Hello lovelies, today I have even more ideas for the holidays for you: an appetizer platter with 2 dips and a gift from the kitchen. Both are of course wonderfully suited to the Christmas season. The colorful platter with the two fine dips, lots of colorful vegetables and other delicacies is always a welcome sight — whether at a family celebration or for drinks with friends. And the mango chutney, as a gift from the kitchen, is the perfect little something to bring along during the Christmas season; it's guaranteed to make everyone happy.
All the recipes were created in collaboration with Victorinox*. Their Swiss Modern collection came with me to Bali, and I wouldn't want to be without these knives here. Not only thanks to their lovely colors, which I really like, but of course because of the Swiss quality, which is simply unbeatable. The knives sit comfortably in your hand, they just cut really well, and with the various models you're well equipped for any occasion.
Besides lots of fresh vegetables, crackers, olives, nuts and (vegan) cheese, an appetizer platter of course needs the right dips. This time, for me that turned out to be a super delicious papaya salsa and a cucumber-tahini dip. One a little exotic (inspired by our tropical home) and the other a bit more classic, but no less refined for it.
The papaya salsa goes wonderfully with nacho chips, but of course with vegetables too. If you can't get papaya, you can replace it with mango. And you can vary the heat nicely too, using more or less chili.
And here's the recipe for the salsa:
A delicious dip with papaya, avocado and chili.
- 1/2 papaya
- 1/2 avocado
- 2-3 spring onions
- 1-1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- chili
- lime juice
- salt & pepper
- cilantro (optional)
Dice the papaya and avocado and put them in a bowl
Finely chop the spring onions and chili and add them
Finely chop the cilantro and mix it in
Season to taste with the maple syrup, lime juice, salt & pepper
The second dip is a completely different combination. With fresh cucumber, yogurt, tahini and fresh herbs. Tastes great with veggie sticks, but also lovely on dark whole-grain bread. The cucumber can be cut into fine strips really easily with the julienne slicer from Victorinox — very practical.
And here's the recipe for you:
A fresh dip with fine cucumber, yogurt and fresh herbs.
- 1 garlic clove
- fresh herbs of choice (parsley, chives, dill)
- 3 Tbsp vegan yogurt
- 3 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1/2 cucumber
- a little lime juice
- salt & pepper
Finely chop the garlic clove and fresh herbs
Mix the yogurt, mayonnaise and tahini in a bowl
Cut the cucumber into fine strips with a julienne slicer (or a knife)
Mix the cucumber, garlic and herbs into the yogurt
Season with lime, salt and pepper
Besides the dips, the vegetables and the crackers, our appetizer platter also had super delicious vegan cheese made from cashews — in Switzerland you'll already find lots of great alternatives that definitely enrich any platter.
Whether at Christmas or New Year's Eve, an appetizer platter like this is perfect for any occasion. Everyone finds something delicious, it can be prepared ahead beautifully, and it's also a lovely, colorful eye-catcher on any table.
As promised, together with Victorinox I've developed not only the two dip recipes for you but also another idea for a great gift from the kitchen. In recent years we've increasingly done without material gifts among the adults and preferred to give something homemade. So inspiration for that always comes in handy. I went with a recipe using an ingredient we eat almost daily here, but which is also available in Europe: namely mango.
Out of it came a delicious mango chutney that's quick to make but wins you over with its exotic flavor. The chutney also goes with very many dishes and is therefore a great gift everyone is sure to enjoy.
Here's the recipe for you:
A great gift from the kitchen — goes with many dishes.
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-2 cm fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- spices of choice: cinnamon, cumin, clove (approx. 1/2 tsp each)
- 3-4 mangoes
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 chili
Finely chop the onion, finely chop the garlic, grate the ginger
Heat the coconut oil in a pot and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in it
Add the spices and sauté briefly
Peel the mangoes, cut into cubes and add them to the pot
Add the sugar and vinegar, mix everything well and simmer on low heat for about 30-40 minutes
Add the salt and chili, mix in and let simmer briefly
Fill into clean jars while hot — seal well
Keeps for about 1 week in the fridge — optionally you can also preserve it by canning or freeze it to make it last longer
The mango chutney goes great with (vegan) cheese, on snack platters — so it would be ideal for the appetizer board. Of course it's lovely with Indian dishes (which is also where it originates), with roasts, but also as a dip. As you can see, there are an incredible number of ways to use it, and there are no limits to your imagination. It's also really easy to make and works as a last-minute gift for an invitation.
Filled into pretty jars, nicely labeled and with a little decoration, it definitely makes an impression, and the person you give it to is sure to be delighted. Of course you can also give the matching cheese to go with it, fresh bread, or everything for a pretty appetizer platter. Ideally then with the matching knives from the Victorinox Swiss Modern collection and one of their lovely boards — because you can always use those.
I hope you enjoyed my tips for the appetizer platter with 2 dips and a gift from the kitchen, and that you'll find inspiration for your Christmas menu and a fitting gift to bring along for your loved ones right away.
And in my Christmas category you'll find lots more recipes.
You can already find the video for the two dips here.
Love, Verena
If you're on Pinterest, you can find me here and feel free to pin one of these pictures:
**This blog post was created in collaboration with Victorinox — the recipes are my own. *
