With everything that’s occurred in 2020 so far, it’s enough to simply write off the year and simply wait for 2021. But even if we’re still limited to gatherings of five or less, we can still make a little merry to close out the year. And because that jolly old guy in the red suit probably won’t be making an appearance this year due to social distancing restrictions, we can still adorn with red and green to make merry. I actually bring out my “holiday” socks after Thanksgiving as many years ago, I dyed a whole pack of white tube socks with red and green Rit dye that make their appearance from the day after Thanksgiving through the 25th as mismatched siblings then they hibernate into my sock drawer until the following year. Of course, you don’t have to dress with holiday but simply make dishes highlighting those red and green colors…
I found this appetizer on the My Recipes website but reduced the cheese and increased the chopped chives and because I frequently make this at home, use either the Enjoyably Yours fat free or Daisy reduced fat sour cream along with reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese. But if you prefer the real McCoy, it is the holiday season.
Loaded Baked Potato Dip
16 oz sour cream
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 large bunch fresh chives, minced
1 package pre-cooked bacon
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Microwave the bacon just until it starts releasing the fat then roughly chop. Once the bacon cools (so it doesn’t liquefy the sour cream), add it to the sour cream along with the cheese, chives and black pepper then thoroughly mix. The red from the bacon and green chives naturally give it holiday colors. Serve on criss-cross cut fries or potato chips.
Though Ryan’s Grill at the Ward Centre closed almost 3 years ago, I’m sure those who frequented the popular watering hole (as it was in business for 35 years) sampled the crab and artichoke dip with focaccia. So even before they closed, I perused the internet for the crab dip recipe and found this recipe published in the Star Bulletin back in 2007:
2 cups king crab meat
2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups canned artichoke hearts roughly chopped
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 onion thinly sliced
However, the chef at the time acknowledged that the Ryan’s Grill recipe was proprietary so this wasn’t the exact recipe and stated that because they produce 80 pound batches at a time, even the exact recipe couldn’t be scaled down for home consumption. So, I came up with my own reasonable facsimile:
Baked Crab and Artichoke Dip
1 package crab (6 to 8 ounces)
8-ounce frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 small bottle chopped roasted red pepper
2 tbsp minced fresh chives
Cayenne powder to taste
I usually don’t add the roasted red peppers and chives but in the spirit of the season for that red and green… Mix all the ingredients then place in a small baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Serve with toasted slices of focaccia, ciabatta or baguettes.
Everyone probably knows what bread pudding is – cubed bread that’s soaked in a mixture of milk or cream and eggs plus sugar, spices and other sweets then baked to a custardy texture so it’s usually served for dessert. However, the same bread, milk or cream and eggs can be combined to create a savory dish that’s served as a main or side dish. This one dish strata or savory bread pudding is simple to prepare and because it contains protein and carbohydrates can function as your main course alongside a salad. And the roasted red pepper and spinach gives it that holiday red and green.
Strata Italiano
About 4 to 6 cups of ½ cubed stale bread
One package of fresh Italian sausage, 4 to 5 links with casing removed then cooked until brown
1 lb. package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
6 to 8 ounce bottle of roasted red peppers, chopped
4 cups milk
5 eggs, beaten
About 1 cup shredded white melting cheeses (mozzarella, fontina, and/or provolone)
About ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Toss the cubed bread with sausage, spinach, red peppers, cheeses and herbs/seasonings. Mix the eggs with the milk then pour over the bread mixture and let sit for at least 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed into the bread. Sprinkle a little bit of grated Parmesan over the top then bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes until the custard mixture (liquids) are set. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Christmas Libation
Finally, the holiday season isn’t complete without a holiday libation and I’ve never really cared for egg-nog. It simply tastes like melted French vanilla ice cream spiked with booze. How about a white chocolate candy cane instead? I’ll call this Santa’s Medicine…
1 oz Horchata (rum and cream liqueur)
1 oz Godiva white chocolate liqueur or Bailey’s liqueur
½ oz Peppermint Schnapps
1 drop red food coloring
1 drop green food coloring
In a cocktail shaker, mix the three liqueurs and shake or swirl until well chilled. Pour into a wide cocktail glass (coupe). Add the drops of food coloring then use a toothpick and swirl to create your own red and green design.
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