holiday charcuterie board

 

happy thanksgiving to my american friends! i can't wait to kick off the official holiday season this weekend, blast christmas music & decorate our christmas tree with ALL the felted forest animals.

because it isn't the holiday season without a killer charcuterie board, i bring you this years recipe! i think you know by now how much i love a good charcuterie board or cheese platter. i wish every meal started with one. this version features a variety of soft & hard cheese (always best to have a mix), fruits, cured meats & angelic bakehouse's new savoury crips! they come in a variety of flavours (pickled sweet onion + beet crisps, harissa green chile + sweet potato crisps, blueberry + zesty lemon crisps & fig + tarragon vinaigrette crisps) & bring so much flavour to the board. feel free to use a vareity of your favourites! the crisp are great to snack on like chips, as well as be paired with cured meats & cheese. they feature seven sprouted whole grains making them a healthy alternative to traditional crackers.

incase you missed last weeks recipe, i shared a festive winter salad as well using the fig + tarragon vinaigrette crisps as a healthy crouton. i will link the pomegranate, gorgonzola + shaved brussels sprout salad recipe here. now let's dive into this board!

ingredients

  • 125 grams creamy brie cheese
  • 125 grams danish blue cheese (wedge)
  • 125 grams extra old cheddar cheese (wedge)
  • 10 chalkidiki olives
  • 1/2 pound of seedless red grapes
  • 1 pear, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots
  • 200 grams prosciutto, thinly sliced
  • 200 grams spicy chorizo, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup angelic bakehouse's savoury crisp
  • 1 cup angelic bakehouse's savoury crisp

directions

  • place the brie, blue cheese & cheddar onto desired cheeseboard.
  • start with arranging the meat around the cheese, followed by the olives, fruit, nuts & crisps.
  • serve with wine & enjoy!

winter greens + beans stew

 

this soup, is hands down my favourite soup. i grew up on it as both my grandma & mom would make it. it is full of hearty winter greens, sweet sausage & kidney beans! over the years, i have made a few changes to my grandma's classic version by adding carrots for sweetness & mushrooms (because i love mushrooms) for extra heartiness. soup is usually a dish that takes hours to cook on the stove, ideal for a slow sunday afternoon at home. however, thanks to the crock-pot 6 quart express pressure cooker this soup can be made in under 30 minutes! get home from work, throw the ingredients into the pressure cooker & (like magic) have dinner on the table in no time. sounds pretty good right now, huh?

i like to use honey garlic sausage because it adds a bit of sweet garlic flavour, but if you want to kick it up a knotch & add some spice use spicy italian sausage! that is what my mom uses, as my dad is always adding heat to his meals. ok, lets get cooking!

ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 pound honey garlic sausage, casings removed
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 medium cooking onion, diced
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 carrots, peeled & sliced
  • 2 bunches roughly chopped winter greens, stems removed
  • 1 cup white kidney beans, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups diced or crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken stock, storebought or homemade
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • freshly grated parmesan, for serving

directions

  • in the multi-cooker express crock press brown/saute, set temperature to high & press start.
  • add the olive oil & sausage, saute until golden brown.
  • add the garlic & onion. season with salt & pepper. cook until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • add the mushrooms & carrots. cook for an additional minute.
  • stir in the winter greens until they begin to wilt. season with salt & pepper.
  • add the beans, tomatoes, chicken stock, oregano & red pepper flakes. press start/stop & switch cooker to the soup setting.
  • set pressure to high & set time to 30 minutes. press start/stop.
  • once cooking is complete & the pressure has released, finish with grated parmesan.

pomegranate, gorgonzola + shaved brussels sprout salad

 

between passing the turkey + stuffing + gravy, you need a little bit of colour on that holiday plate too! this recipe features the best winter produce (think hearty brussels sprouts, pomegranates + oranges) in a hearty & colourful salad. it makes a great addition to any holiday menu, as it is not your average garden salad.

i like to incorporate crumbled gorgonzola on all my salads (ok, on everything), but if you aren't a fan of blue cheese just substitue with equal parts feta or goat cheese! for an added crunch i included angelic bakehouse's new fig & tarragon vinaigrette crisp. similiar to a crouton, the crisps feature seven sprouted whole grains & bring so much flavour. just try not to eat them all before they get added to the salad! lastly, because the dressing really is the frosting to a salad, i included a very simple maple cider vinaigrette. the perfect winter dressing for the ultimate winter salad.

ingredients

for the salad

  • 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup gorgonzola, crumbled
  • 1 orange, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup angelic's bakehouse fig & tarragon crisps, crushed
  • maple cider dressing (see recipe below)

for the dressing

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1 clove of garlic, grated
  • salt & pepper, to taste

directions

for the salad

  • in desired serving bowl add the brussels sprout, radish & red onion. toss to combined.
  • top with pomegranate, walnuts, gorgonzola, orange & crisps.
  • when ready to serve, drizzle with dressing!

for the dressing

  • in a small mixing bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, salt & pepper until well blended.
  • transfer into a lidded glass jar & set aside until ready to use.