smoked caciocavallo + feta pizza

 

this post was created in partnership with saputo! the opinions on this blog, as always are my own. you can follow ingredients by saputo on facebook, instagram + pinterest for more recipe inspirations.

one of my favourite things to host in the fall is a pizza night! justin & i make all the dough from scratch the night before. we then have each couple bring their favourite toppings to see who can create the ultimate pizza. while it is not a compeition, it is always a competition, am i right? haha pizza nights are a simple thing to host as well, as they don't take long to bake up & everything is prepared beforehand.

for this months pizza night, i have going to make this smoked caciocavallo & feta pizza topped with sauteed mushrooms, roasted red pepper, kalamata olives & micro arugula! both cheese featured are by saputo. the feta adds a touch of saltiness & the smoked caciocavallo is my secret ingredient. while it melts beautifully like mozzarella, it adds a smokey flavour like no other. it's hand-molded, mild & buttery, seriously.. it's the best cheese!

lastly, i like to top all my pizzas with a touch of fresh greens. it adds some colour & freshness to the dish. i find the micro arugula works best! it adds a peppery flavour. while i kept this recipe vegetarian as the smoked caciocavallo brought enough flavour, a little spicy salami on top would add a nice kick too. i know my dad would appreciate the addition of anything spicy.

ingredients

directions

  • preheat oven to 450 degrees. if using a pizza stone, preheat the oven with the stone placed inside.
  • on a floured surface roll out the pizza dough to the desired thickness. i usually roll it out to a 1/4 inch thick as the dough rises quite a bit.
  • brush with olive oil & season with salt & pepper.
  • add an even layer of sauce followed by an even layer of the grated caciocavallo cheese.
  • top with roasted red peppers, olives, mushrooms & feta.
  • bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is cooked throughout & the edges are golden brown.
  • garnish with micro arugula. slice & serve!

*note: to make the sauteed mushrooms, i simply slice them & cook them for 5 minutes in a touch of butter, salt & pepper. it adds more flavour then baking them raw on the pizza.

wild mushroom & cashew pot pie

 

with the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to start getting our menus in order! it is always best to have a vegetable based alternative for your guests who do not eat turkey. this is where this wild mushroom & cashew pot pie comes in. instead of just having a vegetable based side dish for those to eat, this vegan pot pie is hearty enough to be enjoyed as a main meal. the pot pie gets its heartiness from the wild mushrooms & prana organic's sea salted cashews. aside from the heartiness the cashews bring, it also adds a little crunch & creaminess to the dish. i seriously love cashews, i could eat them all day long. on that note, make sure you purchase double the required amount for snacking purposes. you don't want to run out before you have to add them to the dish!

the base of this pot pie is a mixture of mushroom stock & red wine. the red wine brings so much flavour to the dish, so as always be sure to use a quality dry red wine! i went with a cabernet sauvignon. if you have trouble locating mushroom stock, vegetable stock works too. the mushroom stock just brings a bit more of that earthy flavour to the dish. with snow in the forecast for this weekend (yay!!!!), add this cozy pot pie to your weekend plans! it will keep you warm & toasty by the fire.

ingredients

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
  • 6 cups sliced assorted wild mushrooms (i used cremini, shiitake & enoki)
  • 1 cup prana organic's sea salted cashews, roughly chopped
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon quality dijon mustard
  • 1 cup quality dry red wine (i used cabernet sauvignon)
  • 1/2 cup cashew milk or cream, plus more for brushing
  • 1 cup mushroom stock
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed

directions

  • in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. add the garlic, shallots, celery, thyme & rosemary. cook until the shallots begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
  • add the wild mushrooms & season with salt + pepper. cook until the mushrooms soften, about 10 minutes.
  • fold in the cashews, followed by the dijon & red wine. cook, constantly stirring, until the red wine reduces to half.
  • in a separate bowl whisk together the milk, stock & flour.
  • add mixture to the skillet & cook until sauce thickens. it should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
  • remove from heat & divide filling evenly amongst 4-6 ramekins. set ramekins aside while you roll out the puff pastry.
  • roll out puff pastry to a 1/4 inch thick. cut out appropriate shape to top each ramekin. brush with additional milk if desired & sprinkle with salt. transfer ramekins to baking sheet.
  • bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly & the puff pastry is golden brown. serve immediately!

salted matcha + white chocolate fudge

 

we got our first snowfall yesterday!!!! i feel like lorelai gilmore, it made me so happy. sure, it already melted & the sun is back out.. but it was a glorious few hours of the fluffiest snowflakes. snow also means one thing: christmas is coming.

today's recipe is perfect to kick off the holiday season because nothing says the holidays like decadent fudge. i mean if you don't have fudge around the holidays, is it really the holidays? fudge is so sweet & creamy, i can't get enough of it! i love making large batches & packaging it all cute to give as edible gifts. while some fudge recipes can be quite tricky, this one is so easy. i like to call it magic fudge, because it comes together in seconds & you don't need a candy thermometer. this recipe mixes white chocolate & aiya america's matcha powder. as you know by now, this combination goes together like peanut butter & jelly. just try not to eat it all before you gift it! ah who cares, it's so easy just make some more.

xo

ingredients

  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 teaspoons aiya's cooking grade matcha powder, plus more for dusting
  • 3 cups quality white chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • coarse salt, for topping

directions

  • line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. set aside.
  • in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the condensed milk & matcha powder until smooth.
  • turn heat to low & add the chocolate chips. stir until the chocolate is fully melted & incorporated.
  • whisk in the vanilla & salt.
  • transfer mixture to prepared baking dish & smooth the top to level. sprinkle with coarse salt.
  • chill in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. slice cold, dust with additional matcha powder if desired & serve. if making ahead, chill in an air tight container for up to two weeks!