Guru Goddess

What You Need:

 

2 T onion, chopped fine

1/3 C long grain rice, uncooked

4 T butter, divided

1/2 C cream of celery soup

3/4 C water

1 T lemon juice

1 t chives, dried

1 t parsley flakes

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 (1 1/4 lb) Cornish hens

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/2 t tarragon, dried

 

How to Make It:

 

Place 2 T butter in a large skillet over medium heat and allow the butter to melt completely.

Stir in the onion along with the rice.

Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice has begun to brown.

Pour the soup into the skillet and stir to combine.

Add the water, lemon juice, chives, parsley and bouillon cube being sure to stir well to combine the ingredients.

Allow the mixture to heat to a steady boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and allow to cook 25 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the mixture to cool enough to handle.

Clean the hens with cold water and pat dry with paper towel.

Sprinkle the salt and pepper into both hen cavities.

Stuff the two hen cavities with the rice mixture.

Place the oven temperature at 375 degrees and allow the oven to heat.

Place a rack in a large baking pan.

Lay the hens’ breast up on the rack.

Melt the remaining butter in a microwave safe bowl on high for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the tarragon to the melted butter and stir to combine.

Brush the hens with the butter mixture.

Cover loosely with foil and bake 45 minutes being sure to baste with the butter mixture about every 10 minutes. 

 

Serving Size:  2

Butter

When working with margarine, part of it is water. It says that on the box. Water evaporates when baking and can partially dry out your recipes. Butter is also creamier when softened and whipped. It keeps your cakes, breads, cupcakes and cookies moist like they need to be. Unless the recipe calls for stiff butter, let it come to room temperature on the counter before using.

 

Fruit

 

Apple pies, peach cobblers and blueberry blintzes are all great during the holidays. Fruit can be expensive since most of your choices are out of season. If you can’t find fresh at a reasonable price, opt for frozen choices. It’s as close to fresh as you can get.

 

If you keep your fruit in the fridge to prolong freshness, make sure that you allow them to come to room temperature before using them in delicious dessert recipes. Fruit will juice better when warm. Scalding fruits with removable skins helps the skin to peel off easier so you don’t have to ruin the look of the fruit doing it the hard way.

 

Here are just a few tips for creating those desserts your family will love all holiday long. Christmas is the one time of year that they don’t want you to skimp on flavor or presentation.

What is the one thing everyone enjoys at Christmas time? Arguably it could be sweets. There is nothing like a cookie, slice of cake or gum drop around the holidays. Here are some tips to make sure that those delectable morsels are just as tasty as their sugarplum visions.

 

Working with Chocolate

 

When you create a recipe that calls for chocolate, it is so easy to go wrong here. Instead of using the store-bought chocolate syrup, make your own. Buy the chocolate bricks and melt them yourself. Keep the heat under the saucepan low so that the chocolate doesn’t burn while it melts.

 

Dark chocolate is the new healthy chocolate for the 21^st century. It is full of antioxidants and great taste. Use it for decorating cakes, cookies, breads and pies. Use some of that melted chocolate in a plastic bag to pipe out all sorts of cool designs onto wax paper. Once they cool, you can carefully place them on any dessert that you wish.

 

Butter

 

The rest of the year, this word gets sneer and jeers, but at Christmas, it is spot on. There is no substitute for using regular butter in your dessert recipes. Well, there is but it won’t give you the same taste or texture in your sweets. To compensate, eat a little less of each dessert, but by all means taste them all.

Here are a few examples of Christmas appetizers:

 

·         Cheese – This can mean many things. First, you can have Cheese Whiz on crackers. Another option is a cheese tray that includes cheeses, crackers and other toppers like olive slices, bacon, and tomato chunks.

·         Fruit – To keep sliced fruit from browning, use a bit of lemon juice or mix the fruit together to make a fruit salad. Include your favorite fruits in their natural juices.

·         Finger sandwiches – Keep these refrigerated until the last minute. Anything with mayonnaise shouldn’t be left out more than a couple of hours. Fix a mix: chicken salad, tuna salad, ham, roast beef and/or turkey. You could probably leave off the turkey since you might be having it for dinner.

·         Chicken – Chicken nuggets make great finger foods. Cut them in half and stick a toothpick in each one. Wrap chunks of cooked chicken breast with bacon and dip into honey mustard or barbecue sauce.

·         Veggies and dip – This old standby works on so many fronts. While the group is watching the game or a holiday movie, give them something healthy that won’t spoil their dinner.

·         Nuts – Take those ordinary nuts and roast them with brown sugar, cinnamon and other spices before setting them on the table to be gobbled.

 

Just because it’s family doesn’t mean you can’t offer a little snack to tide them over until the big holiday meal. Try these suggestions for Christmas dinner appetizers.

The mouth-watering smells coming from the kitchen around the holidays will make anyone’s stomach growl. If you don’t want guests sneaking in the kitchen for a nibble, offer them a few holiday dinner appetizers to keep them satisfied until the main course.

 

Appetizers are often seen at dinner parties. Even though it is just family and friends who are like family, it is a holiday party of sorts when you all get together. So, let loose with those appetizers. Depending on when everyone will show up and when dinner will actually be ready, will determine how heavy or light to go on the appetizers.

 

Some families may have breakfast and nothing else until dinner. They are not trying to starve other family members but use the time in between to finish getting things straight for dinner. So, when the masses get hungry, they are going to bug you in the kitchen. While you are baking and cooking, make time to prepare a few appetizers to keep them happy.