Hosting a holiday party doesn’t mean you have to slave away in the kitchen preparing a full turkey feast with all the fixins’. A well thought-out tapas spread can be just as delicious but without all the hassle and time. Just go get a generous assortment of mouth-watering, ready-to-eat appetizers and bump it up a notch by preparing these home-made sauces that will take you minutes to whip up. You can even put your guests to work by having them circulate the trays. It doesn’t get easier than this!

If you are still keen on a proper dinner and would like a lighter alternative to the conventional bird, Solène Thouin, who develops recipes for M&M Meat Shops introduces a Salmon & Saffron Pasta in the video as well.

For the full recipe, read on.

Salmon & Saffron Pasta

Using cedar planks to flavour grilled foods is a delicious new cooking trend! You can accent the rich, smoky flavour of cedar planked salmon with pasta in a white cream sauce and a medley of fresh vegetables.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 loony sized portions dried long pasta (cappelini or linguini work best)
3 shallots
1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
½ cup (125 ml) white wine
1 tsp (5 ml) saffron
1 ½ cup (375 ml) cream
1 bag M&M Meat Shops Farm Fresh Blend Vegetables
4 fillets of M&M Meat Shops Cedar Planked Salmon
Drop of olive oil
Pinch of salt

Garnish Ingredients:

Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Paprika and lemon zest

Cooking Directions for the Cedar Planked Salmon:

1. Soak unwrapped cedar planks in water for two to four hours before using.

2. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place each salmon portion on a pre-soaked plank, topping side up.

3. Place the planked salmon portions on a baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until fish is cooked.

Cooking Directions for the Pasta:

1. Add a few tablespoons of salt and a small amount of olive oil to large pot of boiling water.

2. Add in pasta, and cook until al dente.

Cooking Directions for the Vegetables:

In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups (500 ml) of Farm Fresh Blend vegetables to 1 cup (250 ml) of rapidly boiling water. Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Cooking Directions for the Pasta Sauce (also shown in the video above):

1. Cook the shallots in the butter in a covered pan on a very low heat. Allow the shallots to release moisture and cook in the steam, but not to become browned.

2. When shallots are cooked, remove from the pan. Add the white wine to the pan to absorb the leftover butter and flavour.

3. Add the saffron to the pan and let simmer on a medium high heat until one third of the liquid has evaporated.

4. Add the cream and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes.

5. Drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot. Add the cream sauce and mix with tongs.

6. Plate your dish and top with garnish.