Second Day of Christmas

Anne's 12 Days of Christmas Recipes

 On the second day of Christmas, for my true love, I cooked...

~ Two Turtledoves ~

 Anne presents...

Bacon Cheese Turtleburgers

and

Dove Chocolate Turtles

 

Anne's Turtle

 Jeremy's Turtle

 

 Dove Chocolate Turtles

Once again, I took some creative liberties.  I'm not going to cook actual turtledoves.  And there's just too many days of poultry in this silly song.  So I decided to have fun with turtles instead.  I found the recipe for the bacon cheeseburger turtles online, and I thought they looked super cute, so I just had to give it a try.  Of course, this recipe could also be called "Heart Attack on a Plate."  I could just feel my arteries clogging as I ate that delicious heavenly bacon.   The recipe is just ground beef and a slice of cheese wrapped in bacon--LOTS of bacon!--with hot dogs sticking out for head and legs.  I only used about 5 slices of bacon for mine by making a smaller beef patty and cutting each strip of bacon in half and only draping the bacon weave over the top instead of entirely around the whole body.  I am supposed to be on a pre-wedding diet after all.   This recipe wasn't helpful.  Oh well.  It was a sacrifice I was willing to make in the name of my recipe blog.  hee hee.  ;)

I decided I should incorporate the "dove" part of turtledoves somehow, so I made those cute Dove Chocolate Turtles using Dove Caramel-Filled Chocolates.  They were incredibly easy to make... and so yummy.  I love caramel.

Anne's Fun Facts:

Cost of Two Turtledoves (2010 Christmas Price Index) = $100.00

Cost of Two Dove Turtles made by Anne = ~$0.35

Calories in Bacon Cheese Turtleburger = I don't want to know. Don't tell me.

Calories in 2 Dove Turtles made by Anne = 120 calories

Doves are believed to mate for life.  They symbolize marital devotion, faithfulness, and love forever.

*******************************

Recipes:

Bacon Cheese Turtleburgers 

Ingredients:

Very lean ground beef 

1 egg white

salt and pepper

Hot dogs or sausages

Packet of bacon or more

Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Form beef patties by combining the ground beef, egg white, salt, and pepper.  Set a slice of cheese on top of the patty.  Make a weave using 8-12 strips of bacon (depends on the size of your patty) and lay on top of the cheese, tucking ends underneath patty.  Cut wieners to make head and legs. Make 3 cuts in the "feet" sausages and one cross wise cut in the "head" sausage (so it will look like a mouth opening). Carve out a conical tail as well.  Make holes in the bacon weave, poke wieners about 1" into the patty. Secure with toothpicks that have been soaking in water.  Use a spatula to transfer turtles to a broiler pan.  Bake in the oven at 400º until beef is done (internal temp of 160º), about 35-45 minutes.

**************************************

Dove Chocolate Turtles

Makes 24 turtles

Ingredients

24 mini pretzels (the square ones work well)

24 Dove caramel-filled chocolates

24 pecan halves

pretzel sticks 

Arrange the square pretzels in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Place one chocolate-covered caramel candy on each pretzel.  Bake at 300º for 4 minutes.  While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each chocolate and use pretzel sticks to make head and legs.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  

********************************

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

 

First Day of Christmas

Anne's 12 Days of Christmas Recipes

 On the first day of Christmas, for my true love, I cooked...

~ A Partridge in a Pear Tree ~

 Anne presents...

Roasted Cornish Hens in a Caramelized Sage-Pear Sauce

and

Shakespeare's Saffron Warden Pear Pie

A little history to start....

The twelve days of Christmas span from Christmas day (Dec 25th) to the Epiphany (Jan 6).  The Twelfth Night is the night before the Epiphany, observed as a time of merrymaking.  The "Twelve Days of Christmas" was first published in the children's book "Mirth Without Mischief" in England in 1780 as a fun memory game played on the Twelfth Night, in which a leader recited a verse, each of the players repeated the verse, the leader added another verse, and so on until one of the players made a mistake, with the player who erred having to pay a penalty, such as offering up a kiss or a sweet.

It is considered an English carol, but the song is older than its printed version, and there are French versions that are said to be older.  It is possible that the origin is actually French, not English, especially since the red-legged partridge (from France) perches in trees more frequently than the grey partridge common in England at the time. 

Wisconsin History!

