Recipes of the season: Delicious appetisers for winter parties

The calm weather and early sunsets make winter evenings perfect for soirees and cosy gatherings. No wonder we see a rise in the number of playful occasions during this time of the year! And no celebration is complete without good food, especially when winter brings with it a fresh haul of special produce.

Here are some easy recipes to make using winter produce to keep your guests entertained and winter gatherings fun!

LETTUCE WRAPS

Ingredients

For the stuffing –

1 lettuce head

500g mince beef

1 bell pepper

4 – 5 green chillies

1 thumb ginger

2 spring onions

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp sesame oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp fish sauce

1 lime

For the dip –

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp fish sauce

1 sliced fresh red chilli

1 tbsp lime juice

A handful of chopped coriander

Method

Season the minced beef with salt and pepper and cook over hot oil in a pan. While cooking, break it into small chunks so that you have crispy bits. Remove mince from the pan and strain the oil. In a fresh pan, add in chopped onions, ginger, garlic, bell pepper, and chillies in sesame oil. Then add in brown sugar and fish sauce, and add the mince back in. Add in zest of a fresh lime and lime juice, stir and remove from heat.

For the dip, mix all the ingredients together and stir. Lay the lettuce and fill them in with the mince; pour in a teaspoon of the dip and enjoy!