The Ultimate Christmas Party by Wesley
This menu serves 12
Christmas Shrimp
Rosemary Fillet on French bread
Stuffed Snow Peas and Cherry Tomatoes
Sherry Cheese Pate
Brie and Basil Pizzas
Hot Crab Tassies
Asparagus Roll-Ups
The Best Cookie, Ever
Christmas Shrimp:
1 medium red bell pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ lbs large shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Chinese red chili oil
¼ cup minced fresh chives or scallion greens
Roast the pepper directly over a gas flame or under the broiler as close
to the heat as possible, turning until charred all over, about 5 minutes. Place
the pepper in a paper bag, fold to close and let steam for 10 minutes. Scrape
off the skin with a knife and rinse briefly to remove burned bits. Remove the
stem and seeds, mince and set aside. In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons
of the oil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, turning until opaque and
firm, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Reduce the heat to moderately low and add the ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring,
until fragrant and starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Scrape the ginger mixture
into a small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, lime juice, and salt. Whisk
in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the hot oil. Pour the mixture over
the cooled shrimp, stir to coat and let sit for at least 1 hour to let the flavors
marry. At serving time stir in the minced red pepper and chives. Serve with
toothpicks.
Rosemary Fillet on French bread:
1 3-lb beef tenderloin, room temperature
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Rosemary to taste (fresh or dried)
1 large loaf of French bread
Watercress, for garnish
Herb butter:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub the tenderloin with salt, pepper, and rosemary
and place in a shallow metal baking pan. Bake for approximately25 to 30 minutes.
Let the meat cool completely before chilling.
To make the herb butter, chop the herbs in a food processor then add the
butter and mix well.
To serve, slice the bread into ¼ inch slices, spread with herb butter and
top with cold thinly sliced beef. Garnish with a watercress sprig.
Stuffed Snow Peas and Cherry Tomatoes:
Rondle, Allouette, or Boursin cheese (cheapest)
Snow peas
Cherry tomatoes
You’ll need about ½ to 1 teaspoon of cheese per bite. So plan accordingly.
String the peas and blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds then run under
cold water to stop the cooking. Slit them open on one side. Put the cheese into
a pastry bag and squirt into the peas, or you can spoon it in but that takes
awhile.
For the tomatoes, take a sharp knife and cut out the center to form “cups”.
Turn them up side down on paper towels to drain for 30 minutes. Pipe or spoon
some of the cheese into the tomatoes.
You need to sprinkle the tomatoes with lemon pepper. You then can arrange
them on a silver platter. I form a tree with the tomatoes and have the snow
peas stick out the sides. You can just play around.
Sherry Cheese Pate:
2 3-oz packs of cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 teaspoons dry sherry
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 8-oz jar mango chutney, chopped
4 green onions, including tops, finely chopped
Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sherry, curry powder, and salt; mix
thoroughly. Spread on serving platter, shaping one-half-inch thick. Chill 30
minutes or until firm. Spread chutney over the top and sprinkle with green onions
to cover. Serve with wheat thins.
Basil and Brie Pizzas:
Small Boboli pizza crusts (or homemade)
Purchased Marinara sauce
Brie cheese, well chilled
Fresh basil
Once again you will have to determine your own proportions, but I trust
in you. Spread the sauce over the pizza crust and top with sliced Brie. Bake
these at 350 degrees about 12 minutes or until the cheese melts, then top with
about a tablespoon full or sliced (not chopped) fresh basil. Cut these into
sixths and pass on a silver platter.
Crab Tassies:
½ cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound crabmeat
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped celery
2 small scallions, finely chopped
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
Dash of Tabasco
Cream butter and cream cheese. Stir in flour and salt. Roll into 24 small
balls and chill 1 hour. Press into tiny muffin tins, about 1 ¾ inch in diameter.
Mix crab with remaining ingredients. Spoon into unbaked shells and bake
at 350 degrees until golden, approximately 30 minutes.
Asparagus Roll-Ups:
12 slices white bread, crust removed
1 container (8 oz) whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons chives
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 can (15 oz) asparagus spears
¼ cup butter, melted
Parmesan cheese
Use a rolling pin to flatten each slice of bread. Combine cream cheese,
chives, and bacon; stirring well. Spread mixture over bread covering to the
edges. Place 2 (1 if large) asparagus spears on each slice; roll and place seam
side down on greased cookie sheet. Brush bread with melted butter and sprinkle
with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 12 minutes. Makes 12
The Best Cookie (otherwise known as Christmas macaroons)
8 oz can almond paste, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 cup sugar
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
Candied cherries, green and red, cut into quarters
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, with paddle attachment, beat together
the almond paste and half of the sugar for 4 minutes until it looks like fine
crumbs. Add remaining sugar and continue beating for 4 more minutes. Whisk the
egg whites with the vanilla to break them up. With mixer on low speed add about
one quarter of the egg whites. As soon as it is absorbed add more. Continue
until all has been added. Mix until the paste is smooth and sticks to the bottom
of the bowl. No longer. This should take about 1 minute. With a plain tube ¼
to ½ inch, pipe circles of paste onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Or you
can spoon and smooth it. Put a piece of cherry on each cookie. Let them sit
at room temperature to dry for one hour before baking. Bake at 375 degrees on
the middle rack for about 10 minutes or until golden, firm on the rims and soft
in the center. Cool them on the pans.
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