The Monster Island Theater Third Annual Holiday Recipes

Slemp (Hot Spiced Milk)

In a medium saucepan, place the milk, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, and saffron. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the tea. Allow to steep for 15 minutes, then strain into cups to serve warm, topped with freshly grated nutmeg, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe courtesy of The Winter Vegetarian, by Darra Goldstein

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Cranberry Chutney with Brie

Combine cranberries, sugar, vinegar, water, gingerroot, cinnamon and cloves in a 1 qt. saucepan. Heat until boiling, reduce heat and continue to cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick. Cool slightly and refrigerate.

When ready to serve bring chutney to room temperature. This is enough chutney for 2 8 inch Brie. Warm Brie in a 350° F. oven 8-10 minutes until soft and partially melted. Place brie on serving dish and top with chutney. (Add sliced almonds if desired.)

Serve with crackers.

Recipe courtesy of Razzle Dazzle Recipes

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Vánocní Rybí Polévka (Czech Christmas Fish Soup)

Cook the fish head, tail, and fillets with the sliced onion in salted water until the onion is soft (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, gently sauté the vegetables and the fish roe in 2 Tablespoons butter until soft. When the stock is done, strain and pour into the vegetables. Reserve the fish.

In another saucepan, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter, mix in the flour, and stir until browned. Pour in the soup, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the reserved fish, add nutmeg, and season to taste. When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and top with chopped parsley and croutons.

Recipe courtesy of Soup of the Evening

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Roasted Pork Loin with Cardamon-Currant Jelly Sauce

Combine first 10 ingredients in blender. Blend until spices are finely ground, about 2 minutes. Place pork in large glass baking dish. Pour marinade over pork; turn to coat. Arrange bone side up, tent loosely with foil and refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Scrape marinade from pork. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Sprinkle pork generously with 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, salt and pepper. Heat oil in large roasting pan set over 2 burners on medium heat. Add pork and cook until brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes.

Add wine, prunes, prune juice, brandy, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves to pan. Transfer to oven. Roast uncovered until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 160°F, basting often with pan juices, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer pork and prunes to platter. Tent with foil. Strain pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon 4 tablespoons fat off top of pan juices. Pour pan juices into heavy small saucepan. Add jelly and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cardamom. Simmer until jelly melts and sauce lightly coats spoon, about 8 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve pork with sauce.

Serves 8.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com

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Spinach Marguerite

Preheat oven to 375° F. In a 4-quart sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic and chopped tasso (or ham). Sauté 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Sprinkle in flour and, using a wire whisk, stir constantly until white roux is achieved. Do not brown. Slowly add whipping cream, stirring constantly until all is incorporated. Add tomatoes, cheddar cheese and jalapeno peppers. Continue cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly, as mixture will tend to stick. Add a small amount of heavy whipping cream should mixture become too thick. Season to taste using salt, pepper and hot sauce. Remove from heat and add spinach, stirring well into the seasoned white sauce. Place mixture in baking dish, cover, and bake until bubbly, approximately 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately. This spinach casserole doubles nicely as a hot hors d’oeuvre when served with garlic croutons.

Recipe courtesy of Chef John Folse & Company

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Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts

Preheat oven to 425°.

Mark chestnuts with an X on flat side and place them on a baking sheet; roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender. While still hot, remove shells and skin.

Trim Brussels sprouts and mark an X on the underside. Place in a large pot of boiling water and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Return to heat, add broth, butter and peeled chestnuts; cook for 1 minute and toss to coat. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Serves 4-6 as a holiday side dish.

Recipe courtesy of About - Food & Drink

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Chocolate-Hazelnut Panforte

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Brush two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with melted butter. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Brush parchment generously with butter. Reserving remaining butter.

Place hazelnuts on small cookie sheet; place almonds on another small cookie sheet. Toast in oven until nuts are brown and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes for almonds and 14 minutes for hazelnuts. Cool. Gather hazelnuts in dish towels. Rub in towel to remove husks. Transfer hazelnuts and almonds to large bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

Add figs, apricots, citron, orange and lemon peels to nuts in large bowl. Combine flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder and spices in small bowl. Add to nuts.

Combine sugar, honey and remaining melted butter in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture is smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved, about 5 minutes. Bring to boil. Continue cooking until candy thermometer registers 248°F. (firm-ball stage). Immediately pour over mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Divide batter between prepared pans, using back of buttered spoon to spread evenly. Bake until tops and edges just begin to brown and tops feel dry, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool slightly on wire rack. Run small sharp knife around edges of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto work surface; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

Arrange cakes top sides up on 8-inch cardboard rounds. Spread half of chocolate over each. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.

Dust tops of cakes with cocoa powder. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap decoratively with colored cellophane. Tie ribbon with gift tag around cellophane to secure. (Panforte can be prepared up to 1 month ahead. Store at cool room temperature.)

Makes 2.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com

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Bûche de Noël

Cake:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a jelly roll pan with wax paper. Beat eggs (reserving 1/4 teaspoon for meringue mushrooms), yolk, and sugar at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Sift in flour and cocoa. Add orange peel; gently fold together. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until cake is springy to the touch and begins to pull from sides, about 7 minutes. Cut around edges to free cake. Turn out cake and paper to work surface and let cool.

Buttercreams:
Bring sugar and water to boil in heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling without stirring until thermometer registers 240°F (soft ball stage).

Beat yolks until thickened. Add liqueur; gradually beat in hot syrup. Continue beating until cool, about 5 minutes. Add butter 3 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in orange juice concentrate. Transfer 3 1/4 cups buttercream to a small bowl; mix chocolate into remaining buttercream.

Assembly:
Invert cake onto sheet of plastic wrap. Carefully remove paper. Spread orange buttercream over cake, leaving 1 inch boarder on one long side. Roll up jelly roll fashion, starting with long side and rolling toward side with uncovered border.

Trim to make ends even. Cut 2 inches off each end of roll at 45 degree angle. Transfer roll to platter using plastic as aid and arranging seam side down. Spread some chocolate buttercream on cut ends of 2 inch edge.  With buttercream touching cake, place one piece atop cake off-center and the second on one long side to resemble tree stumps. Transfer 1 cup chocolate buttercream to pastry bag fitted with 1/4 inch plain tip. Spread remaining buttercream over cake. Pipe buttercream in spirals over ends of buche and stumps, starting at center of each. Run fork tines through buttercream to simulate bark.

Arrange holly and cranberries decoratively on buche. Garnish with Meringue Mushrooms right before serving.

Meringue Mushrooms
Preheat oven to 150°F. Line baking sheet with wax paper. Beat whites, and pinch of salt 1 minute to blend. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Add to whites in 3 additions, beating for 20 seconds after each. Continue beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Transfer mixture to pastry bag fitted with 1/2 inch plain tip. Pipe about fifteen 1/2 to 1 inch domed rounds on prepared sheet for mushroom caps. Smooth top of each with damp finger. Pipe about fifteen 1/2 to 1 inch high peaked mounds on prepared sheets for stems. Bake until meringues are dry and beginning to color, about 1 3/4 hours. Let cool completely.

Using small knife, cut small hole in bottom of each mushroom cap. Make a paste with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and reserved 1/4 t egg. Dip peaked end of stem in sugar paste and push into hole in mushroom cap. Repeat with remaining caps. Dust mushrooms with cocoa powder before serving.

Recipe courtesy of RecipeSource.com

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