Posted on 12/05/2019 4:41:20 PM PST by Jamestown1630
Not being a great meat-eater, I’ve always been intrigued by the Italian-American tradition of the ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’ - the Christmas Eve dinner consisting of seven different fish dishes.
I like seafood very much, but have had a hard time coming up with my ‘dream meal of seven’. One thing I’ve always wanted to try are Portuguese Codfish Balls (Bolinhos de Bacalhau), which I believe I first saw in an episode of the ‘Two Fat Ladies’.
These seem to be usually made from rehydrated salt cod (the dried cod can be found in ethnic stores as well as many American supermarkets), but they can be made from fresh fish, as well. They are balls of the flaked fish, held together with mashed potatoes and egg, and deep fried.
Here, from 'Spruce Eats', is a recipe using fresh fish:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/portuguese-codfish-balls-2743408
And from ‘The Portuguese American Mom’, one using the dried fish:
http://www.theportugueseamericanmom.com/codfish-cakes-bolinhos-de-bacalhau/
Another fish dish is something that I’ve recently found at Lidl – they have several prepared/frozen ‘convenience’ items that I think are very good, and I really liked a salmon with a spinach stuffing, wrapped in puff pastry: I went looking for a from-scratch recipe, and found one at ‘Home Made Italian Cooking’:
https://www.homemadeitaliancooking.com/salmon-in-puff-pastry/
Please post your favorite family Christmas food traditions - or your favorite seafood recipe!
(The painting at the top is 'Adoration of the Shepherds', by the Spanish Baroque painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.)
-JT
I’m with your hubby on blue cheese.
Normally spend right at $30 for the entire Thanksgiving spread but managed to do it this year for $15 with a smaller turkey. Looking to spend even less for a ham dinner for Christmas.
Don’t forget to save the ham bone for the bean pot later.
Brown up two pounds of hamburger and set aside. I drain it so it was not too greasy.
One bunch of celery, chopped.
Three carrots, chopped.
Two onions, chopped
Saute in bacon fat until tender.
Add in one can of tomato paste and four cloves chopped garlic. Continue to saute stirring for about 90 seconds to two minutes. It will burn so do not leave it unattended.
Add back in the hamburger.
Add a quart of beef broth.
Add a 28oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes.
Add two teaspoons of hot paprika.
Add two teaspoons thyme.
Add two bay leaves.
Two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce.
Two beef bullion cubes.
Two cups of red wine.
Simmer covered for about an hour.
Check for flavor and make any adjustments you like. Fish out the bay leaves at this point. I usually add a tablespoon of adobo sauce for some heat but since last night was company so I left it out.
Add in a pound of egg noodles. You can also use spaetzle. I recommend the spaetzle but I had no time to make it yesterday so wide egg noodles it was.
The noodles will absorb the sauce and be delicious.
Let cook until the noodles are done.
Serve with a salad and crusty bread. I put a bowl of sour cream on the table for those who like to mix it in.
The fathead pizza is much better than cauliflower crust IMO. It has the proper mouth feel and texture for a crisp crust pizza.
I don’t think there is anyway to get the chewy tug of a traditional pizza crust without gluten.
Happy Holidays!
I didn’t care for the “Chocolat” movie and never got to the end. Most times the books are much better than the movies.
Depp is probably why I didn’t like the movie.
Please, don’t post “The Help” Minny’s chocolate pie recipe!
We did pretty good for Thanksgiving this year by shopping at Lidl.
I had to do a potluck brunch contribution on very short notice the Monday after turkey day, and wanted a very easy ‘dump’ recipe with minimal prep. I found this, and was surprised at how much people liked it and how many wanted the recipe:
http://www.simplypotatoes.com/recipes/crunchy-topped-cheese-hash-browns/index.html
When I got to the store, they only had one bag of the plain potatoes left, and I wanted to double the recipe; so I used one plain bag and one of the O’Brien style. (Husband thinks next time we should use only the O’Brien. They also make a Southwestern one with jalapenos that would probably work well, too.)
Thanks!
I agree; and sometimes the movie isn’t really anything like the book. But this sounds one where I’ll probably read and watch.
I’ve been clearing the freezer of too many homemade stocks. Lots of empty the fridge soups, yum. Hubby doesn’t like soups but he was gone a lot in the fall so while the cat’s away, it’ soup time! He has suddenly decided he does like chowders like a basic pantry corn and cheese chowder made with a rue, can of corn, onion (sauted in bacon grease),leftover veggies, milk/cream/sour cream/yogurt/whatever and whatever cheeses.
Thanks. Was needing a recipe to use fire roasted tomatoes. Our grocery store has flavored cans of tomatoes but they rarely have just plain tomatoes so I have a ton of the flavored kind.
If you don’t mind the extra steps, drain cooked ground beef in a Coloradan into a large bowl. What’s left is low fat meat or no fat if you rinse it after few minutes. Put the bowl into the fridge a few hours for the meat stock to separate from the fat. Take the cold fat off and use it in other dishes or whatever. The stock can be frozen and added with future stocks for soups or other recipes so you’ll never have to buy meat stock.
The O’Brien is usually our choice over the plain.
We used to enjoy a shrimp chowder with the O’Brien style hash browns. I looked over on the HEB recipe page but they don’t have that recipe listed anymore. Shrimp, bacon and O’Brien hash browns are all I can remember. It was super simple so probably just a basic chowder base would work.
The real ‘Soup Man’ (portrayed in the Seinfeld series) used to make a Lobster Bisque that I could get in my grocery. It had an unusual seasoning that I think was tarragon.
I don’t see it in the stores anymore; and I’m wondering if anybody has a recipe.
I saw it ages ago. It was a movie I should have liked, but I found it tedious. I am probably in the minority in not caring for it.
“Diner.” When Mickey Rourke was so beautiful. Sigh......great movie too.
I’ll be on the lookout at our library’s sale racks for you ; )
For ‘Two Fat Ladies?’ Thanks?
I originally borrowed them from the Library after catching an episode on PBS. :)
We get some really good donations. Don’t get your hopes up, but if I see any on the sale rack I’ll grab them for you.
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