Christimas Eve Feativus

This holiday season, many of my friends aren't traveling and so for Christmas eve, we had a serious potluck throw down at the 84. On the menu from our house was:

Roasted Turkey with Portabello and Fig Stuffing
Bacalao Guisado
Mashed New Potatoes with Green Onions
Mulled Wine

Our fantastic guests brought:
Cherry Pie
Cranberry Muffins
Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes
Brussels Sprouts with Molasses
Christmas Cookies - Homemade thin mints that were amazing!
Goat Cheese Salad
Green Beans sauteed with Almonds
Carrot Cake
Macaroni and Cheese
Olives and Cheeses

Have the warmest holiday season from 312square feet, which has now graduated to more like 850 sqft! Happy Holidays!

My new favorite thing to do is to roast veggies like Brussels Sprouts, cauliflower and mushrooms with a little olive oil, sea salt and pepper and then cover them in a maple syrup glaze. The not too sweet of the syrup offsets the bitter of the veggies and makes for a great contrast between the sweet and savory.

Roasted Vegetables in Maple Glaze

Assorted veggies - a head of cauliflower, a bunch of Brussels Sprouts, some portabello mushrooms, shallots etc. hearty veggies
1/4 cup of olive oil
sea salt and pepper

1/2 cup Grade A Maple Syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat the oven to 375. Toss the veggies with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender and a little browned.

Just before the veggies are done, in a small sauce pan, melt the butter, add the syrup and stir continuously. Reduce by slowly simmering the syrup for about 15 minutes until it just thickens a bit.

Toss the roasted veggies in the glaze and serve immediately.