Holiday Cooking ... And Eating.

I am stuffed, still. The sad part about having friends and family that are awesome cooks is that they make great food. And during the holidays these amazing dishes are at their peak. Who am I to turn down good eats?

Over the past two weeks my husband and I have crammed our faces full of great stuff at brunches, dinners and cocktail parties. Here are the menus:

Brunch for 6

Frothy Spiced Cocoa

Grapefruit Compote

Turkey Sausage Patties

Smoked Salmon Pizza

Wild Mushroom Frittata

Dinner for 15

Green Salad

Spanakopita

- we used a femily recipe but this one is not bad either

Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

- I didn't use walnuts and I added a splash of red wine vinegar at the end

Cynthia's Corn Pie

- one of my favourite comfort foods

Honey Glazed Ham

A New Year's Cocktail Party for 15

Iceland- Icelandic Lemonade

Fish Balls with Dipping Sauce

- yummy, with crunchy panko crust

Brazil - Pineapple Capirhania

- will knock your socks off, but is gooood!

Pao de Queijo (Cheese Bread)

-best served warm and wrapped around the beef

Grilled Beef with Chimichurri

-I used flank steak and sliced it instead

Newfoundland - Screech

- will clean out your pipes!

Nova Scotian Sausage

Chile - Pisco Eggnog

Empanadas

-loved all the layers of flavour

Ontario - Walkerville Beer

Sliders with Cheese

- great way to cap off the evening

Ugly Sweater Party

Our friends are always looking for a reason to celebrate - read: if there's a party, they will come.

With winter on its way, and Mother Nature once again showing us who's boss with her blows of snow and cold, my husband and I decided that an Ugly Sweater Party would be the theme.

This menu was one of the easiest ones I have ever had to prepare. I spent probably 2 hours in total in the kitchen before and during the party. I wasn't interested in putting in a ridiculous amount of time when we had many other things going on.

The food and drink included:

Jillian's Mulled Apple Cider

Spiced Nuts (see recipe below)

A platter of charcuterie, cheeses, toasted breads, crackers and toppings

(More specifically: aged gouda, local chevre, Mexican salami, spiced pork loin, prosciutto, grainy mustard, Polish dill pickles, tapenade and fig jam)

Crispy parsnips and sweet potatoes with spicy aioli

Bakerella's Famous Cupcake Pops

A fruit tray with grapes and pineapple

*Faces have been cut out to protect the innocent.

Spiced Nuts

4 c of assorted nuts

1/2 c roasted pumpkin seeds

3 T butter

4T brown sugar

6 dashes Worcestershire

1 t ground black pepper

1 t sea salt

1 t cayenne

Melt the butter and sugar in a pan on the stove and stir until bubbling. Add the nuts and the rest of the ingredients. Stir to coat the nuts and then place on a baking sheet covered in wax paper. Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Brunch and Birthdays

Over the past week or so I have done quite a bit of cooking for others. I provided brunch for friends and family as well as some fun food for my close friend's birthday.

Here are some of the recipes - enjoy!

Brunch -

Strawberry and Cream Cheese Stuffed Brioche French Toast (cooked in the waffle maker)

Sweet Potato Home-y Fries

Peach, Mango and Blueberry Fruit Salad with Granola

Crispy Bacon

Pomegranate Orange Juice

Birthday Party - (see recipes below)

Lentil and Black Bean Dip

Cherry BBQ Chicken Wings

Lentil and Black Bean Dip

Combine:

2 cups cooked lentils, drained and cooled

2 cups cooked black beans, drained and cooled

1/2 c green onions, sliced thinly

2 medium tomatoes, diced

S & P, to taste

1 T lemon juice

In a jar, shake together:

1/2 c sugar

2 t celery seed

2 t salt

1 t paprika

1 t dried mustard

1 c ketchup

1/2 c olive oil

1/2 c vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

Combine bean mixture with dressing. Serve with nacho chips.

Cherry BBQ Chicken Wings

1/4 c butter

1/2 c + 1 c cherry bbq sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

3 lb, chicken wings

1 c dry bread crumbs

2 T brown sugar

2 T white vinegar

1/4 c water

1/2 T minced ginger

1 T hot sauce

Melt butter on baking sheet in oven (preheated to 400 F). Stir together 1/2 c bbq sauce and garlic and use to coat wings. Then roll the wings in bread crumbs and place in pan, turning to coat with melted butter. Bake for 30 minutes.

Combine 1 c bbq sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, water, ginger and hot sauce. After wings have baked for 30 min. turn them and then pour sauce over top. Bake for 25 minutes longer or until chicken is tender.

It's all about the food.

Food is the name of the game lately, though it probably always has been. In the past month my husband and I have indulged in quite a few culinary experiences, besides the cooking class and cooking club meeting I mentioned in previous posts.

They have included:

* going on a wine tour of Essex County (article to be posted soon on Food Network Canada)

* eating out at Lighthouse Cove Inn (not bad for fresh perch, better for the view), Caldwell's Grant (great alligator!) and Cafe Muse (grilled cheese really is one of the best)

* making some of the best Muttar Paneer I have ever tasted (see below)

* planting a large vegetable garden

* having a Victoria Day Party that included Sweet Potato and Yam Chips with Honey Blue Cheese Dip

The Best Muttar Paneer

1/4 c butter

8 ounces paneer, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

large piece ginger, minced

1 t salt

1 t each of turmeric, garam masala, coriander seed, cumin, chili powder

2 c frozen peas

1 large tomato, chopped

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 c low fat sour cream

Heat the butter in a large skillet and add the paneer cubes, in 2 batches, and fry until they are golden. Remove the golden cubes to a double thickness of kitchen towel.

