Christmas Dinner At My House
One of the most treasured ways we have celebrated Christmas is the Christmas meal together. Toys break, sweaters get stretched out and worn, games are forgotten in a drawer, but memories of enjoying a special meal with foods that create a part of a celebration together stay woven within our hearts.
photo by Fújur
Special Recipes for Special Diets
Gluten-Free and Vegan Holidays: Celebrating the Year with Simple, Satisfying Recipes and Menus
Amazon Price: $13.66 (as of 06/03/2012)
What's On the Menu
The Christmas Menu
Beginning with the menu we have used for the most recent years, I would like to make a little press for Beef tenderloin. I know it is expensive, but if you remember that it is boneless, easy to fix ( hard to mess up), and everyone loves it... you might want to consider it as your Christmas dinner menu centerpiece.I usually make a cranberry relish for Christmas, but sometimes skip it , depending on the rest of the menu.
We always have a fruit and a green salad. A sidedish of potatoes, sweet potatoes, or noodles is usual. and we always always have the Cardamom rolls that I make only for Christmas Eve.
So what's on the menu of this year?
- Fennel and Rosemary Beef Tenderloin
- German style fingerling potatoes
- Pear and Pomegranate Salad
- For Dessert: purchased cream puffs and warm fudge sauce
- Cardamom Rolls
The Cardamom roll recipe is long, and it takes some time to make, but it is worth it. I've had it online with other Christmas recipes I make....
follow the link.
All About Cardamom.
Camille Glenn's Old-Fashioned Christmas Cookbook
Amazon Price: $21.50 (as of 06/03/2012)
Fennel & Rosemary Beef Tenderloin
with Creamy Mustard Sauce
- Serves: six to eight
This has become our family's all-time favorite, and the entree I now make for Christmas dinner. One of the things I like about it is the ease and relatively short cooking time involved.
Make Ahead Tips
The roast can be seasoned and refrigerated up to 4 hours before roasting.
Crème Fraiche
1 ½ cups whipping cream
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) buttermilk
Combine cream and buttermilk in a jar with tight fitting lid. Shake well for 2 or 3 minutes. Let stand at warm room temperature for at least 24 hours. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Besides used for the beef:
Use it as a dessert topping, too. Very good added to vinegar and oil dressings. Delicious over fresh fruit and berries.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1-1/2 tsp. ground fennel seed
- 1 tsp. kosher salt or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
- 2-1/2- to 3-lb. beef tenderloin roast with excess fat trimmed
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
- .2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
How to make...
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, rosemary, fennel seed, salt, and pepper. Stir to make a paste.
Pat the beef dry with paper towels and rub the paste all over the surface of the meat. If necessary, tie the roast at 1-1/2-inch intervals.
Put the roast on a rack on a small, rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 120°F for rare, 125° to 130°F for medium rare,or 135°F for medium, 40 to 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, mustard, and lemon juice. Season lightly with salt to taste.
Transfer the roast to a carving board (preferably with a well for collecting juices) and let it rest, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes before carving it into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve the beef, passing the mustard sauce at the table.
The original recipe was from Fine Cooking magazine.
--------------
I found it difficult to locate the ground fennel, and ended up using a spice grinder to grind up the fennel seeds, myself. since I was able to find containers of Devon cream in the store I used that to replace the crème fraîche.
German-style Fingerling Potatoes
- Serves: 6 (6 cups)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30-40 minutes
This is an easy recipe to make, for something a bit more involved, but extremely tasty, try Fiine cookings Glazed Fingerling Potato Salad with Pancetta and Warm Mustard Vinaigrette. that is the original recipe I used, and if you have the time it is excellent with the beef.
Ingredients
- 2 lb. halved fingerling potatoes
- 1 Tbsp.olive oil
- 3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- a little chopped parsley
- bacon can be substituted for the proscuitto
Instructions
Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water over medium high heat until almost tender, 5 to 8 minutes, drain.
