Tidings of Comfort for the Holiday Table

Everybody has their own idea of festive food for the Christmas holiday. For many it's a standing rib roast. For others a baked ham or roasted turkey. Meanwhile we all need other things on the table. So here's to putting pzazz in your meals this month with simple food of glorious color. There's no reason meals have to be as drab as winter weather!

Winter Squash stuffed with Jewel Rice

Jewel rice for stuffing

There are many versions of this celebratory Middle Eastern dish but the shared basics are saffron rice, lots of fresh green herbs, pistachio nuts and seasonal dried fruits stuffed into one orange/red winter squash or another (red kuri, sugar pumpkin). it's a spectacular vegetarian fiesta on the table or the perfect partner for simple roast chicken. 

small sugar pumpkins to stuff

1 lg (2 1/2 lb) red kuri squash--or sugar pumpkin
1 cup (heaping) long grain Basmati or Jasmine rice (rinsed)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
a big pinch of saffron threads
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Peel of 1/3 orange (no pith please), sliced into very thin strips
1/4 cup pistachio nutmeats
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4 cup dried cherries soaked in boiling water 5 minutes and drained
8-10 dried apricots, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 tsp rosewater
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to your taste
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 bunch mint coarsely chopped or 1/2 cup dried mint leaves
1 bunch dill, coarsely chopped
1 lemon cut in wedges for garnish
1 cup thick fresh yogurt for serving

Preheat over to 400º. Soak the saffron threads in 1 tsp hot water.

Wash the squash and microwave it just long enough to soften it so you can put a knife in.
Cut off the stalk end to use as a lid. Scoop out all seeds and strings. Put the lid back on the squash, put the squash on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 1 hour.

Now, put the rice in a pot with just enough water to cover it. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, partially cover the pot and cook 10-12 minutes until all the water is absorbed. (The rice will not be totally cooked, no worries.)

Meanwhile in a wide lidded skillet or casserole, heat oil and butter until butter melts. Stir in coriander, orange peel, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, drained cherries and apricots. Sauté one minute. Add the rice, saffron (with water) and rose water. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn off the heat. Cover the pot with a clean, dry dish towel and press the pan lid down over it to a tight fit. Let the pilaf steam for 10 minutes. Toss in the parsley, dill and mint.

When squash is ready, lift off the lid and fill it with the pilaf, gently stuffing it in. Put the lid back on and put the stuffed squash back in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid to serve. Slice the lemon into wedges. There are two ways to present this: one is to simply put the wedges all around the squash on a serving plate, put 1/4 of the yogurt on top of the pilaf and pass the rest in a separate bowl, and let everybody dig in. Or you can slice a 1/2" thick round off the top of the squash, lay this ring on a plate, fill it with the pilaf, top this with yogurt and place a lemon wedge to one side.


Fennel mandarin salad

Fennel salad with citrus and olives is an Italian tradition. Its crunch, tang and saltiness are a perfect getaway from ordinary lettuce salads. Its colors light up the table, especially with bright green wild arugula as the base. It's an excellent palate cleanser after heavy roasted or grilled meat, baked fish or creamy pasta. And a perfect lead-in to a cheese course. Another lesson in simple as best.
serves 4

1 lg fennel bulb, cleaned and cored
2 seedless mandarins or clementines, peeled and segmented
1 sm or 1/2 med red onion
8-10 Kalamata olives pitted or not
4 oz  wild fresh arugula
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
for the dressing:
3 1/2 tbsp best quality olive oil
1 balsamic vinegar

Chop the fennel into bite sized pieces. Chop some of the feathery fronds for garnish.
Slice the red onion into very thin rings, then half the rings into crescents.
Line the bottom or a large platter or salad bowl with arugula. Top it with the chopped fennel, then the red onion. Spread the mandarin segments and black olives around evenly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste.

Whisk together the oil and vinegar. Lightly dress the salad and serve immediately. (You may or may not need all the dressing but it lasts a long time and is good on any salad. It's the standard dressing.) 

