We love a good party, whether for friends coming around for cocktails for Christmas, a big BBQ, a garden party or for a wedding or engagement! Any excuse really! Having thrown rather a number of fun parties, we know a thing or two about what people like to eat and these Easy Vegan Party Canape ideas are here to help with your party catering needs!
We've kept it easy, and are suggesting 3 easy bases, that you can top with all kinds of delicious goodies, which you can either pre-make or buy in (shhh...we won't tell!)
The key with a great canape is to make it bite sized. Yes, there's a trend for super sized canapes, but face it, when you're standing up with a glass of bubbles in one hand and wearing your best frock, you can't eat a slurpy slidy cheese toasty. That's just silly. And messy. They have a place, but we suggest having a buffet table if you're going to go a bit more large with the snacks.
Canapes that are handed around while bubbles are drunk need to be very tasty, easily snacked on to soak up some of the booze being served, and pretty to look at. They also need to be more or less able to be pre-assembled and just topped before being sent around on their pretty platters.
Here we have 3 bases, all easy to make, and a suggestion for some tasty, pretty toppings. Mix the toppings up with whatever you feel is going to be delicious, you could make your own hummus or tapanade, or buy it in. No one will judge you!
- Griddled Slices of Courgette - Simply slice the courgette & use a griddle pan to sear for a lovely charred pattern
- Baked Slices of Sweet Potato- Slice the Sweet Potato thinly, brush with oil & bake until slightly crisped.
- Tricolore Quinoa Crackers - See the recipe below!
Topping Ideas:
- Chunky Olive Tapenade, Marinated Tofu & a Mini Dill Leaf
- Tomato Relish, Toasted Pine Nuts & a Mini Basil Leaf
- Smoked Hummus, Semi Dried Tomato & a Mini Parsley Leaf
- White Bean & Rosemary Dip (like this recipe) , A strip of Marinated Pepper & a Mini Basil Leaf
- Avocado & Olive Puree (like this recipe) with a Jalapeno Pepper & Slice of Olive
Tricolore Quinoa Crackers
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of dry tricolore quinoa (this is usually white, black and red - but you can use plain quinoa if you like )
- ½ cup gram / chickpea flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground sea salt
- 2 teaspoon spice of choice (cumin, smoked paprika or a mix)
- 50 ml water (may need extra)
- Olive oil (for greasing)
Instructions
- Pre-heat over to 180C and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Brush parchment with olive oil.
- Rinse the quinoa. Put in a pot and cover with boiling water. Simmer quinoa for 12-15 minutes or until it is tender. Then drain, leaving to cool.
- Place in one bowl the flour, spice(s), salt and cooked quinoa. Then add the water - you may need a bit of extra water to make sure the flour has absorbed all of it.
- Spread the mix on to the baking parchment in little shapes. The crackers need to be very thin which will make them the perfect crispy texture. You can choose the shape you want - rectangle, triangle, or little rounds.
- Bake for around 15 minutes. Then take the crackers out of oven, turn them over carefully so they don’t break, and bake for another 15 minutes. They will be crispy and golden but not too brown.
- Serve topped with dips, tapenade, or other yummy toppings as a canape, or serve as part of a vegan cheese platter.
