Tomato and bocconcini bites

Quick and easy to make, these tomato bites make fun party food.

Forget celery and carrot sticks. Impress guests and youngsters with these super cute party bites. Small bocconcini balls are sometimes available from supermarkets. If you can’t find them, just cut your bocconcini into pieces.

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes
Bocconcini (a young mozzarella cheese)
Spring onions (scallions, green onions)
Basil leaves
Black olives
Cucumber slices
Cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Ladybird tomato bites

Cut cherry tomatoes in half lengthways, then cut out a triangular slot at one end of each tomato half to form the wings. Place tomato halves onto slices of cucumber. Insert slices of olive into the wing slots. Use halved olives for the head. You can ‘glue’ them to the body with cream cheese, or another ‘sticky’ cheese. Cut olives into tiny ‘spots’ and place onto the tomato body, using cream cheese to glue them in place. Use a toothpick to dab some cream cheese onto the bodies where the spots are to go. Use tiny blobs of cream cheese for the eyes.

Tulip tomato bites

Using a sharp knife, cut one-half of your cherry tomatoes in a zigzag fashion to form a tulip shape. Scoop out the pulp and place some chopped basil leaves inside, then some pieces of bocconcini. Place a bunch of spring onions on a serving dish to form flower stems, and place the tomato bites at the tips of these. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Mix the vinegar and olive oil together in a small bowl and serve as a dipping sauce, alongside some toothpicks.

Tomato bites

Simply cut cherry tomatoes in half, place some chopped basil leaves on one half, then some pieces of bocconcini on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired, then top with the other tomato half. Insert a toothpick or skewer and serve with the dipping sauce.