Late Night Party Snacks

It was my Husband's birthday two days back and my brother and me immediately thought of  a plan to make his day special. We invited about 12 of his friends over and decided on a late night gathering at our home. Since all of them confirmed on a late arrival, which is as late as 10.30pm...I could only think of some snacks to keep us all alert and awake for the night. My snack menu for the party comprised of Chiken Tikka Cocktail, Stuffed Eggs, Green chutney and Carrot Sandwiches, Cocktail Sausages, Potato chips with garlic and chilly dip, Mushroom and Potato pie, Warm Orange Tea and Raspberry Souffle.

Chicken Tikka Cocktail

Ingredients:
Chicken Tikka - 24 pieces (I ordered this from a local tandoori restaurant and had them home delivered)
Thousand Island Dressing - 1/2cup
Half a Green Bell pepper - diced into cubes

Chop the chiken tikka into small pieces and plop in the thousand island dressing and diced pepper and mix well. Serve immediately. This can be refrigerated and used for a sandwich filling for the next day as well.

Stuffed Eggs

Ingredients:
Hardboiled Eggs - 24 halved lengthwise
Cheese spread - 4-5tbs
Mayonnaise - 1/4cup
Tobasco Sauce - a couple of dabs
White pepper - a pinch
Onion - one small finely chopped
Small green pepper - finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)
Prawns  - 200gms (I used frozen prawns)
Lemon juice - 1-2tsp
Salt to taste
Lettuce leaves

Thaw the prawns. Into a pot, pour water enough to cover the prawns and bring the water toa boil. Once the water the starts to boil, put in some pepper and salt to season. Take the prawns out in 2-3minutes, or else the prawns would become rubbery. After they have cooled a bit, chop them up.

Into a another bowl, using a teaspoon scoop out the egg yolks and add the mayonnaise and mix well. Add the tobasco sauce and white pepper and combine well. Then add in the chopped pepper, onion and prawns and combine again. Taste and adjust the seasoning and then add the lemon juice. Fill each egg white with the filling and garnish with a green pepper and arrange the eggs on to a bed of lettuce leaves.

Mushroom and Potato Pie

Ingredients:
Mushroom - 250gms
Potato - 5-6 diced into cubes
Carrot - 2-3 diced into cubes
Green chilly - 2 finely chopped
Onion - 2 medium sized finely chopped
Garlic - 3-4pods finely chopped
Hot and sweet tomato sauce - 4-5tbs
Salt to taste

For the Bechamel Sauce
Flour - 4tbs
Milk - 2cups
Butter  - 2tbs
Cheddar Cheese grated - 1/2cup
Nutmeg grated - 1/4 tsp
Pepper - 1/4tsp
Salt to taste

Fry the potatoes and carrot and remove onto absorbent paper. Then saute the garlic, onion and chilly. When the onion becomes transparent, add the Hot and sweet tomato sauce and fry for a minute. Tip in the mushrooms and fry till it becomes nice and soft. Add the fried potatoes and carrot and mix well. Check on the seasoning. Empty into a greased pie dish and top with bechamal sauce and grated cheddar cheese and bake for 35minutes at 120C.

For the roux [White sauce/ Bechamel Sauce]
Into a heavy bottomed saucepan melt the butter, add in the flour and stir continuously till it forms a soft paste and bubbles. Careful not to brown the roux. Mix in the milk and keep stirring till the roux thickens. Add salt to taste, pepper and grated nutmeg and mix well.