[Recipes] Christmas Dinner 2013

I love Christmas.  Oh, I know you may have surmised by now that I love many things, especially holidays and special occasions (there's just so much beauty and happiness), but Christmas is special for me.  I like to think I'm not particularly materialistic, so it's not the presents that excite me so much as the overall air of the season.  I love the tinkling, happy music; the twinkling, beautiful lights; the way everyone (barring any Scrooges) suddenly has smiles and good cheer to spare; the spirit of charity that seems to be everywhere (although, seriously, that should be a year-round thing); and the sparkle in someone's eyes as they unwrap that perfect gift you've gotten them.  Even if you're not religious (though I am), Christmas has come to be almost a neutral holiday in many senses, a holiday for friends and family to gather and exchange presents and eat deliciously iced sugar and gingerbread cookies.

This year, both Christmas and New Year's fell on Wednesdays, meaning that I only got one day off from work for each.  I managed to go home to my family the weekend in between the two holidays, but a number of my friends and colleagues weren't so lucky.  They were just... well, stuck.

So, for Christmas this year, my friend and I took in these so-called "Christmas orphans" for a night of veritable feasting and general merriment.

"Fancy Schmancy Pants" Pomegranate and Pear Champagne Salad
a recipe inspired by Guy Fieri

I dare you to find a salad more festive than this.  I had the idea that pomegranate salad would be great for the winter holidays, and the icing on this cake (and yes, I am aware of the irony in using this idiom in describing a salad) is its usage of champagne vinegar.  I was just as surprised as you are to discover that Guy Fieri created this dish.  Not that I dislike him—I'm actually addicted to Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives—but it's just, well, so light and elegant.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, in part due to personal preference and in part due to ingredient constraints.  I actually couldn't find champagne vinegar—but the store did carry pomegranate champagne vinegar, which was even better.  I also purposely used some sort of fruit cheese (raspberry brie, I think) because I dislike Gorgonzola.  *runs away*  It has a very distinct, overpowering flavor that might give the salad extra pop.

Salad - Ingredients
8 cups baby spinach or romaine lettuce
1 ripe pear, cut in half
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
2 ounces Gorgonzola or fruit-based cheese
Fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon honey

Champagne Vinaigrette - Ingredients
1/4 cup [pomegranate] champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions
1. For the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl or glass jar, add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette except the olive oil.  Mix well, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to use.
2.  In a decorate bowl or platter, add the spinach or romaine.  Cut the pear into fans and then slice again on the diagonal, add the greens and pomegranate seeds, crumble the Gorgonzola (or other cheese) onto the salad and then drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette.  Top with fresh cracked pepper and lightly drizzle the whole salad with the honey.  Serve immediately.

"Back to Basics" Brussels Sprouts
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)

Have you ever noticed that there's a very short list of truly classic American sides?  They tend to accompany every major family meal, holiday or otherwise.  I made three classic holiday sides for my holiday dinner, but they're perfect for any night of the week.

I've previously mentioned how much I love brussels sprouts, despite its being one of the top ten foods reviled by children.  I never had them as a child, though, being the child of Asian immigrants, and it's unclear why I ever thought I should purchase them at that farmers' market one fateful day two years ago, but I'm so happy I made the leap.  They're just so deliciously nutty, and they pick up flavor so well.

Ingredients
1 lb. brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted or 2 tablespoons EVOO
sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions
1.  Wash brussels sprouts thoroughly and cut off the brown ends of the brussels sprouts.  In a large stockpot, blanch the brussels sprouts in salted, boiling water until bright green and just tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove the brussels sprouts from the water and set aside to cool.
2.  Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or EVOO to a medium skillet and add blanched brussels sprouts.  Cook in the skillet until softened and browned, stirring occasionally, about 6-10 minutes.  Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

"Back to Brown [Sugar]" Glazed Carrots
a recipe by Tyler Florence

The second of my classic holiday sides, the glazed carrot recipe I used is Tyler Florence's.  Super simple flavor profile, just brown sugar and chicken stock to enhance the carrots' natural sweetness.

