This holiday season, dig out seldom used silver, crystal and heirloom dishes to serve your festive food.
Holiday entertaining doesn’t have to be a formal affair to make use of fine serving pieces. Keep your recipes simple and easy to prepare and serve them with flare and elegance – hummus and crackers on a silver platter, caramel popcorn in a crystal salad bowl or hot chocolate served from a silver teapot. Add some Christmas decorations and arrange the food buffet style.
If your gathering is potluck, encourage guests to dig out their fancy dishes.
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Part of the fun may be sharing the history and memories of the serving dishes. My mother had silver casserole servers that she always used for Christmas dinner and other special occasions.
Using them creatively will allow my children and grandchildren to enjoy the beauty of these serving pieces as well as create new family memories and traditions.
Co-TEAM Resources writer Jodie Mirosovsky enjoys simple holiday entertaining with her children, family and friends.
To keep the food preparation easy, everyone brings appetizers. When serving appetizers, don’t feel that everything has to be homemade. Select from a variety of frozen appetizers like dry ribs, chicken wings, sausage rolls, spring rolls or shrimp rings.
One of Jodie’s favourite appetizers is cream cheese on crackers topped with red pepper or green jalapeno jelly.
The following recipe is a variation that is also simple to make.
Baked brie with cranberry jelly
1 wheel Brie cheese 200 g
2 -3 tbsp. cranberry jelly or red pepper jelly 30 –45 mL
Place Brie cheese on a small microwavable plate. Microwave on high for 1 -1.5 minutes.
Spread jelly on top of the cheese and place on a serving platter, surround with crackers and fruit. Cut small wedges with a sharp cheese knife, and place on crackers. Serves six.
Black bean hummus
This is a recipe that our son-in-law, Chad, makes. We like the flavour that the beans give it.
1 19 oz. can chickpeas, drained540 mL
1 19 oz. can black beans, drained540 mL
2 cloves garlic minced (optional)
3 tbsp. lemon juice 45 mL
1/2 tsp. sea salt 2 mL
2 tbsp. tahini* 30 mL
2 tbsp. virgin olive oil 30 mL
Place all ingredients in food processor and puree to desired consistency.
Adapted from www.ezhealthydiet.com/hummus-recipe.html.
*Tahini (tah-HEE-nee) is a thick paste made of ground sesame seeds that is often used in Middle Eastern cooking. I found it in the peanut butter section of the store.
Chocolate crunch cookie sheet cake
This is a simple recipe that the kids can help make.
51 salted soda crackers, enough for a single layer to line a cookie sheet (use unsalted crackers if desired)
1 c. butter 250 mL
1 c. packed brown sugar 250 mL
1 tsp. vanilla 5 mL
1 1/2 c.semi-sweet chocolate chips 375 mL
1 c. walnut pieces, toasted, finely chopped (or other types of nuts or crushed candy canes) 250 mL
Line a 17 x 12 x 3/4-inch (43 x 30 x 2 cm) cookie sheet with foil. Lay the soda crackers out side by side, to cover the bottom of the pan. Try to fit crackers as tightly together as possible, break a few crackers in half if necessary.
Cook butter and sugar in saucepan on medium-high heat five minutes or until butter is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally. Bring to boil, cook three minutes without stirring. Add vanilla.Spread sugar mixture onto crackers. Bake at 400 F (200C) seven minutes. Do not overbake. Immediately sprinkle with chocolate and spread to cover crackers. Top with nuts. Cool completely. Break into pieces.
Adapted from my twins’s Grade 4 Class cookbook submitted by Jodi Russell.
Healthy eating
Platters of vegetables and fruit add colour, variety and low calorie choices to an array of appetizers.Simple dips enhance their flavour and keep well in the fridge. They also go well on baked potatoes.
Favourite vegetable dip
1 c. ow fat mayonnaise 250 mL
1 c. ow fat sour cream 250 mL
1 tbsp. ill weed 15 mL
1 tbsp. on Appétit spice mix (McCormick’s) 15 mL
Mix, then refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
Make ahead
Some appetizers can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen ready for your holiday entertaining.
