Updated on Dec. 21, 2023
This time of year, many cooks are on the lookout for a stellar side
dish, one that will be a worthy alongside a magnificent Christmas turkey, ham
or roast.
But the easier the side dish the better, right?
Well, I’ve got a recipe that fits
the bill perfectly: Quinoa-Leek Pilaf (click for the recipe).
My husband and I agreed immediately
after trying it that it was a winner. The quinoa was fluffy and light; the
leeks a perfect accompaniment. But it was also filling and hearty, reminding me
of stuffing.
In fact, this pilaf could easily
stand in for stuffing at any holiday dinner, and it is much easier to make.
Leftovers also warmed up very nicely in the microwave, making this side nice to
enjoy even after the big dinner is done.
The secret to the pilaf’s excellent
taste, I think, is that the quinoa was cooked in vegetable broth.
The pilaf is so easy to make. Note
that the recipe makes 10 to 12 servings, so be sure to halve the ingredients if
you need to make less.
The recipe says to use a large, deep
skillet, but if you are nervous about this not being big enough, by all means
use a large soup pot instead.
Leeks are cooked in a skillet, then
rinsed and drained quinoa is added and cooked for about five minutes.
Vegetable broth (I used
store-bought) and water are added to the leeks and quinoa and brought to a
boil. The skillet or pot is then covered and simmered over moderately-low heat
until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
The pilaf is removed from the heat,
left to stand for 10 minutes, fluffed with a fork then served.
Updated on Dec. 21, 2023
My
annual foray into Christmas cookie baking began this year with Walnut Snowball Cookies (click for the recipe).
I chose to try this recipe for two
reasons: The apt-sounding name, and the use of vanilla bean seeds in the
recipe, something I have never seen before in recipes for similar types of
cookies.
They were a good choice to get me in
the holiday mood. They were easy to make and looked very wintery.
Above all, they were bite-sized pieces
of goodness that were a hit with everyone to whom I served them.
One of my co-workers said they
reminded her of the Christmas cookies her mother used to make.
These cookies are practically
begging to be served with a cup of tea, but they are just as good snuck off the
plate, taken to a quiet corner, and enjoyed.
They were easy to make.
Walnuts are toasted in the oven,
then coarsely chopped (I used a small electric kitchen chopper, but was careful the pieces weren't chopped too finely).
Butter and vanilla bean seeds are
beaten together, followed by additions of confectioner’s sugar (also called
powdered sugar), salt, flour and walnuts until the dough comes together. It won’t
come into a ball, but soft pieces; it’s your job to put the pieces together and
roll them into balls.
Level tablespoons of dough are
arranged on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and baked for about 17
minutes.
After the cookies are cooled
slightly, they are rolled in confectioner’s sugar to coat, then left to cool
completely. The recipe says to roll them in sugar again, but I didn’t bother –
they were coated well enough.
The recipe says the cookies will
keep in an airtight container for about five days, but I found that after three
days the freshness started to ebb away.
