I was in charge of Christmas dinner this year, and I threw in Christmas Eve dinner as a bonus. ;-)
Christmas Eve's Recipe(s) came from the December 2009 issue of Food Network Magazine.
Unfortunately, I don't have my own picture for this meal. The one used here is from www.foodnetwork.com
Christmas Eve Dinner: A Crepe Buffet with whole wheat crepes, citrus shrimp, sauteed spinach, sweet onion, and creamy mushroom.
Whole Wheat Crepes (originally buckwheat, but I used whole wheat flour instead)
Total Prep Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Serves: 6 (about 12 crepes total)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the skillet
2/3 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley (this is optional, I opted not)
1. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in an 8-in non stick skillet. Combine the melted butter, both flours, milk, egges, and salt in a blender and process until smooth. Let the batter rest at room temperature at least 1 hour or overnight. Stir in the parsley (if desired).
2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat the skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles in it. Lightly butter the skillet , then add a scant 1/3 cup batter and quickly swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook until the crepe sets and browns around the edges, about 2 minutes. Carefully lift with a rubber spatula, flip over, and cook about 30 more seconds. Transfer to a plate.
3. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed and stacking the finished crepes. Wrap the crepes in a damp dish towel and place in the oven to reheat, about ten minutes. (You can make the crepes a day ahead. Just wrap in plastic and refrigerate, then reheat before assembling.) Serve with assorted fillings.
Filling:
Citrus Shrimp
Saute 1 1/4 lbs shrimp (peeled and halved lengthwise) in 2 tablespoons butter with 1 strip lemmon zest, 2 tarragon sprigs, and salt and pepper, until the shrimp turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and 1/2 cup white wine (I usually use Chardonnay) and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat; add 4 tablespoons chopped cold butter and some parsley.
Sauteed Spinach
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces spinach and cook until just wilted about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Sweet Onion
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 sliced onions and 2 thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Creamy Mushroom
Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound chopped wild mushrooms and 2 thyme sprigs; saute until the mushrooms are golden, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add 2/3 cup heavy cream; toss to warm through. Remove from the heat and add a handful of parsley.
