As a Matter of Food

Planning my Christmas dinner menu has been harder than I anticipated. Now I’m down to planning just the big Christmas Eve dinner. My family, being of Asian decent and having lived in Europe, we make a bigger deal about Christmas Eve than Christmas morning. We would eat and go to midnight mass and then come home and open presents. Luckily, my husband’s family and he follow the Christmas Day tradition. So it’ll work out just wonderfully! We’ll spend Christmas Eve at our house, have my parents and siblings come over. We’ll head out to midnight mass and then come home and open presents. Christmas Day we’ll head up to the mountains to spend time with his family. Sounds pretty simple, but it isn’t. Some of you probably can relate to how I feel. Unless we have access to and can afford a personal shopper, a maid, a chauffeur, and a chef, things just get away from us. My ambitions of throwing a get-together for our friends and then Christmas Eve dinner for my family was great, but now looking at our work schedule and some of the things we have to do (not food related at all), it just doesn’t seem realistic anymore.

If I find time to have a small gathering with friends, I’ll go with hors d’oeuvres only and drinks. I have a few drink recipes up my sleeve as well. I can always whip up a pretty mean Long Island Iced Tea that’s really yummy and of course my wide array of martinis. (I learned these from my days of working my part-time job at Tabouleh Mediterranean Restaurant in Gaithersburg, MD) I think that would be fun!

I am planning on something really scrumptious for a main course for my Christmas Eve dinner. I’m going to prepare a Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding. Here’s a recipe:

Roast Beef
Serves 8

1 Prime Rib of Beef Joint (6 lbs / 2.7 k)

2 Tsp Dry English Mustard

3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

1 1/4 Cups Red Wine

1 1/4 Cups Beef Stock

2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce (Optional)

Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F / 230 degrees C.
2. Season the meat to taste with salt and pepper. Rub in the mustard and 1 tablespoon of the flour.
3. Place te meat in a roasting pan large enough to hold it comfortably and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C and cook for 15 minutes per 1 lb / 450 g, plus 15 minutes (1 3/4 hours for this joint) for rare beef or 20 minutes per 1 lb / 450 g, plus 20 minutes (2 hours 20 minutes) for medium beef. Baste the meat from time to time to keep it moist, and if the pan becomes too dry, add a little stock or red wine.
4. Remove the meat from the oven and place on a warmed serving plate, cover with foil, and let stand in a warm for 10-15 minutes.
5. To make the gravy, pour off most of the fat from the pan (reserve it for cooking the Yorkshire pudding), leaving behind the meat juices and the sediment. Place the pan on the stove over medium heat and scrape all the sediment from the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle in the remaining flour and quickly mix it into the juices with a small whisk. When you have a smooth paste, gradually add the wine and most of the stock, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to heat a gentle simmer and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the remaining stock, if needed, and a little Worcestershire sauce, if you like.
6. When ready to serve, carve the meat into slices and serve on warmed plates. Pour the gravy into a warmed pitcher and take direct to the table. Serve wit Yorkshire pudding.

Yorkshire Pudding
Serves 4

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F / 220 degrees C.
2. Make a batter with 3 1/2 oz / 100 g plain flour, a pinch of salt, 1 beaten egg and 10 fl / 300 ml milk and water mixed. Allow to stand for half an hour.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp roast beef dripping or olive oil in an 8-inch square roasting tin in the top of the oven.
4. Remove the tin from the oven, pour in the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes until it is puffed up and golden brown.

***Recipe taken from ‘Steaks, Chops, Roasts, & Ribs’ by Parragon Publishing

As much as I love to cook, I must admit I sometimes dislike to do dishes. If it’s one or the other, I’m fine with washing dishes. It may sound silly but it’s soothing and allows me to have time to think or just not think. When I have to do both, I don’t enjoy washing dishes so much. Therefore, I welcome one-pot meals. Less pots to wash, maybe not so much the dishes.

Here’s a stew I put together tonight. I went with the “whatever-I-have-on-hand” concept and cooking without a recipe. That is really how I cook. I really don’t follow recipes and just do it by taste and my knowledge of what spices, sauces, and just flavors in general go together. Freestyle!

• 2 lbs of venison loin, cubed
• 5 stalks of celery, chopped
• 5 large carrots, chopped
• 8 medium sized Red Skinned potatoes, quartered or halved, depending on size
• 1 onion, quartered
• 5 bay leaves
• Ground Cumin
• Garlic Powder
• Salt & Pepper
• All Purpose flour
• Cooking oil
• 2 large cubes of beef bouillon ( 2 cups of beef broth)

1. In a large pot heat oil. Whisk in a 1/4 cup of all purpose flour until it turns a golden color to create a roux (usually done with butter and flour).
2. Add venison which has been coated with 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and brown meat.
3. Add chopped celery and carrots. Stir and cook for 3 – 5 minutes. Then add 4 boiling cups of water or enough to cover meat.
4. Add potatoes, quartered onion, bay leaves, and beef bouillon. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
5. Add about 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.
6. Simmer on low to medium heat for 20 – 25 minutes or until meat and potatoes are tender.
7. Serve with bread.

If you like venison and have access to it, this dish may become a hit!

I have to say I enjoy a good hearty bowl of chili with a nice kick once in a while. One of my favorites is the Texas Chili from Hard Times Cafe. Boy is it scrumptious! Now, I don’t think it’s particularly good for one’s waistline of cardiac health, but still, once in a blue moon I’d roll into a Hard Times Cafe and order either the Texas Chili Frito Pie or the Texas Chili Mac. One year I got so obsessed with that particular Texas Chili I became determined to make it at home. Luckily when I spoke to my waitress who served us on one of those visits, she told me that they packaged the spice mix and sold it! I felt as if I hit the jackpot that day.

So ever since then I’ve gone out to buy the package and gone home and made it. In order to cut down on our fat intake, I use ground venison instead of ground beef. You can also try it with ground turkey, it’s still delicious. The spices you can get either at Hard Times Cafe or I’ve found it at my local Shoppers Food Warehouse.

Venison Texas Chili Mac

2 lbs ground venison (beef or turkey)

One 2-ounce bag of spice mix

One can beef broth or beer

One can of beans (optional)

1. Cook meat in skillet until tender.
2. Add 1/4 cup spice mix as meat is cooking. Stir well.
3. Transfer to chili pot and add beef broth or beer.
4. Mix in remaining spice mix according to taste and simmer covered for at least 30 minutes.
5. As liquid evaporates add water as needed to completely cover meat.
6. Drain each serving with slotted ladle or spoon.
7. For enhanced flavor, refrigerate over night and reheat in double boiler before serving.

Chili Mac:

In a bowl or on an oval platter layer spaghetti, chili, grated cheese, chopped onions, chopped chives, bacon bits, or whatever it is you want to dress it with. Sprinkle with white vinegar (optional). For extra heat mix chopped raw jalapeño peppers with the onions.

***I got this recipe off of the Hard Times Chili Texas Spice Mix box. I modified it a bit with how I dress the chili before I eat it.

Frito Pie:

In a bowl or on an oval platter follow the instructions for the Chili Mac above but use Fritos (original flavor) instead. This will yield a tasty favorite for game day or any other day, with a nice crunch!

I find this to be the quickest and gratifying chili. I have made different chili over the years from scratch. But when I don’t have the time, this is a precise and yummy way to satisfy my craving for a delicious chili, with a kick.