Cocktail food

You can buy cooked crab meat at the local fish markets or supermarket. Alternatively, buy fresh crabs and cook them (blue swimmer crabs are good). To tell if crabs are meaty, look at the claws; if they are pointy and sharp it means they have a new shell and don’t have much meat. If the […]

These prosciutto wrapped lamb cutlets hide a delicious creamy and boldly flavoured centre. Serve with some grilled mediterranean vegetables for a tasty, low-carb meal.

Exciting Asian-style nibbles, these pork balls with a soy and lime dipping sauce are perfect for cocktail parties.

Try these delicious mushroom spread toasties at your next gathering. The intense flavour and creamy texture of the mushrooms contrasts beautifully with the perfectly crispy toast base.

Little fried cheese pastries. Four different types of cheese and a sliver of salami. Yes, they taste as good as they sound. You're welcome.

The perfect finger food for a classy dinner party or a light and healthy snack, these crisps topped with goat’s cheese, tomato and basil are bursting full of flavour and texture.

Dried fruit chutney of apple, date, apricot, pineapple and raisins with a pinch of cinnamon.

Do-ahead Florets can be cut 3 hours ahead. Note

Steamed vegetable wontons make a great addition to an Asian-style banquet spread. These mushroom and water chestnut wonton are full of flavour and have a great texture.

Crisp, golden pastry cases filled with a crunchy, piquant salmon filling and topped with smooth sour cream make a gorgeous platter for a cocktail party.

A delicious and filling antipasto that is perfect for tapas or cocktail food.

Tender chicken livers bring their incomparable flavour to this rich chicken terrine layered with asparagus spears and wrapped in prosciutto.

Bhaji is a classic Indian snack similar to a fritter; it has several variants and is sometimes known as pakora. Onion based bhaji is very popular, but we've used zucchini and carrot here. Served with mango chutney, they're divine.

The tapenade can be made 3 days ahead; keep refrigerated. The pitta crisps can be made a day ahead; store in an airtight container. Note

Serve this delicious smoked salmon bruschetta to your guests at your next gathering. Topped with a sprig of fresh dill, and served with a glass of bubbles, they will be sure to please.

Delicious as a dip, or served as a side alongside chargrilled meat or chicken, this white bean puree is lovely and garlicky. For a bit of colour, top with some thinly sliced green onions just before serving.

You need 24 bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water for at least an hour prior to use to prevent them from splintering and scorching. Note

You can prepare the chicken the night before; store, covered, in the refrigerator. If using bamboo skewers, wrap the ends in foil to prevent them from burning. Note

Crostini in Italian means "little toasts". The thin slices of bread are drizzled or sprayed with olive oil, toasted and served warm.

Piroshki is a delicious Russian turnover made with either fruit, meat or vegetables. Try this mouth-watering beef version.

Plump prawns, crisp lettuce, mayonnaise, lemon and chilli make these mini prawn cocktail rolls an absolute winner in the party food stakes.

These crunchy beef dumplings with sweet chilli dipping sauce are the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

Although these crisps make a great snack on their own, you can also use them to accompany dips or soup. Make crisps in two large sheets, then break into shards to serve. Add sesame seeds to the mix if you like.

Perfect for a party, these mini sandwiches look great and are so easy to prepare.

Create this gorgeous green dip by switching chickpeas for soy beans!

Labne is sometimes sold as ‘yoghurt cheese’. You can use the oil from the labne instead of the extra olive oil if you like. If you can’t find za’atar, you can make your own: combine 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 2 teaspoons sumac and 2 teaspoons salt. Note

A few slivers of thinly sliced rare beef dolloped with some mustard horseradish, atop a baby spinach covered crispy base and you have a delicious and eye catching hors-d'oeuvre.

These little orange and white chocolate petit fours are bite-sized serves of bliss, perfect after dinner treats with strong coffee.

Give a little nod to the finger food of the 60s while giving a more contemporary feel and taste to the classic prawn toast.

A grain often used for puddings and desserts, and as a thickening agent in cooking, tapioca is sourced from the root of the cassava plant (unlike sago, with which it is often confused, which comes from a variety of palm). Note

Make these delicious zucchini and pine nut bruschetta for a tapas-style tasty treat.

You can also use russet burbank or spunta potatoes for this recipe. Note

dairy-free egg-free Note

Lift these tasty beef samosas to the next level with this fresh peach and raisin chutney.

