Please help - looking for simple but memorable (delicious) recipes for Christmas appetizers or side dishes from the USA South or Southwest (two totally different worlds but didn't want two threads). Any ideas? Thank you kindly.
Pimento cheese, of course! It's not a party in the South without Pimento cheese sandwiches on white bread.
3 ingredients - shredded sharp cheddar (not preshredded), Duke's or Hellman's mayo, and chopped roasted red peppers. Make it the day before to meld the flavors. Serve on gooey white bread cut into boats (triangles).
I sorry, but Hellman's mayo in pimento cheese is sacrilege, it's got to be Dukes!
True, but Duke's isn't available everywhere. I use it because I live in Georgia, but when I had Pimento cheese as a kid at my Grandma's house in Columbus, Ohio in the 60s, I'm sure it wasn't made with Duke's.
I loved that stuff, and I'd rather see it made with Hellman's than not at all.
Exactly, gardengal. When I lived in states in the south/southeast US, we used Duke's. Where we now live, Duke's is not available, so Hellman's it is.
I live in Canada where there isn't much choice of mayo!
The problem with Hellman's is that it is full of sugar. There are brands other than Duke's that do not contain sugar and are more readily available outside the South. Trader Joe's mayonnaise has no sugar or other sweeteners. The same is true of the 365 brand at Whole Foods.
i daresay that hellman's is not "full of sugar." it is fine if no duke's can be found.
Agreed, alkapal.
I copied the nutrition facts for Hellman's. There's not enough sugar to register on the sugar count or the carb count. I'd never heard that it was considered "sweet" before this thread.
HELLMAN'S MAYONNAISE
Amount Per Serving
Calories 90
Calories From Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.5g
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 90mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, WHOLE EGGS AND EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, SALT, SUGAR, LEMON JUICE, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (USED TO PROTECT QUALITY), NATURAL FLAVORS
Amen!!!
pimento cheese is a creation of the devil himself.
Not specifically to yuck your yum, but as a caution that not all Southerners find it a welcome addition to any table.
Please tell me more.
not sure what more there is to tell...
It's traditional, to be sure, but it's not a slam-dunk favorite.
Okay, just didn't want to offend anyone by serving devil-friendly foods at a Christian feast table. :)
Lots of people wouldn't eat it on a bet. Velveeta, mayonnaise, and canned pimentos? Ugh.
"Creation of the devil himself" -- southern-ish phrase for "I wouldn't eat that on a bet".
I see now. Thanks!
never heard before of using Velveeta. Yuck. Recipes including cream cheese are also out for me.
cheddar isn't a whole lot beddar. (sic)
There is a use for Velveeta cheese. Melt the cheese and add a can of Rotel. The recipe is on the Rotel can. It is another southwestern delight. Serve it warm in a fondue pot or chafing dish etc. You might try a batch for your self and possibly make a double or triple batch for your party. The stuff disappears quickly. Serve it with crisp corn tortilla chips to dunk into it. The first time I had this it was served with avocado slices to dip in to it.
This dish is so darned good. Love the idea of using avocado slices to dip it.
have never heard of or seen Rotel in my area. But we can get canned Hatch chiles.
It's salsa, basically.
As another person says it is salsa. It is a combo of chopped tomatoes, onions and green chili. The Hatch chilies would add some zip.
we found out about Rotel when we visited Texas 10 yrs ago at Xmas (bleak at that time of year, unfortunately, but we saw alot of great things.)
It is indeed like a canned salsa- chopped tomatoes, onions, poblano?chiles. It is in SO many SW recipes -esp. egg dishes galore.Delic.
Add a can of chili without beans & you are good to go.
never velveeta
Sunshine, I agree! Velveeta, mayo and canned pimentos sounds gross.
But that's not Pimento cheese. Mine is sharp cheddar, minced roasted red peppers and mayo. Let it sit for a day for the flavors to meld... wonderful!
Just like anything else, not everyone loves it. My 24 year old son wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.
I'm right there at the end of the pole with your son.
My mother made me eat that crud -- I despised it then, and all these years later I would pass out from hunger before I'd eat it.
I actually tried it at a party last year, thinking surely now I'm an adult, etc., etc. -- nope. It was all I could do to swallow it.
Kentuckian born and bred here, yet I cannot stand pimento cheese. However, give me bowlful of Benedictine spread, a west KY classic, and I'm happy.
A link:
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/party/fo...
Add some spoon bread, along with a few biscuits and small slices of country ham, and it's a party.
that looks really tasty!
