Merry Christmas!

Christmas morning started out pretty chilly - 41 degrees and ice patches on the dock. But by the afternoon it had warmed up enough for John to take Dad & Laura for a dinghy ride: The seas were so calm (at least John thought so) they went all the wayout to the pier:

There were only the five of us for dinner - Ma, Laura, Dad and John & me. I decided to make a good old-fashioned comfort meal for our Christmas celebration. Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy - oh yum! We started with a Caesar Salad that John made. Love those anchovies!

I used my beautiful Christmas present from John (I know, not every girl's dream gift but it was exactly what I wanted) to make the pot roast:In my brand new Caribbean Blue Le Creuset Dutch oven, I heated a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat and browned a chuck roast that was seasoned with salt and pepper. When the roast was browned on all sides I added a sliced onion and cooked until the onion was soft. Then I added 1/2 bottle of red wine and cooked until the wine was almost evaporated and then added a couple cups of beef broth, a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs of thyme. Next I covered the pot and let it simmer for about 3 hours, until it was just starting to fall apart. I removed the meat and thickened the juices with a little water & flour slurry to make a gravy for the mashed potatoes.

While the meat was cooking I tossed together red onion, carrots, fennel and parsnips in a little olive, seasoned with salt & pepper and baked in a roasting pan for about 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Our good friend, and one of my "dough-boys", Joe, brought us gorgeous loaf of bread for Christmas. Perfect with our dinner- thanks Joe!And for dessert, homemade cherry pie and homemade vanilla ice cream:To make the cherry pie, stir together sour cherries, a little of the cherry juice, cornstarch and lemon juice. Pour into the bottom of an unbaked pie crust, dot with a couple tablespoons of butter and cover with the top pie crust. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for another 30 minutes. Vanilla ice cream.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!

Christmas Eve

We celebrated Christmas Eve and Laura & Ma's new condo:
I made cheese enchiladas and carnitas tacos:

To make the enchiladas - Heat enchilada sauce in a skillet over low heat. In a another skillet heat oil and cook corn tortillas, one at a time, for a few seconds to soften. Next dip the tortillas in enchilada sauce and fill with Cheddar & Monterey Jack cheeses and chopped green onions. Roll up the tortillas and place on a bake sheet. Top with more sauce, cheese and onions. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese melts, about 15 minutes.

For the carnitas - Cut a pork shoulder into large chunks. Season the pork with salt and brown the pieces in a dutch oven. Add a couple of cups of beef broth, the peel from one orange, bay leaf and coriander seeds. Cover the pot and simmer until the meat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove the meat, shred and put the pieces into a roasting pan. Pour 1/2 cup milk over the meat and cook in a 400 degree oven until the meat is crispy. Turn the meat over and roast until the other side is crispy. If the meat looks to dry add a little of the broth during the roasting.

Parade of Lights

We had a fun group on board to view the Parade of Lights.

Dad with friends Steve, Linda, Santa, Vince and Loraine: Also joining us that night Laura, Jack & Carol, Curt & Carolyn, Whitney (Steve & Linda's daughter), Bob & Cynthia and two of their grandkids - Nick & Cassidy.

Cynthia with her silly grandkids:

Boy Talk:

On the menu:

• Roasted Tomato Bisque
• Mini Flank Steak Sandwiches with Blue Cheese Sauce
• Onion Rings (Thinly slice red onions and marinate in buttermilk for at least 1/2 hour. Dredge in Wondra flour, salt & pepper. Fry in 360 degree oil for about 1 minute. Drain and sprinkle with salt.)
• Pannetone Bread Pudding:
  

Holiday Open House

Laura & Ma recently bought a condo and invited some friends over to show off their new digs. They asked if I would do the cooking - of course I would!

We decided on all miniature appetizers (as promised, recipes are at the bottom of this post - better late than never!)

Caprese Skewers

Garlic Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Ahi Tuna Parfait

Chicken Lollipops

Mini Bacon Quiche

Mini Mac & Cheese

Meat Balls

Mini Cheesecake

Italian Chocolate Mousse

We started preparing the day before the party: Laura & Bonnie helping with the quiches:Thanks for all your help Bonnie:
We were so busy restocking the table we didn't get many pictures, but here are a few:

And a few of the guests:

Nice picture of Dad & Cynthia:

For those who asked about the cute little dishes, you can find them at http://www.smartyhadaparty.com/.