Ingredients
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut in wedges (or baby carrots, for simplicity's sake)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions
Combine the carrots, chicken broth, and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Simmer, covered, over medium heat until the carrots are tender and the liquid is cooked down.  Add the remaining butter and brown sugar.  Rotate the pan around to coat the carrots with the syrup.

"These Mashed Potatoes Are So Creamy" Mashed Potatoes
a recipe inspired by Tyler Florence

That's a line from While You Were Sleeping, which is probably my most favorite movie ever, and points to you if you recognized it.

The third classic side is, of course, mashed potatoes.   There are a number of ways to do it-- with or without garlic, with milk, half-and-half, sour cream, heavy cream, the list goes on.  I modified ever-so-slightly a recipe from Tyler Florence.

Ingredients
2 lbs. golden creamer potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
2 lbs. red-skinned new potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Directions
1.  Put the potatoes into a large pot, add the bay leaves, 2 tablespoons of salt, and cover with cold water.
2.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain them well and remove the bay leaves.

3.  While the potatoes are cooking, heat the cream, milk, and butter in a small saucepan.
4.  Put the potatoes into a bowl and smash.  (I like to leave a few larger chunks of potato, barely broken down, for texture.)  Add the hot cream slowly, in parts, and season with salt and pepper.  Mix together with a spoon and add the chives.

"Celebrate This Night" Red Wine Risotto - Recipe in This Post

"'Tis the Season" Roast Chicken with Leeks and Pears - Recipe in This Post (To Come)

"Heartwarming Good Cheer" Herb-Crusted Prime Rib Roast - Recipe in This Post (To Come)

"Holiday Refresher" Mint Julep Cupcakes - Recipe in This Post

"Ladyfingers Schmadyfingers" Tiramisu

[Recipe] Christmas 2013: "Holiday Refresher" Mint Julep Cupcakes

There are so many Christmas desserts.  So many.  Sugar cookies, gingerbread, figgy pudding (how else to wish someone a merry Christmas?), shortbread, fruitcake (although most people seem to hate this last one)... the list goes on and on, and frankly, even as I'm typing, there are so many recipes I can't wait to try.

When planning this year's Christmas menu, though, I knew I wanted to make something minty for dessert.  Preferably chocolate-y as well, but my favorite flourless chocolate cakes, like so many other truly wintry chocolate desserts, can really only be served right out of the oven, and I wasn't holding the dinner party at my own apartment but at a friend's, so the dessert had to be made way ahead of time.  Adding alcohol—and especially bourbon-- was sort of the icing on the cake, so to speak—I knew my guests (mostly men) would definitely appreciate it.

Aren't these cupcake liners too adorable?  I saw them at the store and knew I had to have them.  I'm actually pretty sad that I probably can't use them for very much longer... there's only so long the rest of the world will let me milk the Season of Jolly, I'm afraid :\

And so, in the end, I settled on the below recipe, courtesy of cookiedog of Food.com.  They turned out—well, minty fresh—and were so light and refreshing, a perfect end to an otherwise rich and very satisfying meal.

"Holiday Refresher" Mint Julep Cupcakes
a recipe by cookiedog (Food.com)

Cupcake Base - Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
2 eggs
1-1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup Bourbon
1/4 cup creme de menthe

Frosting - Ingredients
1-1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Bourbon
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
Milk

Garnish
Mint sprig (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line the cupcake cups.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
3.  In the mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Once the eggs are combined, add the extracts.  Slowly add in half of the flour mixture.  Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then the rest of the flour.  Mix as little as possible, just until the batter comes together.

4.  Divide evenly among the cupcake cups.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Let cool.

5.  For the Frosting: Whip the butter and shortening.  Slowly add in half the powdered sugar.  Add in the extracts and bourbon.  Add the rest of the powdered sugar.  Then slowly add in milk until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.