Benedictine is so good I am amazed that more people don't know about it. Early in the 20th century there was a caterer named Jennie Benedict. The Benedictine spread was her creation. The Louisville Courier Journal writer Cissy Gregg said " Miss Benedict's fame extended far beyond the borders of Louisville and Kentucky.
The recipe I have gives no measurements. You'll have to wing it. A block of cream cheese, Chopped cucumber chopped and well drained, chopped onion, mayonnaise, salt to taste and a few drops of green food coloring. Combine all and use as a spread on canape sized bread as a small sandwich.
It is of course often referred to as Caviar of the South
yes, pimento cheese. you can make a version with white cheddar and green chile for SW. spiced nuts....pecans big in both locales. cheese straws...could be make with chipotle cheddar for SW. biscuits. mashed sweet potatoes.. corn pudding (with chiles for SW). Creamed collards (like creamed spinach). Cornbread (blue for SW). a simple jambalaya, chile verde for SW.
yes, cheese straws/biscuits (to me the real difference is the shape) and corn pudding, both are easy and with a few twists you can take either one into any region you care to quite easily.
Do you have a recipe for spiced nuts (e.g. which spices make it south or southwest style)? Thanks.
Here are a few:
http://www.southernplate.com/2012/11/...
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-savor...
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-an...
Pecans are traditional for southern cooking, but really, you can use any nut you have and it will be good.
If you wanted to adapt the recipes for a southwest flavor, I'd try using smoked paprika, cayenne, and chili powder as the spices.
Thank you! This link you posted sounds ideal for before-dinner with some cocktails:
Savory Spiced Pecans
Makes 4 cups
4 cups (1 pound) pecans halves
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Place the pecans in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, ground mustard, Tabasco, and cayenne. Pour the butter mixture over the pecans and stir until well combined. Taste a pecan and add more Tabasco or cayenne if desired.
Arrange the pecans on a large sheet pan and bake for 20-22 minutes until toasted and lightly browned, stirring halfway cooking time to prevent burning. Remove from the oven and cool completely, tossing occasionally, before transferring to an airtight container.
foodtourist,
the recipe you referenced for spicy pecans is pretty close to the traditional recipe for what some of us grew up with, called Party Mix, made by our moms in the '60s and beyond. It was printed on cereal boxes because it was a mix of ~ various Chex cereals, thin pretzel sticks, peanuts. Both peanuts and pecans are native to the Southern states, btw. Because "The South" is a very large area, the food specialties often change from state to state. In Virginia( the northern end of The South), Corn Pudding would typically be found on holiday tables. It is basically a baked egg custard with corn and sugar in it. Also eSSENtial to any holiday table would be Candied Sweet Potatoes. Think a casserole dish of sliced or mashed sweet potatoes topped with brown sugar, butter and broiled/caramelized/slightly burnt marshmallows.Southerners LOVE their sugar! but part of that is that Country Ham often plays a part in a holiday meal,(by itself or cooked with green beans) and it can be VERY salty.It is cured and sliced paper thin, like prosciutto. Biscuits are often the bread of choice- over rolls etc.
In the SW region, because it is close to Mexico, there are alot of Mex. influences. Corn is very prevalent, as are green chiles, and various dried red chiles for sauces. Cumin is a commonly used spice.Ditto Chile Powder (which has alot of cumin in it.) You may want to google "Southwestern Christmas dinner".
Fun idea; hope you enjoy some new discoveries!
Very easy to prepare; no rare ingredients.
Be careful with the spiced nuts recipes. One year I did a whole pound of pecan halves (quite pricey) with one of those spicy pecan recipes. It called for cayenne & a little chili powder plus some other things. Well, after roasting those pecans, the flavor was very acrid & just was off. I ended up throwing out the whole batch. Won't do that again!!!!
Left a bad aftertaste in my mouth & hole in my pocketbook.
Sorry, I did not get down on this page to see your post.
Sausage balls are loved by all and make great nibbles with cocktails. Bisquick, Jimmy Dean (ONLY Jimmy Dean) and grated sharp cheddar. Easy, fast, and can be made ahead. Macaroni and cheese, collards, green beans with baby red potatoes,okra,corn&tomatoes, sausage cornbread dressing, cranberry-jalapeno salsa,mini crab cakes, baked cranberry brie, stuffed mirlitons, maque choux, deviled eggs, please honey,do not omit the deviled eggs! This thread excites me.
i was a jimmy dean fan and then got some wright's sausage. i liked it more; it had a little more fat (flavor, juiciness) and more of a country breakfast sausage flavor. i don't recall where i got it, so this last time i went back to my hot jimmy dean. but if you see wright's, give it a try! http://www.wrightbrand.com/sausage/pr...
