Two Holiday Entertaining Recipes ~ As Seen On Rogers Trending with Aleia Alley

Wow, your holiday guest with two Delicious & Doable Holiday Entertaining recipes – they’re as tasty as they are beautiful!!

Curried Cauliflower and Arugula Salad
~*Vegan and Gluten Free

This salad is an absolute showstopper and super healthy too! Warning: my kids have been known to polish off the spiced roasted cauliflower minutes after it comes out of the oven, so toss that salad quickly!

Dressing

2 tbsp (30 mL) prepared mango chutney

1 tsp (5 mL) balsamic vinegar

½ tsp (2 mL) each of minced fresh ginger and finely grated orange zest

1 clove garlic, minced

Salad

1 large head of cauliflower cut into florets, should equal about 6 cups (1.5 L)

2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil

1 tbsp (15 mL) curry powder

1 tsp (5 mL) ground turmeric

½ tsp (2 mL) each of ground cinnamon and salt

¼ tsp (1 mL) ground cardamom

4 cups (1 L) lightly packed baby arugula leaves

⅓ cup (75 mL) roughly chopped fresh mint

¼ cup (60 mL) dried cherries

Directions:

• Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Toss cauliflower florets with oil, curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, salt and cardamom. Place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Don’t bother washing the bowl you’ve tossed the cauliflower and spices in; use it to mix the cooked cauliflower with the remaining ingredients. This way any spices left in the bowl will be incorporated into your dish.
• Bake florets for 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
• When ready to serve, toss cauliflower with remaining ingredients and reserved dressing.
• Makes about 6 cups of salad (1.5 L). Serves 8 as a side dish.

Tip:

• Use prepared orange marmalade instead of chutney.
• Turn up the heat and add ¼ tsp (1 mL) chili flakes to the cauliflower mixture before roasting.

Caramel Covered Brie with Dried Fruit and Nuts

This divine work of art (using nothing but pantry staples!) is a guaranteed showstopper. It presents as beautifully as it tastes and will have your guests raving for days. Serve as an appetizer, or as a cheese course with Port for an after-dinner nibble.

1 cup (250 mL) packed brown sugar

½ cup (125 mL) butter

¼ cup (60 mL) corn syrup

½ tsp (2 mL) baking soda

½ cup (125 mL) mixed salted nuts

½ cup (125 mL) dried cranberries

2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh rosemary

Pinch cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 large (approximately 8-inch) round double cream Brie wheel, slightly warmed

Directions:

• Combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a medium sauce pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring only once or twice until mixture comes to a gentle boil.
• Continue to cook for about one minute without stirring.
• Remove from heat and stir in baking soda (caramel will double in volume).
• Stir in nuts, dried cranberries, rosemary, and cayenne.
• Place warm Brie wheel on a wooden cutting board (or platter) and pour caramel mixture over Brie.
• Serve with an assortment of crackers and fresh fruit.
• Serves 8 to 10.

Tip:

• Use dried cherries or dried blueberries instead of dried cranberries