If you’re planning a party this autumn, constructing a platter is a great way to cater for your guests. There’s no need for you to be running back and forth from the kitchen and dishing up plates of food when you can lay out an enticing selection of snacks so that visitors can help themselves.
If you’re having a bonfire party this evening (or any kind of festive event in the run up to Christmas) you might want to consider making a platter of snacks for your party. I thought I’d share some of my favourite chickpea recipes, as well as some tips for creating a delicious vegetarian platter that everyone will want to eat…
3 WAYS WITH CHICKPEAS
I love chickpeas and would eat them with every meal if I could. Although if you told the 7-year-old me that, she’d never believe you, because she was not at all keen on chickpeas. But that all changed when I realised you could add flavour to chickpeas. It’s surprising just how many things you can make with chickpeas and I’ve got 3 of my favourite recipes to share with you today – all of them ideal for a vegetarian party platter.
CRISPY ROASTED CHICKPEAS
This recipe is in the current issue of The Simple Things magazine and is super-easy to make. Simply coat drained chickpeas in olive oil and chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander and salt. Bake in the oven until crisp. You can find the full recipe in Sight, Smell, Touch, Taste, Sound by Sybil Kapoor.
HOMEMADE HUMMUS
I’ve tried many different variations on a basic hummus recipe (adding sundried tomatoes, beetroot, herbs, olives etc) over the years. I found that the quick hummus recipe on the BBC Food website is one of the easiest to follow and makes a delicious, smooth dip. Be sure to slice up plenty of carrots, celery, peppers and grilled pitta bread to arrange on your platter to go with it.
BEETROOT FALAFEL BITES
I’ve shared this recipe on my blog before – but as a summer BBQ burger! It’s the same recipe as the beetroot burger but instead of forming a chunky patty and grilling it, you can roll the chickpea and beetroot mixture into balls. Fry them in a little olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, turning as they brown. They’re delicious dipped into greek yoghurt with mint.
WHAT TO PUT ON YOUR PLATTER
I’ve chosen a bamboo lazy susan from VonShef as the base for my party platter. I like the idea of guests being able to rotate the platter to reach another tasty treat. It’s got a terracotta bowl inlaid into the middle of the lazy susan that’s ideal for dips – so that’s where my homemade hummus has ended up. Pile high with dippable carrot sticks, cucumber, celery, peppers and falafel balls for a vegan option.
Add some mixed olives, cherry tomatoes, chunks of feta wrapped in roasted red peppers, griddled haloumi and sundried tomatoes to create a rainbow of colours and a mouthwatering variety of flavours. The platter looks colourful, inviting and a real centrepiece of your party.
Let me know if you construct a party platter yourself this winter and I’d love to hear what tasty treats you usually include when you plan a party so let me know in the comments below.
PIN IT FOR LATER..!
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