As a Canadian, I'm not quite sure if I can even source Jimmy Dean or Wrights. What does the meat look like (e.g. can you specifically describe the sausage texture, shape or taste)? Do I use a whole breakfast sausage otherwise? or mild/hot? Thanks.
it is a savory (non-sweet) breakfast sausage, medium grind and has various herbal additions in very small amounts -- just to give a hint: mild sage, thyme, others (see this: http://southernfood.about.com/od/saus... ). there is no noticeable sugar.
you can make it with hot with pepper flakes if you like.
if you have a favorite bulk breakfast sausage that isn't too fatty, use that. if it is in a casing, just squish it out. ;-). (my trick is to slit the casing lenghtwsie when the sausage is quite chilled, then just "roll out the sausage" away from the casing on a plate -- much easier than the "twist and squish" or "milking the cow teat" methods of getting the sausage out of the casing. ;-).
~~~~~~
the recipe for the sausage balls, you can make it with hot sausage or mild (i like hot, but that's me). really, ANY kind of savory, mildly herby ground sausage will do -- medium grind is fine -- just not too coarse.
look at the ingredients list: http://www.jimmydean.com/products/fre...
I realize it comes with the note of less than 2%, but that's a lot more sugar than I thought it had, too.
well, it may have sugar in it, as the other recipe had, but it doesn't taste sweet. some sausages do have a sweeter flavor, but i don't think jimmy dean or wright's has any sweet flavor at all. and typically i think of the sweeter sausages getting it maybe from the sense that fennel seed maybe gives it a hint that way. just thinking out loud.
i think that as long as the gal uses a good savory breakfast sausage -- hot or mild -- she should be fine. just please don't use "maple flavor" kind of stuff. eeeuuuww!
Agreed on all points...I had looked up the ingredients just to try to describe it, and was pretty surprised at the sugar.
Yeah...maple sausage in the dressing would be a crime.
yes, sugar surprised me, too -- also in the home-made recipe.
maybe it is like adding a touch of sugar to a tomato-y pasta sauce. you can't taste it, but it helps round out the other flavors.
(the grumpy old lady in me sees it as yet another product of "do we REALLY need sugar in this?!")
I always put sugar in homemade breakfast sausage - it helps the browning when you cook it.
OK -- that makes sense. i was just watching something else the other day where they were adding some sugar to make it brown. oh i remember -- it was an indian flat bread recipe. she said if she didn't add a touch of sugar, it wouldn't brown (and just stay all white) on the tawa or skillet: malabar parottas or kerala parathas -- http://showmethecurry.com/breads/mala...
FT -- Jimmy Dean's is not available in the GTA. But Longo's carries Bob Evans sausage patties. But I gave up a long time ago and just started making my own knock off. Let me know if you want the recipe.
Please post the recipe and thank you.
Here you go. I got it off of the Home Cooking board years ago and it's been my old reliable ever since. I think I did up all the spices from a quarter teaspoon to a half teaspoon, but you can adjust to your personal preference.
16 ounces ground pork
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon savoury
You're welcome! I would love to hear how it turns out for you. I always make a really huge batch (5+ pounds at a time) and freeze it. I'll scoop a bunch of it into balls, that I then defrost and flatten in the skillet. The rest I portion into 1-lb packages to use for sausage gravy.
And as with all sausage, don't shy away from having plenty of fat in the pork mix. :0)
I cooked this up for biscuits and gravy today. Thank you! It's delicious and the kids were over the moon. Just enough heat for the grown-ups without making our 7 yr old guzzle water :)
In my experience, Bob Evans is a much better product than Jimmy Dean.
Appetizers
Of course the pimento cheese. We like it on crackers or celery too
We always have country ham on tiny beaten biscuits or biscuits with the country ham already in them. Always
Bacon wrapped crackers
Cheese straws
Deviled eggs
Beer cheese with celery, carrots, and saltines
Shrimp or crab dip
Tiny tomato pies
Pepper jelly on cream cheese
Sides
Spoonbread
Corn pudding
Creamed corn
Collards
Oyster dressing
Cheese grits
Sweet potato soufflé
Mac and cheese
Broccoli and cheese
Kilt lettuce and onions
Squash casserole
Roasted okra
Fried cabbage
I like the idea of bacon wrapped around anything (dates, water chestnuts, scallops, whatever) - I've never heard of bacon around crackers - what type of crackers do you use? (style, not necessarily brand). Thanks.
