*~*~Christmas Menu~*~*

The Soup

Dill Pickle Soup
Submitted by: Merribuck

1 cup butter or margarine
½ cup all purpose flour
1-1/2 quarts chicken broth
12 ounces dill pickles,
shredded or finely chopped
(about 1-1/2 cups)
1 cup white wine
(or additional chicken broth)
½ medium onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoon sugar

2 tbs white vinegar or dill vinegar
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups warm milk
dash green food coloring (optional)
croutons (optional)

In a large kettle, melt butter, add flour; cook and stir until bubbly. Gradually add broth. Add the next 12 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat. Add milk and remove bay leaves. Add food coloring and garnish with croutons, if desired. Yield 8-10 servings (2 quarts)

The Salad

Hot Rice Salad
Submitted by: KatjaGirl

400 gram rice (2 cups)
875 ml boiling water (3½ cups)
2 chicken stock cubes
3 onions
1 clove garlic
1 medium green pepper

30 ml sunflower oil (2 tablespoons)
250 gram mushrooms
250 gram bacon
1 large tomato
5 ml salt (1 teaspoon)
pinch of black pepper

Cook the rice in the boiling water to which the chicken stock cubes have been added, until it is soft, but not mushy. Peel the onions and garlic - chop and cut into strips. Braise these vegetables in the sunflower oil, until soft. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Cut up the mushrooms and bacon. Peel the tomato and chop roughly. Add the mushrooms, bacon and tomato, to the onion mixture and braise till just done. Season with the salt and black pepper. Mix the vegetable mixture and the rice lightly together with a large fork. Serve the rice salad hot. Makes 16 servings

The Side Dish

Gruyère Vegetable Bake
Submitted by: Amy

1 bag broccoli, cauliflower &
carrots
(frozen, if fresh not found)
2 tbs. butter or margarine
2 tbs. flour
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. caraway seed
1 cup milk
½ cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss Cheese (2 ounces)
½ cup soft whole wheat
( or white bread crumbs)
1 tbs butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350°F. Cook & drain vegetables as directed on package. Melt 2 tbs in 1½-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, onion powder & caraway seed. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil & stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in vegetables. Place vegetable mixture in ungreased 1½-quart casserole. Mix bread crumbs & 1 tbs butter. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until crumbs are golden. Makes 4 servings
Recipe is from-Betty Crocker; Casseroles & Slow Cooker Meals

The Meat

Roast of Pork (Schweinebraten)
Submitted by: Barbiel

5 or 6 lbs roast of pork
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/8 t ground ginger
2 soup spoon Dijon-moustard
2 soup spoon Provence herbs
Garlic (if wanted in small slices)

2 soup spoon moustard corns
1 t flour
1 t salt
dash of pepper
500 g small onion
4 soup spoon oil

Trim off some of the fat, for much fat spoils the flavor of any meat and makes pork indigestible. Place roast in baking pan and pour over it the lemon juice. Dust with ginger; sprinkle with salt and pepper and dredge with flour. Make a paste with garlic, moustard corn, Dijon moustard, Provence herbs and oil and cover the whole meat with this mixture. Make small cuts (3 cm) in the meat and fill with the paste. Bake in a slow (250°F) for 3 hours. Last half hour surround roast with small peeled potatoes. These will absorb some of the fat. You can also make a brown gravy from the pan leavings. Serves 8.

Beverage:

cold beer, red wine or just mineral water or Coke/Fanta (anything your preference)

Midi: Oh Tannenbaum (german Xmas Tree - (jazz version)