The time has come to start thinking about what we’ll be eating on Christmas. Since my family has our traditional dinners we make for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I decided to put all my festive energy into the appetizers. I’ve created a huge appetizer spread that is full of little treats for everyone to enjoy.
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Macadamia Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Habanero Ginger Red Wine Sauce
Nothing can compare to a perfectly cooked piece of meat. Tender and juicy…bursting with flavor… It is simply the best. Especially around the holidays, I love making dinner a little bit special with a nice rib-eye, maybe a veal chop, or even a duck breast. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, my dad and I made prime rib with a thick salt crust for a family gathering. Everyone was raving about the flavor and tenderness of the meat, so I was inspired to try something different and make a crusted beef tenderloin, but this time with NUTS.
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Kale Slaw with Cranberry Vinaigrette & Fried Goat Cheese
When I first started making cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, I became addicted to it. It’s such a simple process (I basically just make a cranberry jam), and it tastes good on everything around the holidays. It’s sweet but tart and has the deliciously deep taste of cranberry. So I’m always trying to incorporate it into other dishes instead of just eating it as a turkey condiment. And since I like to sweeten a lot of my vinaigrettes with honey, I thought why not use a little cranberry sauce instead.
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Pancakes with Chestnut Cream & Spiced Pear Syrup
December is here! I’m celebrating my favorite time of year the only way I know how…by cooking with all of the flavors that remind me of the holidays, all month long. So light a fire, grab a blanket, and cozy up for a December full of wintery treats. I’m starting off with the most important meal of the day: breakfast! And with a breakfast like this, it’ll feel like Christmas morning is already here.
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Turkey BLT
What’s better than Thanksgiving dinner? Leftovers! I’ve turned stuffing into meatballs, mashed potatoes into potato cakes, and cranberry sauce into dessert. But sometimes all you need is a good sandwich. A turkey sandwich is probably the easiest post-Thanksgiving meal to quickly whip up. And after putting in all of the effort to cook the bird the day before, you want to extend its eating life as far as possible. Piling it high on a sandwich is just the way to do it!
Pumpkin Gnocchi with Honey Brown Butter & Fried Walnut Gremolata
It’s time to make some gnocchi! What’s better than biting into a soft pillow of dough with a flavorful sauce nestled into little ridges on the surface of it? I love to make gnocchi almost as much as I love to eat them. There’s great satisfaction that comes from making food by hand, so my dad and I create an event out of it. I form and cut the dough while he works the gnocchi board with ease. Before we know it, there’s flour all over the kitchen and we are surrounded by trays of gnocchi ready for a pot of boiling water.
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Autumn Hash with Homemade Turkey Sausage & Fried Eggs
If I’m going all out for breakfast, I usually choose to make something sweet…pancakes, waffles, crepes, etc. The rest of my family, most of them being boys, usually wants something they can pour hot sauce over to show up on the table. So, over the years I have come to enjoy savory breakfasts as well. The best part? You can be pretty sure to find some sort of protein and vegetable in a savory breakfast dish, so it’s a more nutritious alternative to the syrup-soaked stack of pancakes.
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Roasted Carrots & Parsnips with Sweet Apple Glaze and Whipped Goat Cheese
I love roasting vegetables. There’s something about the slight caramelization combined with the perfect amount of seasoning that is irresistible. Another plus: it’s really easy. When I’m cooking for myself on a busy weekday, there’s nothing easier than prepping whatever vegetables are in my fridge and throwing them in the oven. Set a timer and in 20-30 minutes dinner is served (well, part of it at least). I roast a lot of vegetables for the holidays as well. “No muss-no fuss” is the way to go when you’re cooking for a large group of people.
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Butternut Squash Soup
A butternut squash soup that’s creamy, satisfying, and full of all the perfectly cozy classic fall flavors. Perfect as a main meal or as the start of a fall dinner party.
Roasted Parmesan Pork Tenderloin
Roasted parmesan pork tenderloin with apples and fennel. A hearty fall main dish with nutty parmesan and sweet apple flavor.