Eat Your Art out

 Having a little fun with food and art.

 The lines and textures of my favorite wooden African carving which hangs on the wall in my kitchen, reminded me of small bite size savouries, and they worked so well served on beautiful wooden platters. Mini Chorizo Pizzas , Baked Potato Batons and small Chicken Lace Pancakes  mimic the shapes and textures perfectly.

If you haven’t made lace pancakes before, try them, they are fun and look so beautiful.  Yes I know you are saying, this is the most impractical thing you have ever seen, and I am sure not the easiest things to pop into your mouth, but hey, they look pretty impressive, and you could always plate them and serve with something else as a main course.  Its all about having fun in the kitchen.

The potato batons are par boiled and then baked in the oven, so much healthier than fried . Drench them with chunks of course sea salt and rosemary, ready to be dipped into a sauce of your choice.

The chorizo topping  can be put on mini pizzas, slices of dark healthy bread, or into mini pita pockets.  Whatever grabs your fancy.

Eat your Art out – Oven baked potato batons   Author: Ev @ shadesofcinnamon.com Recipe type: Canapes Serves: 12 Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Print   3 recipes for a drinks party with styling based on my favorite piece of artwork in my house Ingredients

• 6 potatoes
• salt
• olive oil
• rosemary

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Peel and cut the chips into equal sized batons and put into a bowl . Save the off cuts of potato.
3. Place the potato off cuts into a pot and boil until very soft.
4. Drain into a sieve and then mash this thru the sieve into the bowl of potato batons, and season with plenty of salt. Toss to form a fluffy coating on the chips.
5. Toss with olive oil and then place on the baking tray.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning after about 30 minutes.

3.2.2124 Eat your Art out   Author: Ev @ shadesofcinnamon.com Recipe type: Canapes Serves: 12 Prep time: 45 mins Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins Total time: 2 hours 15 mins Print   3 recipes for a drinks party with styling based on my favorite piece of artwork in my house Ingredients

• FOR THE Lemon Garlic Chicken
• 1 Chicken
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 lemon
• salt pepper
• 50 ml sherry
• Celery sticks
• FOR THE LACE PANCAKE
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Instructions

1. FOR THE CHICKEN
2. Make a marinade of the crushed garlic, salt, pepper, juice of 1 lemon and 50ml sherry. Put the chicken and the marinade into a bag and leave for 1 hour .
3. Use the skin of the lemon to stuff the chicken.
4. Heat the oven to 180ºC.
5. Discard the marinade and put the chicken in a roasting pan with a few tablespoons oil and roast for 1hour – 1½ hours until the skin is browned and the chicken cooked through. Allow to cool.
6. Once cooled , shred the chicken with the crispy skin, and put into the juices from the pan to get all the flavor into the shredded chicken. It is now ready to be put into the pancakes.
7. Cut the celery into thin julienne strips .
8. While the chicken is roasting make the pancakes.
9. FOR THE PANCAKE
10. Pour the milk and water into a bowl, break in the eggs and whisk.
11. Add the sifted dry ingredients and sugar and continue to whisk until smooth.
12. Heat a pancake pan with 1 Tablespoon butter. Once the butter has melted pour the excess into the pancake mix and whisk. Leave enough butter in the pan just to coat the bottom.
13. Put the mixture into a squeeze bottle (cheap tomato sauce plastic bottle). Squeeze the mixture into the pan around the edge and then make a pattern of your choice inside the circle. You need to do this quickly so that the batter all cooks evenly.
14. With a spatula turn the pancake over and allow to cook on the other side.
15. If you dont want to make lace pancakes just pour enough mixture into the pan and rotate the pan so that the mixture coats the whole bottom surface. Turn when browned on the one side and cook the other side.
16. As each pancake is made, place on a piece of greaseproof paper and cover with another. They can be stacked this way .
17. Layer a few strips of celery and chicken onto the pancake and roll. Delicious and ready to dip into your favorite dipping sauce or to eat as is.

3.2.2124 Eat your Art out – Chorizo Pitas   Author: Ev@ shadesofcinnamon.com Recipe type: Canapes Serves: 12 Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 1 hour Print   3 recipes for a drinks party with styling based on my favorite piece of artwork in my house Ingredients

• FOR THE CHORIZO TOPPING
• 2 Chorizo sausages
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 50 ml sherry
• salt and pepper
• FOR THE PITAS

Instructions

1. FOR THE CHORIZO TOPPING
2. Slice the chorizo .
3. Pour oil into a pan and cook the chorizo on both sides until browned. Set aside.
4. Put the sliced onion and garlic into the pan and sautee gently until soft.
5. Add the rosemary and the sherry and reduce until the onions are sticky.
6. Return the chorizo to the pan and allow all the flavours to blend.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. FOR THE PITAS

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