Food

Our Cocktail Deeva has been busy mixing and testing some great New Year's Eve cocktails and pairing appetizers! Impress your guests at your party with these delicious matches.

Ginger Cranberry Martini

2 ounces Vodka
1 ounce white cranberry juice
Fresh ginger
1/4 ounce fresh lime juice

Muddle ginger into vodka, add to shaker with juice and fresh lime juice, shake and strain into martini glass. Garnish with candied ginger and fresh cranberries on a skewer.

Pairing App: Creamy Mango Chutney Crisp 

12 rectangular (3 1/2-by-3-inch) wonton wrappers
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 bar (3 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup jarred mango chutney
3 walnut or pecan halves, broken into pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced chives, or scallion (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut wonton wrappers into rounds. Spread  cut wrappers out on a work surface; brush one side of each wrapper with oil.
2. Place wonton circles into a non-stick mini-muffin tin, oiled side up; press down to fit into bottom and sides. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
3. In a bowl, mix cream cheese and chutney. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of cream-cheese mixture into each cup; garnish with chives, if desired, and walnut or pecan pieces.

Classic Negroni

1 ounce Gin
1 ounce Compari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Rosemary sprigs
Sugar

Shake with ice and serve in rock glass with some ice. Garnish with sugared thyme sprig so it will look pretty.

Pairing App: Minty Lamb Meat Balls with Curry Cucumber Yogurt Dip

Minty Lamb Meat Balls

1 pound freshly ground lamb
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons mint jelly
1/4 cup  fresh mint leaves, very finely chopped
½ cup chopped almonds
Salt and pepper to taste

Curry Yogurt Dip

1 cup 2% plain yogurt
½ cucumber, deseeded and shredded
1 tablespoon curry powder
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF
2. In a bowl mix the ground lamb with the garlic, mint jelly, fresh  mint, salt and pepper. Form into 12 meat balls. Roll the meatballs in the chopped almonds. Bake in the oven on lined tray until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
3. Once cool enough to handle, attached skewers to cooked meatballs. Serve with curry yogurt dip.
4. For curry yogurt dip: Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve and enjoy!

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup cognac (or cointreau)
3 cups apple cider
750ml bottle sry sparkling wine or prosecco chilled
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

1. Add the apples to a large pitcher reserving about 1/2 cup for garnishing. Add the cognac, apple cider, and chilled cava. Stir.
2. Fill the pitcher with ice. Pour the sangria into glasses filled with ice and top with sliced apple and pomegranate seeds.

Pairing App: Pear and Crispy Prosciutto Cups

12 slices of prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 ripe Bartlett or Anjou pear, finely diced
Lemon juice to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut prosciutto into 24 two-inch squares.
   Place one square (overlapping any tears) in each cup of a mini cupcake tin. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain; cool completely.
3. In a small bowl, combine pear and lemon. Place a small spoonful of each mixture.
4. Garnish with black pepper to taste!