Our best holiday recipes, your table by Hannah Moore December 9, 2019 Share Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Our best holiday recipes, your table Dive into this recipe box for tasty drinks and dishes from our team that will help make these frosty year-end days and nights jolly. Roberto’s champurrado Michael’s Ricotta Christmas Cookies Laura’s Curried Cashews Kevin’s Holiday Leftovers Fried Rice Tyler’s Mom’s French Meat Pie Eunice’s Jollof Rice Caitlin’s Easy Shrimp Scampi Shrimp Scampi Ingredients: 3/4 lb linguine 2 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp butter 4 cloves of minced garlic 1 lb large shrimp 1/2 tsp lemon zest 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes Parmesan cheese for serving Caitlin’s Easy Shrimp Scampi By Caitlin O’Donnell, executive assistant and project manager to the senior vice president for external affairs at Northeastern Servings: 4 Time: 15 minutes Print Directions: 1. Cook pasta according to directions. 2. While it cooks, add olive oil and butter to pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Careful it does not burn! 3. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and saute until the shrimp have turned pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. 4. When the pasta is done, drain, and put into the pan with the sauce. Toss with Parmesan. 5. Notes: you can get fancy and add round slices of lemon to add extra flair. If you use fresh pasta, the sauce absorbs very easily—you can always add more olive oil, butter, or lemon juice if needed. Jollof Rice Ingredients: olive oil butter plum tomatoes 16oz tomato paste red onions bell peppers habenero pepper jasmine rice salt black pepper cayenne pepper garlic powder ginger thyme chicken stock Eunice’s Jollof Rice By Eunice Esomonu, data visualization designer Servings: 6-8 Time: 2-3 hours Print Directions: This recipe is very much about preference. Find the measurements that make you happy. 1. Heat about 4 tbsp of olive oil and butter in a medium pot and stir in chopped red onion. Allow the onions to fry until redness faded. 2. Pour in tomato paste and stir the paste to avoid burning. 3. Blend tomatoes, onions, habanero peppers, and red and/or orange bell peppers together in a blender. 4. Pour the mixture into the pot and fry it together with the tomato paste and onions. 5. Add all your spices to the mixture. Cover the pot and allow the tomato to simmer in the oil. Add oil if needed not to burn mixture and to remove the acidity. 6. Once the tomatoes are soft, add chicken stock to the mix, let simmer on low heat. 7. Wash rice thoroughly to remove excess starch. 8. Add uncooked rice to the tomato mixture. Turn down the heat to the lowest on your burner and cover the pot. 9. Allow the rice to cook within the mixture for about 30 minutes, or until rice is tender. 10. To get smokey flavoring, turn up the heat and let the rice burn about 2 to 3 minutes. French Meat Pie Ingredients: 2 lb ground beef 5 lb ground pork 1 clove garlic, minced 1 medium onion, diced 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tbsp salt dash of nutmeg dash of ground cloves dash of cinnamon 1/2 cup breadcrumbs Tyler’s Mom’s French Meat Pie By Tyler Machado, data developer Servings: 3 Time: 2 hours Print Directions: My mother (Northeastern ’86!) used to make French meat pie as a New Year’s Day tradition. This should make 3 pies. 1. Put the beef, pork, garlic, and onion into a big pot, break it all up and mix. 2. Add just enough water to cover the mixture. 3. Simmer for 1 hour, occasionally stirring/mashing with a potato masher. 4. After the hour, drain any remaining water. 5. Stir pepper, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon into the mixture, followed by the breadcrumbs. Let cool. 6. Add to a prebaked pie crust of your choosing (maybe delegate this part to a baker). 7. Bake at 350 degrees until crust is brown, about 10 minutes (longer if using an unbaked pie crust). Fried Rice Ingredients: 2 cups cooked rice of your choice 3 tbsp canola oil 2-3 eggs salt 1/2 cup scallions (separated into whites and greens) or finely chopped onions to taste 3 tbsp grated ginger 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1-1 1/2 lbs of leftover ham, turkey, or brisket (chopped into bite-sized pieces) (If ham, add 1/2 cup of pineapple) 1/2 cup peas 1/4 cup cilantro (optional) 3 tbsp soy sauce 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper Sriracha hot sauce to taste Kevin’s Leftovers Fried Rice By Kevin Deane, digital design director Servings: 4-6 Time: 30 minutes Print Directions: 1. Spread rice in one layer over cookie sheet. Best if allowed to cool overnight in the refrigerator. 2. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and 1/4 tsp salt and beat or stir until eggs are just set, about 2 minutes. Remove eggs and set aside. 3. Add another tsp of oil and the scallion whites or onion to the skillet. Cook and stir occasionally until onions are soft and fragrant—about 3 minutes—then stir in the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about another minute. 4. Add the last tsp of oil, then add the ham, turkey, or brisket until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until well incorporated and beginning to crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the peas and reserved eggs. Stir well, breaking up the eggs with a wooden spoon, about 1 minute. If you’re using ham, add pineapple, too. 5. Add the scallion greens, soy sauce, and salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the scallions are tender, about 1 minute more. Adjust seasoning to taste. 6. Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves and Sriracha if preferred. Serve and enjoy! Curried Cashews Ingredients: 3 cups unsalted cashews 3 tbsp brown sugar 2 tsp salt 1 tbsp curry powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tbsp unsalted butter 1/4 cup water Laura’s Curried Cashews By Laura Castañón, science reporter Servings: 3 cups Time: 45 minutes Print Directions: 1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spread cashews on baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. 2. Combine 2 tbsp brown sugar, salt, curry, cumin, and cayenne in a bowl. 3. Combine 1 tbsp brown sugar, butter, and water in large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add cashews and cook until most liquid has evaporated (2 to3 minutes). Remove from heat, add curry mixture, and stir to coat cashews evenly. 4. Spread cashews on baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 15 min), stirring occasionally. 5. Gift them in fancy jars! Serve them as a snack! Or don’t. It’s your life. Ricotta Cookies Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 1 tsp lemon zest 15 oz ricotta 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups whole milk 2 large eggs For the glaze: 1 tbsp butter, melted (salted or unsalted) 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 – 6 tbsp milk red and green sprinkles Michael’s Ricotta Christmas Cookies By Michael Woeste, senior media relations specialist Servings: 48 Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Print Directions: For the cookies: 1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until combined, set aside. 2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until pale and fluffy (scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process). 3. Mix in ricotta and vanilla extract then blend in eggs one at a time. Set mixer on low speed and slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days. 4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees during the last 20 minutes of dough chilling. 5. Scoop chilled dough out 1 tbsp at a time and shape into balls , drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. if the dough is too sticky, drop onto sheet using two spoons. 6. Bake in preheated oven 12 to14 minutes, or until underside of cookies are golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 7. Once cool, dip tops of cookies in glaze and return to wire rack, immediately add sprinkles if using. Allow glaze to set at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in a single layer. For the glaze: 1. In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon juice or almond extract, vanilla, and 4 tbsp milk until smooth, adding in more milk 1 tsp at a time to thin as needed. Champurrado Ingredients: 3 cups water 2 cinnamon sticks 1/4 cup masa (Mexican corn dough) 2 cups milk Half disc chopped mexican chocolate (Roberto recommends Abuelita brand) 1/2 cup brown sugar Roberto’s Champurrado By Roberto Molar Candanosa, science reporter Servings: 4-6 Time: 30 minutes Print Directions: 1. Boil the water and cinnamon sticks for a good 5 minutes, then let sit and cool for 30 mins or so. 2. Remove the cinnamon sticks from water, and heat water at low/medium-low heat. 3. As water heats back up, add the masa slowly and mix gently to make a thick, uniform liquid. 4. Add the milk, chocolate, and brown sugar,and mix. Keep on medium heat and whisk until chocolate and sugar dissolve. Serve hot!