Christmas Dinner

Buy: cranberry juice, brie, gorgonzola, corn tortillas, lettuce,

Roast leg of lamb (oven)
Roast duck (purchase)
Dahi vada (purchase)
Wild rice stuffing (oven, make ahead)
Roasted sweet potatoes (oven, make ahead)
Pan roasted tomatoes with basil (stove)
Mashed Brussels sprouts and potatoes (stove, make ahead)
Roasted vegetables (fennel, Brussels sprouts, red potatoes, sweet peppers, onions, garlic) (oven, make ahead)
Green salad with dried cranberries, candied walnuts, pear and chevre; make salad dressing, ahead

Mini cheesecakes with cranberry relish (oven, make 1 day ahead)
Flourless chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream (oven, make 1 day ahead)
Cheese plate with fruit and nut brittle


Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Red Onions, Rosemary, and Parmesan
(Makes 4 servings, slightly adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2002)

4 large or 6 medium tan-fleshed sweet potatoes (white skin)
3 medium red onions
3 T olive oil
2 T finely chopped fresh rosemary, divided (I used my frozen rosemary, if you only have dried rosemary use less and make sure it's finely chopped)
1 tsp. salt (I used McCormicks Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt, which was great in this)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2-3 T chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F and cover a flat roasting pan with foil, then spray foil with non-stick spray or mist with olive oil.

Peel potatoes and remove skin from onions. (Sweet potatoes could also probably be left unpeeled, but I did peel them.) Cut sweet potatoes and onions into same-size pieces about 1 inch square. Place in plastic bowl and toss with olive oil, 1 T chopped rosemary, salt or sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Arrange in single layer on roasting pan and roast until vegetables are cooked through and slightly browned, about 45 minutes or longer. (I actually roasted my sweet potatoes and onions in the photo for about exactly an hour, but I like them a little crisp and well-browned.)

Combine fresh-grated parmesan and finely chopped rosemary in small bowl. Remove vegetables from oven and toss with parmesan-rosemary mixture. Serve hot, sprinkled with fresh parsley if desired.

--------------------------------------

Baby Brussels Sprouts with Buttered Pecans
Serves6 to 8

* Active time:40 min
* Start to finish:40 min

Gourmet Magazine, November 2006

If you find it difficult to get excited about Brussels sprouts, then it's likely you’ve never sampled baby ones. The tiny sprouts—less than an inch across—lack the bitterness of their full-grown counterparts. Paired with buttered pecans, they may just become your new Thanksgiving favorite.

* 1/2 cup pecan halves, cut crosswise into thirds
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 lb baby Brussels sprouts, trimmed
* 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

* Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
* Spread pecan pieces in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and bake until fragrant and a few shades darker, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt to nuts and toss until butter is melted and nuts are coated.
* While nuts bake, cook Brussels sprouts in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain sprouts and pat dry.
* Melt remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to moderately high, then add sprouts and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned in patches, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, then stir in pecans and serve.

Cooks’ notes:

* If you can’t find baby Brussels sprouts, you can use 2 lb regular Brussels sprouts, quartered.
* Pecans can be toasted and buttered 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature, covered.
* Brussels sprouts can be boiled 1 day ahead and kept chilled in a sealed plastic bag with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.


--------------------------------------


Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Caraway Seeds
Gourmet | February 2009
by Paul Grimes

yield: Makes 8 servings

active time: 10 min

total time: 35 min
Oven-browned Brussels sprouts are bracing enough to stand up to the menu’s lush, luxurious veal shanks, while also offering a welcome splash of... more ›
Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
* 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

print a shopping list for this recipe
Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl until well coated. Transfer to a large 4-sided sheet pan in 1 layer and roast 10 minutes. Sprinkle caraway seeds over Brussels sprouts and toss, then spread out in 1 layer and roast until Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender and well browned in spots, about 10 minutes more.


--------------

Wild Rice Stuffing with Hazelnuts and Dried Cranberries

Bon Appétit | November 1999
yield: Makes 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
* 2 large onions, chopped
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 6 3/4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
* 2 cups wild rice (about 13 ounces)
* 2 cups long-grain brown rice
* 2 cups dried cranberries
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
* 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped
* 1 cup chopped green onions

print a shopping list for this recipe
Preparation

Melt 1/2 cup butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Add wild rice. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Mix in brown rice; cover and simmer until rice is just tender and most liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes longer.

Stir cranberries, parsley and thyme into rice. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes longer. Mix in hazelnuts and green onions. Season generously with salt and pepper.

To bake all of stuffing in baking dish:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil, buttered side down; bake stuffing until heated through, about 40 minutes.

------