I'm craving some kind of seafood dip! Also: I've never eaten a Louisiana crawfish as I've never been to the South (other than Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida). Keep meaning to eat at Hot 'n' Juicy in Las Vegas but never make it.
I have tried this spread & everyone loves it.
http://www.food.com/recipe/apple-anni...
At Apple Annie's tearoom, they would serve it spread on cinnamon raisen bread (crust removed & sliced on the diagonal).
Good on any kind of cracker too.
Do you have a recipe please? I've never made pickled shrimp.
here is emeril's: http://emerils.com/125582/pickled-shrimp
and john besh's recipe: http://www.chefjohnbesh.com/recipes/p...
With what are they stuffed to be seasonal/Christmas tamales?
Thank you everyone! I'm hungry already. Here's the deal, though -- the long lists sound like year-round treats. What on your lists are "Christmas only" or SEASONAL items? Any links to actual recipes would also be super helpful! I'm happy to google recipes but south and southwest websites aren't plentiful in the Christmas cooking/baking ideas so that's why I came to you all for actual recipes.
pecan pie
sweet potato pie
(recipes too numerous to mention)
Because of the climate in the south, lots of things aren't particularly seasonal, but those pies definitely are.
I think you need to choose South or Southwest, as both are enormous stockpiles of good food, but not all that similar, and in some cases not all that compatible...
Can you please link or provide actual recipes? Thank you. Can these be seen as "not just dessert"? I want to focus on appetizers and sides to amp up the experience. Perhaps other pecan or sweet potato recipes for appetizer and sides?
Yes, it will be one or the other region at each occasion, not to worry. I just didn't want to waste two separate threads for little ol' me.
No, those are dessert only -- they're both very, very sweet, and people would think you were out of your gourd for serving those as appetizers or sides.
There are as many recipes for pecan and sweet-potato pie as there are cooks. Start with Southern Living for recipes.
Lumping South and Southwest IMO just muddles the mix, and you're more than justified in having to threads. There's no thread quota.
pecan and sweet potato pies are served during winter holidays, but in my southern experience, at other times as well. There isn't much southern that I know of that's seasonal for winter holidays, beyond perhaps oyster stuffing/dressing. That's the only savory I can think of, and I don't have a specific link. The sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is seasonal and perhaps green bean casserole (again I don't have specific links because I don't cook these, but there are lots on line), but pecans, spiced nuts, collards, ham, biscuits, other sweet potatoes, cheese straws are eaten year round.
I don't know how complicated you want your recipes, but the Anson Mills site has some great, fairly complex ones, including grits, pimento cheese, pozole (for SW) pickled shrimp. I've only tried the first 3 and they are great. http://ansonmills.com/recipes
Also try the magazine site Southern Living....recipes there much more accessible with recipes for everything that's been mentioned including seasonal menus. http://www.southernliving.com
I just did a simple search for Southwest Christmas recipes and the top hits look promising with menus and recipes.
I will take a look at Anson Mills site. I had previously looked at Southern Living and just wasn't sure what was seasonal versus year-round. I do want to stick to fairly simple recipes as serving something new can often go very wrong without lots of practice!
Oyster stuffing sounds incredible!
Oyster dressing/stuffing is only seasonal because oysters are seasonal.
I don't think you're believing us that because the climate is mild, there really isn't much that's seasonal, as most things grow most of the year.
If you shirk Southern Living as a source, then there's not much any of us can do to help you -- that's pretty much the starting point for easily-sourced traditional Southern recipes. They have plenty of Thanksgiving articles with links to recipes, and the November newsstand issue always has lots and lots of articles and recipes.
and thanksgiving recipes work for Christmas as well...at least in my family. We didn't duplicate everything, of course.
I just searched "southern Christmas recipes" and this was the top hit
http://www.southernliving.com/food/ho...
there are links to other recipes on that page as well and southern living links came up on many other hits.
there are also many oyster dressing/stuffing recipes on line. I haven't made it in years myself so I can't vouch for any. Many southerners call stuffing dressing because it very often is baked outside of the turkey, and of course it can be served as a side with mains other than turkey.
I am originally from NC....Bill Neal was a highly respected chef there. He did lots of traditional stuff the "long way", so may be too complicated. but worth a search for Bill Neal recipes. Here is his oyster pie. http://www.labellecuisine.com/archive...
I believe Emeril (Legasse, Creole and Cajun as well as pan Southern) also has a lot of oyster recipes, including perhaps a dressing/stuffing. http://emerils.com/122578/baked-oyste...
These are all very easily findable.
I make oyster dressing every year, but I don't have a recipe. I learned to make it at my great-grandmother's and grandmother's sides, and while I could tell you what's in it, even I know that the amounts swing wildly from year to year!
