Vegetables can be the protagonists of a snack lunch or dinner: both at the base and in the filling provide vitamins, minerals, flavor, color and texture.
Starting a meal with some canapés or snacks stimulates the appetite and opens the senses, because these small creations, ideal to entertain family and friends, invite you to be eaten with pleasure.
They are usually supported on a base, usually bread, which is covered or filled with beautifully arranged food. On the tray they seduce by their appearance and color.
The French, to refer to small snacks of aperitif, use the term amuse-gueule, which “pleases” or “amuses the palate”.
For this purpose, the canapés are served: to surprise the guests and stimulate them with small pearls that otherwise they might not try.
The combinations that allow the canapés are endless and, although they are an extra in the diet, they do not have to be caloric, heavy or very fatty. On the contrary, they can be made with natural, healthy and light foods that, although captivating the palate, do not lose neither health nor line.
THE CHEF’S TRICKS FOR THE BEST APPETIZERS
The secret of a canapé or appetizer lies in choosing a good base. Bread is the classic support. It is usually white mold but can be used any other: cereals, spelt, corn, rye, German … The loaves of bread are well debarked and their crumb has the right consistency, but a village bread cut into slices, a chapara or a loaf serve too.
Normally the bread is spread or stuffed and cut afterwards; So is the canapé smooth and well covered. It can be cut into squares, triangles… or use a pasta cutter in any way.
Other bases can also be used such as pizza dough, cereal cakes, dumpling base, puff pastry, tarts … and even vegetable bases such as artichokes, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers … Hard-boiled eggs, chicken or quail, are another good option.
To choose complementary bases or filling, from the simplest to the most elaborate, these tricks can help:
- On the bread can be spread softened butters at room temperature and mixed with ingredients that vary their flavor and color: spices or aromatic plants, roasted pepper purees or spinach, nuts, chopped anchovies …
- Another base can be a light mayonnaise with herbs or spices, a tofu sauce, peanut butter or sesame …
- Vegetable pâtés provide lightness as well as colorful. They must be homogeneous and fine: mashed chickpeas, peppers or eggplants, guacamole, creams of cheese or vegetables, egg yolk mixed with nuts or tuna …
- Many vegetables and fruits can be part of a canapé. And with vegetable cheeses you can generate tasty combinations: fresh cheese and mango; brie cheese with currant jam; cured cheese with carrot or paprika; Roquefort type with apple and walnuts…
- As decoration you can use aromatic plants, radish or gherkin, pepper strips, the candied skin of a citrus fruit, pieces of olive … But do not overload! A well-arranged detail is worth more than a saturated couch.
APPETIZERS WITH FRUITS
The fruits give the canapés a touch of sophistication, in addition to providing freshness, lightness and a counterpoint of flavor and texture. With smoked and cheeses delicious combinations are obtained.
PINEAPPLE AU GRATIN WITH COCONUT AND PINE NUTS
Ingredients (for 8 canapés):
- 1 baby pineapple, peeled and sliced
- 100 g shredded coconut
- 4 large dates
- 30 g pine nuts
- 8 slices cereal bread
- olive oil
- mint
Preparation (10′ + 15′ cooking):
- Spread the pineapple slices with oil and coat them in coconut. Bake at 180º C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, bone the dates, close them and cut them into slices, and toast the pine nuts lightly in the oven or in a pan without oil.
- Take the pineapple slices out of the oven and deposit them on a slice of cereal bread cut with hoop pasta cutters. Mix the pine nuts with the dates, spread over the pineapple and garnish with fresh mint.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 137
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg.
SLICE OF BRIE ON APPLE WITH PORT REDUCTION
Ingredients (for 12 canapés):
- 2 golden or acidic apples
- 150 g vegetable cheese type brie, cylindrical
- 40 g walnuts
- 100 ml of port
- 50 g sugar
- lemon juice and olive oil
Preparation (10′ + 8′ cooking):
- Heat the port with the sugar in a saucepan and reduce until caramelized.
- Wash the apples, discourage and cut into slices of half a centimeter. Drizzle with a little lemon.
