Category: Holiday Food

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Meat

Kreatopita (Greek phyllo meat pie)

BelindaLeave a comment

Kreatopita is one of Greece’s most beloved savory pies. Tender, juicy meat simmered with onions, herbs and warm spices, wrapped in layers of golden, crispy phyllo dough.
Perfect for family gatherings, parties or mezze tables and can be doubled or trebled easily. You can also make this the day before, then bring to room temperature before baking. If you treble the recipe for 12+ (as I did) you will need 2 boxes of phyllo dough and a 17″ x 13″ sheet pan.

For the Meat Filling
1lb (500g) lean ground beef or lamb (or a mix)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, finely grated (optional for sweetness)
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ cup crushed tomatoes (optional but recommended)
¼ cup white wine (optional but authentic)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground allspice (optional but very Greek)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp breadcrumbs (to absorb juices)
For the Phyllo Layers
10–12 sheets phyllo
120g melted butter or olive oil (traditional: mix both)

Make the Meat Filling
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add onions and cook until soft and golden.
Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and cook until browned, breaking it apart.
Stir in tomato paste, shredded carrot, crushed tomatoes, and wine; simmer 5 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, paprika, oregano, allspice, and parsley.
Cook until thick and not watery.
Stir in the breadcrumbs, mix well, and let cool completely.

Tip: The filling should be juicy but not runny — this keeps the phyllo crispy.

Assemble the Kreatopita
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Brush a baking dish with the melted butter/oil mixture.
Layer 6 phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter.
Spread the cooled meat filling evenly.
Cover with 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing each layer.
Tuck in the edges neatly.
Score the top lightly with a knife.
Bake
Bake 45–55 minutes, until deep golden, crisp, and flaky.
Let rest 10 minutes before cutting — this helps the slices

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Nigella’s easy chocolate pots

Belinda


(Makes 8 1/4-cup pots or cups)

6 oz bittersweet chocolate (best-quality – minimum 70 percent cocoa solids)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp allspice
1 egg
8 pots or custard cups (1/4 cup)

Crush the chocolate to smithereens in the food processor. Heat the cream and milk until just about boiling, then add the vanilla and allspice and pour through the funnel over the chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds. Process for 30 seconds, then crack the egg down the funnel and process for 45 seconds.

Pour into whatever little cups you’re serving in, and sit them in the refrigerator for 5 hours or overnight. But remember to take them out of the refrigerator a good 20 minutes before you want them to be eaten; the chill interferes with their luscious, silky richness.

Note: This makes 2 cups altogether: enough to fill 8 little pots of approximately 1/4 cup capacity. But if you’ve got only bigger cups, just augment quantities.

Baking · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Port Wine Fruit Cake

Belinda

200g mixed dried fruits (raisins, currants, chopped apricots)
100g candied fruit (cherries, citrus peel)
150ml port wine
200g unsalted butter, softened
200g brown sugar
4 large eggs
250g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
100g chopped nuts (walnuts or almonds)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional: Glaze (apricot jam or honey for a shiny finish)

In a medium bowl, combine the mixed dried fruits and candied fruit. Pour the port wine over the fruits and let them soak for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, to absorb the flavors.

Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F). Grease and line a round cake tin (approximately 9 inches) with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about 3-5 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Gently fold in the soaked fruits (along with any remaining port wine) and the chopped nuts until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze (optional): If desired, warm some apricot jam or honey in a small saucepan until it becomes liquid. Brush the glaze over the top of the cooled cake for a shiny finish.

Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Salad

Butternut squash, brussels sprout, cranberry, goat cheese & quinoa salad

Belinda

The only autumn salad we need… quinoa, roasted butternut squash, maple pecan brussel sprouts, feta, cranberries. So, so good, especially as a Thanksgiving side.

