Cocktail treats

Tasty finger snacks for summer

What you need:

1. Microwave oven
2. Glad Steam Lock bags – single serving (small)
3. Glad wrap
4. Glad Baking paper
5. Glad ice cube self sealing bags
6. Kitchen string

Steamed Vegetable and Phyllo cups (Glad Steam Lock Bags)

Cut phyllo pastry into eight 15x15 cm squares. Lightly brush pastry squares with melted butter.  Line the greased hollows of a medium-sized muffin tin with 2 layers of pastry to form little cups. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 7 – 10 minutes or until golden in colour. Meanwhile, steam bite-size pieces of carrots, baby marrows, red pepper and spring onion in a small Glad Steam Lock bag according to cooking instructions printed on the bag. Allow to cool and toss lightly in a few drops of olive oil season to taste. Divide the vegetables between the phyllo cups and serve with a dollop of  basil- or sun dried tomato pesto.

Serves 2.

Trout and goat milk rolls 

100g Oak smoked Trout ribbons

125 ml goat milk cream cheese

125 ml low fat cow milk cream cheese

100 ml roughly chopped basil leaves

60 ml sweet piquanté peppers in brine, drained and chopped

Lemon wedges

Fennel, for garnish

1. Mix the two cheeses together. Place a trout ribbon onto a sheet of Glad wrap Spread a very thin layer of cheese over the trout. Follow with a layer of basil and some sweet piquanté peppers. End with a thick layer of the cheese and tightly roll the trout into a log using the Glad Wrap to help rolling. Use Glad Wrap to cover and refrigerate until needed. Repeat with remaining fish and ingredients.
2. Slice trout log and arrange on a platter. Garnish with fennel leaves and serve with lemon wedges.

Serve 2 – 4.

Filled ciabatta rolls

Fill 2 ciabatta rolls with layers of tomato chutney, pastrami, basil leaves and cheese. Cut in half and wrap a strip of Glad Baking Paper around each halve and secure with kitchen string.

Variation: Replace the filling with basil leaves, brie cheese and sun dried tomatoes in olive oil.

Serves 2.

Carrot and celery bites

Cut 1 carrot and 1 celery stick into julienne strips. Dip a few green leaves of spring onion into boiling water for a few second and thereafter in iced water.  Tie small bundles of carrot and celery together using the spring onion as “stirng”.  Serve as a healthy snack with drinks.

Serves 2-4.

Drink:

Cranberry and Vodka cooler: Mix 750 ml cranberry juice, 200 ml Vodka and 1 litre of sparkling mineral water together in a jug. Add strawberries or fresh pomegranate rubies to the mixture just before serving. 

Tips: 

1. When serving wine or the cranberry and vodka cooler with the snacks, use frozen Glad Ice Bags to cool the wine or a cocktail when served in a jug. Simply wrap the ice bag around the bottle or jug and tie with a pretty tea towel or napkin. This will prevent the cocktail from diluting from melting ice inside the drink itself.
2. Prepare the filled ciabatta rolls a few hours ahead of time, wrap in Glad Heavy foil and refrigerate. This will allow the flavours to infuse and prevent the bread from falling apart when being cut.