All out winter fruits and frisée salad

This salad really piles on the vivid fruits of winter: orange persimmon, ruby pomegranate, chartreuse avocado, and black olives over crunchy seasonal frisée and caps the celebration with rich umber colored vanilla spiced walnuts for added crunch. Since frisée is typically served in its homeland, France, with bits of crispy bacon, feel free to add it.
serves 4

1 lg head frisée, washed and cored
2 fuyu persimmons, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
1 sm avocado, peeled and chunked
1/4 c pomegranate arils (4 tbsp)
4 pitted dates, chopped
8-10 marinated gigante beans (often at supermarket salad bars)
8-10 Kalamata olives, pitted or not
1/3 c spiced nuts
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
for the dressing:
4 tbsp best quality olive oil, or for a taste change walnut oil
Either 1 tsp fresh lime juice and 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice OR 1 tbsp raspberry vinegar (your taste choice)

Break the frisee into bite sized pieces and line a large salad bowl.
Top with the sliced persimmons, dates, avocado, gigante beans, then the olives and nuts. Scatter the pomegranate arils which should gleam like jewels. Season very lightly with salt and pepper. If you like you can dust with a tiny pinch of nutmeg for tantalizing aroma.

Whisk together the oil and citrus or vinegar. Dress the salad, using only as much as lightly wets the frisee and fruits. Serve immediately.

Polpette al sugo (Meatballs in tomato sauce)

This is one of the most comforting comfort foods I know and red is the color of the moment. So it's perfect to sooth in the holiday frenzy, especially served with garlic mashed potatoes and the fennel salad. This is also one of the easiest recipes. (Photo not mine)
serves 6
for the meatballs
2+ oz crustless white bread, chopped into large crumbs
1/3 c whole milk
1 lb ground lean beef
5 oz ground pork
1 extra lg egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 lg garlic clove, grated or minced
3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

for the tomato sauce
2  13-14 oz cans or boxes San Marzano or Roma (plum) tomatoes
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1/2 med yellow onion, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
Sea salt
1/4 c vegetable broth

In a small bowl, soak the white bread in the milk until soft--2-3 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid and transfer the wet crumbs to a larger bowl. Add the ground beef and pork. Add the beaten egg and mix to combine everything. Stir in the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend everything well. Cover the bowl with clear wrap and refrigerate one hour.

Meanwhile, press the tomatoes through a sieve. (Or else buy chopped or pureed tomatoes to avoid this step.) In a large skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté over med/low heat until soft and translucent, maybe 5-7 minutes. Do not burn. Pour in the tomatoes, reduce heat to low/simmer and simmer 15 minutes to get a dense silky sauce. Season with salt and dried oregano. If it tastes too bland, you can add a pinch of sugar.

Take the meat from the refrigerator and shape it into meatballs the size of a large walnut or a golf ball. Add to the sauce. Cook 5 minutes and roll over. Cook until the meatballs are uniformly brown and totally cooked through, maybe 12 minutes. if the sauce reduces too much, add the vegetable stock. Serve as soon as the meatballs are cooked. You can garnish with chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.

Pumpkin Cornbread

This is a dense, moist, colorful and not at all sweet loaf that travels and freezes well if you don't want to serve it for brunch or dinner with roasted pork or bbq chicken or that big Christmas ham.
makes 2  5 3/4x3 1/4" loaves. These are

1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter
1 tbsp light brown or raw sugar
1/4 c maple syrup
2 extra lg eggs
1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 c mashed, cooked pumpkin (yes, canned is okay)
1/4 c sour cream
3/4 c cornmeal
3/4 c all purpose unbleached flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground cayenne
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350º. Grease two 5 3/4 x 3 1/4" loaf pans.
In the bowl of a food processor or mixer or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar and maple syrup. Add the eggs one by one, pumpkin, sour cream and lemon juice. Beat only long enough to make a smooth batter.

In a med bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, spices and salt. Slowly add this to the wet batter, beating just enough to combine well.  The dough will look like a mousse.  Pour it into the loaf pans and bake at 350º 30-35 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes at least, then invert and continue cooling.
If you wish to have a light glaze, as soon as the loaves come out of the oven you can brush them with maple syrup.

Castilian Chicken with Apples and Prunes
More seasonal comfort, this time from Spain. Easy prep, ordinary ingredients that blend magically. sorry no photo. But don't let that deter you.
serves 4

6 lg chicken thighs with skin on, bone in
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 med yellow onions, thinly sliced then sliced again into crescents
1/2 med red bell pepper, diced
2 lg garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 med carrots, peeled and diced
Salt to your taste
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 bay leaf
3 cooking apples (Macs, Cortland, Macoun, Gala), cored and quartered
8 pitted prunes

Salt the chicken thighs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan/skillet and fry the chicken over medium heat, turning with tongs until golden on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. in the same pan and oil, put the onions, red pepper, garlic and carrots. Raise heat to medium just until they start to soften, maybe 2 minutes, then lower heat until they are soft. Add salt to your taste. Return the chicken to the pan. Sauté 3 minutes, then add the vinegar. It will bubble. In 2 minutes add 2/3 c water and the bay leaf. Cover the pan and simmer on low/simmer 30 minutes to cook the chicken.