6.  Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost and top with mint leaves and sprinkles (optional).

[Recipe] "Give Thanks" Pecan Pie Muffins

I might have played with the dolls, and I definitely have as much patriotic pride as anyone I know, but I'm really not your typical American Girl.  I don't have much extended family in the US.  I don't have any memories of "over the river and through the woods" and "grandmother's house," etc., and my holidays have always been a little "unorthodox."  You know, hotpot, hot chocolate, and mahjong for Christmas; Peking duck (yum!) and football on Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving pies and cranberry sauce are, thus, a bit of a "novelty" to me, and I'm always excited about turkey, stuffing, the whole nine yards (hooray for free and/or catered college campus Thanksgiving dinners!).

Which is why, in celebration of Thanksgiving, I like to turn to this recipe, courtesy of prissycat of Allrecipes.com:

"Give Thanks" Pecan Pie Muffins
a recipe by prissycat (Allrecipes.com)

This recipe, to anyone who has never made pecan pie before, looks ridiculous. There are just five very basic, simple ingredients and an almost obscene amount of brown sugar and butter-- like a shot of delicious sinfulness straight to the arteries.

Of course, that's precisely the beauty and nature of pecan pie, and it actually makes a lot of sense that its muffin derivative would be much the same.

Comments on-line complained of over-stickiness (and lost muffin!) and suggested sticking with mini-muffin tins.  I, however, made them in regular-size muffin tins and didn't have too much trouble popping them out.  I greased the tins with butter, then dusted with confectioner's sugar.  This seemed to do the trick.

The muffins don't rise much-- probably because the recipe doesn't call for much flour and contains neither baking soda nor baking powder—and so perhaps look a little on the small-ish and unattractive side.  They are, however, plenty rich, moist, and delicious.  They're a little too sweet to be a personal favorite, but quite a number of my friends have declared, over the years, that they're "even better than actual pecan pie!"

And now, you can make them, too. I promise you, easy as... pie ;)

Ingredients
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (King Arthur's)
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly grease the muffin tin, then dust with confectioner's sugar.  (This will help with the eventual removal of the muffins.  You might also want to consider using a mini-muffin tin instead of a regular-sized one.)

2.  In a medium bowl, sift together the brown sugar, flour, and pecans.

3.  In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together until smooth.  Stir the mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined.

4.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.  Cups should be about 2/3 full.

 
5.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

"Waiter, there is too much pepper on my paprikash." 
"But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie... "

[Recipe] "Fall for Fall" Pumpkin Surprise Muffins

It snowed the other day.  Just a light flurry, but it reminded me that autumn and, with it, pumpkin season, is coming to an end (a travesty).  I tend to stock up on ingredients, though, and canned pumpkin puree is no exception.  So there are still a few autumn recipes left in me!

I bought these beautiful autumn silicone molds on a whim a few weeks ago and have been dying for a chance to use them.  Muffins topped with streusel might not be the prettiest way to showcase the designs, but it was more an excuse to use them than a reason.

And if anyone else is also looking for an excuse rather than a reason to make these, they'd be perfect for breakfast the morning after Thanksgiving.  Or for any morning, really, because I think you'll discover that these need no excuses or reasons at all.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear reader, and stay warm and toasty :)

"Fall for Fall" Pumpkin Surprise Muffins
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)

Cream Cheese Frosting Filling (Optional) - Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1.  Cream together the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
2.  Put the cream cheese frosting mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap.  Roll into a log, then freeze the log for a few hours before using.

Muffin and Streusel Topping - Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (for better flavor, I use instant apple cinnamon oatmeal)
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons rolled oats (for better flavor, I use instant apple cinnamon oatmeal)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease or line 18-20 muffin cups (18 if making without the cream cheese filling; 20 or more if making with) with paper liners.
2.  Combine 2-1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup oats, the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

3.  In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, the vegetable oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract.

