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.