My ʻohana and I are continuously trying to push ourselves to not only make smart and healthy food choices, but to also try new recipes. On top of that, there is added excitement during the holiday season to prepare a home cooked meal. In anticipation of hosting friends that we had over for a holiday luncheon, I decided to try to make a roast for the first time! I also made a wrapped brie pastry as an appetizer. Below, I include the recipes I used, pictures, and my reviews of these new recipes.
Pot Roast – Click here for the recipe I used from Picture Perfect Meals.
This recipe was easy to follow, and I was really excited about being able to put everything into the crock pot, and leave it to cook overnight.
When removing the roast and veggies from the crockpot, the meat was so tender and pulled apart easily! The only thing is that I am still undecided if I liked the flavoring of the gravy juices. I think it may be the red wine that I used, but I’m not sure…perhaps my taste buds are a little different since I’m hapai. While it was not overpowering, there was a slight bitterness to the gravy.
Brie Wrapped in Puff Pastry – Click here for the recipe I used from Tablespoon.
There are tons of recipes out there, and I slightly modified the recipe I used to include some parts from other recipes. Some recipes include sliced apples, other recipes use dried fruits, and some even use a chutney or jam. I included sliced Granny Smith apples, and dried cranberries.
This was awesome and I’ll definitely make it again! It’s something that cannot necessarily be made ahead of time, but it is pretty quick to prepare!
We served it with a multi-grain cracker…then again, I had to ask my husband if he wanted a cracker to go with the brie he was eating. HAHA! He loved it! I’m also glad that I added the cranberries because the apple sweetness was a bit mild.
Have you tried any new recipes this holiday season? Any recipes, new to you or a family tradition, you’d like to share? I’d LOVE for you to share your recipes with me to try!
Comments
I actually used this recipe, and loved it – cajun spiced turkey!
This year, instead of brining, I’m going to season my turkey with a fiery chile butter. It will help baste the bird as it roasts, and the drippings will make a base for a fantastic gravy.
This recipe produces a fairly intense compound butter, but nothing too mouth-searing to serve in mixed company (that is, those who love the heat, and those who can’t take it). The butter adds a nice kick to the skin of the bird, but only gently flavors the rest of the meat, making it suitable to serve to spicephobes and small children if you take off the skin first.
If you’re still worried, you can cut back on the chiles; use half the amount.
Spicy Chile Butter
Yield Enough for a 12- to 14-pound turkey
Time 10 minutes
Ingredients:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
3 fat garlic cloves, minced to a paste
2 tablespoons chopped sage
1 habanero, Scotch bonnet or serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
Method
In a bowl, mash together all the ingredients until smooth. Chill for up to two weeks before using.
I didn’t even have to turn the turkey upside down to keep it moist.
Author
Mmmmm sounds tasty!!!! Looking forward to trying it! I have yet to try to cook something Cajun! Thanks for sharing the recipe, Steph!