Christmas Holiday

Food and Christmas go hand in hand.  Every family have their favorites, be it based on taste or history, sweets or snacks, or the gathering around the table, holidays are best when there is an abundance of delicious food!    Forgive me for lack of photos; I cooked a good deal for family and the photo taking was a task I either kept forgetting or I was multi-tasking and couldn't manage! Our Christmas dinner revolves around a Prime Rib of Beef.  If you have never roasted this wonderful cut, do not be intimidated.  It is probably the easiest main dish you can make.  However, it is our splurge as it is a bit pricey.  I use every bit of it though.  As I type this, the leftover rack of rib bones is roasting in the oven to create homemade stock!  Roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding (which I must admit, was not the usual light, high 'gravy catchers' as they are called here, due to my struggling oven) and vegetables are the norm for our holiday meal.  I change up the salad and side vegetables to put an annual twist on the meal.  I chose a variety of root vegetables to roast:

Roasted Root Vegetables
(no need to print!)

Suggested-
5 Carrots
4 Parsnips
6 small Turnips
Olive Oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
Dill weed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Clean, peel and chop all vegetables.  Try to keep all as close to equal sizes as possible.
Lay vegetables on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring half way through.
Sprinkle with dill when the tray comes out of the oven and serve.

These were a hit because the dish was empty!

I knew I was taking salad to a family dinner the next day.  So I chose 2 similar salad recipes that would allow me to combine some of the ingredients and save a bit of time and money.  Again, both of these salads were a thumbs up.  With so much food on the table and much of it rich and savory, these simple salads with light citrus dressings were appreciated.

Sweet and Spicy Marmalade Salad

1 c. toasted chopped walnuts
6 c. chopped Romaine lettuce
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 T. orange marmalade
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. chopped fresh Rosemary, or 1/2 tsp. dried
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 c. olive oil

Place lettuce, onions and toasted walnuts in a large bowl.
Whisk the marmalade, crushed red pepper, rosemary and vinegar in a small bowl.
Whisking slowly pour in olive oil until you have the preferred consistency.
Toss the salad with the dressing until all is coated.

Greens with Goat Cheese and Oranges

1/3 c. toasted chopped walnuts
8 c. of mixed greens
2 oranges
2 shallots, sliced in rings
5 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Pinch of sugar
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Cut away the peels of the oranges.  Over a small bowl to catch the juice, cut out the segments of the oranges.
Place greens, orange segments, shallots and walnuts in a large bowl.
Whisk the vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar with the juice in the small bowl.  Slowly drizzle in the oil while still whisking.
Pour the dressing over the lettuce mixture and toss to coat.  Top with the goat cheese to serve.

I wish I had taken photos for you.  I even forgot to photo the table laden with delicious food and festive with my snowman dishes.  The setting was perfect. With the Christmas tree sparkling in the background, the wine glasses filled, the blessing said and everyone enjoying my day's labor in the kitchen, the holiday gathering was everything any mom hopes for as a perfect Christmas!