‘Twas the season for delicious holiday feasts, and what better way to celebrate than with a mouthwatering spread of appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts, and drinks? We compiled a list of recipes that impressed and delighted our friends and family this holiday season.

Appetizers: We started off our feast with some savory and satisfying appetizers. Prosciutto-wrapped figs (https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/prosciutto-wrapped-figs-with-goat-cheese-and-honey-recipe-2111796) were a classic and elegant choice, while spiced nuts (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/238827/spiced-nuts/) offered a crunchy and satisfying snack.

Entrees: For the main course, we served up some bratwurst (recipe provided below) and paella (recipe provided below). Both dishes were sure to be crowd-pleasers and were perfect for a festive holiday dinner.

Sides: We rounded out our meal with some tasty and satisfying sides. Mashed potatoes (https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mashed-potatoes-recipe-1941876) are always a classic, while roasted vegetables (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/222018/roasted-vegetables/) added a touch of color and flavor to the table. We didn’t forget to include Julia Child’s potato salad (recipe provided below) for a creamy and flavorful accompaniment.

Desserts: We ended our meal on a sweet note with some traditional holiday desserts. Christmas pudding (https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-english-christmas-pudding-recipe-435052) was a classic choice, while mince pies (https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mince-pies) offered a sweet and fruity treat.

Drinks: To wash it all down, we enjoyed some mulled wine (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/223413/mulled-wine/) and eggnog (https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/eggnog-recipe-1941877). These warm and festive drinks added the perfect finishing touch to our holiday dinner.

Bratwurst Recipe: 2 lbs ground meat (we used 93% lean-you may use ground beef with higher fat) 1 lb ground pork (with fat) 1 tsp mace 1 tsp nutmeg 1/4 caraway seeds (optional) 1/4 marjoram (optional) 1/2 tsp ginger powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tbsp salt 1/3 powdered milk 1/2 cup milk 1 egg

Chill/refrigerate ground beef/pork Prepare/combine all the spices. Mix spices and ground meat. Add milk, milk powder and egg. Mix until well blended. Stuff hog casing with ground meat mixture. Grill or pan sear sausage for 5 minutes each side.

For more flavorful sausage, Prepare: 2 bottle beer (we used San Miguel beer) 1/4 cup butter minced garlic sliced onions optional: smoked flavor-

Saute garlic and onion in butter add beer. let it simmer. Add sausage (you may brush the sausage with smoke flavor if desired) cover with lid. Turn sausage once in a while. Cook/simmer for at least 10 mins. Your sausage is now pre cooked and can be kept in freezer.

Note: Prior to grilling/cooking, prick sausage with small holes (to avoid bursting). The more fat content, the “better” it will make your sausage moist.. lean ground meat will produce a bit dry sausage but cooking them with beer/butter mixture will make your sausage moist and flavorful.

Paella Recipe: 4 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced ½ piece white onion, minced 1 piece boneless chicken breast, cut into 4 to 5 pieces
½ cup lean pork, cubed ½ cup squid rings and tentacles 8 pieces medium whole shrimps, heads and tails intact 1 piece crab, quartered 1 cup mussels in half shells 1 ½ cups short grain rice or Japanese rice

4- 5 cups Carmencita stock salt and pepper to taste 2 pieces pimiento ½ cup green peas 1 piece hard-boiled egg olive oil for drizzling

1 piece lemon

1. In a preheated paellera, add olive oil then saute garlic and onion over medium heat. Add chicken breast and pork and stir fry until browned. Toss in all the seafood and simmer until half cooked. Remove the seafood from the skillet and set aside.
2. Stir in the rice into the mixture. Pour in stock slowly. Stir mixture occasionally until the rice is half cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the seafood, pimiento, green peas, and hardboiled egg on top of the rice. Cover the skillet with foil and place in the oven to finish cooking. About 15 to 20 minutes, when done, remove the foil and drizzle the paella with olive oil. Garnish the paella with lemon.

Julia Child’s Potato Salad Recipe: Ingredients

2 pounds large potatoes, or other waxy, boiling potatoes

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/3 cup chicken stock or potato-cooking water

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

3 or 4 slices crisply cooked bacon, chopped or crumbled

2 to 3 Tbs finely chopped pickle, sweet or dill

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced thin

3 Tbs or so finely chopped fresh spring onions Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1 cup or so mayonnaise

Sour cream, optional

For garnishing:

Crisp whole red-leaf or other lettuce leaves

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Certainly! Here is the continuation of the revised draft of the blog post featuring the recipes for a Christmas dinner, incorporating the previously provided recipes:

Canned red pimiento, diced

Sliced hard-boiled eggs

Tomato quarters

Parsley sprigs

Peel the potatoes and slice each one lengthwise in half, or in quarters if very large; then cut crosswise into half-round or quarter-round slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Put the slices in a saucepan with water just to cover and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water. Heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes for 5 to 6 minutes, or until just cooked through. It is essential that they be just cooked through. Bite into a slice or two to be very sure. Immediately remove from the heat and drain the potatoes into a colander, but save a cup of the cooking liquid for dressing the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Stir the cider vinegar with 1/3 cup of the potato water or chicken stock and drizzle this over the potato pieces, turning them gently to distribute it evenly. Let sit 10 minutes to absorb the liquid. Add the prepared onion, celery, bacon, pickle, hard-boiled eggs, and chives, and season carefully, to taste. Top with 2/3 cup of mayonnaise (or a mix of mayonnaise and a bit of sour cream) and, with a large rubber spatula, gently fold everything together until well blended. Taste the salad and add more salt, pepper,

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Certainly! Here is the continuation of the revised draft of the blog post featuring the recipes for a Christmas dinner, incorporating the previously provided recipes:

or mayonnaise as needed. Cover the salad and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour or so before serving. If it is refrigerated longer, let it come back to room temperature before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning again. To serve, line a bowl or a platter with red-leaf lettuce or other greens, and mound the salad on top. Decorate at the last moment, if you wish, with any or all of the optional garnishes.

We hope these recipes inspire you to create a delicious and memorable holiday feast for your own friends and family. Happy cooking!