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BLOOD ORANGE SPICY DAIQUIRI

Spiced cocktails are truly having a moment this winter. It’s the ideal time to refresh seasonal flavours and festive favourites with a spike of heat from various dried, fresh and preserved ingredients, many of which might already be in your pantry!

Ingredients

Serves 1

1½ oz (45 ml) Havana Club 3-Year-Old Rum

1½ oz (45 ml) freshly squeezed blood orange juice

½ oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

½ oz (15 ml) simple syrup*

2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters

2 to 3 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

orange zest or a fresh or dried red chili pepper, for garnish

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add rum, citrus juices, syrup, bitters and hot sauce. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, or until thoroughly chilled. Add additional bitters or hot sauce, to taste, then shake to combine. Strain through a fine cocktail sieve into a wine or cocktail glass, then top with cubed ice. Garnish and serve.
* 1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using.

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SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE

Sparkling cocktails are great for celebrating the different events and important moments in our lives. This sparkling cocktail can be served to celebrate the holidays, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, a birthday or any other reason to raise a glass to toast an occasion.

Ingredients

Serves

1 oz (30 ml) Woodford Reserve Bourbon

½ oz (15 ml) simple syrup*

1 barspoon (5 ml) cherry brine (liquid from cocktail cherries)

5 dashes Agnostura bitters

2 strips orange peel, pith removed, save 1 for garnish

2 oz (60 ml) Segura Viudas Cava Brut

cherry and orange peel, for garnish

Instructions

In a mixing glass with cubed ice, express oils from 1 orange peel, then combine bourbon, simple syrup, cherry brine and aromatic bitters. Stir to chill and dilute. Strain into a flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a cherry and orange peel.
* 1:1 ration of sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using.

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CITRUS & CRANBERRY SPARKLE

Ingredients

Serves 1

1 oz (30 ml) Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin

1 oz (30 ml) cranberry juice

½ oz (15 ml) simple syrup*

½ oz (15 ml) lemon juice

3 oz (90 ml) Segura Viudas - Cava Brut Reserva

fresh cranberries and orange peel, for garnish

Instructions

In a mixing glass with cubed ice, combine gin, cranberry juice, simple syrup and lemon juice. Stir to chill and dilute. Strain into a flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with fresh cranberries and an orange peel.
* 1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using.

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OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH APPLE HORSERADISH DILL SLAW

Be the toast of the town this New Year’s by throwing a gathering full of inspired bites that are not only delicious, but also easy to whip together as well. All that will be left is to pop a bottle of Champagne and toast to the New Year.

Ingredients

Serves Serves 6

1 large Granny Smith apple

1 stalk celery

1 tsp (5 ml) prepared horseradish

½ tsp (2 ml) apple cider vinegar

2 tsp (10 ml) crème fraîche or sour cream

1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish

12 oysters of your choosing

Instructions

Peel, quarter and core apple. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice apple quarters paper thin. Stack slices, a few at a time, and cut them into thin julienne. Cut celery into 1-in (2.5 cm) long pieces and then into thin julienne.
In a large bowl, add julienne apple and celery along with horseradish, apple cider vinegar, crème fraîche and dill. Toss gently until well combined. Refrigerate while preparing oysters.
Scrub shells of oysters with a stiff-bristled brush and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Discard any oysters that are not closed.
To shuck oysters, working with 1 oyster at a time, grip it, flat-side up, with a folded tea towel to protect your hand. Positioning an oyster knife to one side of hinge, push tip between shells and twist and pry upward to open. Keeping blade of oyster knife firmly against top flat shell, run it around the perimeter of the oyster to sever muscle holding shell halves together. Discard top shells. Run knife underneath oyster to free it from bottom shell, being careful not to spill juice, then set oyster in its shell on a plate. Repeat with remaining oysters.
To serve, pour a layer of crushed ice onto a platter. Arrange oysters on top of ice, taking care not to spill their juices. Divide apple horseradish slaw overtop each oyster and garnish with a sprig of dill. Serve immediately.

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Drink Pairings

LAMB & WALNUT PUFFS SERVED WITH KIWI SALSA

Ingredients

Serves Makes about 16 puffs

1 lb (500 g) ready-made puff pastry

1 tbsp (15 ml) grapeseed oil

½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped

½ tsp + ¼ tsp (2.5 ml + 1 ml) kosher salt, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp (1 ml) red pepper chili flakes

