I firmly believe that holiday snacks are the best part of holiday parties. I am a sucker for hors d'oeuvres and around the holidays everyone seems to up their snack game. The thing is, while little onion tarts with gorgonzola and walnuts and terrine of pork, smoked bacon and cranberries sound insane, I am not particularly good and anything involving focus or paying close attention to detail.
So I need my holiday snacks to be both fancy and super easy to make, which is why these little toasts are great. Pop open a bottle of sparking wine or a real nice craft brew and pass around a plate of these smoked salmon snacks and no one will complain.
This is a traditional tapas but a little less common this side of the pond. I recommend using the thickest, fullest of fat yogurt you can find (because you don't want it dripping off the toast). I'd also invest in some nice wild salmon and raw honey, you won't regret the amazing flavors plus it's the perfect season to splurge.
Steps
Slice and toast the baguette. Wait for the toast to cool slightly and gently spread a dollop of yogurt onto each toast.
Top with slice of smoked salmon and drizzle lightly with honey. Season with lots of black pepper and a dash of salt.
It's Decemeber and even though the Capital Weather Gang have tragically predicted zero snow fall this month, Christmas is round the corner and I am fully embracing the festive season. Hoping that if I wish hard enough, there will be some sort of winter miracle and a few flakes will start to fall...
Even though I can't control the weather, I can control the TV! And nothing makes me happier than curling up to watch Christmas movies and shows with a festive drink. Mulled wine, hot chocolate, spiked apple cider--all delicious--but, right now, my favorite festive drink is chilled and sparkling.
The drink is named after my favorite episode of my favorite snow-filled show. It's perfect for Hanukkah parties, Christmas parties, New Years parties, basically ALL PARTIES. You can make the bourbon apple cider part in advance and then just pop the prosecco when guests arrive.
Stuff
2 parts apple cider
1 part bourbon
couple cinnamon sticks
couple sprigs lemon thyme
prosecco
cranberries (to decorate)
Steps
Mix the apple cider, bourbon, cinnamon sticks, and lemon thyme in a jug. Chill or add ice to chill.
Pour about an inch of the mixture in a champagne glass and top off with prosecco (it'll be fizzy, so go slow). Garnish with cranberries.
There are many subtle differences between the UK and the US (such as the definition of "biscuit" or the pronunciation of "h" in herbs) but perhaps a less commonly known discrepancy is the the taste of store bought hummus. For whatever reason, hummus from US stores tastes completely different to hummus from UK stores and I just can't stomach it. Sorry, but US hummus is disgusting and no one should be eating it. Really, stop eating it.
Anyway, since I can't live without hummus, I quickly learnt to make my own and now do so pretty much every weekend. However, sometimes I go out on Saturday and I forget to soak my chickpeas and I can't be bothered to wait two hours for them to cook and I just want to sit on the couch watching Gilmore Girls for 6 hours.... So I needed a way to satisfy my hummus craving even when I'm feeling supremely lazy.
So this is my lazy girl hummus for lazy weekends and week nights. It's super quick and super delicious. I use sheep yogurt because I find it has the right flavor (very tart) and consistency (lighter than greek yogurt, thicker than plain yogurt). If you have access to a Whole Foods or a ewe, you're all set for sheep yogurt. Otherwise, just use whatever you have on hand.
Stuff for "Hummus"
1/2 cup plain sheep yogurt
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 a lemon
handful of parsley
pinch of cumin
pepper
olive oil
Steps for "Hummus"
Chop the parsley and juice the lemon. In a bowl mix together yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, and pepper. Taste and adjust flavors to your taste. Drizzle with olive oil to serve.
Stuff for Pita Chips
2 pitas
olive oil
sumac
salt and pepper
Steps for Pita Chips
Pre-heat oven to 400F. Cut pita into triangles. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Guys, my mother is coming to visit and I am ridiculously excited. My mum (cause we're British) is my favorite person. She has taught me many life skills, because of her I always keep a packet of smoked salmon in the fridge--it lasts forever and is perfect for snacking! My mum and I look the same, we talk the same, and we have the same real true unshakable love for gin. So in preparation for her arrival, I restocked.
