What's Cooking For New Year's?

SRL

Active Member
Let's share ideas and recipes!

We'll be attending a gathering of families from our church. I'll be bringing my usual triple batch of fruit slush--it's a big hit with everyone, especially kids.

Fruit Slush

6 cups boiling water
3 cups sugar (more or less to taste)
1 – 12 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 – 12 ounce can frozen pineapple juice concentrate
1 – 12 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
2 - 16 ounces frozen strawberries (may substitute fresh)

4 bananas


Dissolve sugar in boiling water. Puree bananas and strawberries in a blender or food processor (add a little water if needed). Combine sugar water, fruit and concentrates together in large container. Pour in to quart containers and freeze. Take out 30 minutes before serving and mash slush (may need to cut with a knife first). Add ginger ale or lemon-lime soda to desired consistency. Serve with a spoon and a straw.


I'm also bringing Chili and Rosemary Spiced Nuts. I made them last week with regular chili powder instead of the chipolte and they were a nice change. I also cut back the cooking time a bit--watch carefully so the sugars don't burn.


Ina Garten's Chipotle & Rosemary Spiced Nuts
Serves 8 to 10

When I have a little extra time before a party, I’ll whip up a batch of these really delicious nuts. They’re sweet, salty, and spicy—with lots of brown sugar, maple syrup, chipotle powder, and fresh rosemary. Roasting is the process that brings out the most flavor in nuts, and serving them warm is a particularly nice touch.
Vegetable oil
3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
1⁄3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
Kosher salt


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.

Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.
Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.

 

Lothlorien

Active Member
I'm having my cousin over on NYD. I'm buying a ham on Friday and will probably just have mashed taters and veggies. Nothing spectacular. I'll probably make my new dip tho...

This was a mistake, but a good one.

Roasted Pimento Dip
1 jar goya roasted pimentos
2 cloves garlic
1 block of cream cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar
few dashes of Frank's hot sauce

Drain jar of pimentos. Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Serve with pretzels. YUM! I hate peppers (bell), but this was yummy!
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
We're having ham on New Year's Eve, and confetti bean soup with black eyed peas (for good luck) on New Year's Day. With ham and cornbread...yum!
 

Marcie Mac

Just Plain Ole Tired
We are going to try something new and get a turducken - Jamie had it a while ago and said it was really good and he knows a place in L.A. where I can get one. Should be interesting - but if no one likes it, the dogs will be over the moon :)

Marcie
 

Suz

(the future) MRS. GERE
The Pennsylvania Dutch influence dictates that one must have pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day:

4 pound pork loin roast, no bone
2 cans sauerkraut
12 oz beer
2 apples (Gala), peeled, cored, sliced
Garlic powder

Sear all sides of the roast in a frying pan. Sprinkle with garlic powder.

Put in roasting pan. Cover with sauerkraut and beer. Top with apple slices.

Roast at 350 until done. Use meat thermometer.

YUMMY!

Susie
 

SRL

Active Member
I'm looking for ideas for a spread to use inside veggie wraps. I tried cream cheese and dry ranch dressing mix and it was too powerful. I didn't use a recipe, but wonder if there's another way to do it using ranch flavors. I've had it before and it was good...just not my version!
 

CrazyinVA

Well-Known Member
Staff member
These are incredibly bad for you, but also incredibly GOOD. I first made them for a Super Bowl party last year, and now I'm told to bring them to every party and cookout. They disappear like crazy. I'll be making a double batch for New Year's Eve :) Very messy to make, but worth the effort.


Brown Sugar Smokies

1 pound bacon
1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages
1 cup brown sugar


1. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Dredge with brown sugar and place in a ziploc bag; let sit for a couple hours in the fridge (not absolutely necessary, but this does make them nice and gooey and creates a sort of marinade.) I use toothpicks to hold the bacon onto the sausages (also easier for serving later).
2. Place the bacon-wrapped sausages onto a broiling pan (reassembling as necessary), and drizzle any leftover "marinade" or brown sugar over them.
3. Broil (center rack of oven) for about 15 minutes or until bacon is crisp, turning halfway through.

