Christmas Fixings

I love entertaining over the holidays. There's nothing quite like listening to Dean Martin and perusing my cookbooks while sipping a winter cocktail. Of course some candlelight and some snow help to set the mood as well! 

It's a reflective time of year, and I think of friends and family who aren't with me any more. If only we could sit down and have one more cup of tea together....

Stuffed Mushrooms

8 oz bacon, finely chopped

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 lb white button mushrooms

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup grated Italian cheeses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying pan saute the bacon until crispy. When the bacon is cooking, carefully remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop finely.

When the bacon is cooked, set aside and saute the onion in the bacon grease. If there's too much bacon grease wipe the excess away with a paper towel. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic to the the onion and cook for a few more minutes.

Turn the heat down to low and add the cream cheese and Italian cheese mixture. Stir well until the cheeses have melted, then add the bacon back to the frying pan.

Stuff each mushroom cap and bake for about 20 minutes or so until the filling is piping hot!

Orange Jello Salad

1 package (3 oz) orange jello

1 cup boiling water
8 oz can crushed pineapple in juice
11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup celery, chopped finely (optional)

Dissolve the jello in one cup of boiling water.
Drain the pineapple and set aside, and reserve the juice. Add a little water to the juice to make the amount to one cup, and then stir into the jello mixture. Chill in the fridge for about half an hour or so, and then stir in the mandarin pieces, carrots, pineapple and celery. Chill until the jello has set completely!

This is one of those retro salads my grandmother used to make when I was growing up, and for some reason no one seems to make them anymore. They add some freshness to a winter meal, plus the jello is so colorful it's sure to bring some sunshine to the table!

Goan Fish Curry

This recipe is adapted from delish.com. It is a beautiful spicy and creamy curry, which will warm the cockles of your heart! It's lovely served with basmati rice, but equally as tasty served with mashed potato!

2 lbs tilapia, cut into one inch pieces

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 cup coconut milk

1 Tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp cayenne

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cups crushed tomatoes

4 jalapeño peppers

3/4 cup water

Mix the tilapia, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a glass bowl, and allow to marinate for about 15 minutes. Puree the garlic and ginger with the coconut milk, coriander, cumin, brown sugar, black pepper, turmeric, and cayenne in a blender.

Heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat and cook the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the coconut mixture, jalapeños, water and the remaining salt and bring to a simmer.

Add the fish and and one tablespoon of the marinade and continue simmering for about five minutes until the fish is just cooked.