OK, I'm planning Christmas Even dinner .....help?!


Question: We are having honey baked ham, sweet potato casserole and red velvet cake. Everything else is unplanned. Any ideas? Recipes are truly welcomed. Thanks!


Answers: We are having honey baked ham, sweet potato casserole and red velvet cake. Everything else is unplanned. Any ideas? Recipes are truly welcomed. Thanks!

Yummm, sounds like a great dinner you have planned. You will need some dinner rolls a vegetable and a salad. Perhaps some green would be nice like some roasted garlic green beans ...very easy...
peel 12 cloves of garlic, place them in a microwave safe bowl with 2 TBS of olive oil, microwave for about 1 minute or until garlic is tender, meanwhile steam 1 lb. of fresh green beans until bright green and crisp tender. Carefully remove garlic from oil and roughly chop. Take 1 TBS oil from bowl and place in pan, saute the beans in the oil just until a few brown spots appear on beans, salt and pepper to taste.

As for the salad, a pretty fresh spinach salad can become very special and "Christmasy" with a few additions. Add either chopped up apple, or pear (leave the peel on) or sliced fresh strawberries, some very thinly sliced red onion and some glazed walnuts, use the potato peeler to add thin ribbons of carrot. As for the dressing, a good raspberry vinaigrette would be a good choice. The pretty green salad looks festive in a crystal bowl and the slightly sweet salad pairs nicely with ham.

Hope this helps and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

Sounds yummy - when should I arrive? :-)

For real though - how about some greens such as Sauteed Garlic Asparagus! Here is the link to the recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sauteed-gar...

Stuffed mushrooms are good too - and can double as both an appetizer and side dish:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Super-Sausa...

Merry Christmas!

Steamed whole green beans - you can buy them frozen - seasoned with butter, salt, pepper and a dash of garlic; broccoli and cauliflower in cheese sauce; baby carrots in a ginger glaze...

Ginger and Honey Glazed Carrots
Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients
6 cups water
3 pounds young, small carrots with tops trimmed to 2 inches, peeled or scrubbed, or 3 pounds packaged peeled baby carrots
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a 12- or 14-inch heavy skillet bring water to boiling. Add carrots. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 to 12 minutes or until carrots are just tender. Drain carrots. Carefully turn out onto prepared baking sheet. (When green tops are left on carrots during cooking, they become very fragile. As the carrots cook, some of the tops may come off.) Pat dry with additional paper towels.

2. To glaze carrots, in the same heavy skillet combine margarine, honey, ginger, and salt. Stir constantly over medium heat until margarine is melted. Carefully add carrots. Toss gently for 2 to 3 minutes or until carrots are thoroughly coated with glaze and heated through completely.

3. To serve, arrange carrots in a shallow bowl or on a platter; drizzle with remaining glaze from pan. Makes 12 servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Carrots may be cooked, cooled, covered, and refrigerated up to one day ahead. Bring to room temperature (takes about 1 hour) when ready to glaze. Heat carrots in glaze for 4 to 5 minutes.

This one's always delicious and very festive looking.

Christmas Eve Salad

2 medium oranges, pared and sectioned
2 medium bananas, sliced
1 (8 1/4 ounce) can sliced beets, drained (reserve liquid)
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve juice)
1/2 jicama, pared and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds or sliced radishes
1 tablespoon aniseed
1 tablespoon sugar

Place oranges, bananas, beets, pineapple and jicama in bowl.

Mix reserved beet liquid, pineapple juice, the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons sugar and the salt; pour over fruit.

Let stand 10 minutes; drain.

Arrange fruit on shredded lettuce. Garnish with lime, peanuts and pomegranate seeds.

Mix aniseed and 1 tablespoon sugar; sprinkle over salad.

Yields 8 to 10 servings.

Margarita Fruit Salad
1 small cantaloupe, scooped into balls or cut into small pieces

1 small honeydew melon, scooped into balls or cut into small pieces

2 small oranges, peeled and sectioned

1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

1 mango, peeled and diced

2 C. strawberries, hulled and halved

1/2 C. granulated sugar

1/3 C. orange juice

6 Tb. Tequila

6 T. orange liqueur

3 T. lime juice

1 C. unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

Combine cantaloupe, melon, oranges, grapefruit, mango and strawberries and set aside.

In a small saucepan heat the sugar and orange juice over medium heat. Stir for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Stir in tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice. Let cool.

Combine with fruit.

Refrigerate for at least two to four hours.

Just before serving sprinkle with coconut.

Serves 8 to 12.


Roasted Pepper Salad

Dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Purée oils with garlic and onion in a blender. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a large jar with a lid. Combine with the remaining dressing ingredients and shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Vegetables
Combination of 4 mild green chiles,
poblano, New Mexico and Anaheim, roasted
1 red bell pepper, roasted
1 green bell pepper, roasted
1 yellow bell pepper, roasted
Crumbled Cotija or aged Monterey Jack or
grated Monterey Jack cheese
Romaine or other sturdy lettuce leaves
for garnish (optional)

Slice the chiles and bell peppers into ribbons about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange them decoratively on a serving platter. Pour the dressing over the chiles and scatter the cheese on top. Garnish with lettuce around the plate's edge.

I think this Green Bean Rice Casserole would be a very nice addition..

Green Bean Rice Casserole
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped red pepper
3 cups cooked brown rice (cooked in chicken broth)
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen French-style green beans, thawed
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp tarragon
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add almonds; stir until lightly browned. Add onion and red pepper; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add rice, green beans, white pepper and tarragon. Stir until thoroughly heated.

I wish I could help you, this is not my best department. My best suggestion is, it's all in the presentation, table cloth, napkins, centerpiece etc. I am so impressed with every ones suggestions. Sorry, but your dinner sounds yummy.





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