Nigella Lawson's Greek Lamb Stew (found on Nigella Bites show and in her books)
See my Cocktails, Wine, and Chocolate page for a Gingerbread Margarita recipe!
See my Iced Sugar Cookies 101 page for holiday cookie recipes!
Mario Batali's Ragu Bolognese
Rachael Ray's Chicken & Dumplings
RR's Sherry Cherry Tomatoes, Roasted Asparagus and Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter
(This is my favorite Christmas feast)
Nigella's Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding (found on Nigella Bites show and in her books)
RR's Gumbo
Tyler Florence's Braised Short Ribs
Rachael Ray's Pasta e Fagioli Soup with Caramelized Onion & Garlic Bread
This is the very first recipe of RR's I ever made. I can now make this with my eyes blindfolded! I love
this soup so much, and my first thoughts turn to this soup when I am depressed, sick or sad. It
somehow warms you from the inside out and makes you all better, makes the world rosy again. I do
not always make the bread, but I make the soup every chance I get. Thank you Rachael, and Thank
you to RR's grandfather for teaching it to Rachael! =0)
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I love a good roasted chicken. There is something so satisfying about buying 1 whole chicken and
making 3 meals from it. I wish everything was this way.
Italian Style Stuffed Chicken (From 365 Easy Italian Recipes by Rick Marzullo O'connell, book is out of
print)
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Home Made Chicken Stock & Chicken Noodle Soup:
After you have made a meal out of the Italian Style stuffed chicken, or any roasted chicken of your
choice, don't throw that carcass away! Remove any bits of good meat and reserve in the refrigerator.
Store the carcass overnight in the fridge in a large gallon size zippered bag and the next day, make
home made chicken stock with it, and then make my home made chicken noodle soup recipe! Best
thing in the whole entire world for the winter cold.
To make stock:
1 roasted chicken carcass
Enough COLD water to cover it
2-3 pieces of celery
1 carrot
1/2 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 TBS whole black pepper corn
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary & thyme
Place the carcass in a deep soup pot, and fill with just enough COLD water to cover the carcass. Add
the rest of the ingredients to the pot and turn on the heat. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a low
simmer. Put the lid on and simmer for 1 hour. Turn off the heat an let cool. Discard all vegetables,
herbs, and bones and pieces of chicken. Line a strainer with two sheets of paper towel, or some
cheesecloth and pour the broth through it to strain out any remaining bits. Pour the strained broth
into your storage container with lid and keep it refrigerated for up to two weeks.
If you intend to make chicken noodle soup, follow from here:
Home made chicken stock
2 carrots
3 celery stalks
1 bay leaf
Sprig fresh rosemary & thyme
Salt & pepper
Cooked chicken bits (or any leftover meat from the roast chicken that you reserved)
1/2 bag of egg noodles
Pour your strained home made stock into a temporary holding vessel until you need to put it back into
the chicken soup recipe, set aside.
In a large soup pot add three TBS of olive oil. Chop up the carrots and celery into small pieces and
add that to the pot. Add Bay leaf, thyme and rosemary. Cook vegetables until they become soft.
Season vegetables with salt & pepper. Add your home made chicken broth to the pot, and bring to a
boil. When soup boils, add egg noodles, cook for time indicated on package. Add cooked chicken bits.
Taste, add more salt or pepper if needed.
*When storing this soup, pour the liquid into one container and store the noodles in another, other
wise the noodles absorb all the liquid overnight leaving you with no broth the next day!
For a faster version of chicken noodle soup, see RR's "Quick Chick and Noodle Soup" recipe.
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Savory Lentil Side Dish & Hearty Lentil Barley Soup:
6 strips of bacon or 1 package of thin sliced pancetta
1 heart of celery or 4 ribs, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
1 bag of green lentils
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 cups chicken broth PLUS
One 49.5 oz. can of chicken broth
2 cups of water
1 box of Quaker "Quick Barley" (this barley is pre-washed and cooks in only 10 minutes!)
Salt & Pepper
For A Side Dish:
Follow the instructions detailed on your bag/box of lentils. Usually, you will need to wash them and
check for stones/debris and soak them in water overnight. So get started on that the night before
you decide to make this dish.
Cook the bacon in a large sauce pot until browned, add carrot, celery, onion and bay leaf and cook
until soft. Add 2 cups of green lentils. Add 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a bubble. Cook
for 25-30 mintues. Serve as a side dish along with meats. Put leftovers in airtight container and chill.
For Soup Next Day:
Take leftover out and add them to a blender or food processor. Add a cup of water to aid in the
blending process. Blend until smooth. Add puree and large can of chicken broth to a large soup pot
and add 1 cup of water. Once the soup comes to a boil, add 1 cup of quick barley and some salt and
pepper to taste. Cook for 10 minutes, or until barley is done.
*You can make it vegetarian by omitting the bacon and using vegetable broth instead!
*You can add pasta or rice instead of barley!
