In this month’s issue, we’ve shared a feast of entertaining oriented recipes, guaranteed to impress everyone at your holiday table.  The busy hustle and bustle begins with shopping lists, the grocery store spree, the game plan, the baking of all the ‘make ahead’ items all leading up to the big event.  Feeling very smug, you may be thinking, “I’m ready, bring on the guests.”  And then a thought pops into your head, what will I serve the evening before or the evening after?  What if your out-of-town family are still ‘in town’ the day after your holiday meal!  Take a deep breath and do what I do; PANIC!  Just kidding.  It is always a good idea to plan for the unexpected during the holidays.  More than any other time of the year, the holiday season is ripe for impromptu cocktail parties; an extra guest or two for dinner or a casual stop by for a glass of wine.

The last thing you want to do is to prepare another involved meal before or after you’ve just made one.  So, plan a few ‘family’ type meals that you can partially cook and freeze or easy, quick meals that you can throw together at a moment’s notice.  I know that may not seem like such an easy task after you have just been immersed in stuffings and desserts and getting the timing of your holiday feast just right.  But it doesn’t have to be difficult or even that time consuming.

To get you started, here are my favorite emergency, ‘have on hand’ recipes that not only taste delicious, but will have your family and friends wondering how you get it all done!  

Instant Appetizers

Shelled, cooked prawns with Seafood Sauce

This takes about 10 minutes to prepare .  Buy cooked, shelled prawns and display on serving plate.  Pour a jar of gluten-free seafood sauce (read label) into a small bowl.  Add gluten-free horseradish and fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste.  Blend well and serve with prawns with quartered lemon on the side.

Smoked Salmon Plate

• Smoked salmon, sliced
• Whipped cream cheese
• Rice or gf Nut crackers
• Red Onion, sliced
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Capers

Place all ingredients decoratively on a platter.  Place the cream cheese in a small bowl in the center of the platter with a spreading knife.  Garnish with parsley and serve.

Popcorn with Truffle Oil

• ½ cup Popcorn
• 2-3 Tablespoons Truffle oil
• Salt

Green Apples, Smoked Trout and Crème Fraiche

Place popped corn in a large paper bag.  Drizzle truffle oil over popcorn and close then shake bag.  Season with salt and shake again.  Transfer to decorative bowl and serve with champagne.

Green Apples, Smoked Trout and Crème Fraiche  (Works great with smoked salmon also!)

Herb Cheese and Crackers

Entrees

All of these entrees can be made in advance and frozen or refrigerated.

• Baked Pasta with Italian Sausage and Goat Cheese

  New Orleans Chicken Jambalya

• Santa Fe Lasagne
• Chicken Lasagne with Pesto
• New Orleans Chicken Jambalya
• A Man’s Chili
• Puerco Verde
• Ratatouille with Beef

-Chef Yvonne