Throw a girls' poker party

Get your mates round and throw your own version of a blokes' poker party. Forget the beer and pretzels, it's quick and easy to whip up some sophisticated finger food your buddies will love. Just put on your poker face and deal up some cards and clever canapés


Recipes

Marmalade and Mustard Chicken Sticks
Makes 12-16
Forget messy buffalo wings, these tasty bites of chicken are easy to eat, easy to prepare and can be served hot or cold - and no bones to contend with.

2 boneless chicken breasts
2 tbsp orange marmalade
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
cocktail sticks for serving

Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks, about 6-8 per breast, depending on size. Mix the marmalade and mustard in a bowl and stir in the chicken pieces. You can leave them to marinate if you have time or immediately lay them on a non-stick baking tray (or use a piece of greaseproof paper). Bake for 8-10 minutes in a 200C/gas mark 6 oven or until just done. Skewer with cocktail sticks and pop onto a serving plate.

Open-Top Burger Bites
Makes 12
Nothing beats a homemade burger, especially since you can personalise them to your own taste. Both the 'buns' and burgers can be made in advance and grilled to reheat just before serving.

3 slices white bread
75g/2¾oz melted butter
175g/6oz minced steak
1 shallot or half a small onion, very finely chopped
½ tsp French mustard
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
75g/2¾ oz small button mushrooms, sliced
75g/2¾oz blue cheese such as Stilton or Roquefort
mayonnaise for spreading

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 6.

Use a pastry cutter to cut out 12 x 4 cm / 1 ½ inch rounds from the bread slices and place on a baking sheet. Melt half of the butter, brush each bread round and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. In a small bowl, combine the mince, shallot or onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture and form into 12 small burger shapes.

Melt the rest of the butter in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until soft and just coloured and remove from the pan. Fry the burgers for 2-3 minutes each side until brown and done on the inside. Top each burger with several mushroom slices and some of the crumbled blue cheese. Spread a little mayonnaise onto the 'buns' and set the burgers on top. When ready to serve, heat the grill and melt the cheese, warming the burgers through.

Mix and match flavourings for your burgers, depending on taste:

  • Add barbecue sauce to the mince and top with a cherry tomato slice and Cheddar.
  • Make Thai burgers using a little garlic, ginger, finely chopped chillies, fresh coriander leaves and Thai fish sauce. Top with store-bought chilli dipping sauce and sesame seeds.
  • Go American with mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce, crispy bacon and sliced gherkin.

Baby Baked Potatoes with Soured Cream and Caviar
Makes 12
Just because your girlfriends are round instead of 'Mr Right' doesn't mean you can't indulge yourself with a little decadent luxury. Instead of Beluga, use lumpfish caviar, which won't blow the budget and can be found in most big supermarkets in the canned fish section.

12 baby new potatoes
100ml/3½fl oz soured cream
1 tbsp fresh chives, snipped
black pepper
50g/1¾oz lumpfish caviar

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 6 and bake the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until just soft. Mix together the soured cream, chives and pepper. Make a small cross on the top of each potato and spoon in a dollop of soured cream, topped with a generous teaspoonful of caviar. Serve immediately.

Chilli Corn Fritters with Maple Yoghurt Dip
Makes about 12
A favourite snack from the 'Deep South', the states best known for being part of the Confederacy. It may sound like a strange savoury/sweet combination but the maple yoghurt partners wonderfully with these piquant golden goodies. Spread the fritters around a serving plate with a small bowl of dip in the middle.

100g/3½oz self raising flour
200g/7oz canned sweetcorn, drained and rinsed
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
90ml/3fl oz milk
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
2-3 tbsp oil for frying
200g/7oz Greek yoghurt
100ml/5fl oz maple syrup

Put the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the milk, eggs, salt and pepper and stir until just combined. Quickly fold in the corn and chilli.

Heat a little of the oil in a large frying pan and spoon in a ladleful of the corn batter to make 7cm / 2½-inch fritters. Fry for 4-5 minutes then turn and fry another 1-2 minutes or until nicely golden on both sides. Remove and set on kitchen paper while you fry the rest, adding a little more oil between batches when necessary.

Mix together the yoghurt and maple syrup to make the dip. Serve immediately. You can make the fritters in advance and store them in the fridge or freezer. Microwave or heat in the oven and serve warm with the dip.

Pita Parmesan Crisps
These are great substitutes for packet crisps and so much more adventurous. Great on their own or serve with dips. They can be made several days in advance and stored in an airtight container.
Makes about 24

3 pita breads
1 clove of garlic, crushed
black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
75g/2¾oz freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 5. Carefully separate the two layers of the pita bread by using a serrated knife and cutting all the way round. Cut each half into four wide strips and place on a baking sheet.

Mix the garlic and pepper into the oil and brush each pita strip. Sprinkle evenly with a little thyme and top with the grated Parmesan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the strips are crisp. Cool and serve.

Spicy Bean Dip with Taco Chips
Put the hummus on hold and try a dip with a difference. Serve with store-bought taco chips or the pita Parmesan crisps. Can easily be made several days in advance and reheated in the microwave just before serving.

1 x 400g / 14oz can of borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
25g/1 oz butter
1 small onion, chopped
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground cumin
125g/4½oz mature Cheddar, grated
salt and pepper

Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft but not coloured. Add the spices and fry for another minute. Puree the beans in a food processor until smooth, adding a little water if necessary, then add to the pan and fry with the onion mixture until warmed through. Remove from the heat and add the grated cheese, stirring until melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels
What would Valentine's Day be without the chocolate? Again, another strange sounding combination but one you won't want to stop eating. You can use the traditional pretzel shapes or pretzel sticks. Whichever one you use, dip only three-quarters in the chocolate to give yourself a non-sticky handle.

75g/2¾oz (or a good handful) pretzels, rounds or sticks
100g/3½oz dark chocolate

Break the chocolate into small chunks and melt in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Or melt slowly and carefully in a microwave. Dip the pretzels, one at a time in the warm chocolate and leave to set on a piece of greaseproof paper. Serve round pretzels in a bowl and the sticks in a small glass, chocolate side down.

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