Oh yes! Emeril!
Absolutely NOT to belittle Emeril's skill with Cajun and Creole dishes (which aren't necessarily the same as traditional Southern, and definitely not the same as Southwest....) -- but he was born and raised in Massachusetts.
Let's not denigrate any expert just based on family origins! Most experts and achievers rise above their (humble) origins.
He was born in Fall River, a Portuguese community in Mass., to a Portuguese mother and French Canadian father. He has been in New Orleans it seems since 1982.
I know that (I said he was born in MA) -- and I specifically said I was NOT denigrating his cooking ability.
I just said that he's not Southern, and that Cajun and Creole are not necessarily Southern, even though they're in the South.
I was more referring to the Portuguese culture and food and community Emeril was raised in in Mass. (so different from most of Mass.). The seasonings and some ingredients of course are very different, but in a few ways Cajun/Creole is not so far apart from Portuguese so I think there is some affinity there.
emeril is a superb creole/southern and portuguese chef. his "essence of emeril" series was a fantastic lesson in nuanced cooking in those cuisines -- and sometimes further afield.
he introduced me to linguiça!
Saveur just claimed that oyster dressing is from New England (or Pacific Northwest). Fighting words?
I don't know about fighting words, but none of my friends from New England have ever heard of it.
there are lots of southern recipes for oyster dressing, and not just from Louisiana. But I'm from NC and have lived in New England for decades, and I've met lots of New Englanders who've heard of it, and even cook it, and I learned it from my dad in NC.
I don't think we need much more here in the way of fighting words. I don't care where it's "from"....i love it.
the few (and i do mean *few*) "christmas only" kinds of things that i know of in the south are in the desserts category -- like lane cake -- not in the other foods. i mean, we eat good food year round. ha!
sweets, especially, tend to come out of the woodwork during the holidays, but I agree with you -- I can't think of much that's ONLY eaten during the holidays.
perhaps that horrible kind of commercial fruitcake is only eaten around Christmas? I forgot all about that, fortunately.
Oh, yes, bourbon balls. Mom made them in July so they could "cure" till Christmas! (We'd sneak a few out each week.)
yeah, those are not a last-minute sweet. They have to age or they're bordering on inedible.
(they're rum balls at my house, but variations on a theme)
really? well heck I know what I'm doing tomorrow.
I usually only give them a couple of weeks -- they just need to have enough time for the harsher compounds of the alcohols to work their way out.
They're hot and unpleasant hen they're really fresh, but they mellow pretty quickly!
We love bourbon. Please link or share a recipe for these aged sweets! Thank you.
there are a bajillion out there, all some variation of this one:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/em...
I don't use allspice in mine -- but there's one variation with melted chocolate, and one version with cocoa powder.
Both are made with crushed Nilla wafers -- so yeah, kinda trashy, but they're good.
(actually, they're kind of a forerunner to cake balls...)
I'm using the one with cocoa powder and had to sub ginger snaps and graham crackers (nuthin' open around here at midnight) it's only into day 2 of the aging (whoa they 'off gas' the bourbon fumes like a hungover cowboy) I'll let you know how they turn out, but the mixture that got on my fingers tasted good...
I remember going to some kind of Christmas tea with my mother when I was little. They had plates of all kinds of cookies, and I popped a round one into my mouth. Oh my god, I didn't know what to do with that nasty thing! And why would someone make cookies that tasted so awful? It was a rum ball... how was I to know? I was the shyest, quietest little mouse you've ever seen, so I know I didn't say anything, but I think some moms noticed my distress. I think they were laughing and horrified at the same time.
I'd probably love one now, but I've never tried a rum ball since.
once in a while, folks don't realize that they have to rest and off-gas, and serve them when they are really unpleasant to eat.
It's bad enough as an adult to bite into one-- I can't imagine how awful it would be to a kid!
ok just checked one, taste is uhh strong and milder than Thursday (although is sort of like doing a shot, I checked the bottle and I barely used a bit more than a pint for 40+ balls) it's really good but the texture is still gooey, I popped them in the fridge for now, but wonder if they're still too smudgey by Tuesday, do I just roll them in more powder and let sit?
I had no idea the rum/bourbon balls & other alcoholic cakes had to sit & degas. I kept away from those things because they had such a terrible taste No wonder, since I was eating them as soon as they cooled. Just always wondered how anyone could enjoy these.
Now I understand...thanks for sharing this.
do remember in your quest for special occasion or 'seasonal' foods, some things hit the list like tamales as they are such a pain in the neck to make, conversely others like cheese straws just because they're easy for a crowd and some because they're expensive and only done for company.
