Hello Recipe Club,

Christmas day can be very hectic with family and friends coming and going. There are gifts to open. It is a good time to slow down and spend some quality time with those you love. A buffet can make your life a little easier than a sit down lunch or dinner. Select foods that can sit out for a time without worry of spoiling. Put out small amounts that can be replenished. Acidic salads and dips, rolls, cooked and chilled meats, condiments, donuts, sweet breads and cookies...you get the idea. For more ideas, see  Cynthia Bowan's Christmas Day Buffet

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Wild Rice with Cranberries and Caramelized Onions

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 medium onions, sliced into thin wedges
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup Craisins Sweetened Dried Cranberries
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Preparation:

Combine chicken broth and both rices in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. 

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and brown sugar.

Cook 6 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and onions are soft and translucent. Reduce heat to low. Slowly cook onions, stirring often for 25 minutes or until they are caramel color. Stir in dried cranberries. 

Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until cranberries swell. Gently fold cranberry mixture and orange zest into cooked rice.

Source: Ocean Spray

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Fennel, Green Bean and Olive Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound tender green beans, trimmed
1 large fennel bulb, about 1 pound
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 canned flat anchovy fillet, minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
coarse salt to taste
1/4 cup Kalamata black olives, pitted and quartered
freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

If green beans are large, cut them in half lengthwise. Do not use old beans. Blanch them in an abundant amount of boiling salted water until tender yet crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water; shake dry.

Trim stalks from the fennel bulb and cut away any bruised, discolored or tough outer leaves. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise. Trim the root end, cut out the core at the base of the bulb. Slice lengthwise into thin strips.

To make the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, anchovy, garlic and salt in a large salad bowl. Before serving, removed the garlic clove, toss the fennel and green beans in the dressing. Sprinkle with olives and grind pepper over the top.

Note:

I cheated. I place the dressing ingredients in my processor and briefly processed with the steel knife, thus ensuring no one would get a piece of the anchovy. Such is life...you either love anchovies or hate them.

Source: Cucina Fresca (out of print)

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Peppermint Twist Cheesecake

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

Crust:

9 ounce box chocolate wafer cookies
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/3 cup 1 inch hard red and white-striped peppermint candies, crushed

Topping:

1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

additional peppermint candies

Preparation:

For crust:

Wrap outside of 9 inch springform pan with aluminum foil. Finely grind cookies with sugar in processor. Add butter, process to blend. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate crust while preparing filling.

For filling:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. 

Beat in half and half, then vanilla and peppermint extracts. Stir in crushed peppermint candies. Pour filling into crust.

Bake cheesecake until filling is set in center and edges are puffed, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

For topping:

Stir sour cream, sugar and extracts in small bowl to blend. Pour mixture over hot cheesecake, covering completely. Return cheesecake to oven and bake until top begins to set, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack, cool completely. 

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Using small knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Garnish cake with peppermint candies.