Christmas party time: Three easy recipes to impress your guests

Courtesy of QMS' 'Make it Scotch' campaign and Sam Morrison, of Served by Sam on Instagram, we can help you create a Christmas party spread packed full of flavour this year.

Sam has shared two festive canapé recipes chosen by followers of Make It Scotch on Instagram, along with one of her personal favourites, to show you how easy it is to make better quality party food using Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb.

So, Chimichurri Scotch Beef PGI Popovers, Scotch Beef PGI Mini Tacos and Spicy Scotch Lamb PGI Pastries are part of a series of festive hacks, tips and red meat recipe inspiration created for the ‘Make it a Christmas with cred’ campaign.

The campaign aims to inspire people to make this Christmas extra special and encourage them to consider choosing an alternative to turkey, such as Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb or Specially Selected Pork.

Lesley Cameron, director of marketing and communications at QMS, told The SF: “This year, we know that people will want to make the most of the festive period, but we want to encourage them to make their festive parties even better by using the Scotch brands.

“Not only can Sam’s recipes help you put a twist on the usual Christmas canapé, by using Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb or Specially Selected Pork, you can have the reassurance that the meat you are using comes from trusted Scottish farms that adopt best practice in animal welfare and production methods.”

Sam Morrison pointed out: “Festive parties are back and my recipes can help you make sure your canapés are the star of the show. They’re super easy to follow and I’ve even included a few tips for alternative methods so you can adapt them to suit your needs.

“Plus, if you’ve planned ahead for your parties this year, you can buy your Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork early this year from your local Scotch butcher, or supermarket, freeze it and defrost it when it’s time to make your canapés.”

CHIMICHURRI SCOTCH BEEF POPOVERS

If you’re entertaining over the festive season, these tangy and tasty beef popovers will give you the ultimate canape.

Makes: 12

Prep time: 25 mins plus standing

Cooking time: 26 mins

Ingredients:

• 300g lean Scotch Beef PGI sirloin steak, trimmed

• 75g plain flour

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 125ml semi-skimmed milk

• 1½ tsp dried oregano

• A pinch of sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

• 5 tbsp Scottish rapeseed oil

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 15g parsley, freshly chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

• 1 fleshy red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Prep:

You can make these up to two days in advance of serving, or freeze instead. To reheat, allow them to defrost, then place onto a baking tray and put in a preheated oven at 190°C/170°C fan oven or gas 5 for 6-7 minutes until crisp and hot.

Method:

• Put the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg, milk, 1/2 tsp oregano and a little seasoning. Whisk together to make a smooth, thin batter. Transfer to a jug and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile, mix the remaining oregano and 3tbsp oil together with the vinegar, parsley, garlic and chilli to make a chimichurri sauce. Season lightly, cover and chill until required.

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan oven/gas 7. Spoon 1/4 tsp oil into 12 jam tart tins and place in the oven for 2 minutes to heat up. Stir the batter and pour in to each tin to half fill them.

• Bake for 20 minutes until risen, crisp and golden. Remove from the tins and keep warm.

• While the popovers are cooking, put the steak on a plate or board and season on both sides. Leave to stand for 15 minutes before cooking.

• Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan until hot. Add the steak and cook on a high heat for 1 minute on each side. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, for medium. Remove from the heat, cover lightly and leave to stand until ready to serve. For rare steak, cook for 1½ minutes on each side, and for well done, cook for about 4 minutes on each side.

• To serve, slice the steak very thinly. Spoon a little chimichurri sauce into each popover and top with steak slices. Spoon over the remaining chimichurri sauce and serve immediately sprinkled with fresh parsley and more chilli if liked.

MINI SCOTCH BEEF TACOS

Serves: 4-6

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 500g lean Scotch Beef steak mince (5% fat)

• 30ml Scottish rapeseed oil

• 1 x red onion, finely chopped

• 2 x garlic cloves, minced

• 1 x green or yellow pepper, finely chopped

• 1 x 400g tin of pinto or kidney beans, drained

• 30g Mexican spice mix or Taco seasoning

• 20g tomato puree

• 100ml boiling water

• 2 x little gem lettuces, shredded

• 2 x large vine tomatoes, finely chopped

• 2 x avocado, halved and chopped finely.

• 120g fat free yogurt

• Juice of one lime

• 150g lighter cheddar cheese, grated

• 6 x large tortilla wraps

Method:

• In a large frying pan heat the rapeseed oil

• Add the mince, onion and garlic

• Brown the mince, stirring to break it down. Cook for approximately 3 minutes

• Add the Mexican seasoning and cook a couple more minutes

• Add the tomato puree, drained beans, green pepper and boiling water

• Cook uncovered on a low heat for 15 minutes

• While waiting on the beef to cook, place one tortilla wrap out flat then take a cookie cutter and cut three smaller wraps out of each one until you have 12 mini tortilla wraps

• Squeeze the juice of one lime over the finely chopped avocado

• Assemble the tacos: Put the mince mixture on the bottom then layer the cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado and yogurt and serve

SPICY SCOTCH LAMB PASTRIES

If you’re entertaining, these delicately spicy lamb pastries look and taste the part with host-with-the-most cred for your guests.

Makes: 12

Prep time: 40 mins plus standing

Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 300g minced Scotch Lamb PGI

• 40 pine nuts, toasted

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

• 1½ tsp ground cumin

• 1½ tsp ground coriander

• A pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1tsp concentrated mint sauce

• 4 filo pastry sheets (30 x 35cm sheets)

• 3 tbsp Scottish rapeseed oil

• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

Prep:

• You can prepare the pies uncooked up to two days in advance of serving. Simply keep them covered in the fridge until ready to cook and serve.

• Toast pine nuts easily by heating a dry frying pan until hot, then adding the nuts and allowing them to toast in the pan for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Cool on kitchen paper.

• Filo pastry dries out quickly, so keep the sheets you are waiting to use covered with damp kitchen paper in order to keep them pliable.

Method:

• Put the lamb and all but 1tbsp pine nuts, garlic and spices into a bowl. Mix well and season lightly. Mix in the mint sauce. Divide into 12 portions and form each into a 5cm patty. Leave to the side.

• Work with one filo sheet of pastry at a time, brushing each one lightly with oil all over.

• From one of the shorter sides, fold up the bottom third of the pastry and then fold the top third down. Brush with oil and cut into three even-sized pieces. Repeat with the remaining filo sheets.

• Place a lamb patty into the centre of each, bring up the sides and scrunch to make a rough case around the filling, leaving the top open. Cover and chill until ready to cook.

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan oven/gas 6. Arrange the pies on a large lined baking tray. Brush the pastry with any remaining oil and bake for 25 minutes until golden – the meat juices will run clear when the lamb is cooked through.

• Serve the pastries hot or warm, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, the remaining pine nuts and fresh mint.

Tip – If you want to make them as parcels as pictured, all you need to do is twist them closed at the top after you place the filling in them!