I highly recommend www.southernplate.com for Southern recipes. It's written by a lady from Alabama. All her recipes are extremely easy and very tasty. I've made numerous things from the site and they've all come out outstandingly well. She does have lists of recipes specifically for the holidays.
Here's a link to an article in NY Times with good advice on planning, cooking ahead, delegating, and several good recipes from Natchez. The Christmas table is not a lot different from the Thanksgiving table.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/din...
I am beginning to understand that in the USA, Thanksgiving and Christmas are pretty inseparable. Up here in Canada, Thanksgiving is in the early autumn and totally differentiated.
Thanks to all for your help and thoughtfulness!
yes, there's a lot of overlap, but they're not the same meal.
Turkey is pretty much standard issue for Thanksgiving, but things start to wander pretty far afield for Christmas.
In our tribe, we wouldn't dream of straying from the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but we rarely ever have the same Christmas menu.
After seeing the pimento cheese suggestions I'd like to give it a southwestern version.Substitute chopped green chilies for the pimento. Don't use hot peppers but if you want to add a bit of heat add a spoon of the adobo sauce that chipotles are canned. It will also add a bit of smoky flavor. We love this stuff.
ask and you shall receive:
102 Best Thanksgiving Sides
Southern Living
Greetings from New Mexico! As others have mentioned above, tamales are really THE Christmas food in the Southwest. Some other Southwestern sides and apps that are traditionally served at Christmas are:
Posole -http://www.epicurious.com/articlesgui... , or this one: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10...
Christmas Eve Salad - http://www.food.com/recipe/ensalada-d...
Calabacitas: http://www.food.com/recipe/calabacita...
Biscochitos - (more of a dessert than a side) http://www.marthastewart.com/337021/b...
Empanadas - an easy app if you used ready-made pie crust to make mini-empanadas - Any savory filling is nice - I like mushrooms and thyme and/or pumpkin and sage for the holidays.
Enchiladas: http://www.latina.com/food/recipes/ho..., This kale enchilada recipe is nice, too: http://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/...
Green Chile Cheddar Cornbread: http://www.flamingotoes.com/2013/01/s...
Black-Eyed Peas - a must on New Year's in Texas, but a lot of people eat them on Christmas, too.
And last, this butternut squash and poblano gratin recipe is not traditional, but it's one of the best Southwestern sides I've ever made: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sq...
(Note: If there's a CostCo anywhere near you, they sell really great frozen vegetarian tamales, as good or better than some of the homemade tamales I've had here.)
I'm now searching for specific salad recipes that are less sweet (to counteract all the other carbs and fatty foods)... any other recipes for salads (no potatoes, no fruit) would be welcome from anyone. Calabacitas looks like a possibility. My partner is suggesting tex-mex-style salads.
This is one of the most helpful threads I've been on. Thank you so much to all for your generous thoughtful responses.
this thread might give you some ideas. I don't think any are especially southern or southwestern, but you could make them so by adding chile powder element, roasted green chiles, or jalapeños.
I found something light, healthy and Christmas-specific! It's on several websites but originated on Epicurious. Can anyone confirm the following statement is true?
"Variations of this salad are often served on Christmas Eve in both old and New Mexico." (Serves 6)
ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
7 tablespoons olive oil
1 jalapeno chili, seeded, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
4 navel oranges
2 pink grapefruit
1 head red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce
3 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Pomegranate seeds (optional)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced, rings separated
preparation
Combine lemon juice and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Mix in chili and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
Cut all peel and white pith from oranges and grapefruit. Slice oranges into rounds. Cut grapefruit in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into half rounds.
Line platter with lettuce. Arrange orange slices in center of platter, overlapping slices. Arrange grapefruit slices around oranges, overlapping slices. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.) Arrange avocado slices around grapefruit, overlapping slices. Top with nuts and pomegranate seeds, if desired. Arrange onions over all. Drizzle dressing over.
Sadly, not really.
So sorry that was no help, perhaps I was thinking about her 2 books she has out.
While this recipe isn't on her website, it's on others:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...
It comes from her new book, "A Homesick Texan's Family Table."
Black bean and corn salad might fit your constraints - I've not tried this one but it's from a reliable source, Cooking Light. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/all-p...
I've edited this note to include a link to a flavorful grain-based one that I have tried (and posted about elsewhere here on CH) Here's the link http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/9799...
Salsa Bean salad, which I like over greens is another one that comes to mind.