Add the apples and prunes, arranging them between the chicken pieces if you can. Cover the pan again and simmer 20 more minutes until the fruits are soft. Serve hot garnished if you like with minced fresh cilantro, although the Spanish tend not to do that.

More Warmth from the Oven and for Santa

Nothing beats heating up the oven in these exceedingly cold dark days to bake heart and soul warming treats.  So here are a few more super easy, glamorous and tasty tricks for treating yourself, your loved ones and Santa himself.  So easy kids can do this too.

Chocolate Truffle Fruit Cake

Forget those old fashioned brandy soaked fruitcakes nobody wants to eat. This is solid chocolate and butter studded with nuts and dried fruits, so rich you can only eat it in very thin slices. In the fridge tightly wrapped in foil and then a plastic bag, it will last a month. And what a gift to give! If that isn't enough, it's ridiculously easy and foolproof to make.  And what a ho ho ho! it delivers.

This recipe makes a 7" cake. I half it to make two gifts although I have also cut it in thirds to make 3 as it's so rich.

6 oz best dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 large/extra lg eggs, whisked together
1/2 c dried apricots, chopped
1/2 c dried figs, chopped
1/2 c dried pitted dates, chopped
1/4 c pecans, chopped and roasted
1/2 tsp orange flower or rose water
Your spices choice in pinches: ground cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper,

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 6" cake tin with parchment paper up over the sides enough so you can pull the baked cake out of the pan with it.
In a double boiler/bain marie, over boiling water melt the chocolate with the butter. Whisk to blend.
Remove the top pot with the chocolate from the heat. Carefully whisk in the eggs. Stir in the dried fruits and nuts.   Stir in the perfume water and your favorite spice(s) in pinches. Pour into the parchment lined cake pan. Level the top. Bake at 350º 15-20 minutes until the truffle is firm and a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool in the pan before lifting out.
OPTIONAL: You can dust the top with cocoa.              

Dried Fig Cake (Pan de Higos)

I

've posted this recipe before, my quick easy version of the traditional Spanish winter treat made for the cheese tray but a great partner for the tea cup. It's basically dried figs pressed and flattened and layered with raw almonds, seasoned with lively anise and a hint of brandy. So no gluten, no dairy, no worrisome calories either. Sometimes I think of it as the "fig newton" without the newton. You can wrap it in the parchment paper it gets molded in and tie with a glossy red ribbon if it's a gift.
This recipe makes a  5" cake.

12 oz (3/4 lb) dried black mission figs, stems removed
9-10 raw almonds
1 tsp brandy
1/2 tsp anise seed
pinch ground cloves
pinch of ground cinnamon

 Line a 5" pie plate or dish with parchment paper, bringing the paper up over the sides at least 3 inches.
Put the figs into a food processor or chopper with the brandy, cloves and cinnamon. Process to chop the figs into small pieces. Add the almonds and anise seed. Process just until the figs stick together. Carefully remove from the chopper blade and press into the parchment lined pie dish. Press hard and level the top. (You can also press this with your hands into a ball before you press it into the dish.) The point is to get those figs to stick tightly to each other. Cover the figs with the parchment and put a heavy weight on top for 24 hours. (You can use 2 lb cans of tomatoes or soup, a Buddha, pie weights, anything heavy.) 
    Remove the weight.  Turn the cake out of the dish. Check that it is totally solid and readjust the parchment wrapping.  That's it!
 
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Here's a little something for Christmas morning or Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. They were a customer favorite in my bakery. Spicy with season appropriate ginger, giddy with chocolate chips and colorful for the dark times, their staying power makes them even more magical. The flavor improves by the day! Probably though you will want to snatch these straight from the oven while the chips are gooey chocolate. If you want to take them a step further, you can ice the top with whipped cream cheese. Not only are these tasty for breakfast, they're great with afternoon tea or a dinner or roast pork and beans. Santa will love them! And the kids can make them. (Note: not my photo)

makes 10  3" muffins or 12 smaller ones

1/2 c slivered unblanched almonds
1 2/3 c all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c light brown or turbinado raw sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp baking soda
 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 extra lg eggs
1 c plain cooked pumpkin (canned is okay)
1 stick (1/2 c, 4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease 10-12 muffin tins. (see above serving info)
Toast the almonds for 5 minutes at 350º.

