Easy snacks for Carnival weekend

Carnival weekend is here! Whether you are at the beach, or liming at home entertaining visitors and family there is always the need for food.

I personally love snacky things – small bites or appetisers. Here are some very delicious, easy to prepare recipes that can be made ahead and served with no fuss at all.

The meatballs can be cooked ahead and frozen, just remove from the freezer, warm them up and add to the warm glaze.

The batter for the red lentil fritters can be done ahead of time and refrigerated, then fry when you are ready to serve, they are very portable too, serve with tamarind chutney. The cookies can be made ahead and frozen. The filling and slaw can be made ahead for the po-boys and all assembled when you are ready.

All so very easy and all so very appetising and delicious.

Have a happy and safe Carnival!

Hoisin glazed oriental meatballs

½ cup water chestnuts

2 to 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted

⅓ cup bread crumbs

¼ cup milk

1 lb ground beef or turkey

¼ cup chopped chives

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs minced garlic and ginger

Oil to fry

Finely chop water chestnuts and mushrooms.

Combine milk with breadcrumbs.

Place beef in a mixing bowl and stir in chestnuts, mushrooms, breadcrumb mixture, chives, ginger, garlic and soy sauce.

Season with salt.

Mix well with your hands.

Form into one-inch meatballs.

Shallow fry until golden and cooked. Or bake for 15 minutes at 350F.

Add meatballs to the warm hoisin glaze and serve.

Drain.

Hoisin glaze

½ cup hoisin sauce

2 tbs rice vinegar

4 tbs brown sugar optional

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp chilli garlic sauce

½ tsp ginger

Place all ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan, warm gently.

Add meatballs and stir gently to coat well.

Garnish with chopped chives, serve with rice as an entrée or serve as an appetiser on its own.

Serves 4

Spicy red lentil fritters

2 cups mussoorie dhal, (red lentils), washed and soaked overnight

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 bunch chadon beni, finely chopped

1 1-inch piece of ginger, grated

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 hot pepper, optional

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

Drain dhal place into a food processor and process until finely minced to a paste, turn into a bowl, add onion, chadon beni, ginger, garlic, pepper spices and salt.

Mix well.

Heat oil in a frying pan, make balls about one-inch in diameter with mixture.

Press to a disk, place in hot oil and press further to flatten.

Fry for about 3 minutes per side.

Drain and serve with chutney as a snack.

Makes 20

Shrimp po boys

4 mini-French rolls or hot dog rolls, split

¼ cup butter

1 lb medium-sized shrimp, peeled, de-veined and patted dry

1 tbs southern style seasoning powder

1 cup flour

¾ cup cornmeal

1 cup milk

1 tsp red hot sauce

Veg oil for frying

Cole slaw

1 cup shredded cabbage

½ carrot, grated

1 onion, grated

½-1 cup mayonnaise

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp red hot sauce

salt

4 lettuce leaves

Butter the split buns and set aside.

Combine shrimp with seasoning.

Combine flour with cornmeal.

Add hot sauce to milk and mix, dredge shrimp in flour mixture, then into milk and again into flour mixture.

Combine all the ingredients for the cole slaw and set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan, fry shrimp until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes.

Drain and set aside.

Pre-heat grill or broiler, place buns onto baking tray buttered side up and grill until lightly toasted.

Place lettuce into buns, followed with shrimp and top with cole slaw.

Serve immediately

Makes 4

Trinitario double chocolate chip cookies

½ cup unsalted butter

¾ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup Trinidad cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup Trinidad dark or bittersweet chocolate.

sea salt flakes for garnish, optional.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a cookie tray with parchment or a silicon baking mat.

With an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy.

Add egg and beat until well incorporated.

Combine cocoa with flour, baking soda and salt.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture, stir until all the flour is mixed in.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter with a cookie scoop or rounded spoon, 2 inches apart.

Sprinkle with salt flakes if you like.

Bake 10-12 minutes, cookies should still be soft in the centre, cool on the baking tray.

Gently remove to a cooling rack.

Makes 12

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