What is your Yule dinner menu?

[WitchOfEndor]

Thanks for the info. I am Type 1, or LADA I think it's called. Pancreas is kaput. My endo is evil & if he had it his way, I think he prefer I not eat at all. LOL I'm only 95 pounds, would like to gain some weight but have'nt figured out how without jacking the blood sugar.

Sorry I hijacked the thread.

[~Audra~]

i'm doing a sausage casserole for work...i'll do a yule breakfast the day of because i have to work the rest of the day, my own private celebration...

[cydira]

The yule celebratory meal is a bit delayed because life happened. We're having venison stew (we're eating the raindeer! woo!) with carrots and a few other veggies. I'm going to try to get some squash as well. I'm not sure if I want acorn squash or something else. I'm also going to bake some bread. So, the yule celebratory meal is going to be on christmas eve. :P

[Deerwoman]

Mmmm it sounds like everyone went all out for their Yule feasts.

Hubby and I had our witchy friends over on the 21st for a big buffet feast. I was cooking for 3 days... Duck confit, mushroom quiche (with goat cheese, pine nuts and caramelized onions), onion quiche, roast potato salad with balsamic vinegar, mixed greens salad with pears and nuts, homemade braided Challah bread, tortiere (French-Canadian staple), and of course desserts which were linzer cookies, cherry chocolate truffle squares and a heaping fruit and cheese platter. It was so yummy - I'm still eating the leftovers and I'm not complaining about it!

[aluokaloo]

Brown sugar ham, garlic mashed potatoes, sage stuffing, Broccoli with cheese sauce, brussle sprouts, cranberry orange relish, home made rolls, chocolate cream pie, banana cream pie & apple pie. Egg Nog. All of which I make myself & cannot eat cuz of my newly diagonosed type 1 diabetes. Oh yeah, I'm gonna be a miserably moody biotch that day. LOL Holly Jolly xmas my ass, I wanna eat too!! {POUT}

sounds delicious!

[WitchJezebel]

Mmmm it sounds like everyone went all out for their Yule feasts.

Hubby and I had our witchy friends over on the 21st for a big buffet feast. I was cooking for 3 days... Duck confit, mushroom quiche (with goat cheese, pine nuts and caramelized onions), onion quiche, roast potato salad with balsamic vinegar, mixed greens salad with pears and nuts, homemade braided Challah bread, tortiere (French-Canadian staple), and of course desserts which were linzer cookies, cherry chocolate truffle squares and a heaping fruit and cheese platter. It was so yummy - I'm still eating the leftovers and I'm not complaining about it!

Oooooh, someone who cooks like I do! I see you're pretty new, welcome Deerwoman!

I love love LOVE duck confit altho I don't make it at home often because it's just me there.

My Yule dinner was roasted pork with the crunchy cracklin' skin, roasted potatoes with roasted garlic and caramelized onions; brussels sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta; apple relish. I also started with an endive & arugula salad. For dessert I made cranberry bread puddings. It was a small affair so I didn't make loads of food, there was only 4 of us.

[Deerwoman]

Thanks for the welcome!

Hehehe, once upon a time I was a professional cook and a huge food snob. I'm not as particular anymore but I still know how to appreciate damn fine cooking - your feast sounds like it was as delicious as it was well thought out, yum... when can I come over for dinner?

OMG! I can't believe it, someone else who gets Chef Ramsey and who hates Rachel Ray! I thought I was the only one who couldn't stand her....

[WitchJezebel]

Thanks for the welcome!

Hehehe, once upon a time I was a professional cook and a huge food snob. I'm not as particular anymore but I still know how to appreciate damn fine cooking - your feast sounds like it was as delicious as it was well thought out, yum... when can I come over for dinner?

OMG! I can't believe it, someone else who gets Chef Ramsey and who hates Rachel Ray! I thought I was the only one who couldn't stand her....

We're going to get along JUST fine...

