Make a Meal with Culinary K #2

Happy Holidays to my readers. This year is especially special for me. I’ve had my first child and the events of November through February will take on new meaning for me. Once again, I get to see Christmas through the eyes of a child. I hope to make her first Christmas a beautiful one, even though I know she will likely not remember a thing. Still, technology will provide us with memories in pictures. Then, we can both look back and see how it was in 2017.

This round up of recipes will be less a meal than ideas you can use to fill up your holiday table offerings. It’s no time to worry about every piece being healthy. So set aside the diets and get back to them in between. Enjoy yourself and indulge a little.

First up, that main entree at Christmas is often a nice spiral or bone in ham. There’s not much you can do with the meat itself, as most hams are already cooked and ready to be heated and served. Choose wisely. Sometimes good deals are too good to be true. A higher price also doesn’t indicate a great cut. Do some research and get recommendations. I, for one, like the bone in the meat because it adds great flavor. I also like them hickory smoked.

The thing you can do to improve your ham is the glaze and topping. Some families like the Hawaiian ham, meaning it has pineapple and candied cherries pinned on. If you’re planning on this, the glazing will go over the fruit. You apply it at the start of the heating process. The glaze will go on about 15-20 minutes before it is finished. You will want to do this twice. so you can divide that time into two increments.

Here is the link to my Best Ever Ham Glaze.

Maybe you’re thinking of having a pork roast instead? Perhaps turkey? Instead of gravy, or in addition to, you could make a lovely plum sauce.

Here is a link to my Easy Plum Sauce.

Your guests will be looking to pick while they wait for the main meal. A nice cheese platter and crackers always goes down well. Cut up some fresh fruit, and plate some holiday treats. What’s your favorite dip? Don’t serve the same dips at each gathering. Mixing it up will make a better hit (unless they insist). I do a spinach artichoke dip I located online (keeping it warm and heating it in a crock pot), and serve it with the olive oil and salt crackers by Keebler. Deviled eggs are nice filling snack to keep them going, too. They’re not just for summer or Easter. I also hear that buffalo chicken is a very popular dip, but I haven’t tried. You could also make focaccia 0r a flat bread pizza and cut it up into finger food size pieces. How about kielbasa slices with sauerkraut?

Here is a link to my Deviled Eggs recipe.

Sides are probably another concern. Yams come up all through the holidays. But after Thanksgiving, guests might be mighty bored with them. Here’s a way to spice them up, and they’ll be asking for the recipe. Point them here. Trust me on this.

Here is a link to the Berry Mallow Yam Bake.

Perhaps you’re having a brunch for the Holidays. I got you covered for a dish that will win you high praise. I first

 

tasted this tart as made by a caterer in my area. It’s a savory dish that heats up well and freezes well. You can make this for yourself and have pieces ready to pop out of the oven for lunch later. The recipe that I settled on when I did a search online needed a little work. The chevré, or goat cheese, was overpowering the dish, and there wasn’t quite enough cheese to go over the leeks. Still delicious, but not as delicious as it could be. The resulting experiments resulted in a well balanced tart you can be proud to present at a brunch or for the snack table (just cut it into narrow wedges and provide a small fork to pick it up with).

 Here is a link to my Chevré Leek Quiche (Tart).

Let’s not stop there though. Here are a couple of my recipes for breakfast items. You can apply them for a brunch or family breakfast. They’re worthy of a celebration.

Grandma Ada’s Best French Toast

The One Pancake Recipe You Will Ever Need

You’re probably waiting for the icing on the cake, or, rather, the dessert list. Let’s just list out a couple of basic options, because there are too many to even consider.

Butter or Sugar Cookies

 

Ina Garten’s Perfect Pie Crust (for any pie filling)

Let’s not forget the pooch. You more than likely have family and friends with dogs. Bringing the pooches a gift bag will go over huge. This recipe is a favorite of Sadie Sue Shagbottom. Throughout the year, I will make batches for her and use cookie cutters for the month/holiday at that time. She goes nuts for them. In the last couple years, I’ve added chopped peanuts to make them extra special. (Be careful making these for others, as peanut allergies in humans is very serious. They cannot even come into contact with them. Make sure everyone is clear.)

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Happy Holidays and good eatings!