Quick New Years Appetisers

Shrimp with Marmalade Sauce


The charm of classic red cocktail sauce with shrimp is the sharpness of the sweet chili sauce and horseradish against the sweet taste of the shrimp. Mixing marmalade with Thai chili sauce does the same thing—sweet, sharp and tangy—but with an exciting new flavor profile.
Makes 6-8 servings

Sprinkle 1 1/2 pounds medium, cleaned shrimp with salt and pepper and cook on a foil-covered pan under the preheated broiler until pink and cooked through, about 1 minute. (Don’t walk away! The hot broiler cooks fast.) Remove the shrimp to a serving platter.

In a small serving bowl, combine 1/3 cup marmalade with 1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce. Put the dip in the middle of the shrimp and serve.

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Roasting at high heat makes chickpeas into crisp finger food that’s tender and creamy inside. Use any spice mix: garam masala and Cajun seasoning are good, too.
Makes 4-6 servings

Drain a 15-ounce can of chickpeas and pat them dry with a paper towel. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon chili powder and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees, shaking the pan a couple times, until the chickpeas are just browned and crisp outside, but not burned.