Craig's Stuffed Peppers:
2 Large Red Bell Peppers
1 lb. lean ground sirloin or ground turkey or lamb
2 jars marinara sauce, any brand you like (you're only going to use 1 1/2 jars)
2 cups instant white rice
1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350*
Wash and half the peppers, remove seeds and stems. Add peppers to a pot of boiling water and boil
for about 10 minutes, or just until the peppers become soft. Remove them from the water and pat
dry. Pour half of one jar of sauce into a glass baking dish. Place the par-boiled peppers cut side UP
onto the sauce. In another pan, add ground sirloin and brown it. Add onion and garlic, season with
salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat. In another pot, follow the instructions on your box of
instant white rice for cooking 2 cups dry rice. Combine cooked meat with cooked rice and the other
half of the marinara sauce. Spoon the meat & rice mixture into the peppers. Top with 1/2 jar marinara
sauce, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Cover, and bake for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly
and cheese is melty.
* Two large red bell peppers makes 4 stuffed peppers, one stuffed pepper is a serving. Just consider
each pepper you buy as two servings. Green bell peppers aren't as sweet as the red ones.
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Auntie Renee's Deadly Garlic Cheese Party Ball (My Version):
Before I begin, let me just tell you that this recipe is intense. If you are used to "wimpy" garlic flavored
cream cheese dips, this is not for you. This is strong garlic flavor that will singe the eyebrows off
anyone near you from your breath after eating some of it. Yeah. It's deadly.
8 oz. Cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 Of a green jalapeno pepper, seeded
6 Cloves of garlic
4 oz. Blue cheese
1 Small bag of walnut halves, toasted and chopped up
Black pepper, to taste
In a dry pan, toast walnuts and let cool, chop up and pour onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Combine
jalapeno pepper and garlic in a food processor until fine. Add cream cheese, blue cheese and black
pepper, process until all ingredients are combined. Scrape out of processor onto a sheet of plastic
wrap and wrap up with plastics, form into a loose ball shape. Place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours
or until firm again. Once firm, remove from fridge and unwrap and roll ball in toasted nuts, press lightly
into the cheese ball. Wrap up again in a new sheet of plastic wrap and let set up overnight. Slice with
knife and spread on crackers. It's best if everyone in your party eat this, because if you all have bad
breath, no one will be offended. =0)
~~**~~New Year's Eve Party~~**~~
Here are some ideas for a New Years eve party, whether it be a cocktail party with black tie or a cozy
night in for two, these foods will keep you munching until midnight!
~Rachel Ray's Spicy Popcorn or Al Fredo's (Cheese & Herb) Popcorn
~Nigella Lawson's recipe for Union Square Cafe's Spiced Nuts (found in the book Nigella Bites)
~RR's "Antipasticks" (Caprese and Meat)
~Hummus and Pita Chips (store bought hummus drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with some
ground Sumac, home made pita chips sprinkled with a little Za'atar before baking)
~Garlic Cheese Ball & Club Crackers (see recipe above)
~Assorted heat-and-eat appetizers served with various dipping sauces found in your grocers frozen
foods section
~My Little Open-Faced Sammy's:
One baguette
Dulcet's Moroccan mustard or spicy brown mustard
Wedge of French Raclette, or Monterey Jack or Gouda cheese whatever you like best
1/2 pound smoked turkey breast lunch meat or peppered turkey lunch meat
1 tub or jar of roasted red peppers
Pre-heat oven to 350*
Slice up the baguette and place slices on a cookie sheet. Top each bread slice with a piece of cheese.
Toast in the oven until cheese has melted. Open the roasted red peppers and drain the liquid out, slice
them into strips. Slice the turkey into strips. Serve the warm bread and cheese on a platter
surrounded by the roasted red peppers, turkey, and a little bowl of the mustard. Assemble by placing
a bit of red pepper, turkey, and mustard on top of the bread with cheese. What is also good? Toasted
bread rubbed with a clove of garlic, a slice of brie with herbs (room temp) topped with store bought
roasted tomato pesto or olive tapenade. You can really go any which way with this, it's totally up to
you, it's really more of a method than a recipe.
~Spinach Dip in Bread Bowl served with extra bread slices or chunks.
~"Pine Cone" cheese ball with Club Crackers
~Fresh berries (strawberry,blueberry, raspberry)
~Fresh apple and pear slices (squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on them to keep them from browning)
~Baked Brie en Crute. I like to stuff mine with golden raisins and pecans or dried cranberries and
walnuts.
~Thin sliced Gyro loaf on top of pita chips topped with a bit of chopped cucumber and tomato and
tatziki sauce
~Assorted home made or store bought cookies
~Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
~Cold meat and cheese trays from your deli
~Pre-made sandwich trays from your deli or places like Subway
~Crock pot "Lil' Smokies" simmered in BBQ Sauce
~Cheese (1, 2, 3) or chocolate fondue served with bread, pickles, cookies, strawberries, apples, etc.
Depending on the fondue..
Don't forget the Sparkling Wine or Champagne!
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