Christmas Recipes to MaKe your Day Even Merrier
Check out these fancy, simple, and sumptuous meals for Christmas Eve that will keep all the family circling into the kitchen to find out when Christmas dinner will be ready.
Buche de Noel
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream, ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 6 egg yolks, ½ cup white sugar, cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 6 egg whites, ¼ cup white sugar, and confectioners’ sugar for dusting.
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whip cream, 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and stiff. Refrigerate.
2 )In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale. Blend in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and salt. In large glass bowl, using clean beaters, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until whites form stiff peaks. Immediately fold the yolk mixture into the whites. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Dust a clean dishtowel with confectioners’ sugar. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and turn the warm cake out onto the towel. Remove and discard parchment paper. Starting at the short edge of the cake, roll the cake up with the towel. Cool for 30 minutes.
4) Unroll the cake, and spread the filling to within 1 inch of the edge. Roll the cake up with the filling inside. Place seam side down onto a serving plate, and refrigerate until serving. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Strip Steak with Harissa Butter and Parsley Salad
Ingredients:
STEAK: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1½ teaspoons harissa paste, ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest, salt, Two 10- to 12-ounce boneless sirloin or strip steaks (1 to 1½ inches thick), Freshly ground black pepper, and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
PARSLEY SCALLION SALAD: 2 cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, and salt.
Instructions:
1. Make the Steak: In a small bowl, stir together the butter, harissa, lemon zest and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook, turning once, 4 to 6 minutes per side depending on thickness, for medium-rare (120° to 125°F, if using an instant-read thermometer). Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes.
2. Make the Salad: In a bowl, toss together the parsley, scallions, lemon juice and oil. Season to taste with salt.
3. To serve, slice the steaks and arrange on plates. Top with the butter. Serve with the parsley salad alongside.
Oven-Roasted Turkey
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 14-pound turkey, giblets removed, washed, and dried, Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, and Fresh thyme, for garnish.
Instructions:
1. Mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle some of the spice rub inside the cavity of the turkey. Separate the skin from the breast meat with your fingers, starting at the top of the breast and sliding to the right and left, then working down. Massage some of the rub onto the meat under the skin. Sprinkle the remaining rub on the turkey’s skin. Place the turkey on a sheet tray and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours so the flavours can marry.
2. Set a rack at the lowest position in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Drizzle the outside of the turkey with a few tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey about 3 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Transfer the turkey to a platter, cover loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.
Baked Ginger and Lemon Chicken
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional), 1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped, 6 tablespoons soy sauce, 20 ounces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, 2 red onions, quartered, 1 lemon, zested then sliced into rings, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, and 2 tablespoons honey.
To serve: Steamed rice, Selection of greens, like kale, broccoli or green beans, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 shallot, sliced, and 3 garlic cloves, sliced.
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the crushed red pepper flakes, if using, with the ginger and soy sauce. Place the chicken in a roasting pan or baking dish large enough not to crowd the pieces; they should have two finger’s widths of space between them. Coat the chicken in the marinade; add the onion quarters, arranging the slices in between the pieces of chicken. Roast, basting halfway through, until the chicken is tender, 30 to 35 minutes. (Meanwhile, cook the rice and prepare a selection of greens for serving.)
3. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour any juices into a small saucepan before return the chicken to the oven.
4. To the saucepan with the pan juices, add the butter, honey and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat until it has reduced by a third, about 3 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the honey sauce evenly over top, then return to the oven and until the juices run clear when pierced at the thickest point, 5 to 10 minutes more. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.