I don’t know about you but I’m a sucker for the holidays. I don’t know whether it’s the fact that the year is about to end and people generally tend to be up for a good time, or whether I’m just a sucker for the many opportunities for celebration and fun.
The holiday season is a time for family, friends, and good food. As a home cook, you may find yourself in charge of preparing a holiday meal for your loved ones. I’m an American that has spent little of her adult like in the United States of America and I consider it a real privilege to finally be able to experience my culture at home. As a result, I’ve set myself a challenge this holiday season: to learn and perfect the following recipes (please do share your own recipes in the comments section. I’ll be excited to try them and post my review here).
Full of flavor and a rich, smooth filling, Pumpkin pie is a quintessential fall dessert (especially on a Thanksgiving spread). It is definitely a holiday favorite, and when executed well, a delicious end to any meal, leaving you feeling satisfied and content.
This recipe seems simple enough, as it only requires ten ingredients (pie crust, salt, eggs, evaporated milk, pumpkin puree, ginger powder, light brown sugar, nutmeg, clove powder, and cinnamon powder). Ideally, I prefer the idea of making my own pumpkin puree, but I’m honest about myself and my abilities and I’m new to baking, so pumpkin puree it is!
This recipe requires even less ingredients (pecans, sugar, flour, milk, eggs, butter, vanilla and pie crust). I had to do a little searching because the majority of traditional Pecan pie recipes include corn syrup – which I do not consume for personal health reasons.
Pecan pie is great for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and pairs really well with vanilla ice cream.
Mulled Wine
The origins of mulled wine can be traced back to the Roman Empire (20 AD) when it was called ‘Conditum Paradoxum’. To make it, the Romans put honey in wine to boil, then added spices (pepper, laurel and saffron), and dates. The mixture was then mixed with better wine to soften the taste.
However, mulled wine was made popular for the festive (Christmas) season during the 1890s, especially in Germany. For me, as soon as the temperature drops, mulled wine becomes a warming and comforting staple in the evenings. Each country adds its unique combination of ingredients, but for this season, I think I’d like to develop my own.
Here are some examples:
- Hungarian: local wine, Egri Bikaver (a Kekfankos-based wine blend characterized by notes of spice and fruit), cinnamon and cloves.
- Bulgarian: adds honey, apples and citrus fruit to red wine.
- Swedish: red wine, sugar, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger and cloves. Vodka, aquavit (a Nordic spirit) or brandy is sometimes added for an extra kick.
Sunny Anderson’s Butterflied Cornish Hens with Sage Butter
I love Sunny Anderson because her recipes are always delicious and really easy to prepare. I also love Cornish Hens because the idea of everyone having their own bird really appeals to me. It’s the perfect size for an individual helping.
Sage is reminiscent of the holiday season (think: stuffing…) and it pairs incredibly well with poultry. In fact, I use it quite a bit when preparing all kinds of poultry.
Pro Tip: add it to your seasoned flour when you’re making Southern Fried Chicken for an added umami flavor.
As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m not much of a baker, nor a breakfast maker, but these gingerbread waffles sound delicious (especially if you pair it with good-quality maple syrup). This particular recipe was developed by Rachel Ray, and I’m definitely looking forward to enjoying it with some scrambled eggs and bacon.
Roasted Fresh Ham with Cider Glaze
Roasted ham is traditionally served during the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter) and including it on the menu really helps create a “Wow!!” factor. It is also excellent for leftovers. Personally, I use it in different sandwiches, but it can also be repurposed in a number of ways, including in Casseroles and pasta dishes.
To be completely honest, I think every chef and home cook needs a decent roast Ham recipe in their repertoire (provided you eat pork, that is!!) and finding a recipe you and your family love may take some ‘trial and error’ but is definitely worth it in the long run.
Apart from mulled wine, I have been searching for my signature cocktail and this holiday season is dedicated to the Clementine Cosmo. This vodka-based drink is super easy to prepare and the color is so pretty.
Raspberry Trifle with Rum Sauce
My usual holiday dessert is Tiramisu, but I’m stepping out of my comfort zone this year. After a quick search on Google, I settled on this beautiful looking dessert and I can’t wait to try it out. My flatmates are mostly vegetarian, so hopefully, this it will please everyone.I feel lucky that they’ve offered to taste what they can and provide feedback.
What are some of your favorite go-to holiday recipes? I’d love to test them out. Send links in the comments section and I’ll definitely respond.
Enjoy!
Orana Eats: Food | Wellbeing | Travel 