Easy Cooking for Effortless Entertaining Part 1 - Starters/Snacks

With Thanksgiving behind us an Christmas on its way, I find myself always on the lookout for easy recipes and ideas to make entertaining fuss-free and without much effort. I heard someone say the other day that her family spends the Christmas holidays on their own, because the idea of inviting people is just to daunting for her. It made me think.....maybe there are many people who, unlike us foodies, just do not know what to do!!!! Problem solved!!!!!! For the next couple of weeks, I will post dead-easy recipes and ideas that will help you to overcome your fear of entertaining and will most definitely impress your guests. I will start off with recipes for starters or snacks - depending on what kind of party your are planning.

The first on my menu is:

Baked Feta in a Phyllo Parcel with Truss tomatoes

Ingredients - make as many as you need, I give the ingredients for 1 person

1 sheet phyllo pastry
melted butter - about 1-2 Tbsp
1 ring of Feta - about 4o-50gr
olive oil
fresh thyme
1 truss with about 5 cocktail tomatoes
maldon salt or coarse sea salt
balsamic vinegar
black pepper
raffia or string

Preheat oven to 170C
Cut the phyllo sheet in 4 and butter each piece and place on top of each other. Place the Feta cheese in the middle and bring the ends of the phyllo together and fasten it with raffia or string at the bottom - it must look like an "opened" parcel. Drizzle with olive oil and black pepper and bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes.
Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper as well as a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
When both the elements of the dish is ready, assemble on a plate, sprinkle with Maldon salt and black pepper and serve with a crisp white wine.