Christmas is awesome. I think very few want to refute that statement. But, do you remember Christmas as a child? Have any of you gotten to watch your children experience Christmas yet? Do you remember those early years? With my two-year-old, this year is magical. She can explain to me how incredibly overwhelmed she is with the magic of Christmas. Watching her look at down a busy city street as the white lights twinkle in her eyes as we pass by shops and restaurants is something I can’t describe. It’s transcendent. Watching every care in the world fade from her face as she looks up at a towering lit tree is beautiful. Watching her mother experience this with me as well is glorious. As we go through the holidays this year, it’s very easy to get wrapped up in the hustle bustle, gift giving frenzy. Try to remember to take a brief second to look around at your circle and appreciate the magic of Christmas.
In the off chance you find it difficult to slow down and find some precious moments with your family, here are some excellent, upscale southern recipes that are sure to be a blast to cook in the kitchen and sure to have your family flock to the family table for some warm, delicious food.
Lastly, from my family to yours, have a wonderful holiday and a very, Merry Christmas.
In this dinner you will enjoy a unique Charcuterie Board for the appetizer. The dinner is an Aged Angus KC strip on a bed of creamy Polenta. This plate us topped with my BlackBerry Balsamic Sauce.
Creamy Polenta
Ingredients:
• 9 cups water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup whole milk (room temperature)
• 1/2 heavy whipping cream (room temperature)
• 1 1/4 sticks butter (cut into cubes, room temperature)
• 1/3 fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup shredded gouda cheese
• 1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce
Directions: Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Next, add in cornmeal and continuously stir. Reduce the heat to low until the cornmeal has become thick. This usually takes about 12-15 minutes. Add in the butter, salt, cheeses, milk, cream, parsley, and sriracha. Mix until the butter and cheese are melted together. Now it’s time to enjoy your Creamy Polenta.
Aged Steaks
• Ingredients:
• Dry Aged KC Strip with a Blackberry balsamic sauce
• 2 KC Strips (Reasor’s Certified Angus Beef)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary (For flavor)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
Directions: Melt down 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan. Season each side of steak with your salt and pepper. Next, add your fresh rosemary and steaks to the pan. Let each steak sizzle in your pan for about 60 seconds. Continue to rotate on all 4 sides until the steak reaches a internal temperature of 135°F-145°F(Medium). Pull these steaks off the heat and add 1 tbsp of butter on top of each steak. This will add a great deal of flavor.
BlackBerry Balsamic Sauce
• Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup BlackBerry Wine
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water (for cornstarch)
• 3/4 Balsamic vinegar
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 sliced shallots
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 season salt
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp sugar
Directions: First, simmer the balsamic vinegar. Second, add the following together with the balsamic vinegar wine, ketchup, honey, shallots, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, season salt, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir together on low heat for about 10 minutes. Next, strain the sauce into another saucepan. Take 1 cup of cold water and stir in your cornstarch. Once this is mixed well put your sauce back onto the medium heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cornstarch while whisking rapidly to avoid lumps. Whisk together for about 1 1/2 minutes and only use the remaining 1/2 cup of cornstarch if the sauce is too thin. Now it’s time to enjoy a yummy sauce to bring some more flavor for your meal.
This Charcuterie Board is not your typical board you will order at any restaurant. I used many unique cheeses and meats to get a special blend that will satisfy any craving. Don’t even get me started on this BlackBerry wine. I might have enjoyed more than my fair share as I was creating this meal. 😉 Of course, you can mix and match and swap these with any of your favorite meats, cheeses, grapes or nuts! This one’s certain to get everyone Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree!
In this Charcuterie Board I used the following:
• Cheeses: Stilton/White lemon zest C&W, Ellsworth cheddar cheese curds, Cream line lamb chopper cheese, Gouda aged Rembrandt.
• Meats: Sliced salami Milano, sliced salami calabrese, sliced salami Toscano.
• Bread: California Garlic Baguette
• Nuts: Hatch green chili cashews, Dark chocolate espresso beans, and Chocolate peanuts.
• Grapes: Green seedless table grapes and Black seedless grapes.
• Wine: Sparks Vineyard & Winery BlackBerry sweet table wine. ALC 12.5% By Volume.
I’m gonna try this soon!! Looks fabulous!!
Thank you!