Planning a bash to ring in the new year? Wow your guests with an inviting array of nibbles

STEAK BITES

These are just the ticket when you’re entertaining. Cook the steak in a pan or over the coals then add the dips to make it extra-special. Provide a handful of skewers or forks and let guests choose their favourite flavours. SERVES 8 Preparation: 15 min Cooking: 8-10 min Resting: 10 min 3 x 250g steaks (cut of your choice), at room temperature olive oil for rubbing freshly ground pepper 15ml (1T) butter 5ml (1t) sea salt DIPS 1 GARLIC AND LEMON 10g each spring onions, fresh parsley and rocket, chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 15ml (1T) lemon juice 30ml (2T) olive oil pinch of sea salt 2 BALSAMIC VINEGAR

AND OLIVE OIL 45ml (3T) balsamic

vinegar 125ml (½c) olive oil 10g fresh basil, leaves

separated 3 CHILLI AND

CORIANDER 6 chillies, chopped 20g fresh coriander,

chopped juice and grated zest

of 1 lemon 15ml (1T) cumin seeds,

toasted pinch of sea salt 1 Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Rub the meat all over with olive oil and season well with freshly ground pepper. 2 Heat a large nonstick pan until smoking. Seal the steaks for about 2 minutes a side or until a golden brown crust forms on both sides. Don’t overload the pan – if it’s small, fry the steaks in batches. 3 Add the butter to the pan, season the steaks with salt and finish frying the meat until done to your liking (about another 2 minutes a side). Remove from the pan and rest on a plate for at least 10 minutes. 4 Cut the steaks into thin strips and arrange on a serving plate. 5 Dips Mix the ingredients for each dip in a separate bowl and arrange on a wooden board or serving tray. Serve the steak with the dips. t – teaspoon/s T – tablespoon/s c – cup/s

TOMATO AND CHICKEN EMPANADAS WITH BASIL OIL

These mini empanadas are a variation on the much-loved Spanish pastries. They’re served with aromatic basil oil. MAKES ABOUT 24 PASTRIES Preparation: 40 min Chilling: 30 min Cooking: 12-15 min a batch PASTRY 750ml (3c) flour 5ml (1t) salt 125g cold butter, cubed 1 egg 125ml (½c) milk BASIL OIL 20g fresh basil, roughly

shredded 125ml (½c) olive oil FILLING 1 cooked chicken, deboned, skinned and shredded 125ml (½c) sun-dried

tomatoes, chopped 2 rounds feta cheese,

roughly crumbled 150g mozzarella cheese,

grated grated zest of 1 lemon salt and freshly ground

pepper ASSEMBLY 1 egg yolk, lightly

whisked Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. 1 Pastry Put the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor, add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 2 Add the egg and half the milk and pulse until the dough starts to bind. Add the rest of the milk little by little until a dough forms. Remove the dough and knead lightly. Shape into a ball, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 3 Basil oil Put the basil and olive oil in a small saucepan. Heat over a low heat until bubbles start forming around the basil. Remove from the stove and set aside to cool completely. 4 Filling Combine the ingredients well. Add 60ml (¼c) of the cooled basil oil and mix. 5 Assembly Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 2mm thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut into 10cm rounds. 6 Brush a little egg yolk around the edge of each pastry round. Spoon filling into the middle and fold the pastry over to form halfmoon-shaped pastries. Fold in the edges and pinch to seal. 7 Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and brush lightly with egg yolk. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and done. Serve with the rest of the basil oil for dipping.

The empanadas can be made a day or two in advance. Store in the fridge and serve hot or cold.

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