Rush! Rush! Rush! No time to go to yet another party. How silly
we are at this time of the year with the Holiday Fever. The perfect
time to entertain our friends in our decorated homes, but no time
to put the party together! I literally laughed out loud when I read
about a seminar somewhere being offered,
”
How to Make it Through the Holidays.
”
Rush! Rush! Rush! No time to go to yet another party. How silly we are at this time of the year with the Holiday Fever. The perfect time to entertain our friends in our decorated homes, but no time to put the party together! I literally laughed out loud when I read about a seminar somewhere being offered, “How to Make it Through the Holidays.”
But of course I am running around like everyone else, trying to decide what to wear, what to take as a host/hostess gift, what to cook, how to eat while standing with a wine glass in one hand and a plate of delicious appetizers in the other and so on. And then I run out of time and don’t make it to the party anyway!
Fortunately, we love this time of the year, with all of the craziness, as it is so rewarding to be with family and friends while enjoying good food and beverage. This following menu is especially wonderful for a holiday gathering. If oysters are not in your vocabulary, the Dunbar recipe can be made with cut up chunks of salmon or other fresh fish, as well as prawns or shrimp. Simply add about 1/2 cup white wine or broth to compensate for the oyster liquids. Serve it in a chafing dish and let guests dip into it with sturdy crackers.
The bread pudding is one of the best buffet dishes you could prepare. Bake it ahead, reheat it and place it on the buffet table at dessert time. By adding dried cranberries along with the raisins it becomes extremely festive.
OYSTERS DUNBAR
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 small jar artichoke hearts, quartered
1 pint oysters and liquid, quarter the oysters if large
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
pinch each of basil, thyme and rosemary
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon pimento, slivered
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
Microwave butter, onion, garlic and mushrooms covered on high for 3 minutes. Stir in flour. Add artichokes, oysters and liquid, cream, parsley, Worcestershire, herbs, salt, pepper, sherry and pimento. Microwave, covered, 5 minutes on high. Stir in bread crumbs and microwave another 4-5 minutes, or until thickened. Serve with crackers for an appetizer or in au gratin dishes for a main course, sprinkled with parsley and paprika as garnish.
QUICK CHEESE STICKS
1 package bread sticks
olive oil for brushing
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush the bread stick with the oil and sprinkle with the cheese. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for only 5-6 minutes, or until the cheese is a little browned. Cool and serve. Great to tuck into a large glass or vase and place on the buffet table.
CREAMED ONIONS
small boiling onions and/or a variety of sliced onions
2 tablespoons butter or oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
parsley
seasoned bread crumbs
Place the onions in a microwave safe dish, cover. Microwave on high, using 5 minutes per pound of vegetables as a guide. Set aside. In a batter bowl, combine butter, flour, salt and pepper. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, or to melt the butter. Whisk in the milk. Microwave on high for
2 minutes. Whisk well. Microwave another 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the cheese and the onions. Serve, garnished with the parsley and crumbs. Or you can spread the mixture into a baking dish and brown the top off under a broiler.
BREAD PUDDING
6-8 cups crumbled or cubed French bread
4 cups milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
For the sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup bourbon or fresh orange juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and put the bread pieces in the dish. In a batter bowl, whisk milk, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Blend in the fruits and spices. Pour into the baking dish and stir gently to distribute everything evenly. Mixture should be very moist but not soupy. Bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Serve with the following sauce:
In batter bowl, combine butter and sugar. Microwave 1 minute or until butter has melted and the sugar is absorbed. Gradually whisk a little of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and then incorporate into the rest. Microwave 30 seconds. Whisk in the bourbon or juice. Sauce will thicken slightly as it cools but should remain pourable. Serve warm with the pudding. Everyone will love this and it is so easy to serve at a buffet. I always offer both versions of the sauce, intended to satisfy everyone’s desire, but have found that everyone take a little of each…some a lot more of one than the other.