In a lg bowl, whisk together flour, spices, orange peel, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In another lg mixing or mixer bowl, beat the eggs, Add pumpkin, sugar and melted butter. Beat to blend completely. Fold in the chocolate chips.  Slowly pour the dry ingredients into these wet ones mixing only enough to combine.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared muffins cups, filling them to the top (these won't rise that much). Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top of each, lightly pressing them in.  Bake at 350º 20-25 minutes or until the top springs back when poked or a cake tester comes out clean.  Invert onto wire racks to cool. 

Warm and well fed

It's the darkest, coldest and possibly busiest time of year. Farm markets don't offer many fresh vegetable options, just mainly roots and greens--which are just what we need now anyway. Still it can be hard with these constraints to feel creative in the pinch so here are a few recipes to pull you through before I return to holiday making treats.

Chicken thighs with quince

Quince is a wonderfully fragrant Mediterranean fruit you can't eat raw so it's prepared many delicious ways. This one is not just simple, tasty and nourishing, it has a touch of festive glamour about it and won't break a budget. if you can't find quince--and it has been in supermarket fresh sections lately because it's in season in California--you can substitute pears and add a dash of rosewater for a similarly fragrant and elegant effect.

Serves 6
1/4 c corn or other vegetable oil (Olive oil might burn)
2 lbs chicken thighs (6-8 depending on their size)
2 med/lg onions, finely diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground chili pepper like Aleppo, meaning semi hot
3 c chicken broth
1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves finely chopped
pinch of saffron threads
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp dark seedless raisins OR 8 pitted dates (these are the "sweetener")
1 lb quince, cut in half, cored, then pieces cut in half again
4 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter

Season the chicken with paprika, chili and black pepper. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and brown it. Flip it with tongs and sauté the other side 5 more minutes to brown it. Remove chicken from the oil and put in the onions. Sauté just long enough to soften: don't burn or brown them, just soften, maybe 3 minutes.

Now put the chicken and onions in a large casserole pot. Season with salt and pepper.  Cover with the chicken broth, adding more or water if you can't get the chicken covered. Add saffron, ginger and cilantro leaves. Add raisins/dates. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cover the pot. Simmer 30-40 minutes until the chicken in close to falling off its bones.

While it's cooking, melt butter/ghee in a small frying or sauté pan. Add the cut quince and sauté 5 minutes. Add to the chicken pot and be sure they're tender before you cut off all the cooking.
Serve with couscous or fregola or freekah or rice. And a crunchy green salad. This is a terrific meal!

Pear, Watercress and Pecorino Salad
This is a light, colorful winter salad to which I often add a few bright red pomegranate arils for a holiday effect. Watercress is very nourishing--a good source of hard to find Vitamin E, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin A-- so don't overlook it in the market.
serves 4

3 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
2 bunches watercress, washed, dried and chopped
1 lg ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
4 oz Pecorino cheese at room temperature (this is a salty Italian sheep cheese like cow milk parmesan)
Optional: 1 tbsp pomegranate arils

In a med/large serving bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper until blended. Add the watercress and toss to dress it.  Divide the salad between 4 plates. Top each with pear slices and optionally pomegranate. With a carrot peeler, shave tin flakes of cheese over each salad. Serve immediately.

Beet Borscht with Beef

For those in the colder climes, here's a very hearty meal in a bowl that carries the festive red color of the season. I was going to include it in January in a winter soup post (A magazine is publishing some of my recipes then) but am throwing it in now because you can assemble it quickly, store it in the fridge for a few days--flavor intensifies--and have a nourishing heartwarming meal that leaves the budget open to more Christmas shopping. This is as old fashioned and fortifying as goodness gets. And you can freeze the leftovers for later in winter.

serves 4 as a meal
2 lbs beef short ribs or shin
5 c water
4 c beef broth
4 med/lg red beets, peeled (wash and chop the greens)
1 tbsp salt
3 med boiling potatoes, peeled and diced into bite size chunks
1 sm carrot, peeed and grated
1/2 sm (3/4 lb) white cabbage, shredded
6 tbsp tomato paste
4 black peppercorns
freshly ground black pepper to your taste
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
to serve: sour cream
1/2 bunch fresh dill, fronds finely chopped (no stems)

