Winter snacks: 4 seasonal party recipes
Days are getting shorter, the nights longer and the mood indoors is cosy. The season for drinks parties, Christmas celebrations and home-made party snacks has officially arrived.
Looks and tastes good: vegetarian beetroot tartar
Beetroot is a classic when it comes to native winter vegetables. With its high density of betanin, the power-packed tuber strengthens the body’s defences. But beetroot isn't only healthy, it also tastes good in combination with crunchy apples as a tartar. And that’s not all: its bright colour makes it a feast for the eyes too.
Serves 6
200g beetroot, steamed and peeled
50g apples, peeled
10g butter
20g onions
30g white wine
80g Philadelphia cream cheese
20g horseradish cream
1 x salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
Tartar method
- Finely chop the onions.
- Cut the beetroot and apple into small dice (approx. 3mm). Do not mix.
- Heat the butter and sauté the onions.
- Add the diced apple and sauté together.
- Deglaze with the white wine, reduce until fully absorbed, and leave to cool.
- Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste.
- Using two spoons, form mounds or arrange in a ring.
Quiche – the classic with pears and nuts
Cheese, pears and nuts taste perfect together, which is why the combination is a permanent winner. The best thing about it? Pears are good for gut health and are rich in vitamins, which we can all use in winter.
Serves 6
125g pie pastry
150g Gruyère, grated
150g pears
30g walnuts
For the egg custard:
20g egg yolk, pasteurised
45g full-fat milk
35g full-fat cream
15g white wine
15g white flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Grease the baking tin with butter and sprinkle with flour.
- Cut the pears into 5mm dice and place on kitchen paper to get rid of excess juice.
- Mix with the Gruyère.Cut up the nuts and add to the Gruyère mixture.
For the egg custard:
- Thoroughly mix all the egg custard ingredients except the white flour.
- Add the white flour and stir.
Prepare the quiche
- Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 2mm and use it to line the baking tin.
- Spread the cheese and pear mixture over the pastry base.
- Stir the egg custard mixture well and pour over the pastry base too.
- Bake in the oven on the fan setting at a temperature of 165°C for approx. 25 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Roasted almonds: a crunchy winter snack
Roasted almonds have rightly earned their popular appeal and create a Christmas market spirit at any party. They also take no time to make. You need:
200g unpeeled almonds
200g sugar
1 pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla sugar
100g water
Method
- Put all the ingredients in a stainless steel pan and bring to the boil.
- Stir and reduce the liquid until the sugar is dry.
- Continue stirring until the sugar gently melts again and the almonds are glossy.
- Spread immediately on a baking tray lined with baking paper and leave to cool.
Healthier alternative: the sugar can also be substituted with erythritol. To reach the accustomed level of sweetness, increase the amount by about a quarter.
Pumpkin cappuccino for experimenters
An unusual combination of seasonal foods that turns out to be a real treat: pumpkin, orange and vanilla. This healthy soup is a slightly more unusual version of the classic pumpkin soup. What they have in common is their creamy consistency, delicate taste and bright colour.
Ingredients
15g butter
30g onions, peeled
2 vanilla pods
400g red-fleshed pumpkin, peeled
500g vegetable stock
200g orange juice, freshly pressed
120g full-fat cream
Maizena to thicken
Salt
Pepper, white, freshly ground
Preparation
- Cut the onions into small dice.
- Cut the pumpkin flesh into 1cm dice.
- Split the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds.
Method and finishing touch
- Heat the butter and sauté the onions.
- Add the diced pumpkin and sauté together.
- Add the vanilla pods and briefly sauté too.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and orange juice.
- Season to taste and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Remove the vanilla pods and blend the mixture with a hand mixer.
- Add the full-fat cream and season to taste. If too liquid, thicken with Maizena.Strain through a pointed sieve.
- Serve in a cup and decorate with frothed milk.