Canapés
Canapés are quick and easy. All you'll need is a well-thought-out shopping list and a couple of hours hands-on preparation time. Each of the following recipes make between 20-25 canapés.

Salsa on Tortillas - chop up a chilli (seeded), red onion and large mango. Mix in the juice of two limes. This is your salsa. Spoon it onto a tortilla chip and serve on a plate garnished with fresh coriander. If you're feeling adventurous you can warm your tortillas up first by placing them on a baking tray, spraying them with oil and cooking for eight minutes at 200C/400F/Gas mark 6.

Roasted Tomato Crostinis
Cut a day-old baguette into 20 slices and brush with olive oil. Pop them on a baking tray and cook for 10 minutes at 150C/300F/Gas mark 2. These will keep for up to a week in an airtight container. Cut ten cherry tomatoes in half, drizzle with oil and roast at 150C/300F/Gas mark 2 for 30 minutes. To serve, spoon some guacamole on to each crostini and garnish with a roasted tomato half.

Cupped Prawns
Skin two large cucumbers and cut into 5cm/1 in thick slices. Scoop out the middle with a teaspoon to make a hole for the filling. Mix 125g/5oz of cooked, shelled prawns with a little chopped coriander and five tablespoons of sweet Thai chilli sauce. Spoon in.

Super simple fruit
A fruit platter is the perfect palette refresher, any time of year Go for a selection of melons, grapes and apples, and garnish with any seasonal berries you spot on offer. Drizzle your apples with lemon juice to stop them from browning.

Veggie Dippers
Carrot, celery and cucumber sticks are our favourite veggie dippers. Once you've hot-footed it down to the deli counter to pick up your dips, all you'll need to do is peel and slice your veg into sticks and make sure they're elegantly presented. Garnish with a few sprigs of parsley.

Mini Savoury Pancakes
Warmed blinis - available from any good supermarket - are so versatile, you can add virtually any topping to them and they're utterly delicious. Try a pitted prune wrapped in prosciutto or pate garnished with an olive.

Cocktails:
If you're uber-organised, you can prepare most of the following cocktails in advance, pop them in the fridge and revitalise them with a quick stir and lime rind garnish. To help with measurements, one part is 25ml; there are 40 parts to a one litre jug. Therefore, a one-litre jug will serve ten cosmos.

Cosmopolitans - Sex and the City sass
Sea Breeze - a fruity favourite
Champagne cocktail - effortlessly classy (especially if you cheat with Cava)
Caipirinha - zesty Brazilian flair
White Russian - pure cream decadence

Cosmopolitan - Sex and the City sass
11/2 parts vodka
1 part cointreau
1 part cranberry juice
dash of lime (optional rind to garnish)

Serve in a cocktail glass, without ice.

Sea Breeze - a fruity favourite
A one-litre jug will hold five sea breezes.
2 parts vodka
3 parts cranberry juice
3 parts grapefruit juice
Lime wedge garnish
ice

Serve over ice in a tall glass.

Champagne Cocktail - effortlessly classy (especially if you cheat and use Cava)
Champagne/Cava
Sugar lumps
Angostura Bitters

Drop in a lump of sugar and a dash of angostura bitters into the bottom of a champagne glass. Fill with champagne and serve.

Caipirinha - zesty Brazilian flair
This recipe is so good, they'll be coming back for thirds, fourths and fifths!
1 part cachaca
1 lime, halved
2 teaspoons brown sugar
ice

Mix the brown sugar and lime into the bottom of the glass, fill it with ice cubes, then add the cachaca. Stir well and serve.

White Russian - pure cream decadence
2 parts vodka
1 part kahlua
top up with cream or milk
ice

Use a cocktail shaker to mix all the ingredients (except the ice) together. Serve in a tumbler over ice.