In a large soup pot, combine the water and broth. Add the beef. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower heat to low/med, cover the pot and cook 30 minutes.  Add salt and whole red beets. Boil 10 minutes then fish out the red beets with a slotted spoon. Let them cool and while they do add all the remaining ingredients to the soup pot including the beet greens. Continue cooking the soup.  When the beets are cool enough to handle, grate them and add to the soup. Simmer for 1 1/2-2 hrs or until the beef is falling off its bones.
Remove from heat, remove bay leaf and the meatless bones.

Now  you have two options: you can cool the soup to room temperature and refrigerate it overnight or several hours, then skim off the fat that will harden on top--easy way to do this. Reheat and serve. OR you can skim off the fat while the soup is hot and serve it.

To serve: ladle the borscht into very large bowls, top with a dollop of sour cream and a good sprinkle of fresh dill. Provide a side plate, fork and knife for cutting up the large pieces of beef. Dig in and celebrate the season.

Italian Bread Soup with Tomatoes (Pappa al Pomodoro)

More on the festive red theme, this time an elegant way to use up whatever bread you've got lying around haunting you. This amazingly zesty tomato "soup" is actually as thick as bread pudding so think of it as a momentary and seasonally robust alternative to ordinary tomato sauced pasta, a fortifying dish to keep you going to all the parties and shopping orgies of the season.

serves 4-5
2 leek or med onions
1/4 c olive oil
2 c crushed tomatoes (canned or boxed is fine)
pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 lb (about 1/2 round loaf) crusty bread, going stale is fine
1 3/4 c beef broth  (if you are vegetarian use a hearty vegetable broth)
1/2 c coarsely grated parmesan, pecorino or asiago cheese
To Garnish: fresh basil leaves
1/4 c best quality olive oil

If using leeks, cut them in 1/4" disks and wash thoroughly, then drain. If using onions, peel and cut into very thin rings.

In a heavy gauge casserole, heat olive oil over med heat, add leeks/onions and sauté over med/low heat 10-12 minutes to soften and begin to caramelize. Add tomatoes and dried basil, stirring to blend. Add crushed chili flakes, black pepper and pinch of salt. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

While that's happening, cut the bread into 1/2" cubes, crust and all. Heat the beef broth to a boil in a saucepan.
When the tomatoes have simmered 30 minutes add the bread cubes, stirring to blend. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the boiing broth, stirring the blend. Then quickly remove from heat. Add the cheese but do not stir it in. Cover the casserole and let it stand 1 hour.

Open it up, stir and taste for salt and pepper, adjusting if necessary.
Serve it either lightly reheated over the lowest flame or at room temp as it is. Top with chopped fresh basil leaves and 1-2 tsp best olive oil on each serving.  With a crunchy green salad topped by olives, you're good to go.

A Forgotten Fabulous Holiday Baking Treat

I forgot to include Greek kourabeides, almond butter cookies often made for holidays, in the last post. They are very festive and eye catching, the powdered sugar coating reminiscent of snow. These yummy round butter balls are also sometimes known as Mexican wedding cookies but they're best for right now as a holiday treat. And again, easy enough to do with the kids. I've been making these so long I included this recipe in my first ever book, Captn's Cook, The Captain's Cookbook.

makes 5 dozen

1 lb sweet butter
1/2 c powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1 egg yolk
1 jigger cognac or brandy
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 c chopped almonds
4 c unbleached all purpose flour
Optional: some people including me add a pinch of ground cloves
3 c powdered (confectioner's sugar)

Preheat oven to 300º. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or else grease them with butter.

In a mixer or processor with paddle, blend the butter and 1/2 c powdered sugar until creamy and light. Add egg yolk, cognac/brandy, vanilla, almond extract and chopped almonds. Add the pinch of cloves if you choose to. Process until the almonds are pasty and the mixture is blended. Gradually add in the flour to form a soft dough. Roll pieces of dough in your floured hands to make walnut size balls and place them in a single layer on the cookie sheets.  Bake 20 minutes or until golden, not really browned. Cool on racks. Put the 3 c powdered sugar in a large bowl and roll each cookie in it to coat. Store or pack in airtight tins.