Time-saving holiday appetizers from Best of Bridge
With holiday season fast approaching, the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence teamed up with Emily Richards @ERiscooking and Sylvia Kong of @savory.palate to make holiday noshing more nourishing. Here’s how to take some of the simple recipes from Weekday Suppers and turn them into appetizers that are simple to make and better for you than traditional store-bought frozen phyllo or puff-pastry wrapped cheese, sausage or mushroom bites.
Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup – as an appetizer:
This warming soup is a nice way to greet guests as they come in from the cold. Serve in mugs with Asian spoons for slurping – have chopsticks handy for guests to fish out the noodles and beef!
Full recipe here. Follow steps below to make-ahead and serve as an appetizer:
- Day ahead: Cook a steak to rare or medium-rare OR cook up an extra one for your steak dinner the night before so that you will have a ‘leftover steak’ to use for the appetizer the next evening. (Or use leftover rare roast beef). Here’s how to cook the steak. Let cooked steak cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate. The soup broth can be made the day ahead as well; cool, cover and refrigerate.
- Day of:
- Heat broth or if broth is not made ahead, prepare and keep hot on stove-top or in slow cooker.
- Cook noodles separately in water; drain and cut with scissors to portion out into Asian tea cups or kitchen mugs.
- Carve steak into thin, bite size slices and portion into the cups/mugs.
- Divide green onions, bean sprouts, cilantro and mint among the cups/mugs.
- To serve, ladle piping hot broth into cups/mugs. Offer lime quarters, jalapeño slices (if using) and Sriracha to guests for garnish.
Grilled Steak and Potato Salad – as an appetizer:
Make a this meat & potato salad a full day ahead if you like. Cut pieces of veg and meat into smaller sizes for appetizer portions that you can serve elegantly in martini or liqueur glasses. Or for a more casual look, spoon appetizer portions into 4 oz mason jars, seal with lids and stack in the fridge to store. Appetizers are all ready to go when you are! Serve with cocktail forks or picks. You may want to top each serving with just a splash of extra vinegar and pinch of salt at time of serving as the potatoes soak up the flavours as the salad stands.
Steak Nachos – as an appetizer platter:
Prep all the bits and pieces for these veggie-friendly nachos up to 1 day ahead and then just assemble and heat when your guests arrive. This is a nice munchie to share when binge watching your favourite holiday shows. Note – if making ahead, allow cooked sweet potato sticks and steak to fully cool before covering and storing in the fridge.