Sauté prosciutto in oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat until crisp, 5 minutes -or the bacon cut into pieces . Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Return pan back to burner, add vinegar and sugar and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add potatoes, simmer 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in prosciutto ( bacon bits), add parsley, season with salt and pepper. Garnish with scallions.
Loving Christmas here, yet?
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
Spode Christmas Tree 12-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4
Amazon Price: $99.99 (as of 06/03/2012)
Holiday Settings
Pear and Pomegranate Salad
This is one of my all time favorites. It is fancy looking with its creamy white pears, ruby red pomegranate seeds, and deep pink syrup sauce, yet quite simple.
Ingredients
- 3 pears thinly sliced - two red pears and one Asian
- 1 pomegranate seeded
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional)
- 4 sprigs fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)
- dark green lettuce leaves
Instructions
Place the sliced pears and pomegranate seeds into a bowl.
Toss with lemon juice to coat.
Combine the brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small cup or bowl, then mix into the fruit.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to blend the flavors.
Serve in individual dishes on a bed of lettuce greens, and garnish with a sprinkling of sliced almonds with a sprig of mint
Whole Green Beans
- Total Time: 20 min
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb whole green beans
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
Instructions
Fill a bowl with ice water.
Cook beans in a large pot of salted boiling water just until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain beans and transfer to ice water. Drain well in a colander and pat dry.
Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté beans with mustard and salt and pepper to taste, stirring, until heated through, about 4 minutes.
Recipe from Epicurious which is closest to how I make these simple green beans.
Christmas Holiday Cookbooks
Not Christmas Yet?
Not there yet.... ?
Pretty dishes that are perfect for holiday dinners make the table part of the annual tradition. I always loved to see certain cups and dishes that were reserved for special family times on my grandmother's table.
Serve Christmas on a Platter
Loving Christmas
Whether or not it is Christmas season,
your greetings are welcome
-
-
Kimbesa
Apr 1, 2012 @ 4:11 pm | delete
- very nice! Time to practice new recipes for when holiday season comes...thanks!
-
-
-
Sylvestermouse
Oct 16, 2011 @ 9:48 am | delete
- What a lovely presentation and the recipes sound fabulous!
-
-
-
Psycho-Gamer
Jun 21, 2011 @ 2:20 am | delete
- another lens it deserves a lot of love.....that rosemary beef made me really drooling....it must be really tender.....definitely u r gonna make me fat....but who cares....if the recipes are that good....it s a price i am willing to pay
-
More Holiday Food Recipes and Ideas
Facebook Fan Loving Christmas
Facebook Fan box widget may not always appear in the Workshop. Please preview or publish your lens to see the widget.
This Happy Snowman page written by
Ilona1
If you would like to know more about my website based on my experience of many years in a central Ohio yard. It is always growing! I like to blog, play... more »
Seasons Greetings from the Wonderland
Connect with Happy Snowman
This author recommends...
-
Christmas Advent
I think observing Advent is one of the best parts of the Christmas celebration.... -
Love Northern Winters
Winter, how do I love thee? Hmmm, Let me think about that a minute.... For all... -
Best Ever Cookie Recipes
One of my favorite holiday traditions is baking special cookies- cookies that I... -
Grandma Moses Holiday Paintings
One of the things that endeared Grandma Moses, as Anna Mary Robertson Moses was... -
Ilona's Favorite Chocolate Desserts
I freely admit to my love of chocolate, but I'm very picky about how I like that... -
Ilona's Christmas and Winter Lenses
I love Christmas enough to think about it in June... or July ... or just about a...
Martha Stewart Christmas
...tastemaker creates great Christmas recipes
The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook
Amazon Price: $26.00 (as of 06/03/2012)
No one does entertaining like Martha Stewart- no one. Here is a book full of her great taste in food
Southern Living Christmas
The Ultimate Southern Living Christmas Book: Over 400 Ways to Celebrate the Season - Southern Living Style
Amazon Price: $6.74 (as of 06/03/2012)
Always a book full of idea treasures for celebration of the holidays.
