Delicate, vibrant, and almost too pretty to eat – these cucumber and carrot canapés are made for New Year’s Eve entertaining. They’re refreshing, bite-sized and easy to assemble, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time clinking glasses.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked sushi rice or short-grain rice
• 1 small carrot, finely grated
• ½ small red pepper, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 1 medium cucumber, sliced into thick rounds
• 1 medium carrot, cooked and puréed
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese or Greek yoghurt (for the carrot topping)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Black and white sesame seeds, for garnish
• Fresh dill or parsley, for decoration

Method

1. Mix the cooked rice with vinegar, salt, grated carrot and diced red pepper.
2. Press the mixture into a baking tray lined with cling film, about 2 cm thick. Chill for 15 minutes to firm up.
3. Cut out small round bases using a cookie cutter or glass rim.
4. Arrange cucumber slices on top of each rice base.
5. Mix the cooked carrot purée with cream cheese or yoghurt and a drop of sesame oil until smooth.
6. Pipe or spoon a small swirl of the carrot mixture on top of each canapé.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with fresh dill.