I'm telling you they're hard to resist.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I'm looking for ideas for a spread to use inside veggie wraps. I tried cream cheese and dry ranch dressing mix and it was too powerful. I didn't use a recipe, but wonder if there's another way to do it using ranch flavors. I've had it before and it was good...just not my version!

Just tossing out ideas off the top of my head. The cream cheese and ranch dressing combination might have made the spread too rich. Sometimes I substitute drained plain yogurt for cream cheese. To drain it, take a mixing bowl and a square of cheesecloth. Stretch the cheesecloth over the bowl opening, binding with either string or elastic bands. Pour the plain yogurt onto the cheesecloth and let the liquid drain into the bowl. After a couple of hours your yogurt will be thicker, like a light cream cheese. Once you've done this, you can use it in any recipe that calls for cream cheese.

If that's too much work, would sour cream do? It might change the flavour of the ranch dressing too much...I'm not sure as I don't really use ranch anything...
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
We're having a family game night with my cousin, her b/f, her son, me and s/o and the kids, my baby sister, another 2 tweens (family friends children). I have my superintendent and her 3 grand daughters stopping by, another neighbor who is widowed and I hate to see alone. My aunt is coming by for a little while. Should be quite the madhouse! I've asked most people to bring a few things for a buffet type table. it will be after dinner, so its more nibbly foods we can all pick at.

On our list so far:

spinach dip in pumpernickel bread bowl
veggies and 2 types of dip
nachos with salsa dip (cream cheese with taco seasoning in it, layered with homemade 4 pepper salsa, topped with grated old cheddar)
homemade pizzas for the kids
meat and cheese tray with crackers
crockpot sweet and sour cocktail meatballs
german potato salad
veggie pasta salad
pickle/olive type tray

Then a huge dessert tray of bite size snacks, chips, popcorn, pretzels etc. Nothing healthy on that menu but the veggies lol. And with the dip, not so healthy!!!

New Years day I have frozen turkey vegetable soup I made Christmas day, so we can have health in a bowl to recoup from the garbage food the night before lol
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Down south it just wouldnt be New Years Day without Collard Greens, Black eyed pea's and corn bread. Sometimes we add in pork chops, sometimes not because we add in sausage to the collard greens. We are having pork chops this year because I got a really good deal on them.

Tony makes the best collard greens around. I never liked them until I tried his. Now I cant get enough. They are to die for.

He uses fresh collards but if you dont want to go to all that trouble, if you can find the frozen ones that are frozen but never cooked at all, they will do in a pinch.

If you are doing fresh, wash them well...you can do this in a washing machine that has been cleaned so no soap remains. Cut them so the middle stem is removed. Roll a bunch into what looks like a thick cigar and start chopping...maybe 1 inch slices. Throw into a BIG pot. No matter how many collards you throw into the pot, there are never enough! Add water enough to steam. Cook until tender on medium heat with a lid on.

While this is going on, fry up two packs of hot or mild sausage...breakfast sausage. The kind that comes in the plastic tubes. I like the mild. Dont get rid of the grease.

When the Collards are tender, drain them and toss the sausage and grease back in with the tender collards. Stir and cook for about 20 minutes while the collards almost fry with the sausage and grease.

Cook some corn bread to go with this.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
We're having our annual New Year's Eve party. A few neighbours, some close friends and family. This year I've decided to keep things simple.

1) Barbecued salmon
1 large salmon filet. Spray lightly with EV olive oil (I keep it in a spray bottle like a plant mister), and rub with spices. Wrap in aluminium foil and barbecue for about 5 to 10 min.

2) Spicy chili shrimp
A large bag of large frozen pre-cooked shrimp (I'm being lazy this year, so I'm using pre-cooked). Thaw in cold water, take the tails off. Saute in a large frying pan, and then add the spicy chili sauce. Cook until the sauce reduces and gets slightly "crunchy" looking. There's lots of sugar in the sauce so it caramelizes nicely and makes a glaze over the shrimp. The sauce is sold in giant bottles at Costco, and I always have a few on hand.

