Fourth Day of Christmas

Anne's 12 Days of Christmas Recipes

 On the fourth day of Christmas, for myself, I cooked...

~ Four Calling Birds ~

 Anne presents...

Quartet of Turkey Rings Spilling the Beans
and Dishing the Dirt (Cake)

Hah! I'm so clever.  :D  This is an Anne original idea.  4 Calling Birds.  I thought to myself, "What would happen if 4 birds made a telephone call?"   Well, you'd hear four rings, with those gossipy birds spilling the beans and dishing the dirt.  hahaha.  I crack myself up.  

I just cut the centers out of turkey breast to make "rings", and then I made 4 different colorful bean combinations to spill out of each ring:  Green Beans; White Beans with Spinach, Garlic, and Tomatoes; Yellow Beans with Roasted Red Peppers and Parmesan; and a Black Bean Mango Salsa.  I enjoyed each component of the bean medley.  It was both healthy and tasty, and I was pleased with the presentation.  I just wish I had sliced the turkey a little thinner because it was way too much food for me to eat.  I had to leave half the plate untouched.

And then I made cute little individual dirt cake pudding cups, complete with a gummy worm.  I ate one and took the rest to work for my coworkers to enjoy.

Anne's Fun Facts:

Price of 4 Calling Birds (2010 Christmas Price Index) = $599.96

Did You Know??   The original intent of the song was not 4 CALLING birds, but 4 COLLY birds, which means 4 black birds.   I thought about doing a recipe based on Sing a Song of Sixpence, but I really didn't want to cook any blackbirds in a pie.  

Recipes:

Black Bean Mango Salsa

Ingredients:
Note: I just threw stuff in the bowl.  The measurements of these ingredients are approximate)

1 can black beans, drained
1 cup corn 

1-2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/2 cup diced mango
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour.

****

White Beans with Spinach, Garlic, and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
2 cups cooked or canned white beans, well rinsed and drained if canned
1/3 cup vegetable stock
2-3 cups torn spinach leaves
ground black pepper


Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes and saute, tossing often, until the tomatoes are soft, about 7 minutes.  Stir in the beans and stock and bring to a simmer.  Pile on the spinach, cover the pan, and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes.  Sauce should have thickened.  If not, cook a little longer.  If too dry, add more stock.  Season with black pepper.

****

 Yellow Beans with Roasted Red Peppers and Parmesan

 Ingredients:

1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeds removed

1/2 pound yellow wax beans, trimmed  

2 quarts water

1-2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon olive oil

grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place bell pepper half, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil pepper 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a ziplock plastic bag, and seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and cut into strips.

Bring 2 quarts water and 1-2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add beans; cook 4 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Drain; place in a large bowl. Add bell pepper strips, tomatoes, onions, and parsley; toss to combine.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon of salt, cider vinegar, and remaining ingredients except Parmesan, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over beans; toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

****

Dirt Cake Cups
Yield: 13 servings;  200 calories/serving (without worm)


Ingredients:
1 package Oreo Reduced-Fat Cookies
8 oz Fat-Free Cool Whip
8 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened
1 Box Jello-O Fat Free Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding Mix
2 cups Skim Milk
Gummy Worms (optional)


Directions:
Make the pudding, following standard directions on the box.  Add the cool whip and cream cheese and mix well.   Crumble 39 oreos (3 per cup) in a large resealable plastic bag.  Evenly divide 1/2 the crumbled oreos into 13 small plastic cups.  Evenly divide the pudding mixture into the cups, then top with the remaining crumbled oreos.  Garnish with a gummy worm if desired.

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Anne's 12 Days of Christmas Recipes  
(I will be posting one per day from Dec 26 thru Jan 6th, 2010).  Feel free to comment!

1st Day: Partridge in Pear Tree             7th Day: Seven Swans a-Swimming
2nd Day: Two Turtledoves                    8th Day: Eight Maids a-Milking
3rd Day: Three French Hens                 9th Day: Nine Ladies Dancing
4th Day: Four Calling Birds                  10th Day: Ten Lords a-Leaping
5th Day: Five Gold Rings                     11th Day: Eleven Pipers Piping
6th Day: Six Geese a-Laying                12th Day: Twelve Drummers Drumming