At times, the holiday season can be almost too hectic to enjoy, between juggling shopping and parties with the everyday demands of family, work and friends. That’s why this month, we thought it would be nice to create a cozy, seasonal menu that is easy to prepare ahead of time. It is the perfect meal to have on hand for sharing with family and friends, and will enable you to relax and take a minute to truly celebrate the meaning of the holidays.
ON THE MENU:
• Back Burner Vegetable Soup • Savory Rosemary Scones • Eggnog Ice Cream • Red Wine Ginger Snaps
BACK BURNER VEGETABLE SOUP
This delicious soup takes very little prep time. Throw it on the back burner of the stove while you wrap presents or watch a favorite Christmas movie with your family. It is a hearty soup the whole family will love, and it’s a great way to sneak in something healthy during the holiday season of excess. This soup can be made a day or two in advance. Serve the hot soup with the warm scones and butter.
Servings: 6-8
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 cup diced onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 15-ounce can stewed tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
6-8 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup frozen baby lima beans
1 cup dry quinoa
1 cup frozen mixed vegetable blend (carrot, corn, green beans)
2 cups fresh chopped cabbage
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the stew meat and brown for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate. 2. Add to the pot the diced onion, celery, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables 2-3 minutes. 3. Pour in the stewed tomatoes and herbes de Provence. Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any bits from the bottom. 4. Pour in the beef broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add in the stew meat and cover. Simmer the soup for an hour over medium-low heat. Stir every 15 minutes or so. 5. Add in the potatoes, lima beans, quinoa and mixed vegetables. Continue simmering for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes and vegetables are tender. 6. Fold in the cabbage, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for another 15-20 minutes. Serve.
SAVORY ROSEMARY SCONES
We typically think of scones as a sweet baked good, but they are also delicious as a savory snack. These tender, buttery scones have just the right hint of rosemary and are the perfect accompaniment to the hearty vegetable soup. It’s a great recipe to double and save half the scones in the freezer for later. Serve the rosemary scones warm with lots of butter.
Servings: 6-8
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
6 tablespoons cold butter
1 to 1½ cups half and half
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and chopped rosemary. 3. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to blend in the cold butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. 4. Pour in a cup of half and half. Use a wooden spoon to gently stir the mixture into a ball. If the dough is a little too dry, add in more half and half a ¼ cup at a time. Continue to stir the dough with the wooden spoon until everything is incorporated and a smooth ball forms. 5. Sprinkle a little extra flour onto a work surface, and roll out the dough to 1-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut the scones. Place them on the lined baking sheet. 6. Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra half and half. Sprinkle with kosher salt. 7. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the golden. Serve warm with butter alongside the vegetable soup.
EGGNOG ICE CREAM
Eggnog is the quintessential drink of the holidays. It is creamy, delicious and downright decadent. That’s why we decided to turn it into an ice cream to cap off this cozy holiday supper. Since eggnog is already essentially an ice cream base, it lends itself well when placed in an ice cream maker. It’s a fun twist on a holiday favorite and one that has become a permanent addition to our holiday desserts.
Servings: 6
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 cups half and half
2 tablespoon vanilla
1 ounce whisky
¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt on medium heat until the mixture becomes light in color. 2. Stir in the half and half, and turn the heat to medium low. Continue to stir the mixture until it begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. 3. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla, whisky and nutmeg. Transfer the ice cream base to a bowl, cover and chill. This may be made a day in advance. 4. Use an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions to finish making the dessert. 5. To store, line a loaf pan with parchment paper and pour the eggnog ice cream into the pan. Smooth the ice cream out to make it even and cover with plastic wrap. The ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to one month … if it lasts that long.
RED WINE GINGER SNAPS
Gingerbread and the holidays are truly synonymous. Countless recipes for gingerbread, gingerbread people and gingerbread cookies can be found on cooking websites and in cookbooks. Here’s another to add to the list—with a little something extra. The addition of red wine gives these ginger snaps a zing, while the crystallized ginger gives them a nice, chewy consistency. These ginger snaps are delicious with the eggnog ice cream, and they’re equally tasty when served alongside sharp cheeses and a glass of wine.
Servings: 6
1 box gingerbread cake mix
3 tablespoons melted butter
¼ to 1⁄3 cup red wine
½ cup chopped crystallized ginger
¼ cup crystallized sugar
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the gingerbread cake mix, melted butter, red wine and crystallized ginger. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is incorporated. 3. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut the ginger snaps into your desired shapes. 4. Place the ginger snaps onto the lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 9-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the ginger snaps to cool for a couple of minutes. 5. Sprinkle the crystallized sugar on top of the ginger snaps and place them on a baking rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
This article was originally published in the December 2018 issue of 225 Magazine.
