Our household will be doubled in number in few days time. My mom, mon-in-law, sis-in-law and her family will be spending Christmas with us this year. We want to make this celebration as festive as possible because we haven't been home for Christmas for sometime. I haven't seen my mom too for more than a year now.
I am researching the internet for great recipes for the holiday season. It's public knowledge that I don't fare well in cooking so I am looking for easy to prepare and cook.
Here are some of the recipes I found which I feel will be viable for me to make. Let's just hope I don't end up feeling lazy and will probably dial the nearest restaurant for a home delivery!
Roast Turkey
(from Food.com)
Ingredients:
1 (16 lb) frozen young turkey
For the brine
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berry
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon ice water
For the aromatics
1 red apple , sliced
1/2 onion , sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
canola oil
Directions:
- Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
- Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket.
- Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours.
- Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
- A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees.
- Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
- Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water.
- Discard brine.
- Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels.
- Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage.
- Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.
- Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500F for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350°F.
- Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161°F.
- A 14-16 pound bird should require a total of 2-2 1/2 hours of roasting.
- Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.
Macaroni and Cheese
(from Food.com)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded
2 cups macaroni , cooked
1 pinch cayenne (optional)
Directions:
- Make a roux by melting butter in pan and adding flour. Stir constantly and cook until it is the color of caramel candy. It burns easily so stir stir stir!
- Slowly and carefully add milk while stirring.
- When milk starts to steam add cheese and seasonings and stir until melted and well combined.
- Pour over cooked macaroni noodles and serve.
No-Bake Pecan Chocolate Pie
(from celebrations.com)
Ingredients:
For the Pecan Cookie Crust
2 cups Pecan Cookies Crumbs
6 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Melted
2 tbsp. Sugar
Chocolate Cream Filling
4 ounces Chocolate, Chopped
1/3 cup Milk
4 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened and at Room Temperature
2 tbsp. Sugar
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Pecans, For Topping
Directions:
- To make the pecan cookie crust, combine the pecan cookie crumbs, the melted butter, and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir until the crumbs soak up all the butter. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Place the pie plate in the freezer to firm the crust, about 15 minutes.
- While the crust is chilling, make the chocolate cream filling. Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat the process of microwaving for 30 seconds and stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Place the melted chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cream cheese, milk, and sugar. Beat until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool.
- While the chocolate mixture is in the refrigerator, wash and clean the mixing bowl. Return the bowl to the stand mixer and place the heavy cream in the bowl. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, starting at low speed and slowly increasing to medium-high speed.
- Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and, with a spatula, carefully fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
- Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the mixture into the center. Using a small spatula evenly spread the filling until it is smooth.
- Arrange the pecans in a circular pattern on top of the filling in. Place the pie in the freezer to firm, about 3-4 hours.
Chicken Galantina (my favorite!)
(from lutongpinoy.info)
Ingredients:
1 chicken, dressed and deboned
1 cup of Vienna sausage
1 1/4 cups of ham, ground
1 1/4 cups of pork, ground
4 eggs (2 raw, 2 boiled)
1/4 cup of flour
clotted chicken blood
1 carrot, sliced lengthwise
calamansi juice
soy sauce
soy sauce
salt and pepper
parsely (for garnishing)
Directions:
- Marinate chicken in calamansi juice and soy sauce.
- In a blow, combine flour, ground ham, ground pork, sausage, and raw eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill the chicken with the meat mixture. Insert into the sides the clotted chicken blood, boiled eggs, and sliced carrtos.
- Wrap the chicken in cheese cloth, making sure that the cloth is tightly tied.
- Steam the chicken for 1 1/2 hours then set aside to cool. Tighten the wrapping further, if necessary.
- Refrigerate the chicken for 24 hours.
- To serve: unwrap the chicken, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices, put in a platter and garnish with parsely.
Pineapple Sliced Ham
(from betterrecipes.com)
INGREDIENTS:
3 lb Spiral Sliced Ham
1 can Pineapple Slices
DIRECTIONS:
Place ham in baking dish and arrange pineapple slices over ham. Pour juice over ham and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
The above recipes look very easy to do. I hope they are actually easy to do or else! Merry Christmas!
