New Year's Party Tasty Favours

As we are inching ever closer to New Year's Eve, and many of us are scrambling around for ideas of things to make for our parties, I wanted to share with you a few favourites that have always been main-stays on our New Year's Eve table.

Each year, we would gather together for dinner... our very last dinner together of that year. It was usually an early dinner because we wanted to make sure we had room for the tasties what would be the first foods we ate in the New Year. It was always important that what we ate right after midnight were extravagant because they would be the first tastes of the wonders that we would enjoy the coming year. Yes, I grew up with a lot of superstitions, and I must say that the NYE superstitions are ones I still hold close and dear to me. No matter what the previous year has looked like, it has always been important in our family that we spend a few extra dollars and do something really extravagant so that the year would be paved with the same opportunities for extravagance.

So here are a few indulgences for you to try out for your New Year's party this year. They are not overly time consuming and you can definitely start making them a day or two ahead of time and keeping them in the fridge, just to assemble the afternoon of.

Deviled Eggs with Caviar

I never knew that Deviled Eggs were ever topped with anything other than caviar, until I moved to Canada. Yes, I know, it is the "curse" of growing up with a privileged lifestyle.

Ingredients
12 eggs, hard boiled (approx 10 mins)
2-3 TBSP Miracle Whip (adjust amount depending on consistency of egg mixture)
1/8 tsp hot mustard powder (English mustard)
1/16 tsp garlic powder (the smallest amount for just a hint)
Salt to taste
1 small jar black (or red) caviar
Parsley (for decoration)

1. Once eggs have been boiled, shelled and set aside to cool, cut them in half and carefully remove egg yolks into a bowl. Set the egg white "cups" aside.
2. Mix in next five ingredients to make a manageable paste. Using a pastry bag with a star tip, put egg mixture into piping bag and pipe egg mixture into the egg white "cups".
3. Using the tip of a plastic knife, scoop caviar on to the knife and place gently on top of each egg center. Stick a small sprig of parsley into the egg as decoration.

Shrimp Cocktail Cup

1lb cooked shrimp, deveined and shelled with tails still on
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup horseradish
Juice from 1/2 lemon

1. Mix together the ketchup, horseradish, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour approx 2 TBSP of cocktail sauce into the bottom of a good size shot glass, and top with 3 shrimps. Serve cups on a pretty platter.

Smoked Salmon with Creme Fraiche Blinis

1 packet of smoked salmon
1 tub of creme fraiche (or sour cream)
1 jar of capers
1 packet of blinis (little pancakes)
3 eggs, hard boiled and chopped finely
1 small white salad onion, diced very finely

1. Arrange on each blini a little creme fraiche, topped by a piece of smoked salmon, and then arrange a few capers on top.
2. Serve the salmon on a platter with two small bowls, one containing chopped boiled egg and the other with finely diced onions. Your guests will add the egg and onions on top of the smoked salmon for a complete flavour explosion.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

When carrots are cut on the round, they resemble gold pieces, so for many cultures carrots served in such a way at New Years signifies gold (or money) for the coming year.

This is a rather garlicky recipe, but packs a full flavour punch and is definitely a huge hit at any party.

Ingredients
3-4 carrots, sliced
1 TBSP clear honey
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 TBSP red wine vinegar, or fruit vinegar such as raspberry
2 TBSP chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, or a mixture of cilantro and parsley
Salt and ground black pepper

1. Cook the carrots by either steaming or boiling in lightly salted water until they are just tender but not too soft. Drain. Leave for a few minutes to dry and then place them in a bowl.
2. Add the honey, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, and vinegar to the carrots and toss them together. Add the herbs and season.

Chill before serving.
 

Smoked Oysters are served on crackers or on small rounds of toast

Easy Crab Puffs

2 cans crab meat, drained
1 packet cream cheese, softened
1 stalk spring onion, chopped finely
Dash Sriracha chili sauce
Salt to taste
1 pkt flour won ton wrappers

1. Mix together all ingredients and place 1 TBSP of mix into the middle of a won ton wrapper. Fold over to create a triangle, and using a mix of corn starch and water (to make a paste), spread on the edges (lightly) and seal closed.
2. Heat oil in a wok until very hot and drop the crab puffs into the hot oil, cooking until they float to the surface and are golden brown. Transfer from hot oil to a plate with kitchen paper.

