Make Ahead - Mushroom Crescents

Here is yet another great make-ahead recipe. The dough for this recipe is super easy - flour, cream cheese and butter, and I'm sure you can adapt the filling to suit your needs. When I can I try and take into account any food issues or dietary concerns of friends and family. While I admit that coming to our place as a vegan you should probably eat first (butter and cheese are key ingredients in most of my holiday recipes) I do what I can.

So for a friend who has a gluten intolerance I have begun experimenting with gluten free baking. I've tried different flours as well as cake and pie crust mixes. They have mostly turned out pretty good. For this recipe I used Kinnikinnik All Purpose Flour Blend. I like this stuff because it can be substituted cup for cup in place of regular flour. When I was working with the dough it did crumble a bit when folded, however since I've never made this recipe with traditional flour I'm not sure whether it was the recipe or the flour. Either way the crescents turned out great!

Mushroom Crescents (adapted from Canadian Living)

- 2 tbsp butter

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/4 tsp each dried thyme and sage

- 1/2 tsp pepper

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped portobello mushrooms

- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped button mushrooms

- 1/3 cup white wine or water

Pastry

- 4 oz cream cheese, softened

- 1/3 cup butter, softened

- 1 cup flour

- 1 egg, beaten

In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; fry onion, garlic, thyme, sage, pepper and salt, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add portobello and button mushrooms; fry, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Cook until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. (This can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 day).

Pastry: In large bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until fluffy. Stir in flour until dough begins to form; knead in bowl until smooth. Divide dough in half; flatten into 2 discs. Wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

On lightly floured surface, roll out each disc into 10-inch circle. With 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles, rerolling scraps.

Brush edges lightly with egg. Place 1 tsp of filling in centre of each; fold dough over filling, pinching edges to seal. Place, 1 inch apart on baking sheet. (At this point you can layer between waxed paper in airtight container and freeze for up to 3 weeks, bake from frozen).

Brush tops with egg and bake in centre of 400F oven until light golden, 12 - 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead - Phyllo Bundles

Puff Pastry isn't the only great shortcut for appetizers. Phyllo can be a cook's best friend. It's a little tougher than Puff Pastry to work with, but with a few quick steps you can make some great appetizers that can be frozen and baked in a very short time. When working with Phyllo, one thing I have learned is the importance of keeping the sheets from drying out. This can be done using a clean damp cloth, laying it over the pieces you are working on as well as the sheets you are going to use. Once you get the hang of it the possibilities are endless!

Phyllo Bundles with Goat Cheese and Cranberry

- 3 - 6 sheets of phyllo pastry, thawed

- 1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

- 8 oz goat cheese

- 1/2 cup dried cranberries

- 2 tsp grated orange zest

- 2 tsp chopped fresh chives

Mix filling ingredients together and refrigerate until needed.

Working on a flat surface, generously brush a sheet of phyllo with butter. Top with second sheet and more butter, then third sheet and more butter. Cut phyllo into 16 - 20 squares. Place a dollop of filling in the centre of each square.

Pull up the edges, pinch together to create a bundle.

Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. If refrigerating, cover with a damp clean cloth or plastic wrap. If freezing, cover with plastic wrap and seal. Once frozen store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Bake bundles in 400F oven for 8 minutes, or until golden, 10 minutes if frozen. Serve warm.

Make Ahead - Lamb Sausage Rolls

Here is another great make ahead recipe. Really anything with Puff Pastry is bound to be awesome. I've made my own, recipe found here and while it was super easy, I agree with a lot of cooks/chefs in that the store bought stuff is pretty damn good too! I usually use Tenderflake, but apparently Presidents Choice has one that is already rolled out into a 10 inch square. Maybe next time I'll try that!

Lamb Sausage Rolls (adapted from Canadian Living)

- 2 eggs

- 1/4 cup bread crumbs

- 1/4 cup minced onion

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

- 2 tsp crushed fennel seeds

- 1 tsp grated orange rind

- 1/2 tsp each salt and ground coriander

- 1/4 tsp pepper

- 1 lb ground lamb (or lean ground beef)

- 1 pkg puff pastry, thawed

- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

- 1 egg yolk

In large bowl mix eggs, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, fennel seeds, orange rind, salt, coriander and pepper. Mix in lamb and set aside.

Divide pastry in half and roll out each half into 10-inch square. Cut each into 3 equal strips. Brush each with mustard. Evenly spoon filling along centre of each strip (I think the butcher gave me more than 1 lb of lamb, it seemed like I had a lot of filling!).

Fold pastry over filling; pressing edge to seal.

Arrange rolls, seam side down, on pan lined with parchment paper. Cover and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. On board, cut each roll into 10 pieces; return to pan. At this point you can layer between waxed paper in airtight container and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

In small bowl whisk egg yolk with 1 tbsp water; brush over rolls. Bake in 450F oven until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes, 25 minutes if frozen.

