For Starters…

Mango Peach Cheese on French Bread Rounds

1/2 Ripe mango, finely diced
1/2 Ripe peach, finely diced
2 Small plum tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 Cup minced purple onion
1 Jalapeno chile, finely diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
4oz cream cheese
1 Loaf of French bread

Combine above ingredients to make a relish chutney mixture.
Slice French bread into 12-18 rounds about 1/2 inch thick and toast on both sides.
Top rounds with cream cream and then with chutney.

I suggest picking up a bottle Crios Susana de Balba Rose, Argentinian Malbec. This wine is a premium wine getting wonderful ratings. A food freindly wine with a great bouquet of strawberry and cherry. It is a medium-bodied wine, smooth on the palate, dry in style and a lengthy finish. Cost is a bargain at $10.

The Entree…
Mascarpone and Capicola Stuffed Chicken Breast Stuffed with Basil Bechamel Sauce

1 Large chicken breast
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 Cup mascarpone cheese
2 Tbsp stilton cheese, shredded
1 tsp parsley, minced
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp kosher salt and black pepper
3 Slices of capicola ham

Preheat oven to 425F
Pound breast for a thin surface area and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium high heat
Add breast to brown on both sides for 1 minute Remove from heat and cool
Combine cheeses, parsley garlic and remaining salt and pepper.
Place breast on clean surface area adding capicola on top
In the center of the capicola place cheese mixture in an elongated strip
Roll chicken around capicola/cheese mixture similar to a ‘buche de noel’
Secure chicken breast with toothpics or cooking string to keep wrapped
Cook for 15 minutes if starting from room temperature
If you prep this ahead and regrigerate add a few minutes to the cook time.
Remove chicken breast from oven and let sit for 10 minutes
Slice chicken breast to make 1inch round discs
Layer on a bed of Basil Rositto then drizzle Bechamel Sauce… well, over everything!
Serve with fresh steamed broccoli

Basil Bechamel Sauce

1.5 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp shallots, minced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Basil/olive oil cube
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 Cup light cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Heat butter in saute pan over medium heat add shallots and cook for 2 minutes
Add garlic and whisk in flour to make a roux
Add stock and basil cube [pull from the freezer from last year's harvest]
Simmer to reduce liquid over low heat
Add cream and continue to simmer until sauce reaches desired thickness
Remove from heat and whisk in lemon
Sauce will be light and delicious

The Best is Always Last…

Chocolate Lave Cake with Lavender Sugar
This recipe actually serves four, I use large 6oz ramekins

8oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
10 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cardamon
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
3 Large eggs and 3 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla
1.5 Cups powdered sugar
1/2 Cup flour

Preheat oven to 425F
Grease ramekins generously
In medium sauce pan heat chocolate, butter and spices over low heat until smooth
Remove chocolate sauce from heat cooling slightly
Whisk together eggs, yolks and vanilla
Add cooled chocolate mixture and blend
Slowly add sugar and then flour until well blended
Fill each ramekin evenly almost to the top
Cook for 15 minutes and remove from oven
Run a knife around the edges of each ramekin
Let sit for 5 minutes, then invert dish on top of ramekin and flip
Tap the bottom of the r’kin, remove and watch the volcanic eruption!
Sprinkle with lavender sugar

Or you want spicy… try my salsa recipe served with flour tortillas. But here’s a really quick and yummy recipe if you like crab. My friend Sue from Gilford shared this Crabby Cocktail Dip with me years ago.

Take 16oz soften cream cheese and spread it as the bottom layer of three on a decorative dish, I use a square white dish. Next spread your favorite cocktail sauce, 8oz will do as you just want a light layer. And then as the last & best layer sprinkle crabmeat across the cocktail sauce. Serve with cracked wheat crackers stacked along the plate edges. Bring a cheese knife so your guests can scoop up this dip getting all three layers on their cracker.

Not quick enough? Stop by any food market and pick up 4 – 5 pints of Ben&Jerrys Karamel Sutra, don’t forget spoons. Now thats Yummy!

Select 3 firm blemish free oranges

2 – 3 jars whole cloves [1oz per jar]

ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger

ground orris root [herbal shop]

Mix spices and orris root together at a ratio of 3:1; this will help dry your pomander and keep it fragrant. Use a skewer to poke holes in your orange in a desired design. Push the stem of the clove into the pre-made holes on the orange.

Once you are happy with your design and for a more fragrant fruit roll orange in spices and orris root mixture. This more contemporary approach will only last for a few weeks. While the orange drys keep in a cool, dark place.

Choosing to cover the orange entirely with cloves and then rolling in spices mentioned will assure a long shelf life. Ribbons can be attached for hanging on the tree or placed in a bowl for a pleasant aromatic centerpiece.

1-1/3 Cup ground cinnamon

1 Cup applesauce

1/4 Cup white glue [like Elmers]

Mix cinnamon, applesauce and glue in a large bowl, add more cinnamon if needed to form a dough texture. Shape into a ball, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap placing in refrigerator for one hour.

Roll out dough on cutting board to 1/2 inch or thicker. Sprinkle rolling pin with a little cinnamon if needed to keep dough from sticking. Use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters to create your ornaments. Punch a hole for ribbon before drying by using a bamboo skewer at best location on the ornament.

Place ornaments on a cookie sheet in a 200F oven for 2 hours, turn ornaments over after one hour.

Remove ornaments from cookie sheet and using the bamboo skewer again carefully reinforce the hole made earlier. File ornament edges if desired. Loop through your favorite ribbon and hang on your tree.

You can decorate your ornaments with your kids at this point, all ages! Last year I brought ready made ornaments, glitter, glue and other sparkly stuff to my grandkids house; it was lots of fun!

Enjoy!

Oh and contraying to what my Dad thought years ago these are not cookies; do not eat.

1/2 Cup butter, softened

6 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1-1/4 Cups all-purpose flour

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp nutmeg

Slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350F. Blend together butter, 4 Tbsp sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a fork until combined well. Sift flour into butter mixture and blend with fork until mixture forms a soft dough.

Shape dough into 9inch roll. Brush with egg and roll in mixture of remaining sugar and nutmeg. Wrap airtight and chill for several hours.

Cut into 1/4inch slices placing 1inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Split 2nd beaten egg in half adding red food color to one and green food color to the second. Brush top of cookies with red egg mixture and dip slivered almonds in green egg mixture placing two on top of cookies in the shape of holly.

Bake for 12- 14 minutes.