White Christmas

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED ASPARAGUS

6 ounces sliced prosciutto, halved horizontally 1 pound asparagus, trimmed 1 tablespoon olive oil Balsamic reduction Working one at a time, wrap halved prosciutto slice on each asparagus spear at an angle, covering the entire length of the spear. Repeat with remaining prosciutto and asparagus. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add asparagus and cook until prosciutto is crisp and asparagus is tender, about 2-3 minutes. Top with balsamic reduction. Serve immediately. http://damndelicious.net/2013/12/27/prosciutto-wrapped-asparagus/ Caramelized onion, mushroom and goat cheese tart -1 puff pasty sheet - 2 large onions - 1 pound of crimini or button mushrooms - 6 oz goat cheese Roll out puff pastry to make one large sheet. Poke holes throughout sheet with a fork. Bake puff pasty 350 for 12 min (or as package instructions) Slice and caramelize onions. Slice and sautéed mushrooms. After puff pastry is out of the oven over with the mushrooms and caramelized onions distributed evenly then ad goat cheese as crumbled as possible/desired. Add balsamic reduction if desired. Tart can be cut beofre puff pastry is cooked, after cooked or after everything is added. Cranberry Orange Holiday Punch

3 cups cranberry juice 2 cups apple cider ⅓ cup orange juice concentrate, thawed ⅓ cup Agave In The Raw 2 cups club soda 1 cup crushed ice 1 cup cranberries 1 apple, thinly sliced 7 orange wedges 7 cinnamon sticks Mix together the cranberry juice, apple cider, orange juice concentrate and Agave In The Raw. Slide the orange wedges onto the cinnamon sticks. For each glass of punch, put a few cranberries and apple slices in a cup. Add a little ice and about ¾ cup of the juice mixture. Fill the rest of the cup with about ¼ cup of club soda and top with a cinnamon stick. http://www.thegunnysack.com/cranberry-orange-holiday-punch/ Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach & Blue Cheese Filling

