For many people, the holidays are a time to get together with family – whether blood related or chosen – and a lot of those get-togethers involve food. But with holiday shopping, decorating, jobs, childcare and all the other responsibilities life throws at us, finding the time to cook for those events can be a challenge. And if your cooking skills aren’t particularly great, well, that challenge can easily turn into an obstacle.
Fortunately, there are professional cooks and chefs in the world who love to share their knowledge and skills, one being my friend Anna Francese Gass, whose love of heirloom recipes from mothers and grandmothers has taken her around the world in her own kitchen. Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Festivus or all of the above, her trove of approachable and delicious dishes will be sure to make your holidays brighter and your guests ask where you got your mad skills.
Here are four simple and delicious recipes from Heirloom Kitchen to add to your future culinary repertoire:
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
1. Alaskan King Crab Legs á la Francese
Want a dish that is literally as easy to make as boiling water? As long as you and your holiday guests eat shellfish, this is the recipe for you.
As Anna puts it, “King Crab Legs are fun to eat and the meat is unmatched in tenderness, sweetness and delicate flavor. It’s so easy to cook and fun to crack open and enjoy. Because they are so delicious, just a few ingredients are needed to cook them up and eat.”
Here’s the recipe:
2 lbs Alaskan King Crab Legs
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lemons, 1 juiced and 1 sliced thin
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped fine
In a large sauté pan, (that you can cover) melt the butter with olive oil on medium heat. Lower the heat and add the garlic. Cook until garlic is light brown, add lemon juice and white wine.
Add the king crab legs and cover. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the meat is cooked and the liquid has reduced a bit.
Remove king crab legs to a serving platter and pour sauce over them. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
Image Credit: Anna’s Heirloom Kitchen.
2. Pork Tamales
Tamales are a Christmas Eve tradition in Southwestern states, and particularly in families with Mexican heritage, and are a wonderful holiday cooking tradition if you like to cook with your friends and family.
These tamales are made with pork, but if you don’t eat pork, there are vegetable, beef and even fruit options that are delicious. The key ingredient, of course, is a quality masa that isn’t too dry. This Anna’s Heirloom Kitchen recipe for pork tamales nails that.
Image Credit: Anna’s Heirloom Kitchen.
3. Rugelach
Hanukkah wouldn’t be Hanukkah for many people without these delicious sugar- and nut-filled cookies, but you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy them. They make a great treat for any holiday, or even everyday eating.
Check out this simple and delicious recipe on Anna’s Heirloom Kitchen (it’s a two-fer! There’s the traditional recipe and also an Italian version using Nutella).
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
4. Slow cooker chicken tajine with carrots
Want to add the flavors of Northern Africa to your holiday meal? This classic dish from Morocco is sure make your guests come back for seconds – maybe even thirds. Use a tajine if you have one, but a slow cooker works as well.
Saffron (a pinch)
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1 small yellow onion (minced)
1 ½ lb whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
7 large carrots
1 cup water
½ cup red olives (Mediterranean or Kalamata)
1/2 pickled lemon
1 tb parsley, chopped
In a bowl, mix saffron, ginger, salt, pepper, olive oil and canola oil. Clean and thoroughly wash the chicken then cut into 8 pieces.
Arrange them over the finely cut onions then drizzle the spice and oil mix over it inside a cooking tajine (a slow cooker is a good alternative).
Peel and cut the carrots in halves (removing the yellow core). Add carrots to the chicken, then add water and cover.
Let cook on slow heat for 1 hour (add water if necessary).
Add pickled lemon and olives during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Sprinkle parsley to garnish before serving.
This article was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
