Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Our Challenge in our Christmas Dinner.......


Christmas is gone, but New Year is coming!!!.........more food to prepare again!!.....

I don't know about you, but this Christmas was exhausting....food, friends...... more food, more friends......and little time to read your blogs!!

Usually, I like to have a very quiet Christmas. Just to be at home is what I really like....Nevertheless, I forgot that people wants to meet during Christmas time. I don't know in other countries, but here almost everything closes until after New Year. Therefore, is the time where friends meet each other, and food is essential to celebrate together.....

In Chile, we have the dinner Christmas on the 24th, and we continue with that tradition here. In Canada, Christmas is celebrated with the dinner on the 25th. Therefore, we celebrate having dinner both days.....(good excuse!!).

Usually, Christmas is celebrated within the family only, but this year, a friend that knew we were alone, invited us to celebrate dinner with his family on the 25th. Traditionally, here people eat either turkey or lobster for that day. They had the turkey ready....I needed to cook the lobster......


Canada produces a lot of lobster, and they are not expensive.....specially in this season....they cost about 13 euros a kilo of lobster.....The problem was......I have never cooked a lobster before!!....Therefore....What I did?

First......I went to youtube......I reviewed like 10 videos on how to cook a lobster, and used the one I thought was good......
Second......I went to buy lobsters (each one weighted 550 grams). I put them in a cooler until the time to cook them.....
Third......I prayed......It was not easy to me to cook a live lobster.....
Fourth.......I prepare a quinoa salad that I like it very much (I love quinoa.....), and a cream sauce for the lobster.....
Fifth......since I have never cooked a lobster before, I tested on our dinner of the 24th......to be ready to share it on the 25th......
Finally....we went to share a wonderful Christmas dinner with our friends........and the lobster was cook perfect!


It was not an easy task, but the result was very good.....

How to cook a lobster?........I suggest the following video......



Christmas Quinoa Salad
1 cup of quinoa (I used pre-washed quinoa)
2 cups of water
Salt
10 Basil leaves
20 Cilantro leaves
Small tomatoes
1/2 cup of green peas
1 blue potatoes
Feta cheese
Olive oil
Lemon
Salt
Pepper

Mix the quinoa in two cups of salted water. Cook it, and when boiling, leave it for 20 minutes at low heat, or until the water has evaporated. Let it cool.
Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cook the green peas, and let it cool.
Wash and dry the basil and cilantro leaves. Fry them in olive oil, until they are crispy and transparent. I learn this technique from my dear friend Anna. She has used fried basil and cilantro leaves in some of her recipes, and the taste and texture of them are fantastic!!



Peel the blue potato and sliced it very fine. Fry them in olive oil.


When everything is cool, mix the quinoa, tomatoes, green peas, feta cheese, and basil and cilantro leaves. Season it with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Arrange it on a plate, and surround it with fried slices of purple potatoes.

Lemon Caper Butter Sauce
1 tablespoon of capers
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup of frozen butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of cream (I use 10%)
Salt
Pepper

In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon of butter until is golden brown. Add the capers, and extract their flavour (one minute only). Add  the lemon juice, and let it reduce at half. Take the pan out of the heat and add the butter. Slowly, mix it with circular motion to incorporate them well. Take all the mix out of the pan.
In the same pan, add the flour and the milk. Mix it and cook it until creamy. Add the lemon caper juice in a slow motion. Once it is everything well mix, then add the cream. Correct for salt and pepper. Serve it with the lobster or a fish if you desire. Enjoy!!


What I am going to cook for New Year????.....we will stay at home, and I started to look at your blogs......we have a long list of dishes  that we want to try.....eggplant dip and escalivada will be some of them.....and of course.....torta mil hojas con manjar blanco......ENJOY!!


And one question ...... What are your traditions for the New Year ?....I  ask to incorporate new things that night. Personally, I do many things and we enjoyed them with friends ......

And What do we do? eat lentils, grapes, champagne with the wedding ring, we walk with a suitcase, sweep the driveway, use yellow underwear, etc. ....... all at midnight!

4 comments:

  1. Two Christmas dinners :-)) That sounds awesome! Happy New Year to you and your family too.
    Angie

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  2. Una ricetta spettacolare per questo fine anno Marcela,complimenti e tanti tantissimi auguri di un felicissimo 2011 a te e famiglia,con tutto ciò che desideri!!! :-)
    Un mega bacio:-**

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  3. Hola marcela... Felizzzzzzzzzz Año nuevooooooo.
    Nosotros por aquí comemos las 12 uvas y brindamos con cava. En mi tierra es común comer cabrito o pata de cerdo asada, aunque las costumbres van cambiando y se sustituyen por marisco o picoteo variado.
    Un besote enorme y que nos sigamos viendo en este nuevo año

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  4. I wish U to have a
    Sweetest Sunday,
    Marvelous Monday,
    Tasty Tuesday,
    Wonderful Wednesday,
    Thankful Thursday,
    Friendly Friday,
    Successful Saturday.
    Have a great Year.
    HAPPY NEW YEAR

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