Christmas Recipes, Christmas Ideas for a LOVEly Christmas

Heretofore follow great Christmas links for recipes (and some entertainment) AND further down the page - actual recipes used during the holidays in my own flour on the face, pots a boilin,' apron askew, stirrin' up a storm kinda kitchen experiences.



First, the links:

Northpole.com
For recipes - click on "Kitchen" - but this is also a great spot for kid's activities, terrific graphics and fun online.
Keep the kids happy for hours while you're cooking dinner!
Claus.com
Some recipes - AND you can cook for an entire day uninterrupted once the kids get their hands on this site!
Better Homes & Gardens
Great recipes and holiday ideas - online for free - not bad!
Copykat.com
If you're at a loss and your gang (kids) hate homemade food - you can make them good old-fashioned restaurant food…
M ore Sites just loaded with mmmmm, mmmmm good recipes!

Readersdigest.com
Christmas-baking.com
Saint-Nick.com
My-meals.com
Christmas-cookies.com
Christmas Cooking
Christmasrecipe.com
Pastrywiz.com


N ext - links to oodles of Christmas recipes in each category below as found in Epicurious.com:

Turkey Recipes

Vegetable Dishes

Potatoes

Desserts

AND here are some sweet old-fashioned basic holiday dinner recipes tested in my own kitchen:

Turkey
Simple. Basic. But works every year...

1 pound butter
2 cups minced peeled onion
2 cups minced celery
24 oz seasoned bread stuffing
12 oz corn bread stuffing
1 (21 lb.) whole turkey
3 cups chicken broth

Directions

In a frying pan melt butter. Add onions and celery; cook until limp.
Add chicken broth. Heat to warm. Place bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl.
Lightly toss bread crumbs while adding hot liquid and vegetable mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove neck and giblets from turkey cavity and neck. Wash turkey inside and out with cold water; pat dry. Rub salt and pepper into body cavities.
Spoon stuffing into body cavities; pack loosely. (Extra stuffing can be baked in a covered casserole in the oven with the turkey during the last hour of roasting.)
Close skin with skewers or twine and tie drumsticks together.
Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, baste with ¼ cup melted butter, cover tightly with aluminum foil (sealing edges) and bake for 20 minutes per pound.
Once per hour, baste turkey with ¼ cup melted butter, then re-seal foil. Test for doneness after three hours and check for correct internal temperature with meat thermometer.
If turkey does not brown, remove foil from breast for last 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, place on heated platter, and allow turkey to stand, loosely covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove stuffing to serving bowl.
Carve turkey and arrange on serving platter.

Serving hint: Cover outside rim of serving platter with parsley.
Place unpeeled orange slices and clusters of red (or purple) grapes in groupings on top of parsley.

Standback and gracefully accept accolades.

Fantabulous Cranberry Sauce

1 package fresh cranberries
1 orange, peel grated
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
cinnamon
1 medium apple
1 1/2 cups water

Core, pare and chop apple into small pieces. Place chopped apple in pan with ½ cup water and ¼ cup brown sugar. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Simmer until apple softens.
Add 1 cup water, 1 cup brown sugar, grated orange peel and cranberries to pan. Stir mixture and heat to boiling. Let boil for 1 minute.

Cool. Refrigerate. Serve.

Smile graciously (and don't give the recipe away unless you really like the requestor).

Sweet Potatoes to Blow Off Your Socks

5 large sweet potatoes (or yams)
1 cup walnuts
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
8 oz pineapple chunks

Peel sweet potatoes, then place in pan with water and boil until moderately soft. (I do it the day before and refrigerate.)
Place sweet potatoes in baking pan (since they're already mostly cooked, you can put them in any size pan that can squeeze in with that huge turkey).
Pour pineapple (and juice) over potatoes. Sprinkle with butter, then walnuts, then brown sugar. Cover pan, cook in 350 oven (with turkey) for 45 min.

Watch the smiles with the first bite. Mmmmmmmm.