Caprese Skewers:

Marinate cherry tomatoes and cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese in olive oil. Alternate tomato, cheese and basil leaves on a small bamboo skewers. Drizzle with olive oil & balsamic vinegar and season with salt & pepper.

Garlic Roasted Shrimp Cocktail:

Combine chopped garlic, olive oil and shrimp (use large peeled shrimp with the tails on) to coat the shrimp. Put the shrimp on a baking sheet, in a single layer, and bake in a 450 degree for about 4 minutes, turn the shrimp over and cook until firm about another 4 minutes. Put the shrimp in a dish and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serve with cocktail sauce.

Cocktail Sauce:
Mix equal amounts of ketchup and chili sauce together and season with lemon juice and horseradish.

Ahi Parfait:

Dice sushi-grade ahi tuna into small dice. In a small bowl, lightly toss the tuna with soy sauce and refrigerate. Dice a mango & avocado into same pieces as the ahi. Add the mango, avocado, diced red onion, chopped cilantro to the ahi. Mix in a about 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil and sirracha. If available, top with a bit of tobiko (flying fish roe).

Chicken Lollipops:

Use kitchen shears or a paring knife to snip the tendons around the small end of a chicken drummette. Using a paring knife push the meat to the base of the drummette, scraping the bone clean. Combine panko crumbs, sesame seeds, melted butter, sesame oil and cayenne together in a bowl. In another bowl whisk together eggs, mayonnaise and chili garlic sauce. Holding the drummette by the bone dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the panko crumbs, coating all sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway through. When done the drummettes should be golden and crisp.

Mini Bacon Quiche:

Cook diced bacon in a skillet until brown and crispy. Remove the bacon and pour off all of the fat except for a tablespoon or two. Add diced leeks to the skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. In a bowl combine half-and-half, Cheddar cheese, eggs, egg yolks, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg. When the leeks have cooled add to egg mixture along with the bacon.

Lightly spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Roll out a sheet of puff pastry and cut into 3-inch circles. Place the circles into the muffin pan and gently press down. Fill each round with the filling. Bake in a 400 degree oven until the filling is puffed and the crust is browned, about 20 minutes.

Mini Mac & Cheese:

Boil elbow macaroni in salted water. While that's cooking melt some butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour and cook for a couple of minutes, whisk in milk and cook for another five minutes. Add cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in an egg yolk and paprika and fold in the cooked macaroni. Spoon the macaroni into mini-muffin tins that have been brushed with butter and sprinkled with Parmigiano cheese. Sprinkle a little more Parmigiano on top and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for about 5 minutes, carefully loosen the mini macs and transfer to a platter.

Meat Balls in Tomato Sauce:

Mix together, ground veal, ground pork, panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, milk, parmigiano cheese, eggs, garlic, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, lemon zest, parsley and salt & pepper. Roll into small balls. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add chopped garlic and saute until light brown. Stir in a can of San Marzano tomatoes, add fresh chopped oregano and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the meat balls to the sauce and simmer until heated through.

Mini Cheesecakes:

Make a crust with either crushed graham crackers or Nabisco chocolate wafer cookies and melted butter.Preheat the oven to 350. Line mini-muffin pans with foil baking cups and spray the cups with vegetable oil spray. In a food processor, crush the cookies. Add the butter and process until fine crumbs form. Spoon the cookie crumbs into the prepared baking cups and press to compact. Bake for 5 minutes, or until almost set. Leave the oven on.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat 16 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature) and 1/4 cup sugar at medium speed until smooth. Then add 2 large eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until smooth. Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking cups. Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and spread warmed raspberry preserves on top of each cheesecake. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and chill the cheesecakes until set.

Italian Chocolate Mousse:

Melt semisweet dark chocolate morsels in heavy whipping cream until well blended. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Whip heavy whipping cream, sugar and Kahlua until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the chocolate, one third at a time, into the whipping cream. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Top with whipped cream and a dusting of chocolate powder.