Serves 12

3 cups quinoa, uncooked
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
6 cups butternut squash, chopped raw
4.5 cups Brussels sprouts, chopped raw
3/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp fresh chopped fresh rosemary
6 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp maple syrup more will be used for serving
9 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts, pecans, pistachios or hazelnuts

Clean and chop the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts. You will want to skin and clean out the seeds and guts in the butternut squash. For the Brussels sprouts, you can chop or slice them into equal size pieces similar in size to the butternut squash so they cook at the same rate.

Preheat oven to 400º degrees.
In a large bowl, add olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary, butternut squash and brussel sprouts. Coat everything evenly and lay flat on a rimmed cooking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of maple syrup over the raw veggies just before popping them into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until soft enough to stick a fork through.

Cook your quinoa in the stock. While it is cooking (according to package instructions) crumble the goats chèvre up and measure out the maple syrup and apple cider vinegar.
Once your quinoa and veggies are done cooking. Add to a large serving bowl together. Pour another 2 Tbsp of maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, cranberries, goat cheese, toasted nuts, onions, and mix well. Serve immediately.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Whipped Boursin with Cranberry Pepper Jelly Sauce

Belinda

Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to make this delicious appetizer. This 15 minute cranberry sauce combined with pepper jelly, gives you this really fabulous festive flavor, and is perfect for any holiday hosting or parties. If you don’t want to make or don’t have cranberry sauce on hand, simply spread on pepper jelly and it’s still so good! Recipe below.

INGREDIENTS:
2 x Boursin Garlic + Herb Boursin rounds, room temp
4 ounces softened cream cheese
1 tablespoon half + half
1/2 cup Cranberry sauce (recipe below)
1/2 cup pepper jelly
Green onions (or chives!) to garnish
Crackers for serving

Place Boursin, cream cheese and half + half in a food processor (or could use handheld mixer in a bowl), and pulse until smooth. Spoon into your serving bowl, and using either the back of a spoon or spatula, smooth out.
Mix cranberry sauce with pepper jelly, then spoon over the top of the whipped Boursin.
Sprinkle chopped green onions or chives and enjoy!

If you need a quick, homemade cranberry sauce:
Bring 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of orange juice and 1 cup of granulated sugar to a boil.
Pour in 4 cups of rinsed cranberries, and let boil until they start popping.
Lower heat to a simmer and let cook for 10-12 minutes.
Take off the heat and let cool.
Pro tip: pour immediately into another container or bowl to cool faster. I place in the fridge for a few hours and the sauce thickens up.

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Belinda

Buttery, zesty, and speckled with sweet-tart cranberries
Perfect for the holidays, or anytime you need a cozy citrusy treat,

Makes 24 cookies
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100 g) powdered sugar
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange zest (from 1 large orange)
1 tbsp orange juice
½ cup (60 g) dried cranberries, finely chopped
A pinch of salt

(Optional glaze)
½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
1–2 tsp orange juice

Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in vanilla extract, orange zest, and orange juice.
Add flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms. Stir in chopped cranberries.
Shape dough into a log (about 5 cm thick), wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour (helps with clean slicing).
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice dough into 1 cm thick rounds and place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until edges just start to turn golden.
Cool on a rack. (Optional: drizzle with orange glaze once cooled.)

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Vegetable-related · Vegetarian pasta

Winter squash and spinach pasta bake

Belinda

Throw everything raw (including the pasta) into the bowl and cook! Recipe from “Smitten Kitchen”


“This is not a usual pasta bake. We do not boil the noodles. We do not make or buy a sauce. We do not roast the winter squash or even sauté the greens. We throw every single ingredient raw into a big bowl for mixing and pour that into a parchment-slung springform (or equivalently-sized pan) pan and bake it for 90 minutes. That’s the rub; it takes a long time to cook. But this time is entirely hands-off, save removing the foil midway. You won’t be scrubbing pots, as the sum of your dishes to wash will be a cutting board, knife, whisk, grater, and a bowl.
What emerges from the oven is savory Fall decadence. The proportions are upended — depending on your perspective, this has either half the pasta or twice the vegetables of most pasta bakes of this size. The squash softened, the spinach perfectly cooked, the noodles tender in the center and burnished to a snatch-able crisp on top, and the fragrance of garlic and toasted cheese is everywhere I want to be.”