Serve with plum dipping sauce

Sui Jao served on Chinese spoons makes it very easy for guests to eat. With the shape of the tasty little morsels looking like the ancient Chinese money Yuan Bao, it is most auspicious to serve and eat this dish on New Year's.









Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

These are great little morsels that pack a real flavour punch.

1 packet cherry tomatoes, washed and hollowed
1 packet cream cheese, softened
2 TBSP sour cream
1 packet mock lobster, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 sprig spring onion, chopped finely

1. Mix together all ingredients (except tomatoes), and using a small spoon gently fill each tomato hollow.




Spicy Deviled Eggs

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Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Pasta

There are just sometimes when the call of heavy, rich creamy sauces calls to me... While it does not happen very often, it does happen. When that happens, I try to add ingredients that can somewhat balance the heaviness out with veggies and leaner meats.

This is one example of one of those nights when I just had a hankering for creamy goodness; I think its somewhat of a "comfort" food thing, but generally my "comfort food" moments come in the flavours of Asia... the tastes of home.

So here is a little recipe I created a while back that I'd like to share with you. You can add all sorts of veggies, not just the ones I've mentioned... asparagus would be lovely in this, as would broccoli florets... pretty much any vegetable you have on hand, or that capture your attention.

I try to make my meals as colourful as possible as the bright and vibrant colours are packed full with wonderful vitamins. And I never over cook my veggies as that will kill any good property they have. Basically, if the bright colours are fading away from the veggies on your plate, you've over done it. Veggies should still be somewhat crisp when eating them.

You can also substitute the chicken for shrimp, or scallops, salmon, tuna, or turkey.

Let me know how it worked out for you.

This is a heavier sauce with a fair amount of butter in it. You can reduce the butter down a little if you like

1 lb thinly sliced chicken breast cut into 1” pieces
8 cloves garlic, sliced
½ onion thinly sliced and cut into thirds
1 zucchini, julienne
1 red pepper, julienne
1 stick butter
1 TBSP vegetable cooking oil
1 cup good quality white wine
1 cup sour cream
1 TBSP chicken powder
1 TBSP dried basil
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper (optional)
1 pkt spaghetti noodles (cooked according to packet directions)


1. Cook noodles, drain and set aside
2. Melt butter in a pan adding oil (to prevent burning)
3. Add garlic cloves. Cook until the scent of garlic wafts (don’t overcook garlic or it will burn and be bitter), then add chicken meat, cook until thoroughly cooked through
4. Add onions and cook until glassy
5. Add chicken powder and stir until dissolved and combined, then add wine, bring to boil
6. Add peppers and cook until wilted, then add zucchini, stir until both peppers and zucchini are cooked through
7. Add dried basil and stir well
8. Add sour cream and stir until all ingredients are well combined and somewhat creamy, but still runny.
9. Cook an additional 5 minutes


Serve noodles in a pasta bowl or plate and add the chicken vegetable sauce over.

Serves 4

* You can also add heavy cream for a more creamier, heavier sauce. Add it at the same time as the sour cream.

Shrimp with Tomato Sauce

Since I was a little girl in Hong Kong, my sister used to make this dish, especially at Chinese New Year time. It was my most favourite dish and each Chinese New Year I would always make a special request to her to make this for us.

Now, I continue the tradition and it is a dish that I serve at our Chinese New Year table.

2 lbs Shrimps - best is raw. If using cooked, add at last minute just
to heat through in the sauce
¼ cup Tomato Ketchup
1-inch piece of fresh Ginger, peeled
3 cloves Garlic
1 TBSP Light Soy Sauce (or just salt)
1 tsp White Pepper (optional)
2 spring onion, sliced
1/8 cup Coriander, chopped


1. Cook the shrimp until turned pink, add garlic and ginger*. Cook until you can smell the fragrance of the garlic
2. Add light soy sauce and ketchup (and pepper if using), cook until well incorporated and you smell the fragrance (about 1 minute)
3. Add coriander and green onions, stir a couple of times, and immediately take off the heat.

*To get a really good flavour from the garlic and ginger, blend them together in a blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet with about 2TBSP of regular cooking oil until you have a paste.

NB This is good to use in a very hot wok so that the shrimps will cook very fast. As soon as they turn a little pink, is when you start adding things. This will cook very fast.

You can de-vein the shrimp, but best if you leave the shell and heads on, gives more flavour, and if you like to suck the head, this will give nice flavour for it.