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I grew up watching Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show," and every holiday season he would poke fun at Ed McMahon, who always left his Christmas shopping until the last minute.
With 10 days of present-buying left, you are probably either running around Center City or braving crammed parking lots at area malls. Some might choose to whittle away their gift lists online. No matter where your buys may take you, this is the time for an easy dinner that will provide the fuel to get the shopping done.
This meal begins with a delicious salad of sturdy winter greens. Treviso, shaped like a large endive, is similar in appearance to radicchio. It’s not bitter and I like the way the leaves fall from the root. The vegetable is named for a town in the Veneto region of Italy. Prepare the salad early in the morning, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Just dress it before sitting down to dinner.
Edward and I enjoy Cornish game hens as a nice change from chicken or cap�n. I stuff them with a long-grain-and-wild-rice mix. The jasmine version is another alternative. Sometimes I use canned chicken stock instead of water when preparing the rice.
Last week, Ina Garten roasted a turkey and prepared two interesting gratin dishes on "The Barefoot Contessa" holiday program. One was smashed sweet potato (which will be featured in an upcoming column) and the other a spinach gratin prepared with frozen chopped spinach.
Clementines (those cute, easy-to-peel oranges from Spain) have become so popular in America that California citrus-growers are now producing them. I use them to fancy up a store-bought poundcake.
Winter Salad
Ingredients:
1 romaine heart, torn into pieces
1 head of Belgian endive, sliced
1 head of Treviso, sliced
2 scallions, sliced
4 large radishes, sliced
1 large roasted pepper from the jar, rinsed, patted dry and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Imported Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/2 cup of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Toss well. Add the salt, pepper and Gorgonzola.
Whisk the oil and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Pour over the salad.
Serves four.
Cornish Game Hens
Ingredients:
4 fresh 1-pound Cornish hens
1 (15-ounce) package of long-grain-and-wild-rice mix, cooked according to the package directions and cooled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sweet imported Hungarian paprika
Directions:
Wipe the hens dry with paper towels and place in a baking dish.
Carefully stuff each with the rice. If there is any leftover, leave in the pot and reheat at dinnertime.
Sprinkle the hens with the salt, pepper and paprika. Place in a 400-degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: Ask the butcher to remove the breast bones from the hens. If buying from a supermarket, run a small, sharp knife along the breast bones and leave the wing and leg bones intact.
Spinach Gratin
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
1 cup of heavy cream
2 cups of milk
5 (10-ounce) packages of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan, plus a 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of grated Gruyere
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom saut� pan over medium. Add the onions and saut� until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and stir for two or more minutes. Add the cream and milk. Cook until the mixture is thick.
Squeeze the liquid from the spinach and add to the pan. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan and mix. Season with the salt and pepper.
Transfer to a baking dish and top with the remaining Parmesan and the Gruyere.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Serve immediately.
Serves eight.
Note from Phyllis: Any leftover spinach gratin can be reheated. Simply bring back to room temperature before popping it in the oven.
Clementine Cake
Ingredients:
1 store-bought poundcake
4 clementines, peeled and sectioned
Vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream
Directions:
Slice the cake and place on four plates. Top with the clementines and a scoop of ice cream. Top with whipped cream.
Serves four.
