Christmas Classics

The Viking wrote: Being Norweigian, I grew up with Lutefisk and Lefse. Thanks for the recipie!

There is the old saying. I tried Lutefisk twice. Once going down and another coming back up!

I'm a firm believer that those who really enjoy Lutefisk can't possibly have any sense of smell or taste. At the same time I'll be the last person to stand in the way of anyone who wants to prepare and consume it. I count myself among those who were tricked into tasting it as a child and never wanting to repeat the experience ever again!

I know that a platter of this disgusting fish goo will show up on the dinner table on Christmas eve at my little brother's house this year, that's ok with me because I'll be bringing a gallon jar of picked eggs, and another gallon jar of pickled bologna and red hots. I add green food coloring to both jars just to up the "eww" factor.

otisptoadwater wrote:

The Viking wrote: Being Norweigian, I grew up with Lutefisk and Lefse. Thanks for the recipie!

There is the old saying. I tried Lutefisk twice. Once going down and another coming back up!

I'm a firm believer that those who really enjoy Lutefisk can't possibly have any sense of smell or taste. At the same time I'll be the last person to stand in the way of anyone who wants to prepare and consume it. I count myself among those who were tricked into tasting it as a child and never wanting to repeat the experience ever again!

I know that a platter of this disgusting fish goo will show up on the dinner table on Christmas eve at my little brother's house this year, that's ok with me because I'll be bringing a gallon jar of picked eggs, and another gallon jar of pickled bologna and red hots. I add green food coloring to both jars just to up the "eww" factor.

Too funny. Yeah I had it a few times young and it was always a struggle to keep it down.

Drinks and sweets are always a big part of the season but what about the big meals? My family would almost always roast a goose for dinner on Christmas day and Dad would normally make a prime rib roast on New Years eve.

Sometimes a meal is all about the quality of the ingredients and simple preparation, this is one of those. Without question the star of this meal is the roast and it is expensive so it may be one of those meals you only make once a year.

PRIME RIB ROAST

What you need:

8-10 pound prime rib roast, get a bigger or a smaller roast depending on how many people you need to feed
10 whole cloves of garlic
6-8 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
Medium yellow onion, diced fine
2 cups beef broth or water

How it's done:

Place the roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, the fresh rosemary stripped off the sprigs, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Use a boning knife to cut deep pockets into the roast and stuff with mixture, spread any remaining oil and spices over the fatty layer of the roast. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and let the roast sit out until it is at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Cook the roast for 20 minutes at 500 degrees F, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F and continue roasting for an additional hour to hour and fifteen minutes. The internal temperature of the roast should be at 145 degrees F for medium rare.

Let the roast rest on a cutting board or serving platter for 10 or 15 minutes before carving so the meat will retain its juices. While the roast rests put the roasting pan on the stove, add fine diced onion and 2 cups of beef broth or water. Bring the au jus up to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Slice the roast into half to three quarter inch thick slices, serve by ladling au jus over each slice and with horseradish on the side. Makes for an impressive presentation when you can carve it up table side and serve each person individually.

Does 10 pounds of prime rib make you worried about too many leftovers? Your mileage may vary but eight adults can normally polish off ten pounds of prime rib, someone (not always me...) will go back for seconds!

One of the principals my parents and grand parents drummed in to me since I was very young was not to be wasteful. Why this dish only seems to surface around the holidays isn't entirely clear to me but if you need to feed a large group this is a good dish that extends your food by making use of ingredients that are likely already on hand. I'm told that this dish has it's origins in the 13th century and captures what the Crusaders brought back to Europe, new spices and a fondness for middle eastern foods:

Minced Pie

Get this stuff:

1 1/4 pounds round steak, cut into small pieces
1 cup apple cider
4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and finely diced
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
2 1/2 cups dried currants
2 1/2 cups raisins
1/2 pound chopped candied mixed fruit peel
1/2 cup butter
1 (16 ounce) jar sour cherry preserves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 heaping teaspoon of ground mace
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) can pitted sour cherries, drained with liquid reserved
9 inch pie shell and top
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Git'r dun:

In a Dutch oven, combine beef and apple cider. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until meat is tender. Remove meat and coarsely chop, then return it to the pot. Got left over roast beef from a previous meal? Chop the meat to a fine mince and proceed.

Stir in chopped apples, sugar, currants, raisins, citrus peel, butter and cherry preserves. Add ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Let simmer, uncovered, over low heat until mixture is very thick, about 90 minutes. Stir in cherries and remove from heat. Refrigerate tightly covered for at least a week before using.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Put filling in unbaked pie shell and place pastry on top. Crimp edges and poke several holes in top pastry. Brush top with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Shredded spuds and onions fried in oil or butter make a great side dish to any meal no matter what time of day.

