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| Our first dinner party in our new home |
Early Christmas Celebration With My Family
~Appetizers~
Sweet & Spicy Cocktail Nuts - French Fridays with Dorie Recipe
John's Creamy Crab Dip with Crostini
~Dinner~
Cranberry Almond Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Boeuf a la Mode (aka Great Pot Roast) - another Dorie Recipe
~Dessert~
Blueberry-Mascarpone Roulade
Sweet & Spicy Cocktail Nuts
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| Herbes de Provence in front; Sweet & Spicy in back |
John & I chose to make two versions of these nuts - the original, and the Bonne Idee Herbes de Provence. They were both wonderful. I love foods that stimulate multiple flavor sensors and have an interesting texture. These, in both versions, hit the mark: sweet, salty, spicy, and crunchy! We used an assortment of nuts, including: Pecans, Walnuts, Hazelnuts (Filberts), Cashews, and Almonds. We did find that we needed to add more nuts to the Herbes de Provence batch to distribute the coating a little better. All, in all a hit! Our family liked both versions.
John's Creamy Crab Dip with Crostini
In a medium saucepan, saute:
1/2 Cup Butter
6 Scallions (green and white parts), thinly sliced
When Scallions begin to soften, stir in:
1 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
Continue stirring until mixture (Roux) begins to bubble, then add:
1 Tablespoon White Sherry
1 Pound Premium Crabmeat, drained
Continue stirring until heated thoroughly, then stir in:
1/2 Cup Cream
1/4 Cup Shredded Cheese (this time, we used an Italian 4-Cheese blend)
Stir until well, combined and bubbly.
You can serve this in a small crock pot to ensure it stays warm while your serve it. Or you can prepare it in advance, place in a small baking dish, top with additional Cheese, and bake in the oven @ 325 degrees for 15 minutes until cheese is melted & beginning to brown.
Crostini
Slice a Baguette into 1/8 - 1/4 inch rounds, brush with Olive Oil, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, turn over, and bake for an additional 5 minutes. You can top with any seasoning you like - even cheese. This time, though, we just used Olive Oil to maximize the flavor of the Crabmeat.
We've featured this salad and dressing before - it's always good, but was especially pretty for Christmas dinner.
We made this wonderful Pot Roast in October & thought it would be the perfect entree for a large family gathering. This time, we ended up using two le Creuset covered casseroles because we had 2 pieces of meat - approximately 3 pounds each. It was just as good as the first time we made it, and everyone loved it. Again, we added Carrots, Russet Potatoes, and Onions 1 hour before the roasts were done, and they really absorbed the flavors of the broth.
You do have to marinate the meat overnight, but it is the most flavorful roast we've made - and the meat is so tender that it just falls apart. It has the wonderful, deep flavors of red wine, Brandy, rosemary, thyme, and anchovies. A terrific feast for a crowd!
Blueberry-Mascarpone Roulade
- yet another Dorie Recipe
I wanted to make a light dessert that wasn't overly sweet - and this roulade was just the thing! I'd never made anything like it before, so was thrilled when it turned out so well! I lined both sides of the plate with fresh mint leaves before the final sprinkling of powdered sugar to make it look like snow.
Although Dorie categorized this recipe as "easy," I don't think it is. I had no trouble following her instructions, but even as an accomplished baker, I was anxious about getting it all just right. John & I both thought this would make a perfect summer dessert, as well - and would be good with all kinds of berries, even an assortment
Wishing you all the blessings of the season!
Merry Christmas!
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| Braveheart, the Christmas Cat! |
