A Simply Savor Surf ‘n Turf Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone!  When we plan our special holiday dinner every year, my family can never agree on what we want to eat!   Because of this, our Christmas dinners always turn into a surf n’ turf meal complimented by lots of fun appetizers, side dishes and desserts.  I guess it’s become our unintentional holiday tradition!  I love trying tastes of everything, so no complaints here

Here’s a look at our finalized Christmas menu:

APPETIZER

Melted Cheddar and Shrimp Crostini (Family recipe)

Ingredients

1 whole wheat baguette

2 cans of peeled, cooked baby shrimp

3 oz. block of Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3 tbsp. low fat mayo or Greek yogurt

Directions

Slice whole wheat baguette into medium-thin toasts.  Layer each with slice of cheese (don’t use all of the cheese) and place in oven under “broil” until very lightly toasted.

While the bread is in the oven, combine shrimp, mayo/yogurt, and remaining cheese shredded into bowl.

Remove bread from oven and top with a tablespoon of shrimp, mayo and shredded cheese mixture.

Place back into the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes or until melted.

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ENTREE

Filet Mignon with Sherry-Mushroom Sauce from Cooking Light

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and about 1/4 cup sauce)

Ingredients

• 4  (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (1 inch thick)
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 2  teaspoons  butter, divided
• 1 1/2  cups  presliced mushrooms
• 2  tablespoons  chopped shallots
• 1  teaspoon  bottled minced garlic
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1/4  cup  dry sherry
• 2  teaspoons  cornstarch
• 2  teaspoons  water

Preparation

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef to pan; cook 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove beef from pan; keep warm.

Melt remaining 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add mushrooms, shallots, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth and sherry. Combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 219

Fat: 10.5g (sat 4.4g,mono 3.8g,poly 0.4g)

Protein: 25.3g

Carbohydrate: 3.3g

Fiber: 0.4g

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WINE PAIRING: Beaulieu Vineyards Pinot Noir from Napa Valley

My parents brought this back with them from a recent trip to California.  Can’t wait to try it!

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Seared Chilean Sea Bass With Garlic Sauce from Cooking Light

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces fish)

Ingredients

• 1  (1-pound) Chilean sea bass fillet (about 2 inches thick)
• 2  teaspoons  vegetable oil
• 1/4  cup  water
• 1/4  cup  dry vermouth
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• Lemon wedges

Preparation

Cut fish crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add fish, and cook 1 minute. Turn fish over; gradually add the water and next 4 ingredients (water through garlic) to skillet. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Remove fish from skillet; set aside, and keep warm. Cook the vermouth mixture over high heat 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Pour over fish; sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 156

Fat: 6.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 2.3g,poly 2.3g)

Protein: 21.7g

Carbohydrate: 1.4g

Fiber: 0.2g

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SIDE DISHES

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary from Cooking Light Magazine

Soooo good!  You may remember these potatoes from my Thanksgiving menu.

Click here for the recipe!

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Charbroiled Asparagus with Parmesan

Ingredients

Asparagus

4 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp onion powder

Salt + pepper

~4 tbsp. parmesan cheese

Directions:

Wash asparagus.  Place all ingredients (except for parmesan) in ziploc bag and allow to marinate (anywhere from 30 min.-3 hours)

Turn oven to “broil” and make sure oven rack is on top.  Spray a medium-sized oven pan with non-stick cooking spray and spread out asparagus.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and place in oven.  Allow asparagus to broil until slightly charred on outside, turning frequently.

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DESSERT

Hartford Reserve Scrumptious Apple Pie

Usually I like to make my own desserts, but I couldn’t pass this up when I saw it at the store.  The box describes it as: “Scrumptious apple pie made with five varieties of apples, gently tumbled with a blend of cinnamon sugar and spices.”

… Yup, they pretty much had me at “scrumptious”

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Well I’m off to go for a walk with the family, dance around to the Mariah Carey Christmas album, watch Miracle on 34th Street and get started cooking this feast of a dinner!   Gotta love this time of year!

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

xox

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