- Cover each apple with a slice of brie, crown with a walnut and drizzle with port reduction.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 98
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Fat: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 13 mg
ENDIVES WITH MANGO AND FRESH CHEESE
Ingredients (for 8 canapés):
- 2 white endives
- 1 handle to the point
- the juice of half a lemon
- 100 g vegetable cheese type Burgos
- olive oil and cilantro or mint
Preparation (10′):
- Dice the cheese and drain for a few minutes. Cut the stem of the endives to separate the leaves and cut each leaf the base into a point. Peel the mango and dice it, drizzle with lemon and mix with the cheese.
- Fill the endive leaves with the mango and cheese mixture, lightly salt, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh cilantro or mint.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 51
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 12 mg.
CHEESE AND QUINCE CHECKERBOARD
Ingredients (for 8 canapés):
- 100 g Manchego vegetable cheese
- 4 thick compact quince cleats
- 8 slices of sliced bread
Preparation (15′):
- Cut the Manchego cheese into very thick slices, about two centimeters. On a slice of cheese place a quince taco of the same thickness; On this, another slice of cheese, and so on, superimposing them. By alternating the color of the cheese with that of the quince, a nice checkerboard effect is achieved.
- Cut into several pieces to form the canapés and arrange over the slices of debarked bread.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 87
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Fat: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 12 mg.
APPETIZERS WITH VEGETABLES
Vegetables, whether raw or cooked, enrich the canapé with its fiber and vitamins, but they are also an excellent source of flavor. There is no combination that resists them.
BEETROOT WITH APPLE BALL
Ingredients (for 8 canapés):
- 1 small chapata
- 1 beetroot boiled, peeled and drained
- Half Greek-type vegetable yogurt
- 1 apple
- 2 red chicory leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- the juice of half a lemon and salt
Preparation (10′ + 4′ cooking):
- Crush the beetroot with yogurt, olive oil and salt. It must be thick.
- Cut eight slices of bread diagonally and toast lightly in the oven.
- Peel the apple and with a small sack extract a few balls; Reserve them in water with lemon juice.
- Assemble the toast with the beet cream, which can be placed with a piping bag, and decorate with an apple ball and a few chicory strips.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 75
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg.
MUSHROOM TOAST WITH TOMATO AND PARSLEY MAYONNAISE
Ingredients (for 8 canapés):
- 4 toasts of German bread
- 8 sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon vegan
- 1 lemon
- 10 g lightly toasted pine nuts
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- basil and parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt
Preparation (15′):
- Blanch the tomatoes and cut them in half. Season with salt and olive oil. Add the pine nuts and basil cut with scissors. Finely chop the parsley and mix with a tablespoon of mayonnaise.
- Drizzle the mushroom slices with lemon juice.
- Cut the bread into two rectangles, spread with the parsley mayonnaise and place the mushrooms superimposed. Accompany with tomato and serve cold.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 50
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Fat: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg.
TRIANGLES WITH PICKLE PÂTÉ
Ingredients (for 10 canapés):
- 5 slices of sliced bread
- 6 pickles
- 50 g onion
- 100 g fresh vegetable cheese, spread
- a few sprigs of parsley
Preparation (12′):
- Chop the pickles and onion, and mix with the cheese.
- Decrust the bread, cut it into triangles and spread it with the pâté. Garnish with parsley and serve cold.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 44
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg.
RATATOUILLE CANAPÉ WITH ANCHOVY
Ingredients (for 4 canapés):
- 4 slices village bread
- half red pepper, half green and half yellow washed and diced
- 1 tender onion, thinly chopped
- 1 splash of cognac
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 gelatin leaves, olive oil and salt
For garlic butter:
- 50 g margarine
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- 2 vegan anchovies, finely chopped
- French parsley (curly) and salt
Preparation (15′ + 15′ cooking):
- Sauté the vegetables in oil, starting with the onion, then the red pepper, the yellow pepper and finally the green pepper. Salt, drain and reserve a bowl.
- Beat the butter with the garlic, veganchoas, chopped parsley and a pinch of salt.
- Heat the water with the cognac and a little salt and, when it boils, turn off and dissolve the gelatin inside.
