Serrano Ham Olive Feta & Rocket Platter With Homemade Crostini

Serve this help-yourself platter while you get on with the rest of supper. In summer, add a few sliced fresh figs

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 15 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  552

• Protein

  20g

• Carbs

  38g

• Fat

  33g

• Saturates

  9g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  5g

• Salt

  6.35g

Ingredients

• 1 loaf sourdough bread
• olive oil, for drizzling
• 18 slices serrano ham
• 200g best-quality feta cheese
• 40 black Greek olives, such as Kalamata
• handful rocket leaves
• 1 tbsp good-quality honey

Directions

1. The crostini should be made no more than 15 mins in advance. Slice the bread about ½in thick and brush on some olive oil. Heat a griddle pan and grill the bread in batches until the outsides are crisp and attractively marked by the grill, and the insides are still soft.
2. Drape the ham over the largest platter you have-don't lay it flat, allow it to billow slightly. Break the feta by hand into irregular chunks about the size of a walnut, then dot over the ham. Randomly place the olives on the ham and carefully place the rocket leaves across the platter. Just before your guests tuck in, carefully drizzle over a little olive oil followed by the honey. Put the crostini on a separate platter or in a bowl, and serve alongside the salad at the table.

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The Ultimate Makeover Prawn Cocktail

Try a lighter, modern version of this ever-popular retro starter

• Cooking Time Prep 35 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  186

• Protein

  14g

• Carbs

  4g

• Fat

  13g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  3g

• Salt

  1.23g

Ingredients

• For the salad
• 650g prawns in their shells, cooked (to give 200g/8oz cooked, peeled prawns)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 100g/4oz cucumber
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp snipped dill
• 1 small ripe avocado
• 50g watercress
• pinch cayenne pepper, for sprinkling
• For the sauce
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 5 tbsp fromage frais
• 1½ tbsp tomato ketchup
• splash Tabasco sauce
• splash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp brandy

Directions

1. Peel the prawns. Rinse them in a large sieve under a cold tap, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Lay the prawns in a shallow dish and squeeze over 1 tbsp of the lime juice, then add a twist of pepper. Set aside.
2. Chop the cucumber into small dice and tip into a dish. Spoon over the vinegar, scatter over the dill and a grating of pepper, then set aside. Halve, stone and peel the avocado, then chop into small dice. Spoon over the rest of the lime juice and toss together gently with a twist of pepper.
3. For the sauce, mix together the mayonnaise, fromage frais and ketchup. Stir in the Tabasco, Worcestershire and brandy with a twist of pepper.
4. To serve, put a small spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of each cocktail glass. Very coarsely chop most of the watercress, leaving a few sprigs whole. Lay the chopped watercress on top of the sauce. Drain the cucumber well, then spoon it over the watercress with the avocado. Pile over the prawns, then spoon over the rest of the sauce. Tuck in the sprigs of watercress and serve with a sprinkling of cayenne.

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Celeriac Tartare With Smoked Trout

This is a twist on remoulade - served with flaked smoked fish and dressed leaves, it makes an easy starter

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  350

• Protein

  16g

• Carbs

  5g

• Fat

  30g

• Saturates

  5g

• Fibre

  6g

• Sugar

  3g

• Salt

  2.45g

Ingredients

• 1 small celeriac
• 2 x 125g packs smoked trout, flaked
• 100g bag rocket
• extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle
• For the tartare dressing
• 6 tbsp mayonnaise
• small handful capers, rinsed and chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cornichons, finely chopped
• small handful parsley leaves, finely chopped

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients for the tartare dressing with some salt and set aside.
2. Peel the celeriac and, either finely slice it, then cut into matchsticks, or simply grate it coarsely. Mix the celeriac into the dressing until combined. Place piles of smoked trout, celeriac and rocket onto serving plates and drizzle everything with olive oil.

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Smoked Salmon With Lentil Salad

A simply stylish salad that will make an impressive dinner party starter this Christmas

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  307

• Protein

  24g

• Carbs

  15g

• Fat

  17g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  1g

• Salt

  2.61g

Ingredients

• 175g Puy lentils
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 6 tbsp good olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp dill, chopped, plus extra fronds to garnish
• 12 slices smoked salmon

Directions

1. Rinse the lentils, then put them in a pan and cover generously with water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 25-30 mins until tender. Drain well and leave to cool. Put the shallot in a bowl with the mustard, vinegar and seasoning. Mix well and whisk in the oil.
2. Put the eggs into a small pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 3 mins. Cool quickly under running cold water and peel off the shells. Put in a bowl of cold water until ready to serve.
3. Stir the dill into the dressing and pour it over the lentils. Spoon onto 6 plates, then halve the eggs and put one half on each plate with two slices of smoked salmon. Sprinkle with black pepper, scatter over a few dill fronds and serve.

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Leek & Mustard Vinaigrette With Carmarthen Ham

Chef Stephen Terry showcases the best Welsh ingredients in this prepare-ahead dinner party starter

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  285

• Protein

  25g

• Carbs

  3g

• Fat

  19g

• Saturates

  8g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  3g

• Salt

  2.26g

Ingredients

• 3 large leeks
• 3 tbsp good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp grain mustard
• small bunch chives, finely chopped
• 18 slices Carmarthen ham or any good quality air-dried ham
• 1 Perl Wen (a Welsh cow's milk cheese) or 2 balls buffalo mozzarella, drained and each cut into 6 wedges
• toasted sourdough bread, to serve, optional

Directions

1. Cut leeks in half lengthways, wash thoroughly, then thinly slice. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and add the leeks. Cook quickly over a med-high heat, stirring regularly until the leeks are tender with a little bite and still vibrant in colour, about 5-10 mins.
2. Remove from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Fold in the grain mustard (1 tbsp at a time, to your taste) and chopped chives, and season with a little sea salt. The leeks can be made up to 3 hours ahead and left, covered, at room temperature.
3. Serve the leek vinaigrette in a small heap on each plate. Then add the ham and 1-2 wedges of cheese. Serve with toasted sourdough bread, if you like.