Prepare the components of the Wellingtons the day before or the morning before you intend to assemble them. Once assembled, freeze them for at least six to eight hours (ideally overnight) and up to a week. Make sure you have plenty of room in your freezer before starting. For the pastry: 3 packages (1 lb. each) frozen puff pastry (6 sheets total), such as Pepperidge Farm brand Flour for rolling For the mushrooms: 2 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed 6 Tbs. olive oil; more for cooking 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, lightly chopped 1/2 tsp. very roughly chopped fresh rosemary Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper For the onions: 4 Tbs. unsalted butter 3 medium onions (about 6 oz. each), thinly sliced 1/2 cup medium-dry sherry (I prefer Amontillado) Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper For the spinach and cheese: 12 cups tightly packed spinach (about 14 oz.) Pinch ground white pepper (optional) 2 Tbs. unsalted butter 6 oz. Maytag blue cheese (or other good-quality blue, such as Roquefort) For the filets: 6 portions beef tenderloin, 5 to 6 oz. each (choose equal-size center-cut portions) Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper About 3/4 cup olive oil; more as needed For assembly: 2 eggs, whisked together lightly with 1 tsp. water Flour To cook the Wellingtons: 2 eggs, whisked together lightly with 1 tsp. water Prepare the pastry and fillings: Roll and cut the pastry—Roll out each of the six pastry sheets to about 3/16-inch thick and, using a sharp knife, cut out a 10-inch round from each. From the scraps, cut out 12 leaves or other shapes to use as decoration. Layer the pastry rounds (and the decorations) between pieces of waxed paper or parchment, wrap the bundle well in plastic, and freeze again. Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach & Blue Cheese Filling Recipe Cook the mushrooms—In a shallow bowl, toss the portabellas with the oil, garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the portabellas from the marinade (they will have soaked up most of it) and season with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add a thin film of oil, and sear the portabellas on both sides until they've softened and browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer them to paper towels and turn them once to drain both sides. When cool, cut them in half and cut the halves into strips about 1/2 inch thick. Caramelize the onions—Melt the butter in a heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until well browned, soft, and sweet, 30 to 40 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until the pan is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. Put the cooled onions in a colander set in a bowl; cover and refrigerate. Prepare the spinach and cheese—Wash the spinach well and remove any stems. Prepare an ice-water bath. Put half of the spinach in a large sauté pan with a touch of water, 1 Tbs. of the butter, a pinch of salt, and a little ground white pepper if you like. Toss over medium-high heat, just until wilted and immediately put it in the water bath to shock the color and stop the cooking. Scoop it from the ice water and put it in a colander to drain. Squeeze the spinach, a small handful at a time, as much as you can and set it aside on paper towels to continue draining. Repeat with the remaining spinach. Cover with plastic and refrigerate. Divide the blue cheese into six 1-oz. portions. Try slicing the whole piece into six slices; if it crumbles, just evenly divide the cheese. Cover and refrigerate. Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach & Blue Cheese Filling Recipe Squeeze and squeeze again—until the spinach for your filling is as dry as it can be. Sear the filets—Season each portion of meat very generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning into the meat to keep it in place. Pour 1/8 inch olive oil into a heavy sauté pan and heat it until just smoking. Sear the filets over high heat for 2 minutes on each side until brown and crisp on the outside. Be sure your pan is very hot so that you just sear the meat and don't overcook it, and don't crowd the pan or the meat will steam rather than sear. (Check the sides to be sure the filets are still red in the middle.) Work in batches if necessary. Refrigerate the meat until chilled or until ready to use, up to 24 hours. Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach & Blue Cheese Filling Recipe Sear the beef filets for a nice crust but a still-red center—once wrapped in pastry and baked, they'll cook to medium rare. Assemble the Wellingtons: Arrange the mushrooms, onions, spinach, cheese, and filets on your counter. Divide the portabella strips into six portions. Make sure the caramelized onions are well drained (they tend to collect liquid as they sit) and divide them into six portions. Squeeze the spinach again, divide it into six portions, and leave it on paper towels for any further draining. Cover a large rimmed baking sheet (that fits in your freezer) with kitchen parchment. Have a ruler, a small sharp knife, a pastry brush, and the egg wash on hand. Lightly flour one area of your counter (the cooler the area the better). Pull a pastry round (and two decorative pieces) from the freezer and set it on the floured surface. Work quickly to maintain the integrity of the pastry. Lightly score a 4x3-inch rectangle in the center of the round; don't cut through the pastry. Extend the lines of the rectangle and cut out the corners of the round created by the line extensions, leaving a cross of pastry with a 4x3-inch center. Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach & Blue Cheese Filling Recipe Cut a cross shape out of the pastry round. Save the scraps to cut out decorations. Give a spinach portion one last squeeze and spread half of it over the rectangle of pastry. Follow with a portion of blue cheese, a portion of onions, a filet, a portion of portabellas in one layer, and the rest of the spinach portion. Spread each layer as evenly as possible. Brush a light coating of the egg wash on each of the four panels of dough. Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach & Blue Cheese Filling Recipe Layer spinach, blue cheese, onions, a filet, mushrooms, and more spinach in the center of the pastry. Check to be sure that the pastry is now pliable enough to fold without breaking (wait a minute or two if necessary). Fold each side panel onto the top, stretching the dough a bit if necessary to make the ends meet, or slightly overlapping if necessary. Follow suit with the top and bottom panels. Seal the panels together by pressing in the top panel where it meets the bottom panel and by pinching each of the four sides together where the panels meet. Don't worry if the package doesn't look gorgeous; it's more important that it's well sealed so the juices don't leak out. Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach & Blue Cheese Filling Recipe Fold up the longer sides first and then the ends. Hold the package upright in your hands, securing all the seals and smoothing the rough spots to make the package into a neat, rounded block. Set it seam side down and gently press the top and sides to make them as even all the way around as possible. Brush the top and all sides with egg wash. Put the decorations on top and brush with egg wash. (You'll be cutting the package in half, so separate the decorations.) Set the Wellington on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Put the pan in the freezer to set and chill the pastry. Repeat with the 5 remaining Wellingtons, adding each to the pan in the freezer as you go. After they chill for an hour, wrap them well in plastic individually and return them to the freezer. Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach & Blue Cheese Filling Recipe Cook the Wellingtons: Heat the oven to 400°F. Make another egg wash. Remove the Wellingtons from the freezer (do not thaw) and brush them with a fresh coat of egg wash. Put them on a lightly greased rimmed heavy baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and cook until the internal temperature is 110°F (be sure the tip of the thermometer is inserted in the center of the package), another 35 to 40 minutes. Set them aside to rest for no longer than 10 minutes. The tightly enclosed beef will continue to cook out of the oven, so if you have to wait for more than 10 minutes, trim the sides of the pastry to let out some of the hot steam and reduce the internal temperature. Cut each Wellington in half, arrange on warm plates, and serve immediately. http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/beef_wellington_mushroom_blue_cheese.aspx Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, peeled + chopped a hearty drizzle of olive oil [approx 1-2 TBSP] salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste 2 cups fresh cranberries 2-3 TBSP honey [or extra, to taste] 1/4 cup finely crumbled feta ground cinnamon, to taste [optional but delicious!] fresh or dried parsley, to garnish [optional] Instructions Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly drizzle or spritz a baking sheet with olive oil. Add cubed squash to the sheet along with another drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with a light layer of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, based on taste preference. Roast at 400 F for 25 minutes on the center rack. At the 25 minute mark, pull out the oven rack, and add your fresh cranberries to the roasting pan. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries have started to soften and burst a bit, resembling really juicy craisins vs fresh firm cranberries. Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of cinnamon [approx 1/8-1/4 tsp depending on preference] along with feta and honey. I listed the honey measurements I used, but depending on whether you used fresh cranberries or dried, sweeten to taste. Garnish with parsley for a burst of color and eat while it's hot! http://peasandcrayons.com/2014/11/honey-roasted-butternut-squash-cranberries-feta.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/Xsbcc+(Peas+and+Crayons) Crispy Potato Roast