[Windsmith]

Our Solstice meal was chicken and sweet potato stew with peanut butter-curry sauce. We did it in the crockpot, because we started our ritual at 4:34 p.m. and didn't want to be cooking in the middle of it (not that we're opposed to cooking as part of a ritual; this just wasn't that ritual). It was soooo delicious. We served that with hot apple cider mulled with tea, dried cherries, and a wee splash of rum. And coconut macaroons for dessert.

hanukah (sp??)

HAH! The word that has plagued the masses for generations. I grew up with a Jewish parent, and, basically, just about any way you want to spell it is fair game, since it's a transliterated word. Chanukah, Hannukah, and Channukah are the three most common I'm familiar with. And, yes, I saw them all - and then some - on my father's decorations and holiday cards growing up.

OMG! I can't believe it, someone else who gets Chef Ramsey and who hates Rachel Ray! I thought I was the only one who couldn't stand her....

I can't find it just now, but somewhere in the kitchen forums, there's a whole thread that somehow turned into a Rachel Ray/Sandra Lee hatefest. It got pretty hilarious.

[Deerwoman]

chicken and sweet potato stew with peanut butter-curry sauce

I think I just had a foodgasm

[Windsmith]

I think I just had a foodgasm

Hee-hee! It was just about that tasty, yup!

[zombi]

I need a recipe for mulling spices for wine! I know usually cloves and allspice are used. What else? Orange peels?

[Brightshores]

I need a recipe for mulling spices for wine! I know usually cloves and allspice are used. What else? Orange peels?

Chunks of cinnamon bark are commonly found in mulling spices. Cracked cardamon pods are also yummy.

However, I am lazy, and usually buy mine pre-mixed in a pouch from the local spice store (although even supermarkets carry them).

Williams-Sonoma has FANTASTIC mulling spice. It's expensive, though (but what at W-S isn't?). I got a tub as a gift last year and plan to use every last bit.

[Stormwt]

Oops I started a new thread on this. I'm doing:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1...r-and-rosemary

INGREDIENTS
Ingredients2-2.25kg/4lb 8oz-5lb loin of pork on the bone, rind removed
1 garlic clove , crushed
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary , plus a few extra whole sprigs
1 large onion , thickly sliced
2 tbsp cider vinegar , plus extra for gravy
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly, plus extra for gravy
500ml vegetable stock
FOR THE APPLES50g butter
1 small onion , finely chopped
1 small lemon , grated zest
50g fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary needles
6 good-sized apples , preferably Golden Delicious

Make some deep incisions in the pork, close to the bone. Mix together the garlic, chopped rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt. Rub into the cuts, spreading any extra over the meat. Set aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C.
Scatter the onion and a few sprigs of rosemary into a roasting tin. Put the pork on top, skinned side up, cover tightly with foil and roast with the rind for 30 minutes.

Turn down the heat to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C and cook the rind for a further 30 minutes and the roast for a further hour.

Remove the foil and roast uncovered for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the apples. In a pan melt the butter and cook the onion gently until soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, add the lemon zest, breadcrumbs and rosemary. Season well. Core the apples. Cut a line through the skin all round the waist of each. Fill each apple with onion stuffing. Mix the vinegar and redcurrant jelly for the glaze.

Remove the pork from the oven. Turn the heat to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Stand the apples around the pork, brush the pork with a little glaze and drizzle a little over the apples. Return to the oven and roast with the rind also in the oven, uncovered, for a further 20-25 minutes. Baste the pork twice with the juices and brush once with any remaining glaze. Test the pork by piercing in the centre with a skewer. The juices should run clear, not pink. If in doubt, remove the apples, keep warm, cover the pork with foil and cook for 10-15 minutes more.

Put the pork and apples on a warmed plate, cover with foil and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes. Spoon off the excess fat from the tin and put the tin on the stove over a medium-high heat. Pour in the stock. Boil vigorously for 5-6 minutes. Taste and season, adding a little jelly and/or cider vinegar to taste. Strain into a gravy boat. Serve the pork and apples with the crackling, garnished with rosemary.