Holiday Re-Cap

I am back! I hope everyone's holiday season was joyous, full of wonder, laughter and light. It can be hard to fit everyone in over the holidays, especially when you have a big family. Don't stress yourself out, after the holiday chaos moves through have those wonderful friends or family over! Here are some ideas that can instill that special quality of holiday dinners and treats even though it's January.

Over the holidays I spent time in the vast plains of Nebraska as well as tucked deep in the Rocky Mountains. The most important part of the holidays was family...hearing their voices, holding their hands, treasuring their presence. And what brings family together any better than fabulous food?! Here are the foods my family shared together, that I encourage you to share with your close ones.

Beer Brined Turkey with Traditional Stuffing: 
- 20 pound turkey (or whatever size you'd like)
- beer (we used Guinness) brine
- favorite spices
- butter
Stuffing:
- 3 celery stalks chopped small
- 1 yellow onion chopped finely
- dried bread in chunks
- chicken broth

First your turkey needs to be thawed and cleaned thoroughly with cold water. (Very important step! Hot water will cook your turkey and cause for germs!) If your turkey has not thawed out inside, simply run cold water from the faucet into it until thawed. Pull out the gizzards package (check both ends!).

Next place your turkey in the roasting pan, cover with butter (in small slices) spread to keep the skin crispy. Spread under the skin as well. Add your spices (whatever your preference....you can be traditional with rosemary or thyme or a little more eccentric with caraway, curry, adobo, etc.) Then add your beer brine, it should come up to the very top of your roasting pan so the turkey can soak. Soak overnight and then put into the oven or electric roaster for 30 minutes per pound (follow directions on packaging)- don't forget to stuff your turkey!

As for the stuffing- cook your celery onion in about a tablespoon or so of butter until the aroma makes you want to dance. Then remove from heat. Start with the dried bread chunks in your mixing bowl, add onion mixture then a bit of chicken broth, mush together (using your hands is best!) and repeat until all is together. I add sausage to my stuff and I don't add as much chicken broth because I like my stuffing a bit crispy. Then stuff inside of turkey before baking. The rest can go in a dish to bake later before serving.

French Onion Soup
For most this is not a difficult soup to make. I actually have posted this before but this one is a little different.
3-5 yellow onions
beef stock (reduced down to gel-like consistency)
beef stock
white wine
salt

Add your thinly sliced onions to an oiled stock pot. Add salt and let onions reduce down til translucent. Add one cup of wine, let the alcohol burn off and add the reduced, gel-like beef stock. After about 10 minutes add the regular beef stock. Let this reduce down for about 15-20 minutes.
When serving, place a toasted piece of baguette with melted gruyere.



Mushroom Jus 
1 pound of morels
1 pound of lion's mane
1 pound of cinnamon caps
2 cups chicken stock (reduced into a gel-like consistency)
2 cups chicken stock
salt
pepper

To make this mushroom jus, which was used to
to dress our steak we started with peeling apart or lightly chopping our mushrooms. We then added them to an oiled saute pan to reduce them down. We added gel-like, reduced stock and let this reduce down. Then we added the regular stock. Add salt as for taste and set aside.

Classic Layered Potatoes
1 pound of yukon gold potatoes (or you can add in some sweet potatoes)
5 cups of bechamel sauce
nutmeg
salt & pepper

Bechamel Sauce
5 cups of milk
1 onion quartered
3 cloves of garlic smashed
1 tsp salt

Let the milk reduce on low heat with the onion, garlic and salt for 30 minutes. The onion and garlic will infuse a lovely flavor. The heat will reduce the milk into a velvety consistency.

This dish is very easy to make. It does take a bit of time though. Using a mandolin will help cut your time in half by quickly slicing the potatoes very thin. Please be careful! Do not slice your hand. Once your potatoes are sliced you will make a layer to a buttered casserole dish. Then you want to add a layer of your bechamel sauce, salt and repeat. Every other layer you will add a pinch of nutmeg. You can also trade the off the layers of potato with sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. If you want to make molds, let the dish sit for two hours then reheat before serving and make molds. Everyone will love this comfort food!

Spice-Rubbed Whole Beef Ribeye
12-15 pound boneless ribeye
favorite spices
salt

Rub this gorgeous piece of meat with olive oil and any spices you prefer or simply salt and pepper. Let the meat come to room temperature for an hour before baking. Roast at 400 for 25 minutes then reduce to 325 for 3 hours. This cut of meat is best served medium to medium rare.

Bacon- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
1-2 pounds of fresh brussel sprouts
thick cut bacon
parmesan shavings

Start by cutting the bottoms off all your brussel sprouts and making an X in the bottom. This helps the vegetable to cook evenly throughout. Flash boil your brussel sprouts until they reach that bright green color then immediately add them to an ice bath. Don't keep them in the ice bath too long. As soon as they cool, slice them in half and set aside. Once all brussel sprouts are sliced add them to a well oiled pan. While they start roasting, slice up your thick bacon into small rectangular pieces (aka lardons). Add the bacon lardons to the pan as well. Let roast for 15-20 minutes until carmelized. Top with a bit of parmesan shavings.

This meal is delectable and suited for anyone who deserves the best and most tasty treats. When's your next dinner party?

Raspberry Linzer Tart
2 cups of quality, seedless raspberry jam
1 3/4 cup ground almonds
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup softened butter
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Topping:
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter

First make the tart crust by combining the dry ingredients into a mixer. Then add the softened butter and cinnamon. Push the crust into a tart pan and back at 325 for 15 minutes. While the crust is baking pour combine topping ingredients. When the crust has cooled add in the jam and top with nut mixture. Bake for another 15-20 minutes and voila! This is a fabulous dessert and your guests will be coming back for more and more and more!

And who doesn't like a cookie display? Make some of your favorite cookies and display them on a beautiful plate for your guests to munch on while they sip on coffee or an after dinner aperitif. On my plate I have: Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Stars with Dulce de Leche, Lebucken with Candied Orange Peel, Chocolate-Orange, Cherry-Oatmeal, Snickerdoodles, Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti, Kolacky with Apriot Jam and Apple Butter, Apriot Linzer mini tarts. Molasses-Ginger Cookies and Peanut Butter candies. 

And don't forget a cocktail! Make this simple poinsettia.

Poinsettia
cranberry juice
grapefruit juice
vodka
garnish with pine

Mix altogether and serve! Yum!

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” 
― Mother Teresa

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations.” ― Oscar Wilde

Enjoy! xoxo Lo