4.  Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and mix well.  Fold in the raisins.
5.  Beat 1/4 cup brown sugar with butter in a bowl until smooth and creamy.  Whisk 2 tablespoons oats and 2 tablespoons flour, using a fork, into the sugar-butter mixture until the streusel topping is crumbly.

6.  Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, about 3/4 of the way full.  Remove the frozen cream cheese frosting from the freezer and slice into slim cylinders, short and slim enough to be slipped into the center of the muffin batter.  Slip the frozen cream cheese cylinders into each filled muffin cup and make sure the batter covers the cream cheese frosting.

7.  Sprinkle each muffin with streusel topping.

8.  Bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean (but be careful of the cream cheese frosting in the center).

[Recipe] "Summer's Kiss Goodbye" Strawberry Nutella Muffins

I love autumn.  This, dear reader, you know.  I love the colors and tastes of fall-- so warm, inviting, and bright but muted.  I love my fall wardrobe—sweaters and leggings and peacoats, at once slouchy and sleek and sexy and oh-so-comfortable and chic.  I love the crispness of the air in fall, so crisp and brisk it has its own scent but not yet so cold as to have bite.  Autumn, to me, is sugar and spice, warmth and family.

Autumn makes me wax poetic.

But all this is not to say that there aren't things I love about summer equally as well.  Top of that list are sundresses, sandals, and summer fruits.  Like strawberries.

Growing up, my mother had a beautiful garden, but it consisted almost exclusively of flowers.  The only type of fruit she grew was strawberries.  They were inevitably tiny and carried off by my neighborhood's resident rabbits, but they always signaled the beginning of summer to me, and all during the hottest months of the year, I'd eat strawberries with fresh cream, white sugar (so simple, so delicious), and strawberry shortcake.  Summer strawberries are sweet romance to me, gorgeous and juicy and red, the fruit of simultaneous innocence and seduction.

When this recipe, courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod, popped up on my Facebook newsfeed, I just knew I had to make it.  I can't think of a better way to kiss summer goodbye than with strawberries and nutella in breakfast pastry form :)

"Summer's Kiss Goodbye" Strawberry Nutella Muffins

a recipe by Two Peas and Their Pod

There's something ephemeral about summer and in particular summer romance.  Both are bright and beautiful but also, in a way, delicate.  I'm not sure why this is, except that maybe everything seems bright and beautiful in the summer, before they wilt or fade in the autumn and winter cold.  But their somewhat doomed, delicate nature makes them no less beautiful, and they should be embraced—if only for a little while (and if only in the form of this muffin).

My sweetest summer romance was tall, dark, and sensitive, with a musician's voice, a philosopher's soul, and blue eyes that could pierce through all my defenses and lay all my secrets bare.  He was going one way, and I was going another, and we were doomed the moment we smiled and said, "Hello."

How about you, dear reader?  Do you have a particularly bittersweet summer romance?

Soundtrack: Jon McLaughlin feat. Sara Bareilles - Summer Is Over

Autumn never seemed this cold before

Here I am sleeping on the floor

We changed just like the leaves

Outside my house

And my phone lay silent by the couch

I remember June

Back when I met you

And your eyes were green

And we were, too

But summer is over

We were tangled in the morning sun

Felt you getting colder

And we knew that we would come undone

And it's back to my town, back to your life

Gray skies are blowing a kiss goodbye to the lovers

'Cause summer is over...

Yield: 10 muffins

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

1/3 cup Nutella

Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top of muffins

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.  Set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.

3.  In a small bowl, combine the canola oil, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Use a fork or whisk and mix until well combined.

4.  Incorporate the wet ingredients into the flour mixture.  Add slowly and gently stir-- but don't over-mix.  The batter will be thick.  Carefully fold in the strawberries.

5.  Fill each muffin cup half-way with batter.  Next, add a small spoonful of Nutella to each muffin cup.  Cover the Nutella filling with the remaining batter.  Sprinkle each muffin with Turbinado sugar.

6.  Bake the muffins for 17-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool on a cooling rack.