Balsamic Glazed Halibut

Christmas dinner in 2022 was just the adults, Nana, Papa, Kenny and me. We had halibut and twice baked stuffed potatoes!

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 t brown sugar, packed

1 t Dijon mustard

12 ounces halibut

Salt and pepper

1. In the bowl, mix together vinegar, brown sugar and mustard.

2. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Lightly spray fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

4. Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat.

5. Add fish and cook until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes.

6. Turn pieces of fish over, spoon vinegar mixture over browned sides.

7. Reduce heat ad cook until fish is opaque but still moist in the center a few minutes longer.

Christmas Dinner 2020

We celebrated Christmas dinner a week early with Nana and Papa and it was delicious! No one left the table hungry.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Prime Rib with Au Jus Sauce

Mashed potatoes

Glazed carrots

Sweet Potato Casserole

 Technically from this Cookbook: The Southern Entertainer's Cookbook by Courtney Dial Whitmore with Phronsie Dial

However, it closely resembles the recipe E's mother made that I absolutely love and am so sad I never got from her before she died. 

Sweet potato casserole filling

3 lbs sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

1 t vanilla extract

1/4 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Bake sweet potatoes for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool. Remove skins and place in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add sugar, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla and salt and cream together until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish.

Pecan streusel topping

6 T butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 t cinnamon

Salt

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together butter, brown sugar, flour, pecans, cinnamon and salt until combined.

2. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over sweet potato filling and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Fig Jam & Prosciutto Crostini

 Cookbook: The Southern Entertainer's Cookbook by Courtney Dial Whitmore with Phronsie Dial

Fig Jam

2 cups figs, stems removed and sliced in half

2 cups sugar

1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed

1/4 cup Grand Marnier

1. Wash figs in cold water and drain. Place in a large sauce pan and cover with sugar. Allow figs to sit overnight.

2. Add lemon slices to the fig pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir often. 

3. After mixture beings to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often. Remove from stove and allow to cool to room temperature.

4. Add fig mixture to blender and blend until pureed. Stir in Grand Marnier and pour fig jam into sterilized jars with tops. Keep refrigerated.

Crostini

24 slices baguette

2 T olive oil

Sea Salt

8 ounces soft goat cheese

Fig jam

12 slices prosciutto

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.

3. Spread each slice with goat cheese. Top each with a generous spread of fig jam. Cut each slice of prosciutto in half and fold one on top of each crostini.

Buttermilk Poblano Gravy

I made this for Thanksgiving at the Morgan's this year. It pairs nicely with Keith's smoked turkey that we have had for the past few years. I found it in the November 2019 issue of Food & Wine.

2 large poblano chilies
3 T unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 T flour
2 T whole buttermilk
Salt and Pepper

1. Roast poblano peppers under broiler on all sides until blackened. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and steam for 10 minutes.

2. Rub off skin from chiles using plastic wrap covered hands. Remove and discard stems and seed. Finely dice 1 chile. Cut remaining chile into strips and set aside.

3. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high. Add onion and chile strips. Cooks until soft. Combine onion mixture and 1/2 cup warm stock in a blender, and process until smooth.

4. Melt remaining butter in same skillet over medium. Whisk in flour and reduce heat to low. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add onion and chile puree and remaining 1 cup warm stock. Cook whisking constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add buttermilk and diced chile. Simmer gently to allow flavors to meld. Season with salt and pepper.

Spinach Soup with Gruyere and Bacon

I made this recipe for the first course of Christmas Dinner 2010 based on The Pioneer Woman's Recipe. I made a couple changes, which I note below. Otherwise, its a keeper.

Spinach Soup with Gruyere and Bacon

Olive Oil to coat the pan
4 slices of bacon
2 packages of spinach (about 20 ounces worth)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
A half stick of butter
1/2 an onion, chopped

1/4 cup flour
4 Cups Whole milk
Sea Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Ground Black Pepper
Gruyere Cheese, Grated

1. Cook bacon. Break into pieces, set aside.

2. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add spinach and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add spinach to food processor and pour a 1/4 cup hot water into the cup. Pule until pureed.

3. In a large soup pot, cook onion in butter over medium heat until onions begin to soften. Stir in flour slowly. Cook for a few minuts then pour in milk. Continue stirring. Add salt, pepper, cayenne. Continue cooking stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Pour in spinach and continue cooking until thickened.

4. Serve in bowl with shredded Gruyere and chopped bacon.

Egg and Andouille Sausage Casserole

I made this for breakfast today... oh so filling... oh so fattening... but oh so yummy. A Christmas Day treat...

Egg and Andouille Sausage Casserole

Three links of Andouille Sausage
1/2 of a Sweet Onion
2 Cups of 1% milk
12 eggs
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 thick slices of fresh Italian bread
1 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1. While whole, grill in a grill pan the Andouille sausage. Once cooked, chop into small pieces.

2. In 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, soften the chopped onion. Throw that into a bowl with the cooked sausage.

3. Mix milk through red pepper flakes in a large bowl stirring with a whisk.

4. Trim crusts from bread and cut into pieces. Add bread cubes, sausage, onion, and cheeses to egg mixture. Pour into a 13-9 inch baking casserol dish coated with cooking spray. Let sit for at last 30 minutes, but up to 8 hours.

5. If letting sit in refrigerator, remove and bring to room temperature. Otherwise, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Christmas Day Food...I'm Full

Breakfast
Pan de Chocolat (Chocolate Bread from the bakery) ... OMG so good... and I can't replicate it
Egg and Andouille Sausage Casserole

Dinner
Spinach and Bacon Soup
Italian Crusty Bread
Pork Tenderloin with Applesauce
Mashed Potatoes

Dessert
Brusters Chocolate Cake with White Truffle Ice Cream and Peppermint Chips

Christmas Dinner 2009

Attendees: Erik, Mitch, Ray and Chay, Nana and Papa Eberle, Great-Grandma Coulombe and Grandma Miller

The Menu:

Appetizers: Goat Cheese and Pecan Log served with a cheddar cheese and nut ball and Nabisco pretzel/crackers.

Salad: Mixed Green Salad with Parmesan Pepper Dressing and Spiced Croutons

Dinner:

E's Prime Rib
Grilled Asparagus
Cheesy Corn Pudding
Rolls