Make Ahead - Sesame Crackers

Some people might say that making your own crackers is showing off a little. And while I do agree to a certain extent, after having tried many different types of crackers, I've found a few that are actually really easy, and worth the extra work. These are great because they can be made and stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week, leaving ample time to do all the other last minute preparations for whatever party you might be hosting. Or, just eat them once they're done, and see if they last a whole week!

Sesame Crackers

- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup rye flour

- 1 3/4 tsp salt, divided

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

- 1 cup sour cream

- 1 large egg yolk

- 1 cup toasted sesame seeds, divided

- 1 egg, beaten

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- Kosher salt for sprinkling

In a food processor or the bowl of a stand mixer, place the flours, 1 1/2 tsp of the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and black pepper. Pulse or stir. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream, egg yolk, and 3/4 cup sesame seeds and process or stir just until mixture comes together. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it on a work surface until well mixed. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and form each into a log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out each log into a 12-inch strip about 1/16 inch thick (roll the dough thinly enough so the crackers bake up nice and crisp). Transfer the crackers to parchment-lined baking sheets and poke all over with a fork.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, sugar, soy sauce and remaining 1/4 tsp of salt. Brush generously over crackers and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sesame seeds and kosher salt.

Bake in 375F oven until golden brown and crisp, 15 - 20 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.

Make Ahead - Vegetable Samosas

It's that time of year again. Parties, and food and entertaining. One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to take some time and make anything you can ahead of time. Appetizers and hors d'oeuvres that can be made and frozen are great to have on hand. For planned celebrations, or spur of the moment guests who drop by to share in the spirit of the season. And in that spirit, I would like to share some of my favourite appetizers that can be prepared in advance. One of the most requested dishes from my kitchen is the Chicken and Brie in Puff Pastry. This next dish definitely takes some time to prepare, but the flavours are fabulous! Serve with a mango chutney.

Vegetable Samosas (adapted from Canadian Living)

- 2 cups diced peeled potatoes

- 1/2 cup diced carrots

- 3 tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 tsp each fennel and cumin seeds

- 1 tsp brown or black mustard seeds

- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

- 1/2 tsp each coriander and fenugreek seeds

- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp grated gingerroot

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 cup frozen peas

- 3 tbsp lemon juice

- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

DOUGH:

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 tsp cumin seeds (preferably black)

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

- 1/2 cup milk

DOUGH: In food processor or bowl, combine flour, cumin seeds and salt; pulse or cut in butter with pastry blender until in fine crumbs. Pulse or stir in milk until dough begins to form ball; press into disc. Wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

In saucepan of boiling salted water, cover and cook potatoes and carrots until tender, 10 minutes; drain. Meanwhile in skillet, heat oil over medium heat; fry fennel, cumin and mustard seeds, turmeric, coriander and fenugreek seeds, and cayenne pepper just until cumin seeds begin to pop, 1 minute. Add onion, garlic, ginger and salt; fry until softened, 3 minutes. Stir in potato mixture, peas, lemon juice and coriander; let cool.

Cut dough into 12 pieces; form each into flat round. On floured surface, roll out each to 6-inch circle; cut in half. One piece at a time, moisten half of the cut edge with water. Form cone shape by overlapping cut edges by 1/4 inch; press together.

Fill with rounded 1 tbsp potato mixture. Moisten top inside edges of pastry; press to seal. Trim any jagged edges; crimp with fork.

Bake in 425F oven for 15 minutes. To make ahead, bake, let cool and freeze in airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in 350F oven for 10 - 20 minutes.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Asparagus

This is one of those great show-off dishes. It really doesn't take long to prepare and is great served with a quick side of sauteed vegetables or even just a simple spinach salad. This recipe comes from The Best of Bridge, and is a staple for Cavanagh entertaining. I have served with hollandaise sauce on the side, but on it's own the dish is just as tasty.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Asparagus

- 4 whole chicken breasts, halved, boned & pounded

- 24 medium asparagus spears, lightly blanched

- 1/4 cup butter, melted

- 1/4 cup dijon mustard

- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

- 1/4 cup white wine

- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

- 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Prepare chicken and asparagus. Combine butter, mustard, garlic and wine. Dip chicken breasts in this mixture to coat them.

Place 3 or 4 asparagus spears on each breast and roll, securing with 1 or 2 toothpicks. Mix bread crumbs, parmesan and parsley together and roll the breasts in this mixture.

Bake 30 minutes at 350F oven.

Rosemary Cashews

This recipe is courtesy of Barefoot Contessa, and is a great way to spice up cashews for a quick and easy pre-dinner snack. They only take 5 minutes to make, and are best served warm so wait until your guests have arrived before putting the cashews in the oven. The recipe below serves 8. I halved it as there were only 4 of us.

Rosemary Cashews

- 1 lb cashews

- 2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary leaves

- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

- 2 tsp light brown sugar

- 1 tbsp kosher salt

- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Spread cashews on a pan. Toast in 350 F oven until warm, 5 minutes.

In large bowl combine remaining ingredients and add warm nuts. Toss thoroughly and serve warm. So tasty!