Friends dropping by? Need a recipe or drink idea that everyone will love? Enjoy these recipes for tasty hiliday entertaining provided by local maryland Restaurants. Let Jackie’s, Great Sage, Drovers Grill, Cattail Creek Country Club, and Bistro Blanc help you create a meorable gathering.　

Pumpkin Bisque in Mini Pumpkin Shells

With Cinnamon Cream, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Jumbo Crab

This is a rich, flavorful soup you can make according to your tastes, and served in the mini pumpkin shells is a fantastic presentation.  The pumpkin meat is an added bonus and the shells help keep the bisque warm for your guests!  You can use chicken or vegetable stock for your base.  You can buy or make your stock, depending on your time.  This recipe calls for a vegetable stock you make in about thirty minutes while roasting the mini pumpkin shells.

Serves 6-8 depending on the pumpkin shell sizes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, minced

6 shallots minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots, coarsely chopped

3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs thyme

3 sprigs parsley

10 cups water

1 cup white wine

4 cups canned pumpkin puree

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon allspice

1 tablespoon ginger puree

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground chipotle seasoning

2 tablespoons honey or good maple syrup

¾ cup sour cream

whipped cream with cinnamon and

toasted pumpkin seeds and

jumbo lump crab meat

6-8 mini pumpkins

For the Stock:

Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery and cook down until soft.  Be careful not to brown.  Add the water and white wine, bay leaves and other herbs, some salt and pepper and bring to boil.  Let simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain the stock into another container and return the stock to the same pot. 

For the mini pumpkins:

Take 6-8 mini pumpkins, carefully cut off the top lid and remove the interior seeds.  Coat the interior with melted butter, salt and pepper and place on a steam rack in the oven, cover with foil and make a small slit for some steam to escape.  Roast at 275 for about 30 minutes until cooked and tender but before the pumpkins will start to fall apart.

Prepare the Bisque:

Over medium heat whisk the pumpkin puree into the stock until smooth.  While simmering, add the spices, honey(or maple syrup) and whisk in the sour cream.  Be careful to whisk constantly or the sour cream will clump.  Add heavy cream or water if the soup seems thick.  Season with salt and pepper and other spices to taste.

For the garnish:

Prepare a classic Chantilly cream (whipped cream) and add cinnamon to taste. (you can cheat here, too, if you buy prepared whipped cream and just sprinkle cinnamon on top).  Ladle the bisque into the mini pumpkins, spoon the whipped cream on top and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds.  Place a pinch of jumbo lump crab on top and cover with the pumpkin lid.

Roasted Squash Pumpernickel Crostinis

Ingredients

1 ea                        Red curry squash peeled and medium diced

1 ea                        butternut squash peeled and medium diced

2 ea                        carrot (large) peeled and medium diced

4 cloves                                sliced garlic

½ ea                       small diced red onion

2 T                          pumpkin seeds

2 T                          currants

2 pinches             red chili flakes

2 oz                        chive

4 oz                        butter

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

6 oz                        your favorite spreadable cheese (ricotta, brie, goat cheese, etc)

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add red curry, butternut squash, and carrots. Season with salt. Let cook for 3-4 min. or until al dente. Add garlic and red onion. Cook for 2-3 min. then add currants, pumpkin seeds, chili flakes, and cloves. Add fresh cracked pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Crostini

2 ea                        loaves pumpernickel, thinly sliced with a serrated knife

                                Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and salt then back on cookie sheet for 10-12 min. at 350°

Pumpkin (garnish)

                                Cut top off and hallow with a melon baller

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle salt and bake (top side down) for 20 min (till tender) at 350°

Shrimp and Crab Tacos

Georgia Shrimp, Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, Crispy Tortillas, Yellow Corn Emulsion,

Heirloom Tomato and Tatsoi

Recipe:

3-6 U-15 Shrimp

2oz Jumbo Lump Crabmeat

1 6” Flour Tortilla

1 Piece Yellow Corn (Grilled)

1oz Minced Shallots

1oz Minced Garlic

1 Small Diced Heirloom Tomato

2 Pieces Chive or Tatsoi Micro Greens

2 Tbs Butter (Unsalted)

1 pt Heavy Cream

¼ Pound Butter Unsalted

¼ Cup White Wine

¼ Cup Vegetable Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method:

Sauce~ Slowly sauté 2 tablespoons of butter with garlic and shallots, for 2 minutes.  Add white wine, and reduce by half.  Add heavy cream and reduce until thick.  Add ¼ pound of butter, slowly.  Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Tortilla~ Heat 3 Tablespoons of Oil in Sauté Pan. Sauté tortilla until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Set aside.

Seafood~ Sauté shrimp in vegetable oil until cooked. Low heat for 3 minutes. Fold in crabmeat. Set aside.

Corn~ Boil or Grill. Cook corn and take kernels off cob.

Reheat seafood. Place crispy tortilla, cut into 3 pieces, on plate. Put equal amounts of shrimp and crab on each tortilla. Fold corn into sauce.  Spoon sauce over each seafood tortilla, Garnish with diced tomato and chive or tatsoi.

The Grinch Martini

1 ½ oz Vodka

½ oz Crème de Cocoa

½ oz Crème de Menthe

½ oz Cream

Rim martini glass with crushed peppermint.

 

 

 

 

Vegan Cookies & Cream Cake

Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¾ cup vegan sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350, oil two round 8” cake pans
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl
3. Slowly add in wet ingredients and mix until all are incorporated
4. Pour batter into greased cake pans and bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean

 

Cookie Frosting

Ingredients:

½ cup non-hydrogenated shortening

½ cup Earth Balance

3 ½ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup soy milk

1 package vegan sandwich cookies

Directions:

1. Cut 5 cookies in half and chop the remaining
2. Combine shortening and Earth Balance until fully incorporated
3. Add in the powdered sugar and mix
4. Add in the vanilla and some of the crushed cookies
5. Add the soy milk a little at a time and mix until frosting becomes light and fluffy

 

To Assemble:

1. Spread frosting on the top of one of the cooled cakes
2. Put the second layer of cake in top and spread more frosting
3. Frost the sides of the cake
4. Add the remaining crushed cookies to the top of the cake for decoration
5. Make 10 rosettes of frosting where the cake will be cut into slices
6. Place one half of a cookie on each rosette
7. ENJOY

 

Holiday Wines

From Appetizers to Desserts

The Infamous Goose

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

$20

7 Deadly Zins

Califormia Zinfandel

$30

Blue Eyed Boy

Austrailian Shiraz

$85

Bernkasteler Badstabe

German Riresling Kabinett

$35

Terra Dulce

Maryland, Black Ankle dessert wine blend

$75

Bistro Blanc Restaurant & Wine Merchant

Glenelg, MD

Raj Kathuria, owner