These are other interesting sounding recipes that I've never tried because they look like they'd take way to much time and I'm pretty busy keeping up this website.
I hope you've read this far down and if you have, be sure to have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and happiest of HOLIDAYS!

Chestnut and apple soup

2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 medium onions, chopped
2 ½ cups whole cooked chestnuts or 1 (9-12 oz) can whole chestnuts
1 1/2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1-inch chunks
5 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

4 servings.

Simmer onions and garlic for about 25 minutes.
Add chestnuts (drain if canned) and apple chunks to mixture. Simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Pour in chicken stock and cook on low heat for 45 to 60 minutes or until all ingredients are soft.
Transfer contents to blender or food processor; blend until liquid, then strain.
Add cream.
Season to taste.
Re-heat to serving temperature.

Duck torte with a red wine, cranberry and orange sauce

10 ounces puff pastry
1 pound duck, chicken, or other poultry
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup capers
3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock

Sauce
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig thyme
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cranberries
1 large orange peel, grated
2/3 cup butter

Garnish
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
Pickled crab apples
20 pearl onions, peeled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
20 Brussels sprouts
2 egg yolks, mixed with 2 tablespoons milk

4 servings.
Roll out puff pastry into square, then cut 8 circles, each 4 inches in diameter.
Place on flat pan and refrigerate.
Separate poultry meat into 2 equal quantities.
Mince first half of poultry until fine, then add cream. Add dashes of salt, pepper and capers. Shape into 4 small burgers and refrigerate.
Dice second half of poultry meat and place into pan with mushrooms, red wine and stock. Braise until tender. Strain liquid (reserve for sauce). Mince cooked mixture, shape into 4 small burgers and refrigerate.
To prepare sauce:
In pan, braise onion (finely chopped) and garlic in 1/3 cup butter. When lightly browned, add thyme, red wine, chicken stock and strained liquid from meat. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes and strain; reduce by one-half. Add cranberries and orange peel. Add 1/3 cup of butter, season to taste and set aside.
Vegetable garnish:
Place carrots and celery with baby onions into casserole dish, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; season to taste and cook in 275-F oven until golden and tender. Keep warm. Cook Brussels sprouts in boiling water until tender. Keep warm.
To prepare torte:
Place puff pastry circles on flat surface. Place 1 of each type of burger on top of each other. Cover with second ring of pastry and seal with egg wash (egg yolks mixed with milk). Repeat for each pastry set. Place on lightly buttered cookie sheet.
Cook in 425-F oven for 20 minutes.
To serve:
On each plate, place torte in center then place carrots, celery, crab apples, brussels sprouts and pearl onions into a circle around torte. Drizzle sauce over torte and pour between torte and vegetable ring. Serve immediately.

Baked apples with pistachio caramel and dried fruits

8 dried figs, finely chopped
3/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins, finely chopped
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 1/4 cups butter
¾ cup brown sugar
6 medium apples of your choice, peeled, cored and sprinkled with juice of 1/2 lemon

Fig garnish
1 1/4 cup water
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
6 large dried figs

Caramel sauce
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts
1/4 cup raisins

To serve
2/3 cup whipping cream, whipped
Yields 6 servings.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
To stuff and bake apples:
Blend figs, apricots, raisins, bread crumbs, brown sugar and ¾ cup of butter together. Fill cavity of apples with mixture, filling tightly. Place apples on small baking sheet.
Divide remaining butter and place in dots on top of stuffed apple core.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft and puffed.
To prepare fig garnish:
Mix water, sugar and cinnamon in pan. Bring to a boil and add figs. Return to a boil, then cool. Reserve.
To prepare Caramel Sauce:
In a deep saucepan, cook sugar and water over low heat until mixture turns to a dark caramel color. Heat cream to simmering point. Add ½ of the heated cream to sugar mixture, blend then add rest of cream. Stir until completely blended, then add pistachios and raisins. Reserve.
To serve:
Arrange an apple and fig on each plate. Spoon caramel sauce over each apple, top with a dollop of whipped cream, then sprinkle each with bright-green pistachios and raisins.