Christmas Cheese Recipe Suggestions – Your Guide to Holiday Cheeses
It’s the height of the holiday season, the biggest party time of the year, and I’ll make book that if you entertain, and remember your costs last year, you’re going to have sticker shock this time.The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reports a 3% to 4% price rise in 2013—and predicts the same for 2014—but I don’t think they looked in the Dairy Counter. Many of the basic items there, for example eggs and milk, have gone up 25% to 50% as a result of the drought of 2012. It’s only natural to look for ways to shave costs, while still making your guests feel welcome.
One way to save money is to replace a costly cheese board with homemade cheese spreads, based on the 8oz. bars sold in supermarkets. They don’t take much time, especially with a food processor, offer a wide variety of options, make your guests feel special and get you raves. After the party, they can be used in sandwiches, soups, casseroles, even converted to salad dressings. It’s win-win. I offer a few suggestions in “recipes”below.
The most obvious money saver is to avoid packaged “canapés”, for two reasons. They’re expensive and the leftovers are an exception to my belief that everything can find a use. Prepared appetizers, including topped crackers become soggy, unappealing and fit only for the trash. There are many reasonable options that are tasty and remain fresh. All you need is a little creativity. For example, kosher dill spears wrapped in sliced turkey ham and cut in 1 inch pieces, secured with pretty party toothpicks are a play on the Italian Prosciutto con Melone. In fact, adding some wrapped cantaloupe pieces to the plate makes a colorful presentation. These are a favorite with healthy eaters.
If you want something hot, a FONDUE POT is a good investment, or a shiny pot over a candle will do, but not for just fondue. Chunks of a firm fish, thin slices of chicken breast even beef slices, slightly cooked (even rare Deli cut) ribboned on bamboo skewers, simmering in herb infused oil or broth are a draw, especially accompanied by a dish of chutney or BBQ sauce.
A can of Jack Mackerel creates an unusual seafood dish that quickly becomes a favorite. Simply drain, gently skin the fish, bone and layer the fillets in a shallow bowl alternately with a splash of cider vinegar, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Depending on the menu, one can serves 6 to 10. It can be made days ahead and the leftovers, with a dash of oil added to the marinade and sliced onion, over lettuce, make a wonderful salad. Add cheese fondue, converted to soup with beer and broth; the bruschetta slices with one of the spreads in the recipe section and you have a dinner. This is what I mean by using leftovers!
If you prefer a dessert party to a cocktail one, I have some easy, delicious solutions for those too. My go-to is meringues. They’re easy, non-fattening and so very versatile. One tip though, the prices of sugar and most of the other pastry ingredients are so high now, that it makes more sense and it’s easier, with baked goods, to work from mixes. In other postings on this blog I have given recipes on how to convert mixes to cookies, steam pudding and make some other desserts but you really should consult Anne Byrn www.thecakedoctor.com for impressive ways to use mixes.
Here’s to the New Year—May 2014 be good to us!!!
PARTY CHRISTMAS CHEESE RECIPE SUGGESTIONS
SPREADS; Most spreads especially cheese ones, can be made in advance. In fact, aging melds the flavors, but they do need a bit of liquor, to be tightly sealed and, of course, all need to be chilled, or they will spoil
CHEDDAR CHEESE: I got this recipe years ago, and since learned that the basis adapts to all sorts of variations. So have some fun experimenting. The leftovers are great on sandwiches too.
NUMBER I: the original
(1) 8oz.bar of sharp cheese-any brand, even the supermarket’s own-yellow or white
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 Tbs white wine- or dry sherry
Blend all the ingredients but the nuts in a food processor until smooth. Add more mayonnaise or wine if it seems too dry.. Add the nuts and pulse only to combine. Put into a container, seal and. chill.
NUMBER II—This can also be served at a dessert party with spicy cookies or crackers.
To the cheese and mayonnaise add;
¼ cup toasted walnut pieces
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 Tbs. Port
Proceed as above.
NUMBER III
To the cheese and mayonnaise add:
2 Tbs caraway seeds
2 Tbs of bourbon or rye whiskey
Proceed as above.
BLUE CHEESE SPREAD
4oz blue cheese- Even packaged crumbles will do
8oz. cream cheese softened
1 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1 Tbs. vodka
2 Tbs. dried chopped onions
Blend first 4 ingredients until totally smooth and creamy. Add onions and pulse to combine. Pour into a crock, cover and chill. Leftovers, with a bit of oil and milk make a great salad dressing.
SUN DRIED TOMATO PATE
½ cup sundries tomatoes in oil
8oz. cream cheese softened
¼ cup=1/2 stick butter
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic
¼ tsp. each dried oregano and basil
½ tsp. rosemary
Combine all ingredients in a processor. Pulse until smooth, pausing often .to scrape the sides. Chill at least 4 hrs. before serving. Can be served with toasted slices of Italian bread .Leftovers make good sandwiches.
