Holiday Party Essentials

1. Chocolate-covered Strawberries 4 Ways

Ingredients
for 20 servings

1 lb fresh strawberry
1 cup white chocolate
1 cup milk chocolate, or dark
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 ½ cups crushed peanut
1 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumb

Preparation

1. To make Striped Strawberries, melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with chocolate chips, repeat with the white chocolate chips.
2. Insert toothpick into the top of a strawberry.
3. Coat strawberry entirely in chocolate, alternating between white and dark.
4. Chill strawberries for about 15 minutes or until hardened.
5. For white chocolate strawberries drizzle dark chocolate over the top in a quick back and forth motion. For dark chocolate strawberries, do the same with white chocolate drizzle.
6. Chill once more for 15 minutes or until hardened.
7. To make Peanut Strawberries. Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with the chocolate chips, repeat with the white chocolate chips. Insert toothpick into the top of a strawberry. Put peanuts in a bag and smash with rolling pin or cast-iron pan until they are crumbly.
8. Coat strawberry entirely in chocolate, alternating between white and dark.
9. Dip strawberry, while the chocolate is still warm, into a bowl of nuts.
10. Chill once more for 15 minutes or until hardened.
11. To make Cookie-Coated Strawberries. Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with the chocolate chips, repeat with the white chocolate chips. Insert toothpick into the top of a strawberry. Separate chocolate sandwich cookies in a bag and smash with rolling pin or cast iron pan until they are crumbly.
12. Coat strawberry entirely in chocolate, alternating between white and dark.
13. Dip strawberry, while the chocolate is still warm, into a bowl of cookie crumbs.
14. Chill once more for 15 minutes or until hardened.
15. To make Tuxedo Strawberries. Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with the chocolate chips, repeat with the white chocolate chips. Insert toothpick into the top of a strawberry.
16. Coat strawberries entirely in white chocolate.
17. Chill strawberries for about 15 minutes or until hardened.
18. To form the tuxedo, dip one side of the white chocolate coated strawberry into dark chocolate at an angle, going to the top of white chocolate coating. Repeat on the other side, leaving a white “V” in the center of the strawberry.
19. With a toothpick, draw a bowtie and buttons with remaining melted dark chocolate.
20. Chill once more for 15 minutes or until hardened.
21. Enjoy!

2. Pomegranate Champagne Spritzer

Ingredients
for 6 servings

½ pomegranate
½ lemon
½ cup water
champagne, to taste

Preparation

1. Cut the pomegranate in half, and hit it over a bowl with a wooden spoon to release the seeds.
2. Squeeze half a lemon over the pomegranate seeds.
3. Pour a half cup of water over the seeds and lemon juice, and spoon the mixture into ice tray of choice.
4. Freeze the cubes for an hour or until solid.
5. In a glass, put one cube and then top with champagne.
6. Watch the drink transform while the ice cube melts.
7. Enjoy!

3. Spiced Wine Fire Punch

Ingredients
for 7 servings

1 cup orange juice, or 2 oranges, freshly juiced
2 apples
1 cup hard cider
4 cups red wine
1 teaspoon clove
8 sticks cinnamon
sugar cubes
rum, as needed. 151 Bacardi rum (recommended)
sugar, to taste

Preparation

1. Cut oranges in half and juice.
2. Pour red wine in a large pot. Add the orange juice through a sieve to get rid of pulp.
3. Add cider, cloves and half the cinnamon sticks and bring to a simmer, but do not boil.
4. Cut apple in ⅓ - ½ inch (1 cm) slices, leaving the peel on and the star in the middle intact. Put the center slices with a star aside and add the rest of the ends to the punch.
5. To serve, pour punch in a heat resistant glass.
6. Take the center slices with the inner star shape and clean the holes of the seeds and tough lining, making sure to keep the star shape intact.
7. Carefully place the apple slice on the punch, so it floats on top.
8. Pour a little bit of the rum in a glass, heat-safe dish. Have another glass nearby to hold the spoon you will use to move the sugar to the apple.
9. Soak sugar cube in rum and place it over the star in the glass.
10. Carefully, with a lighter, set sugar cube on fire until you see the sugar bubbling and a blue flame.
11. If necessary, carefully add small amounts of rum on the sugar cube with a spoon to keep it burning until the sugar is melted.
12. Stir with a cinnamon stick and enjoy immediately while it is still hot. If not sweet enough, repeat sugar cube flaming step or add more sugar to the hot drink.
13. Enjoy!

4. French-Style Lemon Tart

Ingredients
for 6 servings

LEMON CURD

4 egg yolks
4 eggs
150 g (⅔ cup) sugar
200 mL (1 cup) lemon juice
2 lemon zests
170 g (¾ cup) butter
1 pre-baked tart shell

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Prepare the lemon curd by whisking the egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest over a bain marie (a large bowl placed over a pan of simmering hot water).
3. Once combined, mix in the butter and whisk the mixture for about 10 minutes, until thick.
4. Pour into a pre-baked tart shell.
5. Bake for 6 minutes.
6. Whilst the tart is baking, prepare the raspberry chantilly by whipping the raspberries, sugar, vanilla extract and cream together.
7. Leave the tart to cool before dusting with icing sugar.
8. Serve with the raspberry chantilly, fresh raspberries and mint for garnish.
9. Enjoy!

5. Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip

Ingredients
for 3 servings

16 oz greek yogurt
3 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon green onion
OPTIONAL

1 tablespoon green onion
½ teaspoon dried minced garlic
½ teaspoon dried minced onion

Preparation

1. Slice green pepper.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine Greek yogurt, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, salt, dried basil, and green onions. Mix until well combined.
3. To prepare the platter, cut an assortment of your favorite vegetables into the shape they are easiest to dip with. (We used cauliflower, cucumber, green bell pepper, broccoli, celery, yellow bell pepper, carrots, red bell pepper, radishes, and cherry tomatoes.)
4. Surrounding a bowl, lay vegetables on top of a bed of kale and fill the bowl with the dip.
5. Optional: Sprinkle with some green onions, dried minced garlic, and dried minced onion.
6. Enjoy!