Party Food
Summer is once again upon us and whilst the weather isn't doing much to spur garden parties, inviting your friends over for a summer social gathering will be enough to warm this season's pre-Autumnal blues (especially with the assistance of an impressive party spread, capable of intimidating any potential Jamie Olivers amongst the group).
Here are a few recipes to get the buffet positively blooming!
1. Pizzettas
Ingredients (to make 12 pizzettas)
1.1kg white self-raising flour - 35p for 1.5kg
2 tsp salt - 43p for 1.5kg
600ml milk - 80p for 1.136litre
12 tbsp olive oil - £2.48 for 200ml
Tomato dipping sauce - £1.33 for 500g
600g mozzarella - £1.44 per 250g
200g mature cheddar cheese - £1.96
Costing: £ 8.79
Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Sieve flour and salt into a mixing bowl, then make a well in the centre.
Pour the milk and oil into the well and mix until a soft dough has formed.
Dust a worktop with flour and tip the dough out onto the surface.
Knead for a minute to form a smooth ball. Dust 2 baking sheets with flour and, using hands, divide the dough into 12 equal balls.
Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a flat pizzetta base and place on the baking sheets.
Top the bases with a tablespoon of tomato dipping sauce and spread right to the edges of the bases. Slice the mozzarella and position, along with any additional toppings, on the pizzettas.
Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top and bake for 10 minutes.
2. Vodka Jelly
Ingredients
35cl Smirnoff Vodka - £6.29
1 pack of Jelly Cubes - 30p
Fruit Juice (optional) - 58p for 1litre
Costing: £7.17
What would a party be without a bit of alcohol to fuel the celebrations?!
For students, this is the unanimous party pleaser, curbing the cravings of food and alcohol in one mouthful.
Simply dissolve flavoured jelly cubes in hot water and allow to cool.
Add as much spirit as desired to the mixture (go easy here) and for an extra kick, add fruit juice!
Pour into a glass bowl, or jelly mould, and chill for at least six hours.
When ready, place a plate on top of the jelly mould and carefully flip over, so the jelly slides out onto the serving plate.
3. Fruit with chocolate orange dip
Ingredients
Fruit cut into bite size pieces (strawberries, melon, bananas, kiwi - £3.75)
300ml milk - 42p for 568ml
200g milk chocolate - 46p
Zest of 2 oranges - 70p
Costing: £5.33
Heat the milk in a saucepan along with the grated orange zest and bring to the boil.
Break the chocolate into tiny pieces and add to the mixture.12»
