A mixture of rehydrated dried mushrooms and fresh wild mushrooms, cooked down slowly for intensity of flavour, makes a wonderful tart/quiche. Second only to a cheese and onion quiche for me, this is great served warm for so many occasions when good comfort food is the prder of the day. Continue reading “Wild mushroom tart (gluten-free)”
Category: Light bites
Roast beef & horseradish canapés
Amazingly easy and ridiculously more-ish, this is a great way to use left over roast beef, not to mention Yorkshire pudding batter if you have any left, although to be honest the batter can be made up in moments! I have also given ideas for some of my favourite savoury and sweet variations. Continue reading “Roast beef & horseradish canapés”
Croissaladière (anchovies, olives, confit shallots on croissant dough)
The classic Pissaladière is true celebration of the simplest of ingredients that give the most impressive of flavours. A thin bread base with a topping of slightly sweet confit shallots, salty anchovies and juicy olives (green, black, stuffed or a mixture!). It makes for the most wonderful light meal. Continue reading “Croissaladière (anchovies, olives, confit shallots on croissant dough)”
Canapé selection: mushroom; smoked aubergine
I adore nibbly food and am always trying out ideas and flavours to ring the changes. These two different canapés use a very light and crumbly shortcrust pastry, made with just a little Parmesan cheese. I filled half of the cooked pastry shells with a rich, smokey aubergine filling (baba ghanoush) and the rest with an intensely flavoured mushroom filling (recipe below). Continue reading “Canapé selection: mushroom; smoked aubergine”
Traditional scones
Scones are fabulous on their own on a sunny day with a pot of tea, or can brighten up the drearist day with ease, but they are, of course, an important component of Afternoon Tea whether sweet or savoury.
Continue reading “Traditional scones”
Simple Crab & Asparagus Tart
Wonderfully simple and very quick to prepare, this is a recipe in a similar vein to my salmon and asparagus tart, created with the aim of using the asparagus from my allotment in different ways. Continue reading “Simple Crab & Asparagus Tart”
Crab Canapés
A very simple canapé: small discs of puff pastry, topped with crab meat that has been mixed with a little fresh mayonnaise, a spritz of lemon juice, some chopped chives and just a little grated Gruyère cheese. Continue reading “Crab Canapés”
The very best sausage rolls……..
At the risk of sounding as though I have fallen straight out of a Carry On film I will state categorically that I absolutely love a good sausage roll. One bite and everything is well with the world! Continue reading “The very best sausage rolls……..”
Smoked Haddock Tarts – my nod to kedgeree
These are very special tarts: crisp, melt-in-the-mouth and gently spiced pastry cases filled with buttery leeks, and flakes of smoked haddock in a just-set and subtly flavoured curried egg custard.
Continue reading “Smoked Haddock Tarts – my nod to kedgeree”
Tomato & Pesto Canapés
Home-grown tomatoes with freshly made pesto make for one of my favourite flavour combinations and I have been making simple tarts using these two ingredients for many years. Continue reading “Tomato & Pesto Canapés”
Thai prawn bites in a coriander & sesame seed pastry
Juicy marinaded prawns in a coriander and sesame seed pastry make wonderful nibbles and are very easy to make. They are excellent served hot or cold. Continue reading “Thai prawn bites in a coriander & sesame seed pastry”
Gougères & other fabulous savoury choux bites
A crunchy exterior giving way to the lightest, most delicate pillows of cheesy indulgence, gougères make fabulous little nibbles/canapés. They are lovely just as they come, ideally served warm, but they are wonderful filled with all manner of goodies (see below). Continue reading “Gougères & other fabulous savoury choux bites”
Walnut & Mocha Fancies
These are not quite those wonderful fancies using fondant icing (although fondant icing does work well here) but it is my take using a ganache coating and, for an additional coffee hit and a shiny finish, a coffee glaze. Continue reading “Walnut & Mocha Fancies”
The joys of Afternoon Tea
A marvellous institution in itself, you do not need a reason to justify taking Afternoon Tea: wonderfully indulgent, it is one of the most pleasurable ways to spend what should be several unrushed hours, allowing gasps of excitement to escape out as both sweet and savoury goodies are presented. Continue reading “The joys of Afternoon Tea”
Phil's Home Kitchen 
