2009年圣诞晚餐在我家 2009 Christmas Even Dinner in our home(组图)

Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner is usually roasted leg of lamb. But this year we did a little twist. Instead of leg of lamb, we had lamb shoulder roast. Of course we had soup and other side dishes, just like other families. Here are the recipes and some pictures.
我们家圣诞晚餐的传统是烤羊腿. 不过今年我做了一点变化, 没有烤羊腿,烤了一块肩膀上的肉,下面就叫烤羊肉算了, 当然了,还有其它的东东. 以下是我家今年圣诞晚餐.

Menu of our Christmas Eve Dinner:
First course: Roasted Hubbard Squash Soup
Main Course: Roast Oganic Lamb Should Roast
Side Dish 1: Baked Cheese and Mash Potatoes
Side Dish 2: Roasted Vegetables
Side Dish 3: Chorizo with Lima Beans
Bread: Homemade Buttery Dinner Rolls
Desert: Traditional Plum Pudding with Brandy Sauce

圣诞晚餐菜单:
第一道: 烤Hubbard南瓜汤
主餐: 烤羊肉
配餐1: 烤芝士土豆泥
配餐2: 烤蔬菜
配餐3: 西班牙香肠炖胖豆
面包: 自己做奶油晚餐面包
甜点: 传统李子布丁配白兰地汁

First course: Roasted Hubbard Squash Soup (烤Hubbard南瓜汤)
We had good harvest for the Hubbard squash again this year. I am sure everyone knows how to make this healthy, earthy soup. Below is my version of the squash soup. We just love the creamy texture and sweet taste of the squash.
今年我家的Hubbard squash收成很好,大家都会做这种健康的南瓜汤, 我就不多说了,这个汤在我家是家常餐,特受欢迎.

Main Course: Roast Oganic Lamb Should Roast (主餐: 烤羊肉)
There are so many versions of roasting lamb in the world. I have tried herb roasting in the past. This year was adventure for me, of course for my family as well. I was willing to take risk to try something new....
烤羊肉的方法有很多种, 在过去的几年里,我都是用香料烤的, 今年我决定冒险一次,试一种新式烤羊肉方法...
First of all, make Rub and caramel onions:
首先, 先做干佐料和焦糖洋葱
2 Tbs fennel seed
1 Tbs coriander seed
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt and fresh grounded pepper
1 large yellow onion
Heat a pan in medium high heat, add fennel seed and coriander seed, shake the pan occasionally, continue to heat until they turn color and aromatic. Add rosemary at the end. Turn the spice out and put in a spice grinder. See below picture for A and B.
In a heavy bottom stainless pan, heat it to medium high and add 1 Tsp olive oil, Add sliced onion and pinch of sea salt. Sauté the onions until all the onions are caramelized. See below picture C.
取一只浅底锅,加入FENNEL籽,香菜籽,炒香,最后加入ROSEMARY, 稍冷却,放入搅碎机中搅碎成末, 看下图A和B. 另取一只大的浅底锅,放入1大勺橄榄油,放入洋葱丝炒至变软,颜色变棕色,看下图C

Secondly, prepare the roast: see below picture:下一步准备烤羊肉.
A. It was a 6.5 lb Organic lamb shoulder roast. We bought it from local farm
B. debone the lamb shoulder roast. Rub the spice inside the lamb
C. Layer the caramelized onions.
D. Roll the roast and tighten up with strains.
E. Cut home grown carrots, purple potatoes, Hubbard squash and yellow onions into big chunks. Add 1 Tbp olive oil. Mix well with 1 tsp sea salt and grounded pepper. Finally Add 1/2 cup of red wine.
F. Rub the spice all over the roast and set on the top of the vegetables.
Cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast the lamb in the 275F oven for 4-5 hours. Remove the foil and roast the lamb at 350F for another 30 minutes until the temperature reaches 180F in the center (for medium) and surface is crusty.

A. 从地方农场买的一只有机羊,取一块6.5磅重的羊肩膀肉,
B. 剃出骨头, 抹上做好的佐料末
C. 撒上炒好的洋葱丝
D. 卷起来,用绳子捆好
E. 自己家种的胡萝卜,紫土豆和Hubbard squash切成大块,加入1大勺橄榄油,盐和胡椒粉拌匀,再加入半杯红酒
F.把羊肉卷全身抹上干佐料,放在蔬菜上.
把整个烤盘用FOIL包好,在275度的烤箱中烤4-5小时, 取去FOIL, 在350F的烤箱中再烤30分钟直到表皮脆

Let's look at one more time before goes into the oven, 进烤箱前

Here it is when it comes out the oven. 烤好了...

