Goodbye Christmas, Hello 2014!

The week after Christmas is a favorite week for me. The stress and craziness of Christmas has passed, but my tree and lights are still up, and my work days are abbreviated, and I am in good spirits. Also New Year's Eve is on the horizon and I love, love New Year's Eve. It's a very simple holiday - all you've got to do is feel like partying! Easy! I love New Year's because it's a chance to dress up and be all around fabulous. (See my fabulous outfit from last year above!) There are very few reasons to be fancy-dressed in VT so when I get the opportunity, I take it, I get fancy.

My fanciness does not stay limited to dresses, heels, and jewelry. I like to eat and drink fancy too. Champagne? Abso-friggin-lutely! Give me a coupe glass of bubbles any day and I will rock that shit! What do I eat when I'm feeling my New Year's fanciness? Well, if I had unlimited cash-flow I would opt for super fancy caviar, elegant oysters, and timeless paté. And that's just for starters! However, if you are like me, you've just spent too much money on Christmas gifts even though you told yourself you were "scaling back this year". (I pretty much make this claim every year with pitiful results) and don't really have the means to host a pimped out dinner. So instead I make one splurge (a main dish) and either throw in a couple of easy inexpensive sides or better yet, have my guests pot luck it. Bring a side dish to surround my glorious, fancy centerpiece.

I have two menus to choose from. They are fancy, but simple to execute. (It's nice when simple and fancy show up at the same time.) So take a gander and choose whichever you like the best and have a fancy-ass time! Happy New Year!!!


Menu #1 - Asian Influence
Beef Tenderloin with Miso Scallion Butter
Asian Roasted Carrots
Green Salad with Miso-Ginger Dressing

*Round this menu out with some store bought items to make your life easier. Edamame and rice crackers to begin. Mango sorbet with fresh berries and mint for dessert.


Menu #2 - Kinda Game of Thrones
Rosemary Roasted Leg of Lamb
Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms
Pomegranate, Beet, and Blood Orange Salad

*Round this menu out with stuffed grape leaves and mixed olives to begin. To finish, some dried fruits drizzled with honey and a hunk of ripe cheese.

Beef Tenderloin with Miso Scallion Butter
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, well softened
1 1/2 tablespoons miso paste (preferably white)
3 tablespoons finely chopped scallion
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Four 6-ounce beef tenderloin steaks (3 inches thick)

Directions:
1. Stir together butter, miso, and scallion until combined.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until browned outside and rare within, 7 minutes per side. Transfer to plates, slather with the Miso Scallion butter and serve.

*This butter is awesome. It’s painfully simple to make and can pretty much go on anything. Try it on Fish, chicken, vegetables, you name it! It’s wonderful inside a roasted sweet potato. Plus it can be made well in advance and keep chilled in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Just bring it to room temp before serving.


Asian Roasted Carrots
Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 large carrots, halved
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root

Directions:
1. Slice the carrots into sticks. Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil and ginger in a zip lock bag. Add the carrots to the marinade and marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray then add the carrots (without the marinade) to the baking dish. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender.

Green Salad with Miso-Ginger Dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon white miso
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 5-ounce bag mixed greens
1/2 English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, thinly sliced crosswise
1 large green onion, sliced on diagonal

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil.

2. Combine mixed greens, cucumber, carrot, and onion in large bowl. Toss with dressing to coat and serve.

Rosemary Roasted Leg of Lamb
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 leg of lamb, bone in (about 6 to 7 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

Sauce:
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (combination of rosemary and parsley)
2 cups diced onions
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Using your hands, rub the lamb all over with the lemon juice. Pat the garlic and rosemary evenly all over the surface of the meat. Season the meat with the salt and pepper and place the lamb in a roasting pan. Place the lamb in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook for about 1 hour longer for medium-rare, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers about 145 degrees F to 150 degrees F (be careful that the thermometer does not touch the bone.) Remove lamb from pan and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

3. Position the roasting pan over your stove burners. Add mixed herbs and onions to pan, and stir to combine with pan drippings. Add chicken stock and wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any fond. Reduce over high heat until sauce consistency. Strain before serving, if desired. Slice lamb and serve with sauce drizzled over the top.


Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms (from smittenkitchen.com)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound mushrooms such as cremini or white, halved lengthwise if large
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. Toss mushrooms with capers, garlic, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a 1 1/2- to 2-qt shallow baking dish.

2. Top with butter and roast, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden and bubbly garlic sauce forms below, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve immediately, with crusty bread on the side for swiping up the juices.

Pomegranate, Beet, and Blood Orange Salad (adapted from epicurious.com)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 medium beets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup blood orange juice (from about 1 blood orange)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 blood oranges, peeled, cut into1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup pomegranate seeds (from one 11-ounce pomegranate)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets in roasting pan and toss with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover pan with foil; roast beets until knife easily pierces center, about 50 minutes. Cool. Peel beets and cut into 1/3-inch-thick wedges.

2. Whisk orange juice, honey, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl to blend. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

3. Place onion in small bowl; cover with cold water. Soak onion 1 minute, drain, and squeeze dry in kitchen towel. Add beets, onion, orange slices, and pomegranate seeds to vinaigrette in bowl; toss. Season salad with salt and pepper.