Prawn & mango appetizers

This year for new year’s eve, I will be having friends around so I have been testing a few appetizer ideas. Appetizers can take a while to prepare and when you are faced with making dinner as well all you want is quick easy and tasty nibbles to go with a glass of bubbly. As…

Olives wrapped in pastry for a tasty party appetizer

At this time of year I get wild in the kitchen and I spend my days preparing tons of food. I often have 3 things on the go: usually something baking in the oven, something cooking on the stove and something else on my worktop. If you are in charge of making all the food…

Puff pastry Christmas trees, ideal for parties

It’s party season! I am digging all my sparkly jumpers and dresses from my wardrobes and putting on sparkly make up too. I seriously feel in a party mood this year. Over the weekend I went to a friend’s Christmas party: the food was amazing, she made lots of mini appetizers, pizza, mini cakes including…

Parma ham baskets, finger food idea

Entertaining over the New Year? Make these super quick ham baskets and put anything you like inside them. To make them all you need is Parma ham and a muffin tray then pop them in the oven for 15 minutes and it’s done! You can put whatever you like inside them. On mine I put…

Polenta, cheese and mushroom nibbles gluten free

I have an interesting recipe today. These rustic polenta disks with button mushrooms and crunchy speck (or bacon) were indeed really tasty! I have used quick cook polenta this time (and you know I rarely do!) as I had people coming over for dinner and very little time to make a starter so I needed…

Eggplant Gratin with tomatoes, makes a good starter

It is summer time and in town there is often some kind of barbecue smell. My neighbours seem to be having barbecue at least twice a week which means I need to close my windows to avoid my house smelling of charcoal everywhere, especially the bedrooms! As for me I have not made barbecue in…

Italian antipasto – Appetizer idea on a stick

Yippee!! I am finally wearing sandals! You may think what’s special in that but for an Italian girl growing up shoe and sock-free from May to late September having to wear shoes in June feels kind of claustrophobic. If I could I would walk bare feet everywhere. Sometimes I do wonder whether I am living…

Smoked Salmon and Cheese pastry spoon appetizers

Don’t you love spoiling yourself with an aperitif and nibbles from time to time? Of course I have to indulge often when I am in Italy in “the land of aperitives” but for special occasions I treat myself at home too. I made these spoons out of pastry which made my friends smile when I…

Mini deep dish muffin pizzas

“Pizza muffin? What exactly do you mean?” I was kind of having an argument at home over the weekend.. and yes the debate went on for two days.  According to my hubby the word “muffin” is associated with something sweet and certainly not pizza..not at all pizza. In fact because they are made in a…

Ham and cheese puff pastry rolled tart

I was dying to share this super-quick and super yummy tart made with puff pastry ham and cheese. I served it for dinner last night (after a warming minestrone!) and my God.. we were fighting at the table… Follow the step by step instructions and you will make this cute looking rolled tart in no…