½ lb (250 g) ground lamb

⅓ cup (75 ml) finely chopped walnuts

1 tsp (5 ml) chili powder

½ tsp (2.5 ml) paprika

1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander

1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped parsley leaves

1 large egg

1 tsp (5 ml) water

¼ tsp (1 ml) fresh lemon juice

5 kiwis

1 tsp (5 ml) freshly grated ginger

1 small shallot, finely diced

2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice

2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh mint

Instructions

Thaw puff pastry in refrigerator overnight before you plan to make Lamb and Walnut Puffs.
In a sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt then sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper chili flakes and continue to sauté for another 3 minutes. Crumble in ground lamb and cook, stirring frequently, until lamb is cooked through and any liquid released from lamb has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in chopped walnuts, chili powder, paprika, ground coriander and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is cooked through and fragrant, about 5 more minutes. Remove sauté pan from heat and stir in chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional spices or salt as desired. Set aside and allow filling to cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg, water and lemon juice until well combined. Set aside.
Lightly flour work surface and roll out puff pastry to ¼-in (0.5 cm) thickness. Using a 3¼-in (8.5 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Divide lamb mixture among circles, brush edges of pastry with water, fold in half, and press with a fork to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray and place in freezer while preheating oven.
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
Once oven is at temperature, brush any remaining egg wash over top of puffs and bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
While puffs are baking, make kiwi salsa. Peel and dice kiwis. Place in a medium bowl with ginger, shallot, lime juice, mint and remaining ¼ tsp (1 ml) salt. Gently fold together to combine and set aside.
To serve, plate warm puffs on a serving platter and serve with kiwi salsa alongside.

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Drink Pairings

CARROT "LOX" ON CRISPBREAD

Ingredients

Serves Makes about 12

4 large carrots, unpeeled

kosher salt, for roasting

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar

½ tsp (2.5 ml) smoked paprika

1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

rye crispbread or crackers, to serve

¾ cup (175 ml) cream cheese, to serve

¼ English cucumber, thinly sliced, for garnish

2 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced, for garnish

2 tbsp (30 ml) capers, drained and rinsed, for garnish

1 shallot, thinly sliced, for garnish

chopped chives and fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C).
Line an 8-in (20 cm) baking dish with parchment paper. Coat bottom with about a ¼-in (0.5 cm) layer of salt, then place whole carrots in dish. Sprinkle more salt over carrots to almost cover. Roast carrots in salt crust until easily pierced with a fork, but not mushy. Exact timing will depend on size and freshness of carrots. Check them, starting around 40 minutes. Larger carrots may take up to 60 minutes or more. Remove from oven, remove carrots from salt crust and place on a plate, allowing to cool to room temperature.
While carrots cool, make marinade. In a shallow dish or medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, rice vinegar, paprika, lemon juice, dill and a good pinch of ground black pepper.
Once cooled, use hands to rub off any excess salt. Working with 1 carrot at a time, use a knife to slice off a thin strip of carrot skin, then use a peeler to peel carrot into ribbons. Place strips in marinade and toss to coat. Repeat with remaining carrots.
When ready to serve, assemble the open-faced sandwiches with a crispbread, a slather of cream cheese, a few cucumber and radish slices. Top with some carrot ribbons, a few capers, a couple of slices of shallot and a sprinkle of chives and dill. Transfer to a platter and serve. Any extra carrots can be stored for up to 4 days in marinade, refrigerated in an airtight container.

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POLENTA ROUNDS WITH CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS & CRANBERRY-ORANGE RELISH

Ingredients

Serves Makes about 24 pieces

1 tbsp (15 ml) melted unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

4 cups (1 L) warm water

1¼ cups (310 ml) polenta

1½ tsp (7 ml) kosher salt, divided

½ orange, unpeeled, cut into chunks and seeded

6 oz (180 g) fresh cranberries

⅓ cup to ½ cup (75 to 125 ml) granulated sugar

1 cup (250 ml) ricotta cheese

1 tbsp (15 ml) whipping cream

½ tsp (2.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tbsp (15 ml) finely chopped parsley leaves

1 tsp (5 ml) finely chopped thyme leaves

4 cups (1 L) Brussels sprout leaves

2 tbsp (30 ml) grapeseed oil, plus extra for frying

Instructions

Start this hors d’oeuvre 1 day ahead of when you plan to serve. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
To make polenta, generously grease a 9 x 13-in (23 x 33 cm) baking pan with butter. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, warm water, polenta and 1 tsp (5 ml) salt. Pour into prepared pan then bake until polenta is set firm, about 50 minutes. Let polenta cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack. Transfer polenta in baking pan to refrigerator and chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
Meanwhile, make cranberry-orange relish. Place orange pieces, cranberries and sugar (amount will depend on how sweet you want your chutney) in bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade attachment. Pulse, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until mixture is finely chopped but still very textured. Transfer relish to an airtight container, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, to allow flavour to develop.
To make whipped ricotta, add ricotta, whipping cream, ¼ tsp (1 ml) salt and pepper to bowl of food processor. Fold in parsley and thyme. Refrigerate until ready to assemble hors d’oeuvre.
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
Add Brussels sprout leaves to a large bowl then drizzle with oil. Using fingers, rub oil over leaves, making sure to separate any leaves that are stuck together. Spread Brussels sprout leaves in a single layer on a rimmed baking tray and sprinkle with remaining ¼ tsp (1 ml) salt and ¼ tsp (1 ml) black pepper. Bake until slightly crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Just before ready to serve, use a cookie cutter to cut chilled polenta into about 2-in (5 cm) rounds. In a frying pan over medium heat, heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil. Working in batches, fry polenta rounds until crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain briefly then onto a serving platter.
When ready to serve, spread some whipped ricotta over polenta, making a little well in centre of ricotta. Place a dollop of cranberry-orange relish in well then top with a few crispy Brussels sprout leaves.

