Gourmet Dinner for Two on Christmas Day

Menus and Recipes for a Gourmet Meal on December 25th

© Marie Brannon

Jun 21, 2009

Imagine the yuletide colors that will show up on the table when you serve parsley soup with dumplings, sautéed endive and Romaine salad, pork loin with vegetable mélange, snow peas with cashews, potatoes with caraway mustard butter, and a simple custard for dessert.

Appetizer: Parsley Soup with Saffron Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 3 cups canned chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising)
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• 1½ teaspoons milk
• 2 teaspoons beaten egg

Directions:

1. Cook the onion and butter until soft.
2. Add the parsley and cook the mixture for about three minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth and simmer for about fifteen minutes.
4. While that is simmering, sift the flour, baking powder, saffron and a pinch of salt.
5. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the egg and the milk.
6. Stir this mixture until it forms a stiff dough.
7. Drop the dumplings into the soup, one rounded quarter-teaspoon at a time.
8. After the dumplings rise to the surface, cover the pan and simmer for two minutes on each side or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Salad: Sautéed Endive and Romaine

Ingredients:

• 1 pound romaine, rinsed, dried and chopped
• 1 Belgian endive, trimmed and chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ teaspoons minced garlic

Directions:

1. Cook the garlic in the oil for half a minute
2. Add the romaine and the endive and stir them well to coat with oil
3. Cook over moderate heat for six or seven minutes while stirring constantly
4. When they are wilted and tender, season with salt and pepper to taste

Entrée: Pork Loin with Vegetable Mélange

Ingredients:

• ½ pound whole boneless pork loin, butterflied and halved crosswise
• 1 small stalk of celery with leaves, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1 small onion, quartered
• ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a food processor puree the celery, garlic, onion and bell pepper
2. Transfer the puree to a small bowl and stir in the salt.
3. Broil the pork halves in a flameproof pan for approximately ten minutes
4. Turn the pork halves over and spread them with 2/3 of the vegetable puree
5. Spoon the remaining puree around the pork.
6. Broil for another eight to ten minutes or until thermometer registers 150F
7. Transfer the food to a heated serving dish
8. Add ½ cup water to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the sides and reducing the liquid to about 1/3 cup.
9. Strain the sauce into a small bowl, pressing hard on the solids, and spoon it around the pork

Side Dish: Snow Peas with Cashews and Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces snow peas with strings discarded
• 4 teaspoons crushed unsalted dry roasted cashews
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon crumbled dried basil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup red peppers cut into ¼ inch strips

Directions:

1. Stir the vinegar, basil, black pepper and oil until emulsified
2. Add the red pepper strips and let them marinate for about ten minutes
3. In a pan of boiling water blanch the peas for ten seconds then drain them
4. Rinse them under cold water and pat them dry
5. Arrange the peas and pepper strips on plates and drizzle the dressing over them
6. Sprinkle the cashews across the vegetables as shown in the photo

Side Dish: Potatoes with Caraway Mustard Butter

Ingredients:

• ½ pound red boiling potatoes cut into ½ inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons minced scallion greens
• ¼ teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed fine
• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• ½ teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Cream the butter, caraway seeds, scallions and mustard in a bowl.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste
3. In a heavy skillet heat the oil and sauté the potatoes for ten to twelve minutes, until tender
4. Toss the potatoes with the butter mixture in a serving bowl

With its green and red holiday colors, this festive meal will surely show off your culinary skills and put your guest in a holiday mood. A custard dessert and some chilled white wine will add a comforting touch to the gourmet meal. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day Dinner for Two

Snow Peas and Bell Peppers Make Festive Dish

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