To broaden children's food horizons and make them appreciate new flavors, nothing beats a happy hour with the family. Here are some easy to make and delicious canapes.
Mini Yakitori
In Japanese, Yakitori means grilled bird and that's exactly what this chicken skewer is. To make it, mix one part mirin and one part sake with two parts soy sauce. Add two tablespoons of sugar and reduce until the sauce becomes more syrupy. If you already find it too complicated, you can always use teriyaki sauce from the grocery store.
Cut chicken cubes and thread them onto the skewers. Sear your skewers in the pan one side at a time, and when you get to the third side, start brushing the already seared sides with the sauce. Then continue to baste, turning the skewers until the meat is well cooked. The 750g site explains the process very well, if you need help.
Goat cheese or brie bundles
If you always buy store-bought backpacks, you'll be happy to know that it's veryeasy to make better ones at home by following these steps:
- Layer three sheets of phyllo dough, brushing them with melted butter between each slice.
- Cut the leaves into six squares
- Make your own cranberry filling by cooking an equal part of cranberries and sugar.
- Place a piece of brie or a bit of goat cheese in one of the squares of phyllo
- Add some cranberry topping on the cheese
- Close the bundle and brush with a little butter.
- Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes
Bruschetta
Easy to prepare even for children, this recipe will please everyone. Start by cutting tomatoes into small cubes, add basil, a little balsamic vinegar, a minced clove of garlic, s alt, pepper and a little more olive oil than vinegar. Place your seasoned tomatoes on a piece of baguette that you have browned in the oven and voila!
Hard Boiled Eggs
Very simple, well-known, but always a winner, hard-boiled eggs are popular and remind us of the buffets of our childhood. To make it, just boil the eggs (11-12 minutes), cut them in half, mix the yolk with a little mayonnaise, s alt and pepper and put our mixture back into the cavity using 'a socket. You can add a little paprika and dill on theon it, to look pretty.
Gingerbread Canape
On squares of grilled gingerbread, place a little cottage cheese mixed with Matane shrimp, chives and lemon juice. Add salmon strips before serving. The sweet and s alty taste will give a whole new dimension to your seafood flavors.
Cantaloupe, prosciutto and bocconcini
Make tiny cantaloupe, prosciutto and bocconcini skewers and serve with a lemon pesto dip. Your children will discover a whole new mix of flavors. Be careful, however, to cut small pieces of prosciutto (smaller than in our photo!) before threading them on the wooden stick to prevent young children from choking on long strips.
Salmon, tomato and avocado croutons
Slices of avocado, slices of smoked salmon, baby spinach leaves and capers drizzled with lemon juice make a very nice combination to put on slices of fresh bread or crackers. Add a cup of juice and your kids will be ready for your family social evening.
Dates and gorgonzola
Are your kids ready for blue cheese? That's what you'll find out with these delicious bites. To prepare them you will need:
- Gorgonzola cheese
- Cheesecream
- Dates
- Prosciutto
Amounts really depend on your appetite, just know that the cream cheese will serve to sweeten the taste of blue cheese. So for the first time, you can put the same amount of blue cheese and cream cheese in your pitted dates before rolling them up in a strip of prosciutto. If you prefer bacon, use a slice of bacon and place in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.
Verrine of avocado
To encourage your children to eat their vegetables, you can also serve these mini bowls of salad in halved avocados. Combine spinach, dried cranberries and sliced almonds drizzled with a teaspoon of orange juice and a little balsamic vinaigrette. We also have several other verrine recipes to vary the presentations.