S
2 lb. lean ground beef 500 g
1/2 c. rolled oas 125 mL
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 . finely chopped oni 60 mL
1/2 tsp.salt2 mL
1/4 tsp.freshly ground pepper1 mL
1 c. saskatoon berry syrup250 mL
1/4 c. chil sauce 60 L
2 tbsp. prepared mustad 30 mL
Preheat oven to 30 F (180 C). Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Mix the ground meat, rolled oats, eggs, onions and seasoning, until well combined. Shape meat mixture into one inch (2 cm) balls. Place in roasting pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until done, stirring after 10 minutes.
Heat the syrup, chili sauce and mustard together in a Dutch oven or slow cooker. Drain meatballs and add to the sauce. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Serve hot with toothpicks.
Make and bake the meatballs ahead of time and freeze. To use, defrost and heat in the microwave and add to sauce and heat for 30 minutes.
Bacon cheese wreath
10 slices bacon
8 oz. cream cheese,softened250g
8 oz chedar cheese,shredded 250 g
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese 60 mL
1/4 tsp. onion poder 1 mL
1/4 tsp. garlic salt 1 mL
1 tsp. Worcestershire auce 5 mL
chopped parsleyand red pepper for garnish
Fry bacon until crisp, remove grease with paper towel and crumble into small pieces. In a medium bowl, beat cheeses, onion, garlic and Worcestershire sauce together. Stir in bacon.
Line a tube pan with plastic wrap. Drop spoonfuls around the lined pan and press the cheese mixture into the pan to form a ring. Cover and refrigerate eight hours or overnight. Turn out onto a plate, remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle with parsley and add red peppers. Serve with crackers.
Devilled eggs
These are a family favouritehe year and easy to make.
12 eggs
1/2 c. light mayonnaise 125 mL
2 tsp. prepare mustard 10 L
salt and ground pepper paprikaor cayenne pepper for garnish
Fresh eggs are harder to peel than older eggs. Place eggs in a medium saucepan, add cold water to cover by one inch (2 cm).
Bring to a rolling boil. Turn the heat off and cover with lid, let stand 13-15 minutes. Drain and run eggs under cold water.
In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise and mustard.
To peel the cooled eggs, crack the large end of the shell, where the air sack is, then crack the rest of the shell by tapping all over and rolling the egg between your hands to loosen the shell.
To remove the last bits of shell, rinse in cold water then pat dry.
Cut the eggs in halve lengthwise and remove yolks.
Transfer yolks to bowl with mayonnaise mixture, season with salt and pepper, and mash the yolks with a fork until smooth.
Mound yolk mixture into whites. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to eight hours.
Pita chips
1/4 c.olive oil 60 mL
1/4 c. butter 60mL
6 –6inch pi a bread, separatedinto to pieces
garlic powder
died savoury
Parmesan cheese
Melt butter and add to olive oil. Brush the rough side of each half of pita. Sprinkle with garlic powder, savoury and Parmesan cheese. Pile pitas on top of each other, cut with scissors into eighths and lay on cookie sheet evenly spaced. Bake about seven minutes at 350 F (180 C) or until brown and crunchy. Use for dipping.
Source: Daily Bread, A celebration of Friendship, Food and Faith, Rosetown Alliance Church.
Holiday food safety
When transporting food from one location to another, keep hot food hot, at least 140 F (60 C), and cold food cold, 40 F (4 C) or lower. If possible, take food cold and cook or reheat at the destination. Pack cold food in a cooler or insulated bag with ice or freezer packs. Don’t put the bag in front of the car heater.To transport hot food, wrap in foil and heavy towels, or carry in insulated containers with hot packs.When serving food, use warming trays or crockpots to keep food hot and ice trays under cold food. Don’t leave food out of the refrigerator longer than two hours.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