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Drink Pairings

CHAMPAGNE-MARINATED OLIVES WITH FETA

Ingredients

Serves Serves 6

2 cups (500 ml) Castelvetrano olives, drained and rinsed well under cold water

⅓ cup (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup (60 ml) champagne

4 strips orange peel

2 garlic cloves, cut into thirds

1 small rosemary sprig

½ tsp (2.5 ml) fennel seeds

¼ tsp (1 ml) red pepper chili flakes

1 cup (250 ml) cubed feta cheese, about the same size as olives

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add all ingredients except feta cheese and bring to a slow simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Turn off heat, place a lid on saucepan and let everything sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
Add feta cheese and gently stir to coat it in marinade. Transfer everything to a serving bowl and enjoy at room temperature. If desired, marinated olives and feta may be prepared up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to enjoy.

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MUSTARD PRETZEL BITES

The perfect après treat: beer and cheese fondue with pretzel bites. Find the beer and cheese fondue recipe on our recipes page.

Ingredients

Serves Serves 4 to 6

1½ cups (375 ml) warm water

2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar

1 package (2¼ tsp/7 g) dry yeast

⅓ cup (75 ml) butter, melted

2½ tsp (12.5 ml) salt

3 tbsp (45 ml) grainy mustard, divided

4½ cups (560 g) all-purpose flour

16 cups (4 L) water

½ cup (125 ml) baking soda

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp (15 ml) whipping cream

2 tbsp (30 ml) coarse sea salt

Instructions

In bowl of a standard mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add water, sugar and yeast. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Add butter, salt, 2 tbsp (30 ml) grainy mustard and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Continue mixing for another 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic and pulls away from sides of bowl.
Take a separate bowl and grease sides with vegetable oil. Place dough in the bowl and coat it with oil. Cover with shrink wrap or a tea towel and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about one hour. Alternatively, let it rise overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). In a large pot, bring 16 cups (4 L) water to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and carefully add baking soda. This will make the water rise up, so be careful. Turn the heat back up to high. Line a baking pan with parchment paper
Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rope about 1-in (2.5 cm) thick.
Cut the ropes into 1-in (2.5 cm) pieces.
Drop 12 to 15 pieces of dough into pot, let water return to a boil then continue to cook for about 30 seconds. Remove pretzel bites with a spider or large slotted spoon and drain. Lay pretzel bites on baking sheet, leaving at least 2-in (5 cm) between each bite. Continue working until all pretzels have been boiled.
Mix egg, whipping cream and remaining grainy mustard. Brush pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake pretzels until they are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with fondue.

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BEER & CHEESE FONDUE SERVED WITH MUSTARD PRETZEL BITES

The perfect après treat: beer and cheese fondue with pretzel bites. The pretzel bites recipe can be found on our recipes page.

Ingredients

Serves Serves 4 to 6

½ lb (250 g) Brussels sprouts, halved

2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup (250 ml) pilsner beer

½ lb (250 g) Gruyère cheese, grated

½ lb (250 g) raclette cheese, grated

¼ lb (125 g) fontina cheese, grated

¼ lb (125 g) smoked Gouda cheese, grated

1½ tbsp (22 ml) cornstarch

1 tbsp (15 ml) whipping cream

4 chives, thinly sliced

Mustard Pretzel Bites, make ahead, recipe follows, to serve

1 large garlic sausage, sliced 1-in (2.5 cm) thick, to serve

2 radicchios, cut into 8 pieces, to serve

1 apple, cored and sliced, to serve

6 radishes, halved, to serve

1 small jar cornichons, to serve

16 cherry tomatoes, to serve

3 endives, quartered, to serve

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring garlic and beer to a simmer over medium heat. In a bowl, toss grated cheeses with cornstarch. Once beer starts to simmer, reduce heat to low and add in a handful of cheese at time, stirring well after each addition and only adding more once cheese has melted. When all cheese has been incorporated, add cream and mix well. Transfer to a pre-warmed fondue bowl, garnish with chives, and serve with Mustard Pretzel Bites and remaining ingredients.

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