You can use feta cheese in place of goat’s cheese. Make pastry cases a week ahead; store in an airtight container. Prepare asparagus and tomatoes 8 hours ahead for asparagus mixture; cover, refrigerate separately. Assemble tarts just before serving. Note

You need 12 bamboo skewers for this recipe. Soak them in water for an hour before use to prevent them splintering or scorching during cooking. Note

This recipe works equally well cooked as 40 mini pancakes as cocktail food, or as 6 pancakes as starters.

lemony dressing Note

Healthy, fragrant and delicious Japanese vegetable gow gees with miso dipping sauce.

Try this twist on crumbed chicken, delicious crunchy parmesan and couscous chicken makes a fresh, stylish shared platter for parties.

This dipis quick, delicious and dead easy to make. Spread it on crostini and call it a pâté, or serve it with crispy vegetable sticks and have it ready for hungry kids as they burst in from school.

To open fresh coconut, pierce one of the eyes then roast coconut briefly in a very hot oven only until cracks appear in the shell. Cool the coconut, then break it apart and grate the flesh. Note

These delicious savoury biscuits make the perfect canapé or snack.

No antipasto plate is complete without a serving of bruschetta. This tomato version may look simple, but the addition of fresh herbs and mozzarella take this classic dish to new heights.

To sterilise, place jar and lid in the dishwasher on the hottest rinse cycle. Don’t use detergent. Alternatively, lay the jar and lid in a large pan, cover completely with cold water and gradually bring to the boil; boil for 20 minutes. Once sterilised, place jar and lid on a clean tea towel to dry. […]

This duck liver parfait is actually quite simple, especially if you buy the livers ready trimmed. The red onion jam is so delicious you might want to make double the quantity so there's some left for sandwiches later.

Entertain with the flavours of Spain and serve tapas to your guests. Bring the colours of the Spanish flag to your table by adding char-grilled red capsicum to these delicious smoky, garlicky prawns.

You could use halved fresh figs instead of the rockmelon, if you like.

These divine little smoked salmon tartlets will be snapped up by guests at your next party.

You can use these divine little curried lamb pasties in so many ways, as a shared platter for parties, for lunch or as an after school snack.

You need to soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water for at least an hour before use to prevent them from splintering or burning during cooking. Note

When it comes to canapés, smoked salmon and dill is always a crowd pleaser.

These delicious prawn laksa shooters are a delicious starter or canape for dinner parties.

Once you have your technique sorted, these little triangles of tasty goodness can be flipped and folded and put together in no time.

These tapas-style snacks make for the perfect Mexican party nibbles.

The same weight of prawns can be used instead of lobster. You will need about six witlof for this recipe. Note

It's a good thing these choc-caramel brownie ice-cream bars are so striking and delicious, it makes the fiddly bits worth it!

You can decorate the rolls at the end of step 4, by marking the tops with a flat-bladed knife in a criss-cross pattern. Note

Chicken wing nibbles are available from most major supermarkets. You could also use chicken drumettes. Note

Store breadsticks in an airtight container for up to one week, re-crisp in the oven for a few minutes. Store the dip, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week. Substitute poppy or cumin seeds for the caraway seeds. Note

An exquisite tapas dish of warm orange and fennel olives from Australian Women's Weekly.

Use smaller rice paper rounds for finger-food sized rolls. You can use chicken mince instead of turkey, if you like. Note

This rustic terrine makes a lovely lunch or starter. Serve with crusty french bread and cornichons (gherkins), if desired.

Antipasto literally translates to "before the meal" and is the catchall name for pre-dinner nibbles, usually including cured meats, and all sorts of delicious morsels. This one fits the bill, nicely.

These light, fluffy and delicious corn fritters are perfect picnic snacks.

Crispy and spicy, lime and coconut prawns make a great share platter for parties or a starter for a dinner party.

Tomato dip is best made close to serving. Note

Serve these Asian-style Scotch eggs at your next cocktail party, with a bracing chilli dip on the side.

Serve these moreish little bites at your next gathering and watch as they quickly disappear.

You can make these lemongrass and beef rice paper rolls ahead of time, just place them seam-side down on a tray lined with plastic wrap, cover with damp paper towel and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Let the smell of baking bread and fragrant rosemary infuse your home as you whip up this delicious quickbread.

A small pizza with big flavour: Onion, anchovy and olive pizzetta.

Not suitable to microwave. Note