Top 10 Recipes for Christmas Dinner

Great ideas for holiday cooking...

Plan the perfect Christmas dinner with our favorite Christmas recipes including Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Cranberry Drizzle and Cider-and-Beer-Braised Pork with Chocolate Mole.

Medallions of Beef Tenderloin

This beef medallion recipe will make you look like a hero in the kitchen--it looks beautiful and tastes incredible.

Duck with Sweet Orange Sauce

Want to show off this holiday season? If you can roast a chicken, why not up the ante and roast a duck! A roast duck for Christmas dinner is chic and easy. This recipe is my version of the classic French dish "Duck a l'Orange."

Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Cranberry Drizzle

Sometimes there is nothing like cozying up to a rich, warm bowl of soup for dinner. This recipe invokes the flavors of the season and looks just gorgeous on any Christmas dinner table.

Collard Greens and Smoked Turkey

Enjoy a taste of the south this Christmas. This dish is simmered with smoked turkey, collard greens and bell peppers.

Potato Cheese and Mushroom Pie

Finally, a vegetarian dish to take center stage for a festive Christmas meal! This savory pie is as impressive as it is mouth-watering.

Apple-Maple Country Ham

This ham is effortless to make, but is sinfully delicious. It's Christmas dinner in a crock-pot! Plus, the leftovers are fabulous for sandwiches and salads.

Cornish Hens

Cornish hens are another great choice for Christmas dinner. Whether you are cooking for a small family or hosting a big crowd.

Spicy Maple Glazed Lamb Chops with Spinach

Lamb is a holiday favorite and I love this recipe because you simply sear lamb chops and then finish them off in the oven. An upscale Christmas dinner is served in a matter of minutes! The sweet and spicy glaze works really well with the flavor of the lamb and the wilted spinach makes it a complete dish.

Cider-and-Beer-Braised Pork with Chocolate Mole

Chocolate is a favorite holiday ingredient that many people do not typically consider pairing with pork, but Chef Symon’s recipeshows that pork's versatility enhances almost any holiday ingredient. You will receive raves from your friends and family if you serve this dish at Christmas!

Lobster Tails

Decadent lobster is often saved for special celebrations. This recipe is so easy, you will want to make it all year long!

More Christmas Recipes

• Holiday Jello Shots
• Christmas Cookie Recipes
• Christmas Dessert Recipes

• How to Cook a Turkey
• Our Favorite Christmas Recipes
• Christmas Candy Recipes

VALENTINE'S DAY MENUS

Howdy ya'll:

These ideas for Valentine's Day menus come from FINE COOKING E-magazine. They always have wonderful delectable dishes for all occasions. Enjoy!

Forget flowers, jewelry, and store-bought candy—a home-cooked meal is the best (and least expensive) way to express those three little words. You might even offer to do the dishes, too.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Wontons, part of the Seductive Finger Food menu.

Love on the Menu Whether you're cooking together or surprising your special someone, our menus—complete with recipes, tips, and shopping lists—will make it easy. Seductive Finger Foods Breakfast in Bed Classic Romance Menu Spicy Valentine's Day Dinner Quick Dinner for Two Browse Valentine's Day Recipes

Beans, Beans the Musical Fruit...

Being a Texas gal, I'm no advocate of becoming a Vegetarian, however, I came across this article from "Vegging Out" regarding The Bean. It's interesting to know that most people don't know how to cook beans in such a way as to eliminate the gas associated with eating them. I have know for years the "secret" and so I'll pass it on to you along with a few recipes.

Enjoy!

Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit: How To Eat Them Without the Flatulence

by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto

Food & Health (food)

I was chatting with my cousin about some health and weight problems she was having and I was stunned to discover that she almost never cooks vegetables for her family dinner. Too much trouble she said. I suggested that not only should she add vegetables every day, she should significantly reduce her meat intake and add legumes to her diet. She was vehement about not eating beans at all. Her reason? Gas.

I suspect there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way about beans.Excess gas can cause discomfort and sometimes actual pain as well as embarrassing flatulence. Judy at Savvy Vegetarian thinks that some new vegetarians give up for that very reason. People who are new to vegetarianism may well be suddenly eating a greater amount of beans and perhaps our bodies need a bit of time to adapt.

Once you understand the cause of gas, it's fairly easy to remedy. Beans contain a sugar called oligosaccharide and we lack the enzyme required to break the sugar down. When the sugar arrives in your lower intestinal tract intact, it ferments, creating a buildup of gas. The gas isn't absorbed into the intestine, so the body expels it, creating red faces all around.

The answer to this problem is pretty simple. Cook your own beans rather than using canned, and soak them thoroughly first to allow the sugar leach out. To avoid having it re-absorbed into the beans, it's a good idea to change the soaking water a few times. Cooking the beans slowly also makes a difference. Adding the spice asafoetida, or Kombu which is a kelp or baking soda are all said to help break down the sugar. Rinse the beans after you have cooked them as well.