CREAM CHEESE WITH TEPENADE
A variety of Tapenades are sold in supermarkets in small jars, but I usually have the ingredients on hand and make my own. Capers are the base, but ripe olives are the main ingredient, then diced onion and garlic are givens. There should be anchovy, but I sometimes substitute green olives and use either sun dried tomatoes or canned and occasionally add canned mushrooms. I don’t really measure, but a rule of thumb is 1Tbs of everything else chopped to I cup whole ripe olives. Coarsely chop them all together, add enough oil to just cover and let the tapenade rest in the refrigerator for a few days for the flavors to meld.
To serve, place the cream cheese on a platter and pour about ½ cup tapenade diagonally over the top. Surround with slices of toasted French or Italian bread.
If you want something in the SEAFOOD arena, reasonable but elegant, other than Jack Mackerel mentioned above, buy a package of smoked salmon—4oz. will serve about 12. Cut the slices in 1 inch by 2 inch pieces and fold them on a fancy toothpick. Finish with a caper and present them over a bed of greens. If you want to step it up a bit add a small bowl of vodka sauce homemade or bottled, for dipping Any leftovers are wonderful served in the heated vodka sauce over cooked bow-tie pasta.
A DESSERT party can be equally affordable. A purchased POUND CAKE becomes a gem. Cut it in 3 layers, and spread the first with frozen fruit, well drained and slightly sweetened, or optionally, sliced, canned fruit, again well drained, or a really dense fruit preserve, then add a layer of dessert topping like Cool Whip. Cover with the second cake layer and repeat. Reverse the order on the top layer, ending with a bit of the fruit arranged decoratively. For parties, I prefer dessert topping to whipped cream. It’s less fattening, keeps better and doesn’t liquefy if standing out awhile. It’s also more reasonable. One pound cake will serve about 6-8. If you need more add additional cakes with different fillings.
As I mentioned before, learning to make MERINGUE is invaluable, party or no party. They make great gifts, a non-fattening craving satisfaction and an impressive party presentation in any of their many forms. They’re easy, but have one rule. The bowl and beaters must be clean and dry and there can’t be any trace of the yolks in the whites after the eggs are separated, or the whites won’t stiffen. The following recipe comes from my book Dinners With Joy at dinnerswithjoy.com or on Amazon. It serves 4-6 and the recipe is easily doubled for more.
2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
2 drops cider vinegar
@1/2 tsp. flavoring of choice – my favorite is maple
Beat egg whites until stiff. Add vinegar, beat to incorporate. Gradually add sugar and beat until glossy peaks form. Add flavoring. vanilla, peppermint, almond etc. Drop by teaspoon full on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 250 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove and gently loosen from paper. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container. Keep for weeks.
To use the yolks, consider an egg based entree such as a frittata. Two eggs are considered one portion, and the yolk can replace one egg. Or you can make a Dacquois ——
DACQUOIS
Draw 3 circles, 9 inches each on waxed paper. Fill in the circles with the meringue dividing the batter evenly. Bake as above, carefully remove from the paper and cool.
In a microwave, melt 6 oz. Chocolate with 2 Tbs. water. Keep warm.
Beat egg yolks over simmering water in a double boiler. Add 2tbs. cool water and continue beating to increase volume. Add yolks to melted chocolate and fold in gently with a rubber spatula.
Place a meringue layer on a cake plate and “ice” it with 1/3rd of the chocolate mixture. Repeat with the next 2 layers. Carefully smooth the top layer and garnish with powdered sugar, colored sugar or ground white chocolate—anything you want—for the holidays, crushed candy canes would work.
IDEAS FOR PIE CRUST
There is any number of interesting, economical desserts to be made from PIE CRUST, homemade or purchased.
- A Rustica (a recipe from my book)–Roll the dough to a 12 inch round. Fill the center with @1 ½ lbs or @ 2 cups prepared fruit, leaving a 2-3 margin. Gently stir in 2 tsp. cornstarch and dot with 1 Tbs.butter, sprinkle with @1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon if desired Fold by pleating the edges up to enclose the filling, leaving the center open, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 mins. Slide onto a plate to serve. Good with whipped cream on the side.
- Tarts—Roll the dough into a rectangle, and cut into squares, never smaller than 4 inches. Put 1 Tbs. for the 4 inch size of jam, or prepared pie filling, in the center. Fold in a triangle, wet the edges and press to seal, Prick the top with a fork a couple of times and bake as above until golden. Can be served topped with whipped cream.
- Pinwheels—Roll dough, puff pastry is great for this, into a rectangle about 5” x 11”and brush with melted butter. Generously sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and roll up, starting from a long side. Wet the opposite edge to seal and chill to firm. Slice into ½ inch rounds and, optionally, brush tops with milk. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-20 mins until golden. Can be served topped with ice cream.
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These are just a few suggestions. I’m sure you’ll come up with more on your own to make your entertaining affordable and your party a success.
