Sixth Day of Christmas

 Anne's 12 Days of Christmas Recipes

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

~ Six Geese a Laying ~

 Anne presents...

Gooseberry-Raspberry Tartlets
and
Laying an Egg on Brussels Sprouts Hash

Yay!  Breakfast!  I stole the brussels sprouts hash idea from another website.  I saw that the grocery store actually had a goose in the meat department, but it was huge, and I knew I wouldn't be able to eat all that meat.  So I decided to go with the "laying" of eggs.  It looked like a healthy and hearty brunch.  I actually made it on two different occasions.  The first time I made it, I didn't dice the sprouts and potatoes small enough, and the picture looked strange.  So I re-made it the other day, threw in some extra seasoning, and I had a much better-looking and better-tasting hash.  I also wanted to do something with gooseberries since I wasn't cooking a goose, and I somehow concocted this recipe in my head to get this little delectable bite.  It was sooo good! It would have looked nicer if I had used phyllo tart shells, but making my own cups from phyllo sheets in a muffin tin worked too.

Anne's Fun Facts:

Cost of 6 Geese a Laying (2010 Christmas Price Index) = $150

Did You Know...??  By flying in a V formation, geese increase their flying range by at least 71% due to the uplift from the bird directly in front of them.  When the head goose gets tired, it rotates to the back.  Geese in the back honk to tell those in the front to keep up their speed (Haha, kind of like humans.  I hate getting behind a slow driver!)

"Your goose is cooked"- The first time this phrase appeared in writing was a song published in England in 1851.  The song refers to the author's feelings about the Pope's appointment of Cardinal Wiseman as Archbishop of Westminster:

If they come here we'll cook their goose,
The Pope and Cardinal Wiseman.

How did the phase "your goose is cooked" come to mean you're in deep trouble?

Nobody knows for sure.  Here are a couple conjectures:

1) Inhabitants of a besieged town in the sixteenth century hung out a goose to show their attackers they were not starving. This act so enraged the attackers that they set fire to the town and thus cooked the goose.

2) It comes from the fable about the goose that laid the golden eggs, which, when the farmer killed it to obtain the gold inside, left him with nothing but a goose to cook.

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Recipes:

Brussels Sprouts Hash with Egg
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
(Note: These measurements are approximate... I just threw things in the skillet)
5-6 small red potatoes, diced

1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
olive oil
1/2 pound brussels sprouts, de-stemmed and quartered (or cut smaller)
1/2 cup chicken stock
seasoned salt
thyme
parsley
ground black pepper
salt
2 large eggs

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the potatoes, garlic, and onions and cook until the potatoes have started to brown.  Add the brussels sprouts, chicken stock, and seasonings.  Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes until liquid has evaporated and vegetables are tender.  Add more seasoning to taste if necessary.  Cook two eggs as desired and serve on top of the hash.

******

Gooseberry-Raspberry Tartlet

Ingredients:
(Sorry, I have no exact measurements.  I haphazardly threw this recipe together and it happened to work.  Amazing!)

Phyllo tart shells
raspberries
gooseberries
lemon juice
water
sugar
milk
cornstarch
whipping cream
powdered sugar


Directions:
Wash gooseberries and raspberries.  Cook gently in a covered saucepan with a teaspoon or so of granulated sugar and a little lemon juice and a little water until berries are soft.  Drain.

In a small bowl, blend a little milk and cornstarch.  In a small pot, boil some milk, whipping cream, and powdered sugar. Slowly stir the hot milk mixture into the cornstarch mixture.  Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring until thick.  Cool, stirring often.

Bake phyllo shells as directed on package and let cool.  Fill with cream mixture and top with berry mixture.

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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