Christmas Day Breakfast Yorkies

Thanks to another synchro mom, this recipe joined our Christmas repertoire this year.  She calls it puffy pancake, but it seemed a lot like a breakfast version of yorkshire pudding to us.  It's easy and great!

Breakfast Yorkshire Pudding (aka Puffy Pancake)

2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2-4 tbsp butter
4 eggs
1 c milk
1 c flour

Preheat oven to 425F.

Mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.

Place butter in a 9x13 pan and warm in oven until melted.

In the meantime, whisk together eggs, milk and flour.  As soon as butter is out of the oven, pour in egg mixture, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and return to oven.

Cook for 20-22 minutes until puffed.

Serve on its own, or with maple syrup, fruit and/or whipped cream.

Green Beans in Snail Butter

We prepared these buttery, garlicky green beans at Easter and they have been requested for Christmas as well.  Thanks to David Lebovitz's My Paris Kitchen.

Green Beans in Snail Butter

1 lb green beans, tips removed
2-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 c finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Steam green beans until tender crisp. Drain and wrap in kitchen towel until ready to use.  (This step can be done ahead and the beans kept in the refrigerator.)

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes being sure not to brown. Stir in the parsley, salt, and generous grinds of black pepper. Add green beans and stir until the beans are completely cooked/warmed and coated with the garlicky butter. Sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice over the beans, toss a few more times in the butter, and serve.

Crisp Lemony Roasted Potatoes

This potato recipe comes from the fabulous Ruth Reichl and her newest book - My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life.  It's a NYT bestseller and NPR calls it one of the best books of the year.  I agree.  (Last minute Christmas idea?!) Also, this technique leads to some absolutely delicious roasted tatties, and it's easy.  What's not to like?

Smashed Lemon Roasted Potatoes

2 lb baby potatoes
3 c chicken stock
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Olive oil
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 400F.

Put the potatoes in a saucepan with chicken stock, lemon zest and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 8 minutes.

Drain potatoes, picking out the lemon zest and saving it for later.

Place potatoes on an over tray and gently flatten.  Toss with olive oil and reserved lemon zest. Roast for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp, golden and irresistible.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Christmas Eve Cheese Fondue

Today was the day for the big Christmas grocery run.  But when I clicked on the link to the recipe for our now traditional Christmas Eve Crockpot Cheese Fondue (to ensure I got the right ingredients), it was broken!  I emailed the webmaster at the Calgary Herald, where the recipe was first published, and within an hour he'd saved our Christmas Eve by providing me with a copy of the recipe.  I am sharing it here so it is not lost again.  We'll be enjoying this with Hugh's caesar salad on the night of the 24th.  Easy and no fail.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Crockpot Cheese Fondue

1 clove garlic, halved 
1 3/4 cups (425 mL) dry white wine
2 cups (500 mL) shredded Emmental cheese (8 oz/250g)
2 cups (500 mL) shredded Gruyere cheese (8 oz/250 g)
1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
Pinch each pepper and grated nutmeg

Rub inside of slow cooker with cut sides of garlic; discard garlic. Turn slow cooker to high. Cover and heat until insert is hot, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring wine to a boil. In large bowl, toss together Emmental, Gruyere and flour; set aside.
Pour wine into slow cooker. Add cheese mixture by handfuls, stirring thoroughly after each addition.
Cover and cook on high until cheese is melted, about 30 to 45 minutes. 
Stir in pepper and nutmeg.

Butternut Squash Soup

This is perhaps the easiest and tastiest squash soup ever.  Thanks to Ruth Reichl's new book My Kitchen Year.  Enjoy on this beautifully crisp fall day!  (And find yourself a copy of the book too - it's lovely.)

Butternut Squash Soup

1 stalk celery
2 carrots
1 pound butternut squash
1 onion
1/2 pound waxy potatoes, peeled
olive oil 
salt

Chop vegetables.  Saute celery, carrots and onion in olive oil for approximately 10 minutes, until soft.  Add squash and potatoes, along with 2 1/2 cups water and 1-2 tsps salt.  Simmer for about 1/2 hour until it's all soft, then puree. 

Ruth recommends drizzling with olive oil and balsamic, or topping with diced apples or walnuts.

Spaghetti with Arugula Pesto

Hugh Acheson's recipe for arugula pesto from The Broad Fork is wonderful.  The kids love it and I make great batches of it, often freezing the pesto in meal sized containers to be used later for a quick pasta meal or to top homemade pizza.  Hugh's recipe calls for thinly sliced salami added at the end.  Feel free to add it if you wish.  He suggests 2 ounces.  Instead, I sometimes add roasted cherry tomatoes, or serve alongside Jamie Oliver's Mothership Tomato Salad.  Mmmmm!

Spaghetti with Arugula Pesto

Sea salt, to taste

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

3 cups arugula, washed and pat dry

1 garlic clove

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for shaving

½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

3 ice cubes

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zest only

1 pound dried spaghetti

In a blender or food processor, combine 2 cups of the arugula, 2 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts, garlic, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1 teaspoon sea salt, pepper, and ice.  Blend on high for one minute then slowly add olive oil.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and, once the pesto is smooth, add the lemon zest, stir, and set aside.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water to al dente. Drain the pot into a colander and add the pasta right back to the pot.  While the pasta is still hot, add the pesto, the remaining 1 tablespoon of pine nuts, the remaining 1 cup of arugula and season with salt.  Combine the ingredients over low heat for about 30 seconds.

Serve with shaved parmesan and, if desired, thinly sliced salami.  Or, stir in some roasted cherry tomatoes for some colour and sweetness.  That's what I like to do.

Lime Coconut Squares

Another fabulous Lucy Waverman recipe from the Globe and Mail which we tried for the first time over the Christmas holiday.  These squares are fabulous, and quick and easy to make.  The only change I've made from the original recipe is to stipulate using unsalted butter.  If you use salted butter, you might want to reduce or omit the addition of salt.  I also think the recipe works just as well with regular unsweetened (as opposed to toasted) coconut.

Lime Coconut Squares

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup icing sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon grated lime rind
¼ cup lime juice
½ cup toasted coconut
3 tablespoons icing sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease an 8-inch square pan and line it with parchment paper. 
Cream together unsalted butter, icing sugar, flour and salt in a bowl until blended. Pat into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until it turns a creamy colour.
Beat together eggs, granulated sugar, flour, lime rind and juice in a bowl until well combined. Stir in coconut. Pour topping mixture over pre-baked base. 
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until set. 
Sift liberally with icing sugar while still warm (if using). 
Cool in pan before cutting.