The song was imported to the United States in 1910 by Emily Brown, of the Downer Teacher's College in Milwaukee, WI, who had encountered the song in an English music store sometime before. She needed the song for the school Christmas pageant, an annual extravaganza that she was known for organizing

******************************************* 

Anne's Fun Facts:

Cost of Partridge in a Pear Tree (2010 Christmas Price Index) = $162
Cost of 2 Cornish Hens at Pick N Save Grocery Store = $6

A folklore claims a young maiden should walk backwards around a pear tree three times on Christmas morning.  When she gazes into the branches, she'll see the image of her future husband.

Anne's Dishes:

I knew I wasn't going to cook up a partridge or anything in the pigeon family, but I figured a small cornish hen in a pear sauce (instead of a tree) would do the trick.  I never cooked a cornish hen before, but it turned out to be the easiest part of the dish.  The pear sauce really took the majority of time and effort.  My presentation could have been prettier, but I have to say, that pear sauce tasted sublime!  I really loved it.

I really wanted to highlight the pear for the First Day of Christmas, so I took the old English history of the song and made a pear pie popular in Elizabethan England (even though Shakespeare was a couple centuries prior to the first written version).  In William Shakespeare's play A Winter’s Tale, Clown, son of the Old Shepherd who was the adoptive father of the play’s heroine Perdita, says: “I must have saffron to colour the warden pies.”   Warden is a type of pear. Saffron gives a golden-yellowish color. The saffron was likely used in the pastry of the pie, and I found a recipe that did just that.  Unfortunately, it was an actual English recipe which meant some of the measurements were in ounces which threw me off.  So I got out my electronic scale to measure.  Instead of making a large pie, I halved the recipe and baked it 20 minutes in two custard cups for two small pies.  That little pie was pretty darn good. 

*************************************************

Recipes:

Roasted Cornish Hens in a Caramelized Sage-Pear Sauce
(recipe taken from internet contributor Sean Dunne)

Ingredients:
2 Cornish Hens
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pint heavy cream
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 package fresh sage (7-10 stalks)
3 Asian pears, cored and cut into pieces, tossed in juice of lemon
Juice of 1 lemon (for pears)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Bird Rub:
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons gorgonzola (optional)

Directions:
Rinse hens inside and out with cold water, then pat dry.  Make the Bird Rub.  Coat the birds with vegetable oil and season heavily inside and out with the Bird Rub.  Place the hens, breast side up in a 9x13" baking dish.  Cover and cook the birds at 325º for 1 hour, 15 minutes; then turn up the heat to 500º and cook for 15 more minutes, with the birds uncovered to brown the skins.    Internal temp of birds should be 165-170º.  Take birds out of oven and let rest, covered with foil, for about 7 minutes.

As soon as the birds go in the oven, start preparing the pear sauce.

Melt the butter in a large stock pot on medium high heat so that it simmers, but doesn't burn.  Add the sage (including stalks) to the butter and simmer for about 8 minutes or until all the color is gone from the sage.   Remove all the sage and stalks.

Add the pears, stirring to coat, and cook on medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Next, stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Cover the pot and continue to cook for 50 minutes to soften the pears, stirring every 10 minutes.

Add heavy cream to the pear mixture, stirring constantly until cream starts to simmer.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors.  Add salt and white pepper to the mixture and stir.   Remove pear mixture from heat and transfer to a food processor.  Puree mixture on high speed until sauce is a smooth consistency. 

Plate the birds, and ladle the pear sauce over the top.   If desired, sprinkle some Gorgonzola cheese over the birds to melt into the sauce.

************************************************

William Shakespeare's Warden Pear Pie with Saffron
(recipe taken from Internet contributor Elaine Findlay)

Ingredients:
8 oz flour
5 oz butter
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 tablespoon warm water
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
4 large pears (or 8 small Warden pears)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
pinch of ground cloves

Directions:
Gently crush the strands of saffron into a cup.  Pour the warm water over the saffron, stir, and leave to steep until the water is cool.  Sift the flour and sugar together into a large bowl.  Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Put the egg yolks into a small bowl and add the cooled saffron water and beat well.  Add the egg-saffron mixture to the flour and mix well until a nice dough is formed.  Cover and leave to settle in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.

Peel and core the pears, and thinly slice.  Put the pears in a sauce pan, covered with water' bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until softened.  Drain and allow to cool.

Roll the saffron pastry out and use about 2/3 of it to line a greased 9" pie dish.  When the pears have cooled, spread them around the pie base and sprinkle with the brown sugar and spices.  Roll out the remaining 1/3 saffron pastry and top the pie with it, sealing the edges with a bit of water.  Sprinkle a little sugar over the top if desired.  Cut a slit in the middle of the pie crust to allow steam to escape.  Bake at 375º for 45 minutes until pastry is nicely golden and cooked through.