3 tablespoons butter, melted 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 10 - 12 russet potatoes, peeled Kosher salt 1 small onion or 4 shallots, peeled and sliced very thin 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 4 - 6 fresh thyme sprigs About 3 ounces pancetta, cubed Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the oil and melted butter in a small dish. Set aside. Brush a round baking dish (around 9 - 10 inches) with a little of the butter and oil mixture. Slice the potatoes as thin as possible crosswise. Arrange potatoes vertically in the baking dish. Wedge onion or shallot slices throughout potato slices - in about 3 or 4 sections of each potato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper flakes (use some black pepper if not using red pepper flakes). Brush with the remaining butter and oil mixture.Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes uncovered. If you find at anytime throughout baking that the potatoes are too dry, a little of the olive oil/butter from the bottom of the baking dish can be brushed on the slices. Also, a butter knife can be used to separate some of the slices if there are some sticking together too much. While potatoes are baking, brown the pancetta in a small pan. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Set aside. Remove potatoes from over.Add pancetta by scattering around throughout the potatoes. Lay the thyme sprigs on top of potatoes. Bake for an additional 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle on a little more kosher salt. Serve immediately. Sour cream is a great accompaniment to the potatoes. http://www.joyouslydomestic.com/2012/12/crispy-potato-roast.html Chocolate Souffle

7 ounces finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus for preparing the molds 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 3 large egg yolks 3 tablespoons warm water 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons 8 large egg whites, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Confectioners' sugar for garnish Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chocolate-souffles-recipe.html?oc=linkbackBrush 6 (6-ounce) ramekins with soft butter, then coat with sugar. Put the prepared ramekins in the freezer. (This can be done a day ahead.) Set an oven rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside. Combine the egg yolks and warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer or large bowl and beat until frothy. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar, and continue beating until ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Very lightly fold the yolks into the chocolate mixture. (Rinse the bowl well, if using for beating the egg whites.) Remove prepared ramekins from freezer. Put the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer, or large non-reactive bowl, add the lemon juice. Beat on medium until frothy; then gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and increase speed to high. Beat until the whites hold a stiff but not dry peak. Working quickly, fold about a third of the egg whites into the chocolate to lighten; then fold in remaining whites until blended. Gently ladle or spoon the souffle mixture into the ramekins, and place on a baking sheet. (Level off the surface with a straight edge, scraping any excess mixture back into the bowl.) Immediately bake until the souffle rises about 1 1/2 inches from the ramekins, and the tops are touched with brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.