A nifty little appetizer for your perusal. I created these for Sainsbury’s Mag a couple of years back and they still haven’t lost their festive appeal. I love to have people over at this time of year but I don’t want to feel stressed about what to serve them. If it’s not a sit down meal situation then I prefer to have a simple selection of finger food. It’s not that I don’t want the food to be centre stage but I’d much rather have some wine and chat with my friends than be labouring away in the kitchen. These can be whipped up just before everyone arrives and take minutes to make – their freshness is the perfect antidote to all the stodge we are surrounded by at this time of year. Cheers!

Ingredients

3 x celery sticks

4 x apples (mix of green and red)

80g toasted hazelnuts

1 x pomegranate, de-seeded

3 heaped tbsp dried cranberries

2 x little gem lettuces

10g fresh dill

Yoghurt dressing

Method

 

Break the hazelnuts into pieces in a pestle and mortar before adding to a dry frying pan or skillet. Toast over a medium heat until they begin to colour, tossing frequently. Set aside until needed.

 

Roughly chop the celery and add to a large mixing bowl. Grate the apples and add to bowl. Spritz over a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

 

Add the pomegranate seeds (reserving some for garnish) and dried cranberries.

 

In a separate bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together, check for seasoning and add two thirds to the apple mixture at first. Stir to combine and if it seems a little dry, add a touch more dressing … you want it to still have bite and texture. Stir through the toasted hazelnuts – again, reserve a few for garnish.

 

Remove the leaves from the little gem lettuces and fill each ‘cup’ with a spoonful or two of the mixture. Serve platter style on a large board or serving plate. Dot a little more of the dressing over the cups and garnish with the remaining pomegranate seeds, toasted hazelnuts and a final smattering of freshly chopped dill.