Note: I made only half the recipe and then divided the ingredients between two custard cups. I baked them for 20 minutes which seemed to be perfect. 

**************************************

Anne's 12 Days of Christmas Recipes  

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

12 Days of Christmas Recipes

Hello, friends and random internet strangers,

I had an idea!  I'm going to get creative.  Over the next month, I'm going to make recipes and/or menus based on the 12 Days of Christmas song.  Starting December 26th, I will post one each day until January 6th.

I'll have to get creative and think outside the box on some days because I'm not planning to cook up swan or turtledoves.  But I already have multiple ideas for each day in the song, some being traditional and expected, and some a little out there.  I think this will be super fun!

Just click on the links to see the recipes I came up with for each day.  They'll be at the bottom of each page.


Anne's 12 Days of Christmas Recipes  


1st Day: Partridge in Pear Tree : Roasted Cornish Hens in a Caramelized Sage-Pear Sauce and Shakespeare's Saffron Warden Pear Pie
         

2nd Day: Two Turtledoves :  Bacon Cheese Turtleburgers and Dove Chocolate Turtles
                 
3rd Day: Three French Hens  : Bouillabaisse de Poulet, Garlic French Bread, 
 and Mousse au Chocolat
              
4th Day: Four Calling Birds : Quartet of Turkey Rings Spilling the Beans and Dishing the Dirt (Cake)
               
5th Day: Five Gold Rings  : Rosemary-Pineapple Upside-Down Cake       
           
6th Day: Six Geese a-Laying : Gooseberry-Raspberry Tartlets and Laying an Egg on Brussels Sprouts Hash
   
7th Day: Seven Swans a-Swimming : Seared Duck Breast Swimming in Orange Sauce and Swan Cream Puffs Swimming in Chocolate

8th Day: Eight Maids a-Milking : Swiss Miss Cocoa Milkshake and 4-Cheese Baked Macaroni


9th Day: Nine Ladies Dancing : Eggs Flamenco, Ladyfingers doing the Salsa, & Tennessee Waltz Drink

10th Day: Ten Lords a-Leaping : Capering Baron of Beef au jus, Trinidad Hops Bread, and Grasshopper Pie

11th Day: Eleven Pipers Piping : Zucchini Flutes with Piped Basil Mousse, and Pistachio-Cheese Pipes

12th Day: Twelve Drummers Drumming : Timpano Di Maccheroni (Pasta Timpani) and Dobos Torte (Hungarian Drum Cake)


Happy Holidays,
Anne (ThePharmGirl)

Lemon Thyme Chicken

This was an incredibly fast, healthy, and tasty dinner.   My sauce turned out a lot darker than the picture in my recipe book, and I'm not sure why.   I served it with leftover green beans and baked cinnamon butternut squash.

Lemon Thyme Chicken
4 servings      213 calories/serving (including 3 tablespoons sauce)

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (~4 oz each)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and lemon-pepper.  Set aside 1&1/2 tablespoons for sauce.  Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture over both sides of chicken.  In a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.

In the same pan, saute onion in butter until tender.  Add thyme and reserved flour mixture; stir until blended.  Gradually stir in the broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Serve over chicken and sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Butternut Squash Apple Bake

I thought a squash recipe would make a nice healthy addition to our Thanksgiving feast.  It seemed to go over really well with my relatives.  I noticed that even the kids were eating it.  Of course, there was a strong cinnamon apple flavor which sweetened things up and made eating squash more delicious.  I would definitely make this again.

Butternut Squash Apple Bake
8 servings    120 calories/serving

1 butternut squash (~2-3 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2" slices or cubes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced into rings
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Arrange squash in a 15x10" baking pan (or two 9" square pans) coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with rosemary.  Top with apple rings.  Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg; sprinkle over apples.  Drizzle with butter.  Cover and bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes or until squash and apples are tender.

Bacon-Onion Green Beans

This wasn't a new recipe for me, but I knew it was good, so I made it as a veggie side dish for our family's Thanksgiving meal.

Bacon-Onion Green Beans
6-8 servings    114 calories/serving

1&1/2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed
3 bacon strips, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons sliced toasted almonds
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
Place beans in a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove to paper towels.  Drain skillet except for 1 tablespoon drippings.  Saute garlic and onion in the drippings until tender.  Stir in the vinegar, tarragon, salt, and pepper.

