We all celebrate our special occasions in different ways whether it is because we do or do not have children, we are the ones giving the party or we're going to an office cocktail party. The most important difference is going to be the level of work there is for us to do!
All special occasions require good food made simply or if you are so inclined, morsels taking hours of preparation and styling; yummy drinks with or without alcohol; and some great company. I'll supply some food and drink ideas; you supply the company!
Sit down family dinner
Herb Chicken with Red Wine Gravy
Braise the following at 375 for one hour:
6 chicken quarters, skinless and de-fatted, especially the thigh area
bottle of beer, light lager or blonde ale
splash of water
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
Remove chicken once cooked and defat the broth; reserve one cup for the sauce.
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water
1/4 c flour
1/4 c of 18% cream
salt and pepper
1/2 c red wine
1 cup reserved broth
reserved porcini liquid
800g dried fettucine or hand cut tagliatelle (made from fresh lasagna sheets)
Sauté onions in an oven-proof pan for two minutes until translucent; add garlic and mushrooms that were removed from the liquid and chopped. Set mushroom liquid aside. Cook vegetables until mushrooms are browned then add flour. Cook for two minutes to be rid of the flour taste.
Add the liquids and bring up to a boil. Cook for two minutes then put the chicken back into the pan.
Put into a preheated oven at 350F and bake for 25 minutes.
If you are using dried pasta, cook according to package directions. For hand cut tagliatelle, use a pizza cutter or small knife and food ruler (one made from plastic or steel) and cut thick strips. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. It will only take a few minutes for fresh pasta to cook so don't wander off.
Remove the chicken from the pan to make a sauce. Add any extra seasonings and the cream. Reduce sauce by 1/4 to 1/3.
Spoon sauce over the chicken and noodles on a platter to serve family style or place a mound of noodles on a plate, arrange a quarter chicken on top, nicely and spoon a thick strip of sauce over noodle and chicken.
Serve with salad out of a bag for ease or toss one up from scratch if you have the time. Butter tossed carrots, cut on the diagonal and sprinkled with dill weed is a nice and traditional side dish. As well, buttered roasted brussel sprouts, almond and butter tossed french green beans are fantastic accompaniment. What ever veggie you choose, just make sure the colour is bright to offset the 'browns' of this dish.
Nibbles for the Cocktail Hour
1 pkg frozen puff pastry (2 squares)
(or 2/3 pkg phyllo dough)
250g spreadable cream cheese
(or in this case, goat's milk
cheese)
150g sharp old cheese, grated
(I used a water buffalo milk
cheese)
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 large sweet onion, diced small
2 medium zucchinis, diced small
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 handful of fresh basil, chopped fine
salt and pepper
Remove pastry from wrapper. Place on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Slightly over lap pastry sheets and press to join. Press lightly to even out the dough. If using phyllo dough, brush each layer with melted butter and overlap the edges of each layer. Do not use the first method mentioned below when using this dough.
Now, there are two schools of thought here…one is to poke holes in the puff pastry dough with a fork, leaving the edges unpoked, and bake it before adding the toppings. The other is to do it as I did here, which results in a softer tart.
Spoon mustard onto dough and spread. Add the cream cheese and spread out leaving a border along the edges clear.
Distribute the vegetables over the dough evenly and top with grated cheese. Sprinkle salt, pepper and fresh basil over the tart.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for about 20 minutes or until cheese is browned and it's bubbling.
Cut with a pizza cutter into small squares for finger food or larger ones if a fork and knife are to be used.
Variation:
Tomato and Mushroom Tart
2/3 package of frozen phyllo dough
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 c thinly sliced mushrooms
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c cream cheese
2/3 block of feta cheese (about 200g), rinsed
1 handful fresh basil, chopped fine
1 tbsp melted butter for the phyllo layers
Layer the phyllo sheets on a rimmed baking sheet buttering each one as you go. Roll the edges a bit to form a crust edge; brush with butter. Spread dijon in thin layer.
Pinch small chunks of cream cheese and droop over tart. Scatter mushrooms and onions over tart; add tomatoes.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and fresh basil over top. Crumble feta and sprinkle evenly.
Bake at 400F for 25 minutes until top begins to brown. Sprinkle a bit more basil on top before serving.
Cherry Tomato Halves with Caper Mayonnaise
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes in half, lengthwise
1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, whatever you like
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dillweed
1 tsp minced capers
1 tbsp sour cream, preferably 10% fat but as high as you can find it
Mix together all the mayonnaise ingredients. Scoop out the tomato seeds and save for another use. Put mayonnaise in a pastry bag equipped with a small tip. Alternatively you can fill a zippered bag and cut the end off at the size you need. Fill the tomato halves with about a tea spoon of the mayonnaise in each one. Sprinkle with a bit of paprika for garnish if you like.
A few other ideas
Of course there are the old standbys like a cheese and cracker tray with artisanal and regional cheeses, homemade crackers and pates and the indomitable veggie/dip tray.
Shrimp, skewers of grilled whitefish and veggies, and mini crab cakes topped with creme fraiche and smoked salmon are a yummy idea for the seafood lovers.
Cocktails
'Champagne' Cocktails
Each serving:
1 sugar cube
6 drops of Angostura bitters
1/2 oz Cognac or Brandy
5 oz sparkling wine
1 red cherry
Drop a sugar cube in a champagne flute and soak with the bitters for 20 seconds; add brandy. Fill flute with sparkling wine and garnish with a cherry.
Non-alcoholic Punch
2 c apple juice
4 c cranberry juice
1 1/2 c lime juice
2 tbsp instant sugar
2 cans of ginger ale
Combine ingredients with two cups of water in a large bowl or jug. I like sitting the bowl in a larger bowl that has a layer of ice in it. It keeps the punch cool without diluting it. Alternatively you can freeze some of the juice to make the ice cubes.
Make sure to add the pop at the last minute, right before serving.
Dinner for Two
The tarts for the above section will also make a nice quiche-like pie with the addition of 3 eggs, 1/4 cup of cream and a two pastry shells. Serve that with a green salad and the soup below.
Chipotle Red Pepper Soup
1 large carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 whole jar of roasted red peppers, local or 2 peppers, under the broiler and skinned and chopped
4 chipotle peppers in adobo*, chopped
1.3L of chicken or vegetable broth
2 tsp sugar
1c half and half cream
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Sauté the onion carrot until partially softened. Add the garlic and cook some more. Add in the red peppers and chipotle. Cook until carrots are cooked through. Add stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Process smooth with a hand blender. Add cream and salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle zest on top.
For added flavour and a heartier soup you can add some shredded chicken and farfalle noodles after the soup has been pureed.
French Christmas Bread Pudding
3-4 large croissants, cut into 1 inch slices
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground nutmeg
125g dried dates, pitted and chopped
1 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 pear, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 c orange juice
1/3 c brandy
1 cinnamon stick
Place fruit, juice, brandy and cinnamon stick into a saucepan over a low heat. Cook, stirring, for 15-20 minutes until fruit is soft and the sauce is thick. Remove cinnamon stick.
Butter a loaf pan and put one third of the croissant slices into the tin. Top with half of the filling. Top with another third of the slices and then the other half of the filling. Finish with the top layer of croissant slices.
Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour mixture over the bread and fruit and let stand for 5 minutes.
Put the tin in a larger baking dish and add water to the dish until it is half way up the sides of the loaf tin. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Let pudding stand in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out when ready to eat and cut into slices. Serve warm.
Enjoy your New Years feasting with your favourite people and I hope you have a wonderful New Year.
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