I am a big Lindsey Stirling fan. This “Celtic Carol” is perfect for the season! I hope you enjoy and have a very relaxing Sunday. Whether you are wrapping gifts, watching holiday movies or having guests in for a bit of Christmas cheer, savor every moment. We’re celebrating our first Christmas in our new home in the New Orleans area. The holiday customs here are rich with culture and history. What a wonderful place to be!
It’s time to make a menu for Christmas Eve or day! This is a wonderful selection of yummy dishes sure to please! I hope you enjoy and have a safe and very merry celebration!
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Prunes and Shallots in a White Balsamic Reduction
Potato and Turnip Gratin
Fresh Organic Green Salad with Honey Crisp Apple and Toasted Pecans
Assorted Christmas Cookies
Bordeaux, your choice
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Prunes and Shallots in a White Balsamic Reduction
Serves 6
1 boneless pork tenderloin
French gray sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Sangre de Cristo Spice Company Herbes de Provence
1 cup pitted prunes
6 shallots peeled and halved, lengthwise
1/4 cup White Balsamic Vinegar with Fig Infusion (I use Alessi)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Rinse and pat the tenderloin dry. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a deep oven proof pan, preferably with a lid, heat the olive oil, sprinkle the tenderloin with salt and pepper. Seer all sides of the meat in the heated oil. Add the herbs, prunes, shallots vinegar and broth. Let simmer for a couple of minutes then cover and place in the preheated oven for 1 hour. I like to open the oven every fifteen minutes and spoon some of the juice over the meat, then replace the cover and continue cooking. Insert a meat thermometer to insure you have a reading of 145 degrees. Remove the meat from the oven and let it stand for about ten minutes before slicing and serving with the sauce spooned over or served on the side.
Potato and Turnip Gratin
Serves 6
This recipe is so delicious! I used an old Bon Apetit recipe to begin then wandered off, as I always do, finding my own path with it.
2 large russet potatoes, washed
4 large turnips, peeled
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon herbes de provence
1 bayleaf
gray salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
a dash of cayenne pepper and one of raw sugar
Topping:
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
In a sauce pan, heat the cream, broth and remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook at very low heat for about 1/2 hour. The mixture will have reduced a bit. Pour this through a seive, into a large mixing bowl.
Slice the potatoes and turnips with a mandoline so that they are very thin. If you are using a knife, be sure it is VERY sharp and make the slices as “paper” thin as possible. Place the slices into the mixing bowl with the sauce then spoon out into an oblong, glass baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for one hour, with the pork, at 350 degrees. After the hour is up, remove the foil. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the top and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden. NOTE: You may want to begin baking this dish a half hour before the pork tenderloin.
Fresh Organic Green Salad with Honey Crisp Apple and Toasted Pecans
My neighbors have the most awesome garden. I got a very welcome phone call asking if I’d be interested in some greens they had just picked from their garden. YES….was my reply. I tossed the greens, after washing them and spinning them dry, with on organic Honey Crisp apple and about a cup of slice, toasted pecans. A simple vinaigrette completed the job. Here’s my tried and true vinaigrette recipe:
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
gray salt and pepper to task
Whisk together and pour over the salad….then toss.
Assorted Christmas Cookies
Whatever your favorites are, offer them up for dessert and make it easy on yourself! A bit of the bubbly or a nice, strong espresso…..or both! These are some of my favorites.
Camelia Bushes In Bloom
Seven weeks ago, as of today, I underwent full knee replacement of my left knee. I now have two “bionic” knees, or so I like to think they will be once I’ve finished rehab. I have to thank Dr. Chad Millet for performing such a masterful job and his staff for their support. Physical therapy is not one bit fun, but necessary. I tow the line and follow directions. Ice and elevation are my two greatest friends. Now….to figure out how to sleep at night and I’ll have won the battle!
I haven’t gotten around to much blogging during my recovery. The photo above is of the ceiling in my bedroom here in our new home. This “double coved’ ceiling has been my view for days on end. I am now getting up and around on a more regular basis, but I have watched the paint color on this ceiling change hue as hours passed. Sometimes it’s taupe and others a serene shade of green that is completely unexpected. It all depends on the lighting. Sorry this photo is a bit “off kilter”, but I guess it fits my disposition of late! I’m a work in constant progress and I’m on the rise!