Serves 8. Takes 2 hours to bake and rest

1 large egg
1 cup (250 grams) ricotta
1 cup (100 grams) finely grated parmesan, divided
1 cup (85 grams) coarsely grated fontina cheese
1 1/4 cups (300 grams) water
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided
1 tbsp (8.4 grams) kosher salt (I use Diamond; use less of other brands)
Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5 oz (140 grams) baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 tbsp thinly-sliced sage leaves or 1 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves (optional)
1 1/4lb (560-grams) butternut or another sturdy winter squash, peeled, seeded, sliced thin or 1 pound (455 grams) in prepared chunks, sliced thin
8 oz (225 grams) dried pasta (see Note), broken into pieces if large/long

Heat oven to 350°F (176°C).
Line a 9-inch springform with 3-inch sides with a sling of parchment paper, pressing it across the bottom and creasing the sides to get it to fit as best as possible. If the sides aren’t well covered, repeat with a second piece of parchment in the other direction.

Whisk egg and ricotta in a large bowl. Stir in half of the parmesan, fontina, water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, a few gratings of fresh nutmeg, lots of freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir in squash, spinach, and sage or thyme, if using. Add dried noodles and stir until everything is coated.

Pour into prepared pan and press gently so everything is in as even of a layer as possible. Sprinkle with second half of parmesan. Gently fold any parchment that extends over the rim of the pan into the center and cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake on a sheet (for extra security against drips) for 1 hour, then remove foil, reopen the parchment folded over the top, and drizzle the dish with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Return to the oven uncovered for 30 minutes. Pasta will be baked through and the top will be crisp. If it doesn’t have as much color as you’d like on top, you can finish it under the broiler for a minute or two.

Cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes before removing the springform ring, sliding the pasta bake by its parchment onto a serving plate, and cut it into wedges.

Do ahead: This keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week. Rewarm uncovered in a 350-degree oven. I haven’t frozen it, but would expect it to freeze well, tightly wrapped.

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Maple Date Molasses Cake

Belinda

1 cup pitted Medjool dates, chopped
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup molasses

Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Prepare the dates: In a bowl, combine the chopped dates with boiling water. Let them sit for about 10-15 minutes to soften, then drain and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
Add wet ingredients: Mix in the maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Combine dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Mix the batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the softened dates and molasses until evenly distributed.
Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve: Once cooled, slice the cake and serve it on a simple white plate. Drizzle with additional maple syrup if desired, and enjoy the moist, dense texture and rich flavors.

Cooking Tips:
– For added texture, consider folding in some chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans.
– This cake pairs wonderfully with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delightful dessert.
– Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for longer freshness.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Baking · Holiday Food

Caramelized Onion & Brie Tartlets with Thyme

Belinda

Super easy for the upcoming Holidays

Makes 12 tartlets

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces Brie cheese, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions, sugar, and salt. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Roll out puff pastry and cut into 12 equal squares. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Top each pastry square with a spoonful of caramelized onions and a slice of Brie. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.

Brush the edges of each pastry square with beaten egg.

Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until puff pastry is golden and the cheese is melted.

Serve warm as an appetizer or snack.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Holiday Food

Easy Boursin fig dip

Belinda

This is almost too good and easy to be true!

2 Boxes of Boursin® Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese at room temp so it’s spreadable
1 Jar of Fig Jam
A Drizzle of Hot Honey (Hot in spice, not heat)
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped roasted pistachios

Spread a generous layer of Boursin cheese onto a serving dish.
Spoon the fig jam over the top for a touch of sweetness.
Sprinkle the chopped pistachios for a perfect crunch and pop of color.
Drizzle with hot honey to add a spicy kick.
Serve with crackers, crostini, or fresh veggies and watch it all disappear!