. Gave it a real kick!
Party food!
Ingredients:
VERY FAST MINI PIZZA's
- 1 packet tortilla's or other flat bread
- 5 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 100g grated cheese
- 100g chorizo
Optional
- 1 bunch spring onion (to decorate)
NAAN BITES WITH GOATCHEESE AND CHILI JAM
- 100g soft goatcheese
- 2 tablespoons chives
- 2 tablespoons lime and chili jam
- 2 pieces naan bread (either home made or storebought)
SESAME PUMPKIN SKEWERS
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 piece butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Directions:
DIRECTIONS MINI PIZZA'S (makes about 24 mini pizza's)
Preheat the oven to 200C. Cut out little rounds with a cutter from your tortilla or flatbread and lay them in a baking tray on baking paper. Build up your mini pizza by putting the sauce on the bottom, add little chorizo chunks and grated cheese. Pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and serve immediately.
NAAN BITES WITH GOATCHEESE AND CHILI JAM DIRECTIONS (makes about 12)
| In a small bowl combine the goatcheese with some of the finely chopped chives and mash them together. Taste and add seasoning if needed, but goatcheese generally doesn't need anything extra. | ||||
| Bake or prepare your naan according to instructions. Cut out small rounds with a cutter. Make them max 5 cm in diameter. these are supposed to be one bite snacks, so too big is not gonna be good. Add a teaspoon of goatcheese on each naanround and top with a small dollop of jam. Sprinkle some chives on top SESAME PUMPKIN SKEWERS DIRECTIONS (makes about 6)
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Recipes from BBC Good Food
Appetizer
Asian
Bread
Breakfast
Desserts & other sweets
Healthy
I love these appetizetrs, everything looks beautiful and tasty!
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 20th, 2012 at 08:02
And it was a big success too! All gone in no time at all!
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Lovely food! I really love the naan bites.
Cheers,
Rosa
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 20th, 2012 at 08:07
Those were definitely my favorites too! I gotta get me some more of that chili jam too. The jar is too small!
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Delightful & tasty appetizers!
They all look so easy to make but I especially love the pumpkin sesame skewers! Lovely!
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 20th, 2012 at 08:07
Thanks Sophie and yes, they’re all pretty simple and quick to make!
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U were spot on ….i have the same issue , every time there is someone over they expect sth new not sth from a box…!! it funny, for now am enjoying the unsaid expectation
love the finger food here- def will book mark this for a weekend of friends just stopping by to say hello
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 20th, 2012 at 08:08
And they are indeed really quick to put together and most of the things you can keep in store for a really long time so perfect for unexpected guests!
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Forever the perfect hostess! They all look delighful Simone! As for D&D I totally don’t get it either! But I’m glad Tom and his mates enjoy it!
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 20th, 2012 at 08:09
Lo… yes, I think I will probably never really understand the excitement with D&D…
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I’m always looking for ideas about how to use all the different squashes that come in my farmers market box every week this time of year. Love your idea with the skewers!
Btw: I tried your suggestion about adding chipotle to aioli. It’s seriously addicting stuff!
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 20th, 2012 at 08:10
Lol… yes it’s good isn’t it? I added the chipotle to a chocolate pasta I had recently too… Also VERY good… I think I added mascarpone in the sauce, chipotle and mm, some other stuff.. I should have written it down but forgot too!
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Love the mini pizzas! I would sit through D&D to get this finger food!
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 20th, 2012 at 08:11
I think I would prefer the food without having to go through D&D..lol..
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Everything looks delicious, but I’m so curios about the sesame pumpkin skewers… I wonder if I can serve it as a side dish… I will definitely give it a try!
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 21st, 2012 at 16:55
I think it would work as a sidedish as well, although I wonder what you would serve it with. Let me know if you give it a try!
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I love games and I only wish I had a scheduled game night, so he is lucky. (Although I know nothing of D & D). As for your food they are very lucky to have you around. I can’t wait to get Bea’s cookbook. Her’s was the first food blog I found and it was what inspired me to start one.
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 21st, 2012 at 16:55
I think for me Bea’s website was also one of the very first foodblogs that I started following all those years ago!
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OMG Tom’s such a nerd! Hehe. I think we have the same problem. People expect to find some new and exciting food when they visit. You have some great ideas here
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 21st, 2012 at 16:56
Lol… yes, that’s what I keep telling him as well Ben! Everytime I see someone who plays D&D , they’re usually really big nerds but he’s ok..lol..;)
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he he he the game is so cute ! Men don’t really grow right
Love all the party food you shared here .. so easy and quick!
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 21st, 2012 at 16:57
No, men never really grow up. At least mine doesn’t!
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Simone, please explain something to me: Tom cooks, right? I see him at all those cooking workshops you attend. So why doesn’t he cook for his D&D guys? Sheesh? Then you can stay in bed! But seriously, I love those pumpkin skewers! What great flavors – I never would have paired pumpkin with soy sauce. Loving it! The rest looks delicious – and now you’ve inspired me to make a dinner of tiny bites!
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 21st, 2012 at 18:34
Hahaha… yes he cooks indeed Jamie but he’s not really the small bites kind of guy… But great idea to have him cook for his friends.lol..
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Just love all of them and the D&D sounds like such a cute name, kiddish and like a fairy tale. My fav. is the sesame coated skewers! I smear spicy hummus on the naan and love it topped with chutney. But that is the pull of out of the fridge quick bite for me. never thought of actually serving it for a party. really nice idea.
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 21st, 2012 at 18:45
O love the idea of topping the naan with hummus and chutney! Will def remember that for a next time!
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Brilliant! I never thought of putting pumpkin on skewers, and paired with sesame seeds? This blows my mind! It’s so simple, yet totally inspiring.
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 21st, 2012 at 18:46
And not to mention totally delicious too!
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I wish I had some of each to snack on!
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 21st, 2012 at 19:17
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I love the idea of those pumpkin skewers! These would be perfect to serve for a couple of vegan friends of mine, I always find it a bit a challenge to come up with new ideas finger food ideas that don’t contain any meat, fish or dairy…
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Simone (junglefrog) — February 21st, 2012 at 19:14
Yes they would be perfect for a vegan party and so delicious! They were all gone within minutes of putting the plate down!
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Hahaha D&D! Now that takes me back to my youth… Makes me think Tom and I can’t be that different in age ;o) never really got into the game – but I’d love to join you and Gizmo for snacks while the boys play!! Love the mini naan bites
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