Now it is ready to serve: 切片,可以吃了.

Here is the Gravy I made from the sauce of the baking pan. I have heard of lots of good things about the gravy made of turkey, chicken, etc.. But I want to say the gravy made of lamb and wine is the best of all!
下面是我用烤盘里的汤汁做的酱汁. 我听说过用烤鸡, 火鸡做的酱汁如何美味,我也做过, 不过我要说,用烤羊肉做的酱汁是最美味的.

Side Dish 1: Baked Cheese and Mash Potatoes 烤芝士土豆泥
3 large yukon potatoes, cut into chunks and make into mashed potatoes. I used potatoes from our garden. You can use any kind, ~ 2 cup of mashed potatoes. In the food processor, mix well with 2 eggs and mashed potatoes. Fill in 2/3 of Ramkin cup. Top with pepper jack cheese. Bake it in the 325F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Here is the final product.
3只大的yukon土豆,切大块,做成土豆泥, 我用的是我家自己种的, 其它种也可以, 大约 2杯的土豆泥,加入2只鸡蛋,放入food processor中搅拌均匀,倒入Ramkin 杯中, 放上pepper jack cheese. 进烤箱325F烤15-20分钟.做好是这样的,看下图.

Side Dish 2: Roasted Vegetables 烤蔬菜

This dish was cooked with the lamb. It doesn't require any cooking skill. All I did was scooping out of the baking pan. That's all. But the lamb dripping and wine made it irresistible.
这道菜是烤肉的同时做好的, 不需要任何烹饪技术, 需要我做的就是从烤盘里乘出来,羊肉汁和红酒烤出来的蔬菜是一流!

Side Dish 3: Chorizo with Lima Beans 西班牙香肠炖胖豆
Sausage and beans is our traditional Christmas dinner every year. We love this dish so much. I used the Chorizo instead of sausage this year.
1.5 lb of lima beans soaked over night. Bown 1.5 lb Chorizo in a dutch oven. Remove half of Chorizo set aside. Add 1 cup chopped onion and saute for 10 minutes. Add lima beans, add water to cover the beans. Heat to boil and cover with lid, simmer for 1 hour until the beans are tender. Return all Chorizo back to mixture. Add salt and peper to taste. Serve hot.
香肠炖豆子是我家传统的圣诞晚餐之一. 今年我用了西班牙香肠. 1.5磅的 lima beans 泡12小时, 1.5磅的西班牙香肠锅里煎好,取出一半待用,锅里加入1杯洋葱丁炒软, 加入lima beans,加水没过豆子,煮开,盖好小火炖1小时直到炖熟.最后加入另一半香肠,加盐调味即可.

They are so delicious. 真的很美味.

Bread: Homemade Buttery Dinner Rolls 自己做奶油晚餐面包
My signature dinner rolls if I dare to say so....我厚脸皮自夸一下....

In my plate, a piece of lamb with roasted vegetable, Chorizo, beans and baked cheesy potatoes make my holiday shine

Desert: Traditional Plum Pudding with Brandy Sauce 甜点: 传统李子布丁配白兰地汁
My husband's grandmother from his father side was English. He still remembers the traditional English plum pudding that his grandmother made. I did some research on the old fashion recipes. It was interesting to see how the old fashion desert was made in the old days. It suppose to take 9 to 10 hours to make it. Can you imagine how they made the luxury, fancy desert with old fashion wood burning oven? It was facinating to me. Any way, here is the modern version of the plum pudding I found from Better Home and Garden website.
Mix everything and cover tightly steam for 2 hours. I don't have a fancy pudding mode. So, I used my bundt pan. It fits good in my big canner.
先生的奶奶来自英国,她做的传统的英国式李子布丁让他记忆犹新.我查了一些资料,让我很惊讶, 做传统的英国式李子布丁需要9-10小时,很难想象到从前能吃上传统的英国式李子布丁不是一件容易的事. 我找到了一个简化的配方LINK 在这里,Better Home and Garden website. 配方中的东西混合好后用FOIL纸包好, 在锅里蒸2小时,我没有漂亮的布丁模子,就用了我的BUNDT蛋糕模子,我的煮罐头的锅大小正好可以蒸它

It turned out great. Moist and tender........做好了还真不错.软软的,很滋润...

Serve with brandy hard sauce and is ready to enjoy. 放上白兰地SAUCE, 先生说很相似, 很好吃.

下雪了......

In the end, we shall never forget, Christmas is not about the delicious dinner, fancy deserts and luxury gifts. It is about the caring and the joy of the time with families. Have a great holiday season!