Christmas Dinner #3 – More Christmas/Holiday Ideas & Recipes
Don’t feel lost. I never had a blog post for Christmas Dinner #1 or #2. The first dinner was a Christmas banquet at The Radisson in Richmond, and come to think, I actually did blog about Christmas dinner #2! This was the Jazzed Up Christmas High Tea at Tracycakes Bakery Cafe followed by dinner at Giraffe Restaurant in White Rock. So now I’m at Christmas dinner #3 or would that be #4? Anyways this round was a potluck with some friends. An incredibly random one for that matter. Everyone took a category: appetizer, protein, starch, vegetable, and dessert. I was dessert… so fitting right?
I don’t rate anything friends make so this post is more for fun. I’m also going to give some ideas/recipes for what was on the table. The only recipe I have was for my own dessert, and again I never really use a recipe so it’s more of an idea and then the rest is up to you! My recipes are probably for people comfortable in the kitchen, but I’m not a professional, so anyone can do them. Good luck! I’m sure you’ll manage.
On the table:
Croquettas! I LOVE croquettas. These ones had ham in them. I’ve actually made them for a Christmas appetizer a couple years ago too.
Authentic Spanish Croquettas
These are mine! These are Spanish Croquettas and I got the recipe from my friend’s mom when I was in Spain for Christmas a few years ago. So it’s REALLY authentic and I needed a translator to be able to get it. It’s a time consuming process, but it’s so worth it! I can’t give out her family recipe, or I’ll never be invited to Spain again… but I’ll give you an idea.
1. Make a bechamel sauce with flour, butter and cream or milk. Add salt and pepper.
2. Add some shredded chicken. Mixture should be smooth and almost like mashed potatoes.
3. Spread into a flat layer on a plate. Set aside to cool.
4. Roll into mini logs, dip into breadcrumbs, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs.
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Pan fry until golden brown and serve.
Malaysian Sweet Sticky Rice with Kaya
Talk about random right? So awesome! This is a Malaysian appetizer that can also be eaten as a dessert. It’s a sweet sticky rice rolled into banana leaves and it’s steamed before serving. It’s topped with Kaya spread, which is a coconut jam made with coconut, egg yolks and sugar. You can find Kaya at T&T Supermarket.
Spinach & Feta Quiche – This was the “vegetable dish”. Yup, we’re a group of eaters. Although the same person brought bacon wrapped shrimp as the protein last year… lol
Mini Chicken Pot Pies! She used bacon in the recipe. Chicken + Bacon = job well done!
Chili! This is something new to the Christmas table! It was delicious. Ground beef, zucchini, yellow peppers, tomatoes, beans, onions, celery, carrots and spices. Secret ingredient: beer!
This is mine. Pumpkin Custard & Cake Ice Cream Sundae!
Pumpkin Custard & Cake Sundae with Walnuts, Figs, Chestnuts & Warm Spices. Served in a pool of Frothy Ice Milk, Butterscotch Popcorn & A Salted Chocolate Pretzel Ball.
Again, I have no recipe. I play it by ear, and add things as I go. I can never write down recipes because I never know how much I use of each ingredient. I really should though because I’ll never be able to re-create them with consistency. Anyways, this is the idea. It takes a damn long time, so take short cuts where you see necessary.
Pumpkin Custard & Cake Ice Cream Sundae with Walnuts, Figs, Chestnuts & Warm Spices. Served in a pool of Frothy Ice Milk, Butterscotch Popcorn & A Salted Chocolate Pretzel Ball – Recipe/Idea
1. Start off by making a pumpkin custard. Add it to basic ice cream recipe.
2. Make a pumpkin cake. Crumble the cake into the ice cream custard mixture. Add pieces of dried figs, walnuts, roasted chestnuts, spices (ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pumpkin spice etc.), and a pinch of salt.
3. Put into an ice cream maker. I don’t have one so I had to stir and refreeze and repeat, which takes ages.
4. Place ice and milk in a blender and blend until smooth and frothy.
5. Break salted pretzels and roll into rice crispies and roll into dark melted chocolate. Roll into balls and freeze.
6. Make popcorn and coat with butterscotch syrup. (Buy this is you have to)
Plating
1. Plate sticky granola on the bottom of the bowl. Place a scoop of pumpkin ice cream on top of granola. (Granola stops it from sliding).
2. Pour frothy milk into bowl until it creates a pool around ice cream.
3. Top with butterscotch popcorn.
4. Top with salted chocolate pretzel ball.
Tada! Enjoy!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Very nice, what inspired you? Or where all these ingredients at home and you decided to make something decadent ? You sure love dessert. I’m going to a Xmas dinner where I am a guest and don’t have to cook. Merry Xmas, Mijune.
@Bow – Thanks so much! Merry Christmas to you too! I actually really love pumpkin and at first I was supposed to make a souffle. However plans changed to a different location so I had to take something portable… ice cream wasn’t the best alternative, but I really felt like it. I already had a pumpkin custard base started and a creme anglaise so then I just continued from there… adding things as I went along. It turned out better than I thought though. I found it a bit sweet on it’s own so that’s why I decided to add the frothy ice milk! The popcorn was an idea I had from a previous dessert, and then I love salt and sweet so that’s where the pretzel came in. I also though popcorn and pretzels was a classic… so why not with ice cream!
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