Drain beans and place in a large serving bowl.  Stir or spread the onion mixture and bacon over beans.  Sprinkle with almonds and sesame seeds.

Pumpkin-Molasses Cheesecakes

When I saw this recipe for 100-calorie cheesecakes, I just had to give it a try.   It was fantastic.  If you like pumpkin pie and you like cheesecake, but you're on a diet (or even if you're not), then this recipe is for you!  I'll be taking the rest of the batch to work tomorrow so that I don't eat the whole tray!  Simply fabulous.

Pumpkin-Molasses Cheesecakes
From Betty Crocker's New Eat and Lose Weight Cookbook
Makes 8 servings, 100 calories/serving

Ingredients:
2 soft molasses cookies (3" diameter)
1 package (8 oz) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Egg Substitute
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup frozen (thawed) reduced-fat whipped topping

Directions:
Line 8 medium muffin cups with baking cups.  Break cookies into fine crumbs.  Reserve 2 teaspoons cookie crumbs for topping.  Divide remaining crumbs among muffin cups.

Beat cream cheese and brown sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Using spoon, stir in egg substitute and vanilla until just blended.  Stir in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.   Spoon mixture evenly into muffin cups.

Bake 30-35 minutes at 350º or until edges are set.   Refrigerate until completely chilled (centers will sink while cooling).  Serve each cheesecake topped with 2 tablespoons whipped topping and sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.  Sprinkle with extra pumpkin pie spice if desired.   Store remaining cheesecakes covered in fridge.

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

This was a yummy dinner!  I served it with a side salad, and the meal was perfectly satisfying.  I was very pleased that the dish was so hearty and under 300 calories.  I liked the extra flavor of the cheesy center with the ricotta, sour cream, and cream cheese.  I normally dislike ricotta, but it added a creaminess to this recipe that elevated the sophistication of the casserole.  The recipe yield was too large for me, so I cut it in half and baked it in a 9x9" square pan.  Now I'll have some delicious leftovers to heat up at work.  :)

Hamburger Noodle Casserole    
(Serves 10; 290 calories/serving)
From: Taste of Home's Comfort Food Diet Bookazine

Ingredients:
5 cups uncooked yolk-free noodles
1&1/4 lbs lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
1 package (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar chese

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook beef and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain.   Stir in the tomato sauce, seasoning, sugar, salt, and pepper; heat through.  Drain cooked noodles and stir into beef mixture.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, ricotta, and sour cream until blended.  Stir in half the onions.

Spoon half of the beef-noodle mixture into a 13x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Top with cream cheese mixture and remaining beef-noodle mixture.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover; sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with remaining onions.

Caramel-Apple Bread Pudding

I found this recipe in a Betty Crocker "Eat and Lose Weight" Cookbook.  It could be served as either a dessert or a breakfast, served with applesauce or syrup instead of the caramel topping.  I had a sweet craving, and I wanted a recipe that didn't break the calorie bank, and this seemed to fit the bill.  It was absolutely delicious!

Caramel-Apple Bread Pudding
Yield: 8 servings,  190 calories/serving

1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup fat-free egg product
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 cups 1-inch cubes French bread
1/2 cup caramel fat-free ice cream topping, warmed

Mix all ingredients except bread and caramel in a large bowl with wire whisk until smooth.  Fold in bread.  Pour into a 9" quiche or pie plate coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and set.  Cut into wedges and drizzle caramel topping over each serving.

Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops and Buttermilk Corn Bread

I found these recipes in a Taste of Home "Healthy Cooking" Magazine.  The recipes were very simple and quick to prepare.  They both had pretty good flavor.  I used whole wheat flour to make the corn bread to make it a little healthier.   It wasn't the best meal ever, but it was good, and I left the table satisfied.

Pork Chops with Apricot Sauce
(1 chop with 2 tablespoons sauce= 273 calories)

3 boneless pork loin chops (6 oz each)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sugar-free apricot preserves
1/2 tablespoon minced chives
1/8 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle pork with pepper and garlic powder.   In a large skillet, brown chops in oil on each side.  Combine the preserves, chives, and salt; spoon over chops.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160º.  Serve with sauce.

Buttermilk Corn Bread
Yield 8-9 servings  (1 serving = 172 calories)

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.   In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and butter.  Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened.  Transfer to a 9" square baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 400º for 15-20 minutes until top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.  Serve warm.