Mid-Century Ranch Turns French/Pinterest
I’m not a television watcher. In fact, we don’t even have regular television since Apple TV offers all that we need for entertainment. But I have discovered how to watch YouTube on the big screen and am enjoying shows like “Fixer Upper” from HGTV. Being a Texas girl, born and raised, I think of taking a trip to Waco just to see what the empire Chip and Joanna Gaines are building is all about. I don’t know if you’ve watched the show but this couple is adorable and uber talented. I love watching something that shows accomplishment and happy endings….”Fixer Upper” always delivers. One of my favorite episodes transforms the home in the photo above…Season 1. AND, I’m loving the new Netflix series, “Sensitive Skin” with one of my all time favorite actresses, Kim Cattrell, of Sex in the City fame. This is not a role like “Samantha” that brought her so much attention, but her acting skills may be at their best in this new series.
My calendar is brimming over with new adventures in the New Year. Plans are in the works that will bring my best blog posts ever to your inbox every day…except Saturday. 2015 has been a mixed bag of trials and challenges which we have met and are working to turn into positive experiences as time passes. We are surrounded by an exciting world in New Orleans. Natives of this wonderfully historic city express an amazing joy for living on a daily basis. They parade at the drop of a hat and make celebration and every day occurrence. I cannot wait to experience my first Mardi Gras. Move over and let me in, MuffALotta’s! We’ll be dancing in the streets!
This video amazes me. The precision of the pianist, David Hicken, and the music itself is uplifting and perfect for the season! I hope you’ll enjoy this and your day. It’s a simple Sunday…go out and do something you love…just for you!
It’s Finally Friday and I’m back with a great recipe that is quick to make and oh so delicious! When a family is moving it is easy to grab something from a fast food establishment or food market than to cook. Add to that the fact that just after we moved here I underwent a full left knee replacement and that explains why I have not been posting about food very much. I was concerned about gaining weight while off my feet but the opposite has happened. I’m feeling better and more fit than I have in a very long time. So I’m back in the kitchen, getting creative and coming up with recipes I think you’ll love! Today’s recipe works as an easy weekend meal that even guests will love! Pair it with a cold Corona and you’ve got it going!
Black Bean Enchiladas
Makes 10 enchiladas
1 package of white corn tortillas
1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 fresh, red bell pepper chopped
1 sweet onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon good quality chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans “Hatches” Green Chili enchilada sauce
3 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Heat the enchilada sauce in a pot until just simmering. Heat the olive oil in a medium size skillet over medium heat and add the onion, cooking until it is just transparent. Add the chopped bell pepper, rinsed black beans and garlic and heat through. Grease an oblong pyrex or other pan and pour 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom and spread to cover. Take one tortilla and dip it into the remaining sauce to soften it. Place it in the baking dish and spoon the black bean mixture down the middle and sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Gently fold one side of the tortilla over the other and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat this method until you have made 10 enchiladas. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and back for ten more minutes, the cheese will be melted and the sauce should be bubbly around the sides.
Guacamole Salsa
2 large, ripe avocados
1 bunch of scallions finely chopped, including the green ends
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro washed and chopped
juice of one fresh lime
salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
Shredded Iceberg Lettuce
Sour cream
To serve the enchiladas:
Place two enchiladas on each plate. Top with shredded lettuce then guacamole salsa and sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips if desired and don’t forget that icy cold beer! Enjoy!
Life is slowly beginning to beat to a normal rhythm here in Louisiana. I was honored to be a guest a the New Orleans chapter of the American Culinary Federation’s Christmas Party on December 1st. What an amazing group of professional foodies who give their heart and soul to their craft and to the community. Service is their goal and they give back in tremendous ways. I felt welcome and honored to join them. You’ll be seeing more as I begin working with them more closely over the next few months. And I found my “fairy godmother” here in the form of a wonderful woman who I met at a culinary event the first night we were here back in August. I’m not sharing her identity yet, but she is an amazing angel who I’ll be working with as we get busy promoting such things as Slow Foods, local seafood, various culinary events and so much more.
