Ham Amuse-Bouches

Having guests over doesn't always mean you have to spend your whole day in the kitchen, or even break the bank. This amuse-bouches recipe is the perfect example of a quick, easy, and inexpensive appetizer.
This recipe is as simple as it gets: really easy and it takes only few minutes to make (and half an hour to sit in the fridge before serving).

These bite-sized appetizers, made with rolled ham filled with garlic & herbs spread, are delicious and quite light too, so it will leave room to enjoy the coming meal ...

But, let me share few tips with you before starting:

• When buying your ham, make sure the slices are one to two millimiters thick, so it doesn't tear apart when you spread the cheese.
• Get your spread out of the fridge at least half an hour before starting, so it will be smooth and soft enough to spread.

To make this recipe, you will need:

• Some ham
• Some garlic & herbs spread*
• Some foil

To calculate your quantities, you can count on making eight bites per slice of ham. Based on this assumption, the last time I made this appetizer for five people, I bought six slices of ham and a  250-gram container of garlic & herbs spread.


Place your slice of ham on a plate or cutting board ...

... and spread the garlic & herbs spread with a butter knife on the ham.

Roll your slice of ham.

Cover it completely with foil and close it.

Place in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Just before serving, remove the foil ...

... and cut your slices of ham in eight bites (don't make too small bites, because it will become messy and won't make nice bite-sized cuts).

Serve (with toothpicks) and enjoy!

*Tip: You can find this spread already made at the supermarket, by Philadelphia®, Tartare® or Boursin®, or you can make it yourself by using a plain spread, adding chopped garlic and parsley (and any other herbs you are fond of) and mix them in a blender.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped by Charline Leblond

Simple Pasta Tomato Sauce

Ahh, pasta. Standard fuel for college students who are still one step before the instant noodle stage. Why buy bottles of pre-made pasta sauce? You can make your own quick sauce pretty easily, and the best part is that you can customize it to your taste.

For a basic tomato sauce, enough to make 5-6 servings, you will need:

• Three cans of diced tomatoes
• One chopped onion
• Three tablespoons of parmesan
• One finely diced clove of garlic
• Two tablespoons of basil (finely chopped or dried)
• One tablespoon of parsley (finely chopped or dried)
• One tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

In a large pot, add about a tablespoon of olive oil.

Add your onions and garlic and saute them for a few minutes.

Add about a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of pepper.

Now add your three cans of diced tomato, juices and everything.

Mix the tomatoes in with the onion and garlic, and then add the herbs.

Once you have mixed the sauce well, taste it and add more salt or pepper as desired. If you are making meatballs, this is the time to add your meatballs to the sauce. If not, just let the sauce simmer for at least an hour.

Now your sauce is done!

You can serve this sauce over spaghetti, with meatballs, or with a side of Italian sausage ... the possibilities are endless. Make a large batch and then freeze it, defrosting what you need and heating it up in a pot before serving.

Here are a few suggestions on how to change your sauce for different flavours:

• Chop up some green peppers and toss it in the oil in the beginning, roast it up for a bit and then add the tomatoes.
• Add some ground beef in the beginning and let it all brown before adding the tomatoes to make a bolognaise sauce.
• Add a bit more black pepper or cayenne pepper to make it a bit more spicy.
• Add some cilantro and some lemon zest for a tangy sauce.

The opportunities are endless!

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki