Healthy Party Platters

New Year's Eve platter Shopping List

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Cherries
• Blueberries
• Grapes
• Mango
• Kiwifruit
• Lavosh crackers and bread sticks
• Passionfruit
• Truffle salami
• Prosciutto
• Pepper dews
• Olives
• Dolmades
• Aged reggiano cheese
• Brie cheese
• Quince paste
• Asparagus

Tips:

Place "wet" items like olives, dolmades and pepper dews in a small bowl. Have a small bowl ready for pips.

Start arranging by placing the largest items down first and then reserve the fruit to fill in the gaps at the end, particularly the berries and other fruit that can be scattered about the platter.

Try for a mix of soft and hard cheeses. Instead of serving feta as it was, I whipped it up into a dip.

Whipped Feta dip

• 350g/12.36ozs. Danish feta with herbs

Step 1 - Drain the feta and place in a food processor along with 3 tablespoons of the marinating oil. Blend until fluffy and whipped. Serve with crackers.

Edamame dip

• 1 cup shelled edamame beans, heated from frozen
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper to tastes

Step 1 - Blend the edamame beans with the olive oil. Then add in the chives, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers.

Beetroot Tzatziki Dip (see recipe here)

Strawberry and Coconut Water Frosé (Frozen Rosé)

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Makes 4

• 750ml/26.5fl ozs. bottle rose wine
• 250g/8.83ozs. strawberries, fulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup icing or confectioners sugar
• 1 cup coconut water (fresh from the coconut)
• 7-8 ice cubes

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Step 1 - Freeze the Rosé in a ziplock bag or in a container in the fridge. I did the ziplock because I had no room but just in case I double bagged it. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight (it will turn slushy). Meanwhile, mix the strawberries and sugar and keep in the fridge for the same amount of time allowing the juices to release (massage the berries gently if you need to).

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Step 2 - In a blender add the slushy rosé, the strawberry juice (reserve the actual strawberries for yogurt or a dessert), the coconut water and the ice cubes and blend. Serve straight away with berries for garnish.

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Tuna Poke

• 200g/7ozs. sashimi grade tuna
• 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
• A few drops sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Step 1 - Cut the tuna into small cubes and then toss with soy sauce, sesame oil and chives. Serve fresh.

Chilli Salmon Poke

• 200g/7ozs. sashimi grade salmon
• 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 large red chilli, finely diced
• A few drops sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Step 1 - Cut the salmon into small cubes and then toss with soy sauce, chilli, sesame oil and chives. Serve fresh.

Prawn Poke

• 250g/7ozs. shelled cooked prawns
• 1.5 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons flying fish roe (tobiko)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

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Step 1 - Cut the prawns into small cubes and then toss with mayonnaise, soy sauce, flying fish roe and chives. Serve fresh.

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