- With the help of four equal pasta cutters, cut the bread, spread it with garlic butter and cover, using the pasta cutter as a container, with ratatouille. It is painted with gelatin and unmolded. It can be served decorated with parsley and a black olive.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 232
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Fat: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 36 mg
PEPPER RINGS WITH AVOCADO
Ingredients (for 12 canapés):
- 12 slices cornbread
- 2 small red peppers
For avocado filling:
- 1 medium avocado
- 50 ml soy cream
- the juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- A few drops of Tabasco
- 1 tablespoon sherry
- 3 sheets of gelatin
- 3 tablespoons water and salt
Preparation (20′ + 2h. rest):
- Soak the gelatin. Crush the avocado with the cream, lemon juice, oil, tabasco and a pinch of salt. Remove the top of the peppers.
- Heat the sherry with water and, when it boils, add the drained gelatin. Dissolve out of heat and add two tablespoons of the previous mixture while stirring. Pour the gelatin into the rest of the cream, stirring. Rectify salt and, when cooled, stuff the peppers.
- Let stand for a couple of hours and, when solidified, cut the peppers into several rings and serve each ring over a slice of bread rounded with a pasta cutter. You can decorate the canapé with dill.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 60
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Fat: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg.
EXQUISITE APPETIZERS WITHOUT BREAD!
Dispensing with bread allows you to prepare exquisite snacks that stimulate the imagination. Cereal and vegetable cakes are tasty and light bases that can be used instead.
CUCUMBERS WITH TOFU TAPENADE AND OLIVES
Ingredients (for 8 canapés):
- 1 cucumber peeled and split in two
- 60 g tofu
- 100 g black olive paste
- 1 tablespoon capers
- olive oil
Preparation (10′ + 1 h. rest):
- Crush the tofu with the capers, olive paste and olive oil.
- Fill the cucumber with this puree, cool in the fridge and cut into several pieces.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 65
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Fat: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg.
SPINACH AND CHICKPEA ROLL
Ingredients (for 8 canapés):
- 1 bunch washed fresh spinach
- 100 g cooked chickpeas
- 30 g toasted and peeled hazelnuts
- the juice of half a lemon
- 1 bell pepper, roasted in strips
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Chopped parsley, sweet paprika and salt
Preparation (20′ + 40′ cooking):
- Crush the chickpeas with two tablespoons of oil, hazelnuts, salt and lemon juice. Mix the anchovies with parsley and the rest of the oil.
- Blanch spinach, dry large leaves, stuff with chickpea and roll. Tie them with the pepper and season with paprika.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 103
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Fat: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 6 mg.
CRISPY ONION AND FETA JAM
Ingredients (for 12 canapés):
- 12 dumpling bases
- 3 onions of Figueras in thin julienne
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 12 cubes of feta-type vegetable cheese
- oil, a cinnamon stick and thyme
Preparation (12′ + 45′ cooking):
- Cook the onion covered with water, with honey and cinnamon, until caramelized.
- Cut the dumpling bases in small circles, paint with foil and bake.
- Top them with onion, a dice of cheese and thyme.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 52
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg.
ZUCCHINI BOATS IN ROQUEFORT
Ingredients (for 8 canapés):
- 1 zucchini
- 50 g blue vegetable cheese
- 40 g margarine
- 4 walnuts, peeled and split into four
- half an acidic apple diced
- the juice of half a lemon, chives and salt
Preparation (20′ + 2′ cooking + 1 h. rest):
- Blanch the zucchini, cut lengthwise and empty. Room and leave upside down.
- Beat the cheese with butter and lemon juice, add chives and fill the zucchini. Cool in the fridge and cut each half into four. Add apple and walnuts and garnish with chives.
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 104
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 18 mg.
RICE PANCAKES WITH EGGPLANT CAVIAR
Ingredients (for 12 canapés):
- 12 mini rice cakes
- 1 eggplant roasted, peeled and drained
- 2 tablespoons tahin (sesame pâté))
- the juice of half a lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 grated fleshy red tomatoes
- Half Greek-type vegetable yogurt
- olive oil, sesame and salt
Preparation (20′ + 30′ cooking):
- Crush the eggplant with a tablespoon of tahin, lemon juice, garlic, salt and oil. Drain the grated tomato well and season with salt and oil.
- Mix the rest of the tahin with the yogurt, a tablespoon of oil and salt.
- Assemble the cakes with the eggplant and spread over a little tomato puree, yogurt sauce and sesame
Nutritional information (per canapé):
- Calories: 81
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg.