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Mini Swedish Meatballs With Cranberry Sauce

Scandinavian-style food is light but packed with flavour. This veritable smorgasbord of little dishes is great for summer entertaining

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 15 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  43

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  2g

• Fat

  2g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  0g

• Salt

  0.07g

Ingredients

• 300g pork mince
• 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp finely chopped or grated onions
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• cranberry sauce or jelly, to serve

Directions

1. In a bowl, put the meat, breadcrumbs, egg, onion and allspice with some seasoning. Mix well and form into about 20 small meatballs. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then brown and cook the meatballs in two batches. Serve with a bowl of cranberry sauce to dip in.
2. Serve alongside a combination of smoked and cured fish like salmon, pickled herring, trout or mackerel. Add bowls of crème fraîche or soft cheese, capers, grainy mustard, diced red onion or chopped boiled eggs to accompany, as well as the dishes below.

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Chargrilled Vegetable Salad

Serve these chargrilled vegetables with torn buffalo mozzarella, for a lovely starter or light supper

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 1 hr
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  126

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  10g

• Fat

  9g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  7g

• Salt

  0.66g

Ingredients

• 2 red peppers
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
• 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm rounds
• 2 red onions, sliced about 1½ cm thick but kept as whole slices
• 6 plump sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and torn into strips
• handful black olives
• large handful basil, roughly torn

Directions

1. First, blacken the peppers all over-do this directly over a flame, over hot coals or under a hot grill. When completely blackened, put them in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave to cool.
2. While the peppers are cooling, mix the oil, vinegar, garlic and chilli in a large bowl. On a hot barbecue or griddle pan, chargrill the aubergine, courgette and onions in batches until they have defined grill marks on both sides and are starting to soften. The time will depend on the intensity of your grill, so use your judgement-courgettes and red onions are fine still slightly crunchy but you want the aubergine cooked all the way through. As the vegetables are ready, put them straight into the dressing to marinate, breaking the onions up into rings.
3. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel, remove the stalk and scrape out the seeds. Cut into strips and toss through the veg with any juice from the bowl. Mix in the tomatoes, olives, basil and seasoning. Drizzle with more oil, if you like, and serve either on its own or with mozzarella or crumbled feta.

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Hot & Sour Broth With Prawns

This healthy starter takes just 15 minutes to make and is a cleansing way to kick off a Chinese meal

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 5 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  93

• Protein

  17g

• Carbs

  5g

• Fat

  1g

• Saturates

  0g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  5g

• Salt

  1.39g

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp golden caster sugar
• thumb-size piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 small hot red chillies, thinly sliced
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 300g small raw peeled prawns, from a sustainable source

Directions

1. Put the vinegar, stock, soy sauce, sugar (start with 1 tbsp and add the second at the end if you want the soup sweeter), ginger, chillies and spring onions in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 min, then add the prawns to heat through. Serve in small bowls or cups.

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Easy Cheese Fondue

Using mild cheese means everyone in the family can enjoy this classic starter

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6 - 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  374

• Protein

  22g

• Carbs

  1g

• Fat

  31g

• Saturates

  20g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  0g

• Salt

  1.48g

Ingredients

• For the fondue
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 250g cheddar, grated
• 250g Gruyère, grated
• 3 tbsp crème fraîche
• Suggestions for dipping
• 4 thick slices bread, such as sourdough, chopped into chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots, cut into batons
• 2 peppers, deseeded and cut into strips
• 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
• 200g pack mini salami or 1 thin salami cut into bite-size chunks

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the vinegar with the cornflour and place in a heatproof bowl with the cheeses. Set over a pan of boiling water. Slowly melt the cheese, stirring occasionally. When it's nearly melted, add the crème fraîche and a little black pepper, if you like. Lower the heat and keep warm.
2. To make croutons, toss the bread in the oil and a little seasoning on a baking sheet, then bake for 10-15 mins until golden and crisp.
3. To serve, put the cheese fondue on a large platter and arrange the croutons, veg and salamis alongside it.

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Easy Mezze

Good quality ready-prepared items from the supermarket make this the easiest ever starter

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  606

• Protein

  20g

• Carbs

  58g

• Fat

  35g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  6g

• Sugar

  6g

• Salt

  4.1g

Ingredients

• 6 flatbreads or 9 pittas
• tub of houmous
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• little olive oil
• tub of olives
• 2-3 heads chicory
• any Middle Eastern or Turkish-style nibbles you like (we used Spinach falafel from Waitrose and Butternut squash parcels and Koftas from Marks & Spencer)
• For the feta dip
• 200g pack feta cheese
• 200g Greek yogurt
• few dill leaves

Directions

1. To make the dip, whizz the feta and yogurt in a food processor until smooth, then scrape into a serving bowl and chill.
2. To serve, warm flatbreads or pitta and cook any nibbles, following pack instructions. Scrape houmous into a serving dish, scatter with the seeds and drizzle with oil. Scatter feta dip with chopped dill and a little black pepper. Separate chicory leaves and serve everything in the middle of the table.

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