If you give a girl some gin, chances are, she'll want a mixer to go with it. And I had grapefruits in the fridge (my CSA has been really into "winter pick me ups," which aren't exactly local but, hey, they're still from small farms and it's a nice alternative to seven weeks of turnips). So it was time to make some greyhounds.
Greyhounds use a 3:1 grapefruit to gin/vodka ratio but I'm making this drink in honor of my mother, so I use a 2:1 ratio (plus club soda and some other extra bits to cut it). This is a lovely between season drink with the wintery citrus and fresh spring mint. It's incredibly refreshing, so it's perfect for sipping in the backyard as I wait for my mother and summertime to arrive.
Stuff
juice from 1 grapefruit (2 parts)
gin (1 part)
few drops aromatic bitters
few sprigs of mint
club soda (to top off)
ice
Steps
Juice the grapefruit. Add juice, gin, bitters, and one sprig of mint to a cocktail shaker (or mason jar...) Add ice and shake. Strain mixture into glasses. Top off with club soda and garnish with mint.
Mini sausage rolls are a British party snack similar to the American pigs in a blanket. They're a kids party staple that I've never quite grown out of because, let's face it, they're basically just meat wrapped in butter. They're easy to make and go down a treat with guests of all ages. I know this because we threw down for the Oscars at the end of February and these disappeared fast.
I try not to eat too much meat but for a party or special occasion it's nice to treat yo' self. There are a couple of places I can buy decent meat, one close to work (Stachowski's) and close to home (Meats and Foods). They do excellent dogs/sandwiches as well, so if you're ever in DC--check them out.
This recipe is insanely easy, mainly because I use store bought puff pastry. But hey, if it's good enough for Ina, it's good enough for me. Depending on the size of the party, I'll usually make a couple of batches ahead of time and then re-heat them before serving. Traditionally, sausage rolls are just sausage and pastry, but I always add a few extras because I'm not seven anymore and mustard is my jam.
Stuff
1 sheet of puff pastry
1 pork sausage
spoonful of mustard
sprig or two of thyme
dash of worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
egg/milk (to glaze)
Steps
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lay out the pastry. Just below the center, spread the mustard in an inch think line all the way across the pasty.
Take sausage meat out of its skin and and arrange in an inch thick log on top of the mustard. Drizzle worcestershire sauce over the sausage. Sprinkle thyme leaves across the pasty and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Fold top half of the pastry over the sausage and press the edges together with a fork. Trim the edge to get a neat line. Gently slice the pastry log into inch wide segments and slash the top of each segment.
Glaze the log with egg or milk. Bake in the oven for 30 mins or until pasty is golden and sausage is cooked.
Once cooked, remove from oven, cut the segments apart, and place on cooling rack. These can be eaten hot or cold, but are best when they're fresh out of the oven!
Thought my first post should be about my favorite time of day. It’s when I get home from work, take off my bra, and pour myself a BIG ASS glass of wine. As I drink my wine, I begin prepping the ingredients for dinner and obviously I get hungry. So, with my wine, I have a pre-dinner nibble. I’ll eat some cheese, crackers, pita, olives, hummus, chips, or smoked salmon (when I want to get real fancy on a Wednesday). I take my snacking seriously, so I’m always on the lookout for a good new snack. This is how I discovered pureed squash and goat cheese goes down a treat with some carrot sticks and pita chips. I made a batch this weekend, which I’m gonna enjoy all week with my wine.
I tend to eat this as a dip but, like hummus, it can also be used as a spread. Usually, I use 1 good sized squash, but last week my CSA gave me two adorably tiny acorn squash so I used 2 small ones instead.
Stuff
1 medium (or 2 little) acorn squash
dash of apple cider vinegar
pinch of chili flakes
few sprigs of thyme
¼ log of goat cheese
½ lemon
dash of maple syrup
olive oil
salt and pepper
Steps
Preheat the oven to 425F. Half the squash and scoop out the seeds. Place on a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar, sprinkle with chili flakes, thyme, and salt & pepper. Roast for 40 mins.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Scoop squash flesh into a food processor. Add goat cheese, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt & pepper. Blitz together. Drizzle in some extra olive oil if you want. Try it. Add extra lemon or salt to taste.
