Boxing Day Dinner
December 26,
2004
Spinach Salade
10 cups chopped spinach,
8 hard boiled eggs, sliced,
(reserve 10 perfect slices),
2 chopped tomatoes mixed immediately with
1 cup sliced raw portobello mushrooms, (to keep them from going brown),
1 medium red onion, sliced extremely thinly and separated into rings,
and
1 T coarse ground pepper.
Toss and set aside. Chop two pounds of bacon, and fry. Do not over cook. Remove meat from pan, add to salad. To hot fat add 1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar and cook on high for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add 1 T. tomato paste, and when it disappears into the dressing, pour hot dressing over salad and toss to coat and wilt. Serve immediately, topped with the perfect egg slice.
Mushrooms in Garlic Butter
Remove stems from white mushrooms, (chop for stuffing), and put in acidulated salted water. After 20 minutes drain and pat dry. Gently sauté in butter with minced garlic, (2 T per 1 stick butter), uncovered. If butter burns it is ruined. Spoon into ramekins, button side up, with garlic butter, serve immediately, dusted with paprika.
Sage Stuffing
One bag of sage bread cubes,
2 beaten eggs,
3 stalks chopped celery,
4 cups chunked polish sausage,
1 cup condensed chicken stock,
2 T sesame seeds,
1 T sage,
1 stick melted butter,
mushroom stems, and
1 cup apple sauce.
Toss. Bake at 350º, covered, for an hour. Put hen facing the ten o'clock position on the plate, put stuffing in cavity and extending across the plate to the five o'clock position. The broccoli will go in the area above this, the carrots below it, effectively separating the sauces.
Candied Carrots
Cook 9 cups of sliced baby carrots in orange juice for 20 minutes. Drain. Melt 2 cups of honey with 2 sticks of butter, add 1 t salt and 1 T cinnamon. Toss with carrots, serve immediately.