Kartoffelpuffer (Potato Pancakes)

What you need:

2 pounds potatoes, cleaned, peeled, and quartered (or don't peel 'em...)
1 large onion, quartered
1/2 cup milk
1/2 - 1 cup flour (use 1/2 cup flour with drier potatoes; up to 1 cup with potatoes that contain more water)
Salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 eggs
Vegetable oil, butter, or bacon grease

How it's made:

Grate potatoes and onion into a bowl (use the old Veg-O-Matic if you are making a large quantity, just increase the amount of ingredients proportionally). Add milk, then stir in flour, salt, pepper, and eggs. Mix well, use your (clean) hands!

In a large, heavy skillet (break out the cast iron!) heat 1/2 inch oil until hot. The idea is to bring the oil up to 375-400 F and flash fry each pancake so they don't soak up the oil and come out soggy. Drop potato batter (1/4 cup per pancake) into skillet and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides. I normally shape these with my hands to form small pancakes about a half inch thick, most of my relative cheat and use a hamburger patty form (and my hamburgers are always better than anyone elses because I shape them by hand... but that's a story for another time).

Drain on a paper towel, if you are going to add salt do it right after each one comes out of the pan, and eat 'em while they are hot! Especially tasty at breakfast with some scrambles eggs and bacon! Equally good on the side with prime rib, steak, roast goose... Or just by themselves! The only rule? NO KETCHUP!

Just coming in from out of the cold or looking for that last nice warm nip before settling in for a long winter nap? Whip up a nice big batch of hot cocoa for the kids and make some of this for the adults:

Hot Buttered Rum

Get this:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch salt
Bottle dark rum, a liter should do but adjust it the way you like it
Boiling water

Do this:

In a bowl, use a whisk to mix the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Refrigerate until almost firm, make this stuff in batches and have it on hand in the fridge so you don't have to spend 20-ish minutes making a new batch. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture into 12 small mugs (or make larger servings, just keep the ratios about the same). Pour about 3 ounces of rum into each mug (filling about halfway). Top with boiling water (to fill the remaining half), stir well, and consume immediately.

Especially good on a cold night sitting next to the fire and watching the kids play.

A long time ago my younger brother and me were roaming around in the mountains after a picnic, he reached down to pick up a small brown round object and asked me what it was. I told him it was a smart pill and that if he took it he'd be a lot smarter! Turns out that not only did he get a lot smarter right there on the spot, I got the whipping of a life time after my Dad found out!

These "Smart Pills" taste a lot better (or at least I assume so, I'd have to ask my lil'bro to be sure). Use whatever cheese you have handy, sharper cheeses kind of get lost in the other flavors. Velveeta and other "processed cheese food substances" work great!

I told you that so I could share this, all of the sweets and sugary drinks get old after a while, I need some variety and this dish is a hit with every chili head and bacon lover in the family.

Atomic Deer "Smart Pills"

What you need:

Jalapeños
one-inch chunks of cheese
Venison sausage (substitute breakfast sausage if you have to)
Bacon grease or vegetable oil

How it's done:

Cut the the tops off the jalapeños leaving one and quarter inches of the bottom end of the pepper. With a butter knife, hollow out the inside of the pepper, cut the cheese so that it fits inside the peppers.

Flatten a 3 to 4-ounce patty of venison sausage on a cutting board with your palm. Peel it up and fold it around the stuffed pepper squeezing to form an oblong shape. Put a thin layer of bacon grease or oil on a griddle and cook the stuffed pepper over medium heat turning often until well-browned on all sides.

Allow the cooked "smart pills" to rest on a plate or cutting board long enough for the cheese to firm up some, cut each oblong in half so you can see the pepper and cheese. Serve immediately. Great with scrambled eggs and green chili early in the morning!!!

otisptoadwater wrote: As Christmas and New Year approach there are certain foods that my family reserves for this time of year. Among the adults mulled wine is a favorite...

Glühwein, the German version of Mulled Wein

I cheat and buy bottles of it at the BX on base...this year they had red and white versions...the white version is delicious!

Polish Mistakes

Named after me...a Polish mistake:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb Jimmy Dean Sausage
1 lb Velveeta
Party Rye

Brown the beef and sausage together or separate...drain the grease.
Mix the meats and chunked Velveeta in a crock pot or other heating pot on low...the cheese will burn otherwise...until the cheese is melted.
Scoop onto party rye bread (or crackers if you prefer) and eat.

Easy and yummy!

Good stuff CB! Here is another recipe that makes those who hate pasteurized cheese food substances:

Queso dip

What you need:

One pound of Velveeta, cubed
Diced pickled jalapeno slices, enough to suit the taste of the guests
1 can of chili, your favorite brand, red or green, even with beans, but I draw the line at turkey or chicken!
Cayenne pepper to taste

How to make it:

Warm chili on a sauce pot, add cheese and stir until cheese is melted or break out the crock pot. Add Cayenne to taste. Pour it on a bowl of tortilla chips or eat it straight out of the pot! Great snack for football games, at parties everyone seems to hover around this dish!