warm citrus-marinated olives

 

warm marinated olives is a classic appetizer to enjoy with your favourite bottle of wine. it is an easy recipe to make & loaded with citrus flavour. although they can be enjoyed as a stand alone dish or served with a charcuterie board, i like to serve mine over a brined cheese with toasted sourdough crostinis. briny heaven!

for such a simple recipe i like to use a few different types of olives so you get a variety of colours, flavour & sizes. this recipe specifically features manzanilla olives (a classic), gordal olives & hojiblanca olives. 1 out of every 2 olives eaten in canada is spanish, so this recipe pays homage to canadians favourite olives & the versatility they bring to any dish! if you are looking for a quick recipe, simply have them marinated for 15 minutes before serving. for stronger flavoured olives, allow them to marinate in the warm oil overnight & reheat just before serving.

ingredients

  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 strips orange zest
  • 2 strips lemon zest
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 cups mixed olives (manzanilla, gordal & hojiblanca)
  • 1 block of brined cheese, for serving
  • sourdough crostinis, for serving

directions

  • in a saucepot over medium heat add the oil, garlic, orange zest, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt & pepper. stir to combine.
  • bring to a gentle simmer & continue cooking until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
  • add the olives & toss to coat. remove from heat & let stand a minimum of 15 minutes (or overnight if refrigerating).
  • place brined cheese on serving plate & top with the warm olive mixture. serve with a side of sourdough crostinis.

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almond sugar cookie hearts

 

there is something about valentine's to me that just screams sugar cookies! even more so then christmas. maybe it is because i get to decorate them with all my favourite shades of pink, white & red. give me ALL the heart shaped sprinkles this time of year!

this almond sugar cookie features a hint of bob's red mill's super-fine almond flour for a little added texture & almond extract for that classic sugar cookie flavour. the hardest part here is trying not to eat all the cookie dough before you bake it! i speak from experience. piped with colourful buttercream swirls makes this the prettiest sugar cookie. almost too pretty to even eat.. okay almost.

happy valentine's!!!

ingredients

directions

  • in a large mixing bowl sift together the flours & salt.
  • in a separate large mixing bowl cream together the butter & sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. add the egg followed by the extracts. beat until combined.
  • slowly add in the flour & mix until dough comes together. transfer onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a disc & wrap in plastic wrap. refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
  • when ready to roll out preheat oven to 350(f) degrees. line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • on a lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/2-inch thick. using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut dough into cookies & transfer to prepared baking sheets.
  • bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden. let cool completely before frosting.
  • when ready to decorate, pipe various size dollops using pink & white buttercream. finish with sprinkles & enjoy!

this post was created in partnership with bob’s red mill!

poutine raclette

 

raclette, but make it poutine! mashing up two apres ski dishes into one featuring mastro's trio of cured meats, raclette cheese, baby pickles & roasted fingerling potatoes. basically all the ingredients you would enjoy in a traditional raclette, but piled into one comforting dish! the best part? you don't even have to go skiing, you can enjoy this recipe at home. because no matter the occasion, there’s a mastro® raclette for that!

note: if you can't fin'd raclette cheese, any mild cheese that melts well will do the trick! think swiss, gruyere or appenzeller.

ingredients

directions

  • preheat oven to 425(f) degrees. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • add the potatos to a large pot filled with salted water & bring to a boil. continue for 10 minutes & strain. run the potatoes under cold water to halt the cooking.
  • slice each potato carefully in half lengthwise & transfer to prepared baking sheet. toss with oil, salt & pepper. roasted until crispy & golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  • as the potatoes cook prepare the raclette. to a skillet over low heat add the cheese & cream. slowly melt together to form the "gravy".
  • transfer the potatoes to a serving dish & top with sliced charcuterie & pickles. pour the melted cheese over the potatoes, garnish with parsley & enjoy!

this post was created in partnership with mastro ® & san daniele®!