Thursday, May 21, 2026

Lori returns to The Keeping Room in Dundas, where Canadian Cheese Grand Prix 2013 jury member chef Michael Howell whips up some Christmas cheese recipes.

Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar feuilleté with sweet potato purée and roasted tomatoes

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 20 to 25 minutes
Servings: 8

4 cups (1 L) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
½ onion, chopped
⅓ cup (75 ml) butter
½ tsp (2 ml) chili powder
Freshly ground pepper
4 plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
8 sheets of phyllo dough
8 oz (225 g) Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar, cut into 8 slices
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh basil, chopped
Fresh basil leaves for garnish

In a saucepan, cook sweet potatoes with onion in boiling salted water for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425oF (220oC).

Melt butter in a small saucepan and add chili powder and pepper.

Quarter tomatoes and place in an oven-safe baking dish. Add 2 tbsp (30 ml) spiced butter and garlic cloves.

With a brush, butter each sheet of phyllo and fold in half. Place a slice of cheese at the end and butter the edges. Fold each edge over the cheese and roll up the phyllo starting at the cheese end to seal the cheese inside. Brush with butter.

Place feuilletés on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in oven, along with tomatoes, for 15 minutes.

Crush sweet potatoes with a pestle or process in a food processor to make a purée. Season with pepper and add basil.

Serve feuilletés hot over sweet potato purée and garnish with tomatoes and basil leaves.

Nutritional Information

Per serving

Energy: 305 Calories

Bleu D’Élizabeth cheese, dark chocolate and date bites

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 20 to 25 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8

6 oz (180 g) dark chocolate
6 oz (180 g) pitted Medjool dates
3 oz (90 g) Bleu d’Élizabeth cheese, coarsely chopped
Cocoa

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Let cool.

Process dates and cheese in a food processor.

Add melted chocolate and process until well combined.

Spoon mixture into a bread pan lined with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Sprinkle with cocoa, then serve.

Nutritional Information

Per serving

Energy: 212 Calories
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrate: 32 g
Fat: 10 g
Fibre: 3.1 g
Sodium: 160 mg

Top 5 nutrients provided by a serving of this recipe

Nutrient and % DV*

Calcium: 7 % / 82 mg
Magnesium: 18 %
Zinc: 9 %
Phosphorus: 8 %
Iron: 7 %

* Note: The daily value (DV) is established by Health Canada and corresponds to the daily quantity recommended for each nutrient. The percentage of the daily value (% DV) indicates the proportion of the nutrient provided by a serving of the recipe, in comparison with the quantity recommended.

Crab and Quality Cheese Ricotta mousse

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: None
Servings: 8 to 10

2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh parsley
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh cilantro
1 green onion, coarsely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) lime zest
8 oz (225 g) crabmeat, drained, divided
¼–½ tsp (1–2 ml) smoked paprika, mild or spicy
10 oz (300 g) Quality Cheese Ricotta
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup (60 ml) panko breadcrumbs

Pour lime juice into a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand 5 minutes to soften, then add 2 tbsp (30 ml) boiling water to dissolve gelatin.

Place celery, parsley, cilantro, green onion and lime zest in a food processor. Process until finely chopped.

Add half the crabmeat, the paprika and Ricotta. Process until well combined, add gelatin and season with salt and pepper.

To mould the mousse, use a muffin pan or individual moulds (ramekins). Line inside of moulds with plastic wrap or parchment paper to make unmoulding easier.

Pour mousse into moulds and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To unmould muffin pan, invert over a baking sheet, remove plastic wrap and place on plates. To unmould ramekins, invert each over plates and remove plastic wrap.

Garnish with remaining crab, panko breadcrumbs and some fresh cilantro.

Suggestions:
This recipe is equally delicious with shrimp instead of crab.
The mousse can also be moulded in a terrine and served sliced.

Nutritional Information

Per serving

Energy: 82 Calories
Protein: 8 g
Carbohydrate: 3 g
Fat: 4 g
Fibre: 0.3 g
Sodium: 141 mg

Top 5 nutrients provided by a serving of this recipe

Nutrient and % DV*
Calcium: 8% / 90 mg
Vitamin B12: 43%
Selenium: 30%
Zinc: 14%
Folate: 11%