3 cans (15-16 oz.) beans, such as red kidney, garbanzo, or black beans, rinsed & drained. (I usually use 3 varieties, but can also use all same)
1 can (15 -16 oz) whole kernal corn (I use 11 oz niblets vacuum canned)
1/2 c. chopped water chestnuts (1 small can, sliced, chopped up more)
2/3 c. sliced green onions (4 green onions, white part and most of tops sliced)
MIX the above in a large bowl.
3/4 c. salsa
1/3 c. French salad dressing
Combine salsa & French dressing, then add to vegetables, toss gently to coat.
Cover and refrigerate for 2-24 hours. Toss before serving. Makes about 8 cups (12 servings).
Food of The South and The Southwest are entirely different, not to mention the variety of cuisine you'll find just in the south. There's seafood on the coasts, French influence, Mexican influence, regional specialties, etc. Then there's Florida.
I agree with everyone that clearly defined Christmas dishes will appear in desserts. A lot of holidays will have a sweet that's only served then. Mardi Gras and King cake, for instance.
Texas does have a strong Christmas/New Year tamale connection. Probably because it's easier to produce freezer loads when you have relatives visiting/helping!
I suggest narrowing your focus. Then, realize that our growing seasons are different. Fall harvest goes into what is deep winter in other areas of the country. Citrus is just starting to mature. I don't even harvest my Meyer Lemons until January.
Anything particularly rich is saved for holidays. Punch is party specific, too.
in that vein --
Ambrosia in a pretty glass bowl is considered a must at many Southern tables...it's a king's ransom to buy all that fresh citrus up north, but it's cheap and local in the South...because oranges and grapefruit are ripe at the end of December...!
(it's good, too -- the citrus helps cut the richness of the rest of the groaning table)
ambrosia done with fresh oranges and fresh coconut is something that is truly a treat! i daresay 95% of the people who say they've had ambrosia have never had the wonderful, beautiful real deal.
if you want a special dessert dish for the holiday table, try making ambrosia from scratch. you'll be delighted at the fresh lightness and bursting-with-sunshine flavor.
from scratch? What alternative is there?
I've only ever known it to be citrus sections. No coconut, because Dad can't stand coconut -- if we're really feeling wild, we'll throw some maraschino cherries in it...or some apple sections if we're really tossing caution to the wind.
842 - the alternative is canned fruit and probably why I can't stand the examples I've had.
What's your recipe? Citrus sections and --?
Thank you.
that's it. No recipe.
Whatever citrus you have - -navels, red grapefruit, white grapefruit, tangerines, clementines, mandarines -- whatever's around, sectioned (http://localfoods.about.com/od/prepar...)
with fresh (NOT sweetened! pleh) coconut and/or maraschino cherries
In a glass bowl, it's pretty.
American South, bowls of chow chow, pickles of all kinds, especially pickled okra & beets. No fresh veggie platters, just pickled stuff, mind you.
Oh yes, FRUITCAKE. Actually, there are a lot of decent recipes floating around without all that citron junk.
I dunno -- there are an awful lot of cut glass bowls full of carrot sticks, celery sticks, black olives, and gherkins.
You are right about the carrot sticks & celery sticks & such, but in my neck of the woods, we go for all the pickled stuff. No one used to touch the nice healthy veggies so we just started to omit them from the groaning table. My family is not health minded during the holidays.
anybody under ten promptly puts the olives on their fingers...
the carrot sticks and celery sticks are a favorite amongst the dieting bunch for, oh, ten minutes,
and nobody touches the gherkins.
LOL
the only fruitcake I ever liked had soaked in maybe a half gallon of brandy and a few other liquers for a week or so.
there are a couple of good ones out there (one from Texas, and one made by an order of monks) -- they're pretty tasty, but yeah. Most of them require that you or the cake or both be well-marinated.
oh this was a darn good homemade version, almost a heavy mille-feuille (if that's possible) and yes all were marinated by the time it was served...
Gethsemani in Kentucky ships their fruitcake and fudge to Canada (but not their cheese) https://www.gethsemanifarms.org/combo...
Here are some other monasteries and abbeys that make Christmas food items: http://anunslife.org/resources/gifts-...
I like pickled anything. I learned about pickled shrimp on this thread. What's a brand name for popular tasty pickles?
You might find some inspiration in the Food section of today's NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/20...
This is the best Thanksgiving regional food feature I've seen! We need one of these for Canada (Christmas).
Two things we make every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter from my Mom's side of the family (from South Carolina):
Blue cheese ball
With an electric hand mixer combine 8oz blue cheese, 8oz cream cheese, a stick of butter! a dash of worcesthire and a dash of Tabasco. Then mix in half a cup? minced yellow(vidalia)onion and a 1/2 cup? chopped black olives. Can't say the exact amounts as we usually just eyeball it.