I also read a number of other hints that may also help reduce gas. Younger beans are better to use than older beans, and although it is impossible to know how long the beans you are buying have been dried, there are a couple of things to look out for. Beans darken with age so choose beans that are lighter in colour, and also those with fewer cracks in them. There are suggestions that grinding or mashing beans helps, and simply chewing them well makes a difference. If you are using canned beans, rinse them a number of times.

Beans are such a great source of protein, fibre and nutrients, they should be a major part of everyone's diet and you can do it without the gas. You can check out the Recipe of the Week in the TreeHugger archives for lots of legume recipes such as Wine Braised Lentils or head over to Planet Green for recipes like Chickpea Salad , Bean and Swiss Chard Stew for a Tomato Lentil Curry or a Black Bean Soup.

Some of these recipes call for canned beans, but if you are going to soak them, here is a chart of bean soaking times from recipenet.

Challenge of the Week: Embrace the bean and make a meal based around a legume.

Sources: Savvy Vegetarian, About.com, AOL Canada, The Skinny On...

Pumpkin and Spice Bread

This is an absolutely awesome recipe using canned pumpkin but it goes one step further by using the pumpkin bread in delicious bread pudding. Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Spice Bread

One of our favorite bread recipes doubles as a custard-rich dessert.

Recipe by Karen Barker photography: By James Baigrie

Pumpkin Spice Bread
This loaf is so good you’ll want to double it and turn the extra loaf into a delicious bread pudding (below).

MAKES: 1 (8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch) loaf
PREP: 10 minutes
BAKE: 1 hour 5 minutes
STAND: 20 minutes

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons canned unsweetened pumpkin
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch loafpan. Sift together first 5 ingredients; stir in kosher salt.
2. Combine sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg, beating until well blended. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating at low speed until blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 1 hour 5 minutes or until loaf is golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

photography: By James Baigrie

Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding

If desired, you can make this several hours ahead and reheat it just before serving.

MAKES: 8 servings
PREP: 15 minutes
STAND: 30 minutes
BAKE: 1 hour 20 minutes

1 loaf Pumpkin Spice Bread
4 large eggs
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
Toppings: Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Cut Pumpkin Spice Bread into 1/2-inch cubes with a serrated knife. Spread cubes in a single layer on a lightly greased jellyroll pan. Bake at 400° for 11 to 14 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove cubes from oven; set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
2. Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, pumpkin, lemon zest, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Whisk in milk and 1 1/2 cups whipping cream until blended.
3. Add toasted pumpkin bread cubes to custard mixture, stirring gently to moisten evenly. Let stand 20 minutes.
4. Grease an 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Pour bread pudding mixture into baking dish, spreading evenly; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
5. Pour hot tap water to a depth of 3/4 inch in a roasting pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Place baking dish containing bread pudding in center of roasting pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour 10 minutes or until set at center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

CHEAP EATS!!

Featured Recipes: Sweet & Sour Chicken with Brown Rice | Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons & Parsley Brown Butter | Tijuana Torta | Quick "Cheesecake"

Forget take-out. Here are 100+ easy recipes for budget-friendly meals at home.

It’s hard to escape the biggest news in the country: the economy’s struggling. At a personal level, the nation’s financial woes may have you figuring out where you can cut costs. Cooking at home instead of eating out is an easy way to save money, particularly if you focus your meals around cheap ingredients.

We’ve pulled together more than 100 recipes that utilize some inexpensive, but nutritious, items from the grocery store. Browse these suggestions for recipes to help you save money and make an easy, budget-friendly dinner tonight.

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Dinner in a Snap

These recipes use low-cost main ingredients that pack a lot of flavor, such as chicken thighs, beans and ground beef.

Bean Recipes
It's convenience in a can. Quick and budget-friendly suppers with canned beans.

Ground Beef Recipes
Lean ground beef is a healthy, economical choice for quick and easy meals.

Quick Chicken Recipes
A chicken in every pot. Healthy chicken recipes ready in 30 minutes or less!

Casserole Recipes
Warm, satisfying casseroles are the epitome of comfort food; ours are healthy, tasty and satisfying. Plus, they make great leftovers!

Soup and Bread Recipes
Healthy soup and bread recipes that will satisfy and warm you all season long.

Vegetarian Recipes
Go meat-free; make simple and delicious meals with these healthy vegetarian recipes.

Chicken Thigh Recipes
Flavor and frugality are just two reasons to love chicken thighs.

Quick Pasta Recipes
Fast, healthy pasta recipes for any day of the week.

Tofu Recipes
Embrace tofu—a great, inexpensive source of protein—with these bold, delicious recipes.

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Forget Take-Out

Save money and eat healthier at home with these easy, delicious ethnic recipes.

• Chinese Recipes
• Mexican Recipes
• Italian Recipes
• Indian Recipes

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Save Money at Every Meal

Packaged on-the-go foods don’t hold a candle to these easy and healthy breakfast, lunch, snack and dessert recipes.

• Egg Recipes
• Kids Lunch Recipes
• Lunch Recipes
• Quick Snacks
• Dessert Recipes

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a kick from chile-infused oil and baked tortilla chips.

Tomato & Drunken Goat Cheese Salad
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Our thanks to Fine Cooking Newsletter, Taunton Press