Article & Tips

Europe's Best Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Winter Fun and Cozy Dinners from Europe’s Best®

Though the weather outside may indeed be cold, there are still plenty of wonderful ways you and your family can make the most of the great outdoors this winter. After a chilly, fun day in the snow, what better way is there to warm everyone than a meal prepared with new Europe's Best® Roasted Gourmet frozen vegetables?

The holidays are fast approaching and, for many, that means having some time away from work to spend with family and friends. And what better way to spend time during the holidays than with a little exercise and a lot of simple to prepare, gourmet tasting dishes featuring new Europe's Best Roasted Gourmet frozen vegetables. Europe's Best Roasted Gourmet frozen vegetables are picked at the peak of perfection and then roasted. A scrumptiously indulgent flavour. So gather the family on Friday night and select a fun outdoor family activity for the weekend. Then get everyone to help prepare for a fabulous and hearty meal featuring new Europe's Best Gourmet Roasted frozen vegetables.

STEP 1: SELECT A WINTER FAMILY ACTIVITY

Here are a cool selection of fun activities that you can do with your family and friends during the holidays. You'll get plenty of fresh air and build up a hearty appetite for dinner.

Paint a Snow Scape

Fill a number of plastic squirt bottles with a blend of food colouring and water (blue, red, green, purple, orange or yellow). Take the bottles outside, flatten an area of snow as your "paper" and create your finest masterpieces.

Try Snowshoeing

Modern snowshoes make it possible for people of almost any age to get out and explore the great, white outdoors. Visit a cross country ski or snowshoe area and rent a pair of shoes. You'll be surprised how easy it is to explore the deepest snow areas on snowshoes.

Take a Cool Winter Nature Hike:

Pick your nature-hike day carefully. Cold is fine, as long as it's sunny. There's something really invigorating about hiking on a bright, crunchy winter day. Make sure everyone dresses sensibly - which means layers of warm clothes, including a hat, mitts or gloves and good winter boots. Bring an extra pair or two of mitts along in case someone gets soggy. Sunscreen is also a good idea on a sunny day.

Go to the library and borrow a few good nature field guides if you don't have any of your own. Especially look for ones with clear photographs – birds, animal tracks, trees and plants. Make sure these books are for the part of the world where you live – ask the librarian for help finding books that will identify local flora and fauna.

Along with some snacks and drinks, bring a notepad and pencil (pens may freeze up in the cold) to record your finds, small resealable bags for collecting samples, binoculars, a magnifying glass and a camera. If you're heading into a wilderness conservation area, have a map of the trails so you know where you're going, and make sure you've notified someone at home of your plans for the day. For safety, bring a whistle.

Make a scrapbook with dried leaves, seeds and other bits and pieces you've found. Make a photo slide show or album showing where you went and what you did. Write everything down in a nature journal – all the birds you saw, animal tracks, plants and trees.

Make and Hang Homemade Pine Cone Bird Feeders

Start with the largest pine cone you can find. Using picture-hanging wire (or other thin, twistable wire), loop it around the pine cone a few flaps down from the stem end. Twist it to hold the pine cone, leaving enough wire so that it can be hung from a tree branch.

With a spatula or by hand (wearing disposable plastic gloves) squish peanut butter (chunky or smooth) into all the nooks and crannies of each pine cone, covering it liberally. It's ok if it looks messy.

Pour some bird seed – mixed or sunflower – into a plate. Roll the peanut butter covered pine cone in the seeds until liberally coated. Make a bunch of these and then take a nice family walk through the woods and hang your treats for the birds to enjoy!

STEP 2: NOW CREATE A SPECTACULAR EUROPE'S BEST DINNER

SOUP:

Fire Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Roasted Pepper Rouille

After a day in the cold, nothing warms a tummy like this satisfying sweet potato soup. This version is made extra special with new Europe's Best Fire Roasted Sweet Potatoes and a topping of Rouille. Rouille is a flavourful Provencal-style sauce that adds gorgeous colour and delectably-garlic taste to soup. Simple to prepare with plenty of goodness cooked in.

MAIN:

Tuscan-Style Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Pan Jus

Inside these golden brown chicken cutlets is a delectable surprise of new Europe's Best Roasted Gourmet Tuscan Inspired Blend vegetables and feta cheese. Finished with a roasted pepper and sage jus, this is a chicken dish your family will request again and again.

DESSERT:

Dark Chocolate Berry Trifle

Prepared angle food cake and Europe's Best Antioxidant Blend frozen fruit makes this gorgeous dessert a breeze to make. Select a pretty glass bowl, if you have one, to showcase the delicious layers in this dessert.

Related Recipes
	Fire Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Roasted Pepper Rouille Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 13 minutes Freezing: excellent Serving: 6 servings (1.5L) This charming, savoury soup is smooth and tasty with hints of curry and cilantro. Roasting the sweet potatoes brings out their sweetness too! Garnish with a French-inspired pepper sauce for a lovely first course or a quick meal served with fresh rolls.
	Tuscan-Style Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Pepper Pan Jus Preparation Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Freezing: not recommended Serving: 8 servings Spoon roasted vegetables and feta cheese onto chicken cutlets, and roll up and secure with toothpicks. Bread them and brown quickly. Then, cook in a fragrant mixture of chicken stock, fresh sage and roasted red and yellow peppers. Serve with the reduced 'pan jus'. Beautiful.
	Dark Chocolate Berry Trifle Preparation Time: 10 minutes Freezing: not recommended Serving: 10-15 servings You'll love every luscious layer of this special holiday trifle: cubed angel food cake, a mixture of strawberries, black currants, sweet cherries, blackberries, blueberries and red sour cherries, and whipped cream laced with melted dark chocolate. Talk about a dream cake.