We've actually been using shallots and calamatas,the past decade because not a lot of family and friends are big canned black olive fans. Not sure if that makes it cease to be Southern lol. Form it into a ball or two, refrigerate it for a bit if its melting and getting messy, then roll it in chopped toasted pecans and refrigerate to set. Serve with crackers.
Southern style green beans
I use 2 slices of bacon, half a medium (white or yellow) onion, a clove of garlic, and a bay leaf per 1lb of green beans. Snap off the ends then snap in half the beans and set aside. In a large enough pot on lowish heat cook the bacon about half way then toss in the onion and garlic. (I quarter the onions and leave the garlic cloves whole so i can fish them out along with the bacon and bay leaves before serving.)
Once the onions and garlic get browned a bit deglaze with wine,add the beans the bay leaf a few dashes of Worcesthire and enough stock to cover the beans and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours or so until quite tender but not falling apart.
I use white wine and chicken stock for serving with poultry or red wine and beef stock with red meat, but really any combination is fine. Can definitely make a day ahead and refrigerated; they're actually better that way, just don't cook them as long and finish the day of.
I was assigned vegetables this year, and I am doing this! Have you ever made it overnight in a crockpot? Or do they fall apart too easily from the long cooking? They will need to travel in the crockpot for re-warming at my destination. Thinking I'd cook the bacon and onion and deglaze with wine, then pour that and the stock over the beans and cook. Or maybe I'll just make them and cook partway the night before, then reheat in the crock in the morning...
go ahead and cook them all the way the day before and refrigerate. Then just reheat them in the slow cooker.
They've been stewed to death and then some, so don't worry about overcooking. (they shouldn't be crisp at all). They're overcooked, but I love them.
I don't use garlic or bay leaf -- and find that resting them overnight in the fridge brings out better flavors, so I make them the day before on purpose.
It is ALL wrong. Have you not read the comments?
I lived in Missouri for most of my life and never had a "Gooey Butter Cake". Never even heard of it but that's not saying much. Desserts were for special functions.
We spent every other Thanksgiving in Topeka, Ks growing up and never had that version of sweet potatoes, hahaha!
I've lived in Tx for 8 yrs and never had the option of a turkey tamale.
Obviously, I don't know the right people!
I've lived in Florida for my entire adult life, and have never heard of a mojo turkey, either...
I've had gooey butter cake (and OMG it's amazing) -- but never in Missouri!
I'm not sure that I took every dish literally as posted by NYTimes but I'm not sure any list would capture what each of us considers a "home state dish" given how many variations come into play. I laughed when I read the east coast dishes.
I agree entirely, but beyond that, it *is* an interesting collection of recipes and possibilities, including many I'd never heard of.
I agree that it would be hard to pick a dish that everyone agrees with...but it wouldn't have been that hard to pick dishes that folks in those states had at least HEARD of.
alex - gooey butter cake is pretty much a St. Louis thing, good but not representational of the entire state as you can attest.
This is just my experience growing up in Florida with southern and southwestern family members.
Deviled Eggs
Christmas Tamales as mentioned above
Stuffed Mushrooms
Collard Greens
Southern Cucumber and tomato salad. It's just cucumbers and tomatoes smothered in ranch dressing.
Pasta Salad
Potato Salad
Enchiladas
Corn and black bean salsa and chips
Jalapeno and cheese quesadilla
South
Deviled Eggs
Stuffed Mushrooms
potato salad
heirloom tomato salad with ranch dressing
South West
Tamales
chicken and cheese quesadilla triangles use green and red bell peppers for festive colors
Bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers -(filling cream cheese, sharp cheddar and your choice of spices)
beef empanadas
SouthWest:
My aunt from San Antonio always made Christmas enchiladas for us kids. and would stripe them with red enchilada sauce and green verde sauce
https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/enc...
https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/sal...
Stuffed Peppers
https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/stu...
American South
Deviled Eggs
https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/war...
Chicken pot pie bites
https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/chi...
by Jen Wheeler | Need a spring vegetable guide to what's in season? Consider this your spring produce cheat sheet—complete...
by Rachel Johnson | Whether the kids are still distance learning or returning to a classroom, with school back in session...
by Kelly Magyarics | You’ve sprung for a gorgeous piece of enameled cast iron cookware; protect your investment by cleaning...
by Debbie Wolfe | Home chefs love wood cutting boards because they are durable and reliable. Wood boards are attractive...