Leave 1-2 T of butter in the pan. Fry the onion, garlic cloves, and ginger gently for about 5 minutes with a sprinkling of salt. Stir in the spices and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the still frozen peas.
Add the tomatoes and the vegetable stock over the contents of the pan. Stir again and turn the heat down to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes, tasting to check that the peas are tender. Add the paneer and the sour cream and cook for another 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Serve with fresh pita.

Christmas Eve Brunch

By Dec. 24 I was starting to get my ability to taste and smell back - thank goodness. It was on this date that my husband and I hosted a brunch for our families. The Frittata Stuffed Mushrooms seemed to be the most loved of all the dishes served.

The menu included:

Prosecco with Pomegranate Molasses

Jillian's Mulled Cider

Minted Fruit Salad

Frittata Stuffed Mushrooms (see below)

Miniature Lobster Crepes with Bearnaise Sauce *

Port Basted Peameal Bacon (see below)

Pecan Sticky Buns *

* recipes available in Food & Drink Holiday 2007 edition, which should be available online by the end of January 2008.

Frittata Stuffed Mushrooms

24 large white mushrooms, stems removed and partially scooped out

3 green onions, finely diced

2 t dried dill

salt & pepper, to taste

1/2 c crumbled feta cheese

2 eggs, beaten lightly

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until caps are filled with liquid. Remove from oven and drain off liquid and pat caps dry with a paper towel.

Mix together green onions, dill, S&P, and feta cheese in a small bowl. Scoop a small amount of the mixture and place into each mushroom cap. Spoon beaten eggs on top of cheese mixture until the caps are brimming over.

Bake mushrooms at 325 F for about 10-12 minutes or until egg mixture is set. Serve warm.

Port Basted Peameal Bacon

(adapted from a Canadian House & Home recipe)

2 lb piece of peameal bacon

3/4 c ruby port

1/2 c brown sugar

1 T brown mustard

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Place the bacon in a baking dish and bake, uncovered for 1 hour. Basting every 15 minutes with the port. While bacon is in the oven, combine the mustard and brown sugar. 15 minutes before the bacon is finished, spread the sugar mixture over the meat and finish baking. Let the meat sit for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Work Party

At the beginning of my two week break I came down with the flu. I never get sick so I was really annoyed, especially since I was supposed to hold a party for my colleagues at my place. Luckily my boss decided to move it to her house and I sent the food over there. I'm glad everyone was able to enjoy it.

The menu included:

Spiced Nuts

Lemon Baked Olives

Sweet Potato Fries

Spanakopita Pizza (see recipe below)

Spicy Mango Chicken Slaw

Cheesy Pasta Bake

(this is a similar recipe, though I used one from Lesley Stowe)

Spanakopita Pizza

1 pizza crust (prepared or fresh dough), brushed with olive oil and baked until lightly golden

2 c spinach - cooked, drained and lightly chopped

1 c caramelised onions

1 c good feta cheese, crumbled

1 c shredded mozzarella

Brush crust again with olive oil. Spread spinach on the crust, followed by onions and salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle cheeses on top of other ingredients. Bake in a 375 F oven until cheese is bubbling (about 12 minutes).

Halloween Party!

On October 27, my husband and I threw a spooky Halloween bash. It turned out to be quite the collaborative effort as our friends and family contributed with either food or decorations. The evening was enjoyed by all that attended.

Our menu included:

Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes (with the cutest Halloween decorations ever - supplied by my in-laws!)

Potato Skins with Bacon, Cheddar Cheese and Chives - see below

Black Bean Dip in an Eggplant O'Lantern

Balsamic Soy Glazed Chicken Wings

Brie with Tapenade

Electric Jello Brains

Potato Skins with Cheddar, Bacon and Chives

6 potatoes, washed and cut in half lengthwise

2 c shredded old cheddar cheese

1c crumbled, freshly cooked bacon

Salt & Pepper

1/3 c chives, snipped into 2 cm pieces

sour cream (optional)

Set your oven for 375 F. Place the halved potatoes on a baking sheet, skin side down. Sprinkle with S&P and prick the flesh a few times with a fork. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until the flesh is fully cooked.

When finished, remove from oven and allow to cool. Once the potatoes are at room temp, use a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh; leaving it about 1 cm thick around the potato skin. Put the scooped out part to the side and use later for gnocchi or perogies.

If serving large portions, leave the skins whole. If serving as an appetizer, cut the skins in halves or quarters and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese and bacon on each potato skin. Place in the oven at 375 for about 10 min. or until the cheese melts.

Once they are out of the oven finish them will a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.

Makes about 24 appetizer sized pieces.

Better Late Than Never...

After downloading a few pics today I realised that I never did do a post related to my Thanksgiving feast. This year was our year to host, though our families were extremely helpful in providing some lovely additions .

Our menu consisted of:

Oven Roasted Curried Pumpkin Soup with Maple Pumpkin Seeds

Cranberry Sauce with Port and Dried Figs

Carrot Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

Cranberry Cornbread Dressing

Smoked Turkey Breast with Maple Mustard Glaze

Autumn Trifle with Roasted Apples, Pears and Pumpkin Caramel Sauce (to die for!)