Hi Phil,

I love fish, my mom made salmon quite often (but I could do without peas!) The lemon horseradish potatoes actually sound great, I'm a big fan of horseradish, never thought of lemon/potatoes, that's a new one for me. I'm writing that one down!

Herbed Salmon

Ingredients

• 2 pounds salmon
• 5 dried sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 pinch ground paprika
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray one side of a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to fold over all the salmon with cooking spray.
2. Arrange salmon on the prepared side of the foil. Sprinkle with sage, thyme, paprika, and pepper. Fold foil over salmon to enclose.
3. Bake salmon 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until easily flaked with a fork.

You've mentioned that you're partial to Margaritas, and I've always thought of the Sidecar as a Brandy Margarita, except that it is made with fresh lemon juice. Although I personally no longer can partake of this wonderful concoction, the drinkers in the family seem to enjoy it whenever I mix a batch up to go along with the Salmon.

Sidecar

Ingredients

• ice cubes
• 1/2 fluid ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 fluid ounce Cointreau or triple sec
• 1 fluid ounce brandy
• 1 lemon wedge

Directions

1. Fill a cocktail shaker 3/4 full with ice cubes. Pour in lemon juice, Cointreau, and brandy. Cover and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds until the outside of the shaker becomes cold and frosty. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Have A Happy Holiday My Friend,

Phil

Hello My Friends.

Continuing with a Holiday theme, here's a wonderful Dinner suggestion, whether it be for a Holday meal, or just a Sunday Family Dinner.

We'll start with a Smoky Ham, basted with a sweet and piquant sauce of apricot preserves, Swanson®Chicken Stock, orange zest, Dijon-style mustard and minced shallots.

Double-Apricot Glazed Ham

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried apricots
• 1 cup Swanson® Chicken Stock
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (6 pound) fully-cooked whole boneless ham*
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallot
• 2 (12 ounce) jars apricot preserves
• 1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Directions

1. Place apricots and stock in microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Let cool. Remove apricots and cut into strips. Reserve stock. Mix apricots, sugar and 1/4 cup reserved stock.
2. Place ham in roasting pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 2 hours or until thermometer registers 140 degrees F. Top with apricot mixture during last 30 minutes of baking, basting frequently with pan drippings.
3. Heat butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender. Add preserves, mustard, orange rind and remaining reserved stock. Heat to a boil. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
4. Slice ham and serve with apricot sauce.

Next, for a unique way to prepare broccoli, the Florets are roasted, after being tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and minced garlic. Just a squeeze of lemon juice before serving seals the deal.

Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli

Ingredients

• 2 heads broccoli, separated into florets
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy finish.

Once you added some Garlic Mashed Potatoes to finish out the meal, you'll need some Bread to top it off. Here's a fantastic eating bread with a great rosemary flavor. This one will become a favorite.

Rosemary Herb Bread

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacture. Select Basic or White Bread setting. Start.

Have A Happy Family Holiday Season,

Phil

Phil, that sounds real close to what I am fixing for Christmas, just not as fancy. We plan on having ham and that bread recipe is one I will copy. Stanley likes rosemary but that is one ingredient I will have purchase.

I love the Roasted Lemon Garlic sauce - I use that when I fix artichokes which are so expensive we have not bought in some time.

Thank you for your wonderful forum.

Blessings,

Sara

Hi Sara,

It's good to see you here my Friend. I'm afraid that my Christmas Dinner won't be quite this fancy this year either. As you know, I was invited out for Thanksgiving, so guess who gets to cook the whole meal at Christmas. It's not going to be too bad though, because my Sister and my Sister-in-Law will be contributing several dishes as well, so all I have to worry about are the Meats, and of course the Desserts.

I'll have both a Turkey and a Ham, however, I'm afraid my Ham is going to be a Honey-Baked this year. That's alright however, because they are good every year. Here's what's for Dinner tomorrow evening...

Beef Tenderloin With Roasted Shallots

This tenderloin Roast makes a good company dinner. It is similar to Beef Bourguignon, but requires considerably less cooking time. The roasted Shallots are added to the sauce along with sauteed bacon bits. The shallot sauce can take some time, but is well worth the trouble. There will just be six for Dinner tomorrow, but this is definitely a company dish, and the recipe doubles well for a larger party. I serve it along with a green salad and some roasted vegetables.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound shallots, halved lengthwise and peeled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups beef broth
• 3/4 cup port wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 pounds beef tenderloin roast, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 slices bacon, diced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 sprigs watercress, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In 9 inch pie pan, toss shallots with oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until shallots are deep brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, combine beef broth and port. Bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the volume is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste. Set aside.
3. Pat beef dry; sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. In a large roasting pan, set over medium heat on the stove top, saute bacon until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add beef to pan; brown on all sides over medium high heat, about 7 minutes.
4. Transfer pan to oven. Roast beef until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125 degrees F (50 degrees C) for medium rare, about 25 minutes. Transfer beef to platter. Tent loosely with foil.
5. Spoon fat off top of pan drippings in roasting pan. Place pan over high heat on stove top. Add broth mixture, and bring to boil; stir to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer to a medium saucepan, and bring to simmer. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste; whisk into broth mixture, and simmer until sauce thickens. Whisk in remaining butter. Stir in roasted shallots and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Cut beef into 1/2 inch thick slices. Spoon some sauce over, and garnish with watercress.

Wishing You & Yours A Blessed Christmas,

Phil