With the holiday season upon us, we at CKC Custom Homes know your home is sure to be filled with Christmas cheer, joy and many hungry loved ones. In preparation for the days to come, we have compiled a few elegant and easy entertaining recipes everyone is sure to enjoy. We have included an appetizer, a main dish and a dessert.
Pears with Blue Cheese and Prosciutto
Photo courtesy of www.realsimple.com
Start to finish: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
2 pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett), each cut into 8 wedges 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 cup arugula 3 ounces blue cheese, cut into small pieces 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise
- In a large bowl, toss the pears and lemon juice.
- Layer a slice of pear, an arugula leaf and a piece of cheese on a piece of prosciutto and roll up.
Bay-Leaf-Crusted Pork Roast
Photo courtesy of marthastewart.com
Start to finish: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 8
8 cloves garlic, peeled 8 dried bay leaves Coarse salt and ground pepper 4 medium onions, peeled (root ends left intact), each cut into 8 wedges 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 pork rib roast with 8 ribs (4 1/2 to 5 pounds), backbone removed, ribs Frenched 2 cups fresh parsley leaves 1 cup Dijon mustard
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Using a chef’s knife, finely chop garlic and bay leaves together. Gather into a pile; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Using the flat side of the knife blade, mash mixture into a paste. Set aside.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss onions with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Push onions to the edges of baking sheet.
- Place pork in center of sheet, fatty side up; rub top with remaining tablespoon oil, and press on garlic mixture, coating evenly.
- Roast, dabbing occasionally with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of meat (avoiding bones) registers 140 degrees (temperature will rise 10 to 15 degrees as roast rests), 65 to 75 minutes. (If browning too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil.) Transfer roast and onions to serving platter; let rest, loosely covered with foil, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend parsley and mustard until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
- Cut roast into chops, and serve with mustard sauce.
Shortbread Bites
Photo courtesy of www.delish.com
Start to finish: 48 minutes
Servings: 10
1¼ cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar ½ cup butter (no substitutions) 1 tablespoon red and green nonpareils or sprinkles or 1/2 cup mini baking bits
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse flour and sugar until combined. Add butter and pulse until dough begins to come together. Place dough in medium bowl. With hand, gently knead in nonpareils or baking bits until evenly blended and dough forms a ball.
- On lightly floured waxed paper, pat dough into 8 inch by 5 inch rectangle; freeze 15 minutes. Cut dough into 1/2-inch squares. Place squares, 1/2 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.
- Bake cookies 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 1 week, or in freezer up to 3 months.
Now that the cooking is taking care of, you are free to browse our award-winning luxury home building designs for your next home. Let’s create the perfect environment for entertaining year-round.
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Sources
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pears-blue-cheese-prosciutto
http://www.marthastewart.com/341291/bay-leaf-crusted-pork-roast
http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a25882/shortbread-bites-1945/