I found this video for your holiday listening entertainment. It’s one of my favorite Christmas songs performed by Pentatonix, a group my daughter has introduced me too that I’m really enjoying. I hope you’ll sit back and take a few minutes to enjoy it and, as always, have a peaceful Sunday filled with time for yourself, time with family and time to say thank you.
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My daughter loves to search for unusual or inspiring videos. She found a great one this time that I hope you all will enjoy. This young man who walks to the beat of a different drummer can sing. I was inspired by his ability to sing in front of a large audience for his first performance ever! He had never sung for anyone but himself in his bedroom, no training whatsoever. He feels like a misfit but I think he is awesome. I hope you will take the time to listen and be amazed as well. You never really know what lies beneath a person. You might turn and look at him with disgust just seeing him on the street but he is a beautiful spirit with a gift from God. Enjoy the music, the video and this wonderful Sunday!
A piano….a cello….beautiful music with which to begin a week of Thanksgiving and gathering to say prayers of gratitude. It’s a time for family and friends to be together for the joy of eating wonderful food, giving thanks and spending time just enjoying life and the beginning of the holiday season. It’s my favorite of all the holidays! I know you’ll enjoy this wonderful video by Titanium as they perform together. Peace be with you all!
Only in New Orleans could I find out about St. Catherine….and the upcoming parade in her honor. In the French tradition ladies who come together every year for this event will once again don their finest chapeaux and join in the annual St. Catherine’s Day Hat Parade.
“Catherinettes, Paris, 1909” by Agence Rol – Bibliothèque nationale de France. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catherinettes,_Paris,_1909.jpg#/media/File:Catherinettes,_Paris,_1909.jpg
St. Catherine is the patron saint of milliners and single women. “Catherinettes”, as her French followers are known, make all sorts of wonderful hats in shades of yellow and green. Some of the hats are outrageous and others more simple in nature. The French Catherinettes are women who have not married by the age of 25. Hats are donned for the day as a pilgrimage is made to the statue of St. Catherine to pray for suitable husbands. I love what wikipedia lists for the prayers: The French say that before a girl reaches 25, she prays: “Donnez-moi, Seigneur, un mari de bon lieu! Qu’il soit doux, opulent, libéral et agréable!” (Lord, give me a well-situated husband. Let him be gentle, rich, generous, and pleasant!”) After 25, she prays: “Seigneur, un qui soit supportable, ou qui, parmi le monde, au moins puisse passer!” (Lord, one who’s bearable, or who can at least pass as bearable in the world!”) And when she’s pushing 30: “Un tel qu’il te plaira Seigneur, je m’en contente!” (“Send whatever you want, Lord; I’ll take it!”).
So this coming Sunday, November 22nd, at 10:00, all of the lovely women with their wonderful hats will meet to share champagne, bringing a bottle is encouraged, march together and enjoy the music of Bart Ramsey and members of ZaZou City. It promises to be an unforgettable day AND it will be my first ever parade in New Orleans, Lord willing and my new knee will cooperate!
I cannot wait to meet this fun loving group of women and share in the celebration! St. Charles Avenue at Pleasant Street is the gathering place with this year’s theme “The Hat Pack” setting the scene for a wonderful party!
I love stumbling over videos by artists who combine their talents to create beautiful music. While watching a PBS video of an interview Tavis Smiley did with singer, Judy Collins, they discuss her newest CD, “Strangers Again”. Ms. Collins performs with some of music’s greatest male artists, including Michael Mcdonald, Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson and, a surprise to me, Jeff Bridges. She talks about meeting with Jeff Bridges in regard to what he’d like to sing with her on the album. I knew he sang, but I had no idea about what or when….or where. He selected “Make Our Garden Grow”, a lovely piece from “Candide”, the wonderful musical by Leonard Bernstein. So on this Simple Sunday I’m featuring the music Judy Collins and Jeff Bridges made together. It fits the day and it suits my mood. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