3) Salad
Romaine lettuce, English cucumbers, red, yellow and orange bell peppers, cherry tomatoes sliced thinly. Dressed with Balsamic vinegar/Olive oil and spices.

4) Pork sirloin, baked
These are a bit like pork chops but a much leaner cut, similar to beef sirloin. Marinate in White Merlot or some other blush wine, black pepper, a dash of oil. Rub with spices. Bake at 350 F until the spice rub on top looks crisp.

5) Winter vegetable bake
Cubed butternut squash, beets, parsnips and Yukon Gold potatoes. Spray with a bit of oil, and spiced with rosemary and garlic. Bake at 350 F for about 45 to 60 min. The pork sirloin can bake at the same time.

6) Cheese tray
husband bought a variety pack the other day. Whatever cheeses are in there will go on the tray. Instead of crackers, I take small slices of baguette and rye bread, spread on a baking sheet and put under the broiler for about 3 to 5 minutes.

7) Veggie tray
The usual suspects: carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumber slices, broccoli and cauliflower florets, mushrooms (becuase they're husband's favourite). Dip made with light sour cream and dry vegetable soup mix (makes a nice change from onion soup mix).

8) Fruit tray
Strawberries, grapes, sliced fresh pineapple, blueberries. Because I'm feeling lazy I'll probably combine this with the cheese tray.

9) Low-carb, low-fat cheesecake
Made the same way as regular cheesecake, except that I substitute light cream cheese and low cal vanilla pudding for the regular strength varieties. I useolive oil margarine instead of butter or shortening in the graham cracker crust mix. I'm making a cherry cheesecake and a blueberry cheesecake (using pie filling for the cherry and blueberry toppings)

10) Cookie tray
My neighbour Mary from across the street loves to bake and brings a lovely tray of Christmas cookies. This is my favourite part of the whole meal.
 
H

HaoZi

Guest
These are incredibly bad for you, but also incredibly GOOD. I first made them for a Super Bowl party last year, and now I'm told to bring them to every party and cookout. They disappear like crazy. I'll be making a double batch for New Year's Eve :) Very messy to make, but worth the effort.


Brown Sugar Smokies

1 pound bacon
1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages
1 cup brown sugar


1. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Dredge with brown sugar and place in a ziploc bag; let sit for a couple hours in the fridge (not absolutely necessary, but this does make them nice and gooey and creates a sort of marinade.) I use toothpicks to hold the bacon onto the sausages (also easier for serving later).
2. Place the bacon-wrapped sausages onto a broiling pan (reassembling as necessary), and drizzle any leftover "marinade" or brown sugar over them.
3. Broil (center rack of oven) for about 15 minutes or until bacon is crisp, turning halfway through.

I'm telling you they're hard to resist.

Those sound wonderful!
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
We put out a variety of finger foods: cut cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, carrots, grape tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, cashews, shrimp with-cocktail sauce, various chips & dips, candies, chocolates and cookies. The only hot thing served were store bought cocktail meatballs heated with 2 jars of sauce in the crock pot. And the kids loved having ice cream sundaes.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Our collards and stuff was great. Only thing was it was just me and Tony here! I have no clue where anyone else was. I think Billy was working. I assume Cory and Mandy went to the beach but I thought they were going to be home sometime today but they havent shown up. Oh well....can we say not my problem. If they dont show up by 3 tomorrow we will call Tony's phone because Cory somehow took that with him...idiot. If they got their butt locked up somewhere, they can stay there. We will go get the phone. I just managed to get that phone replaced not 3 days ago!
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I skipped the winter vegetable thingy and combined the veg tray with the cheese tray. My neighbour Mary brought the fabulous Christmas cookies, and my friend Mel brought...gasp...CHOCOLATES. The low-carb low-fat cheesecake tasted like the full-fat variety, so I was pleased. The party was smaller this year, as we had a sattelite party at mother in law's house, since she wasn't up to travelling down here. sister in law and her hub, brother in law and his fiancee, and difficult child were with mother in law, we were at our house, and connected by phone throughout the evening. It was great!
 
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