Party finger food

Here are a number of easy, stylish and delicious recipes to serve at your next party.  There's everything from Devilled Nuts to Curried Sesame Chicken and Choc-Mint Meringues.  Whatever your party is celebrating you'll be sure your guests will be well fed.

Devilled nuts
 Makes 4½ cups.

• 500g unsalted mixed nuts  (almonds, brazil nuts, pecans, macadamias, cashew nuts)
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

• Preheat the oven to a slow 150°C.
  
• Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes.
• Whisk the egg until frothy, then add the nuts, curry powder, cumin and salt. Toss together and return to the oven for a further 10- 15 minutes, then allow to cool.

Fried ravioli
Makes 25 pieces

• 25 pieces frozen ravioli, thawed
• 1/2 cup polenta
• ​Spicy tomato sauce or salsa

• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large pan.
• Toss the thawed ravioli in the polenta.
• When oil is hot drop a small cube of bread into it.  The bread should turn brown in 1-2 minutes.
• Fry the ravioli in batches until golden.
• Serve with a good quality spicy tomato sauce or salsa.

​Mini Lamb Kebabs
Makes approx. 30
Can be made a day ahead

• 500g lamb fillets
• ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
• ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil, extra

 
 

• Cut lamb into thin strips. Pound strips lightly to flatten, cut into 4 cm lengths. Thread strips onto 30 small skewers, about 13 cm long.
  
• Place kebabs in a shallow dish; pour over combined oil, juice, garlic, herbs, pepper and mustard. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• Drain lamb and reserve marinade. Heat extra oil in a large pan, add kebabs in batches, cook over high heat until lamb is browned and just tender; remove kebabs from pan. Add reserved marinade to pan and bring to the boil. Pour over kebabs – serve warm or cold.
• Decorate platter with sliced chilli, capsicums cherry tomatoes. ​

Curried Sesame Chicken
Makes approx. 30
Can be made a day ahead
 

• 10 chicken thigh fillets
• 1 ½ cups (375ml) greek-style yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons mango chutney
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon curry paste
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¾ cup (110g) sesame seeds, toasted

• Cut chicken into 2 cm pieces. Blend or process yoghurt, chutney, sherry, vinegar, paste, garlic and spices until combined.
  
• Combine chicken with ¾ cup (180 ml) of the marinade in a bowl, cover, refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Reserve remaining marinade for serving.
•  Heat large pan, add undrained chicken mixture and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes or until chicken is tender. Toss chicken in seeds.
  
• Serve hot or cold with reserved marinade. ​​

Choc-Mint Meringues
Makes approx. 40
Can be made two days ahead
 

• 3 egg whites
• ¾ cup (165g) castor sugar
• 2 x 35g packets peppermint crisp bars, chopped

 
 

• Beat egg whites and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer for about 10 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is stiff and glossy.
  
• Fold in peppermint crisps. Drop tablespoons of mixture into small 5cm paper patty cases on oven trays. Bake in a very slow oven (usually 120° C) for about 45 minutes or until firm.
  
• Cool in oven with door ajar