Living Well 60+ November – December 2014 | Page 26

26

NOV/DEC 2014

k
Fran rt
Kou

fdood
u
the

A Holiday Dinner for Just the Two of You

de

Schedule some time away from the seasonal hustle and bustle
The holiday season is supposed
to be made for large gatherings –
for tons of family getting together
to devour prodigious amounts of
turkey, drink gallons of eggnog and
engage in noisy revelry.
This is great for most people and if you
have large numbers of family members
with whom you are on speaking terms, it’s
probably the way to go.
But what of the recently relocated? The
newlyweds who just want to be alone for
either Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve? The
“empty nesters” whose family is scattered
across the map? Or the couple who wants
to take a break from the whirl of the holiday
season and spend a romantic interlude with
“just the two of us”?
There are times when, through
circumstances or choice, you simply cannot
be surrounded by a lot of other people. If
that’s the case for you, you’re going to want
to take advantage of the opportunity to close
ranks and have just as good a holiday as ever.
Here are a few easy but elegant
suggestions for your “just us” holiday menus.
We go from a tasty cream of squash soup
to a festive rock Cornish hen entrée to a
wonderful dessert that brings together the
traditional holiday ingredients of apples,
nuts and raisins in a no-crust delight.
Even if you’re knee-deep in family and
friends for the holidays, take one evening
in the frantic rush of the season, light a fire
in the fireplace, put Bing Crosby’s “White
Christmas” on the stereo, set the candles
aglow, lock the doors and enjoy a bit of
peace on earth for two.

CREAM OF SQUASH
SOUP

• 2 cups of cooked, mashed squash or
one 16 oz. can of pumpkin
• 2 cups chicken stock or canned
chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• Pepper to taste

45 minutes. Combine the raspberry
preserves, honey and lemon juice for
your glaze and spread it onto the hens.
Turn the heat up to 425 degrees and
return the hens to the oven for 10-15
minutes. This dish is great served on a
bed of wild rice and accompanied by a
full-bodied dry white wine or a festive
champagne.

NO-CRUST HOLIDAY
APPLE PIE
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3 cups diced apples
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Mix sugar, flour and eggs in a large
bowl. Add baking powder, vanilla and
salt and mix well. Stir in nuts, cinnamon,
nutmeg, apples and raisins, if desired.
Pour into a well-buttered 9-inch pie
pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for
30-40 minutes. Test for doneness with a
toothpick, as with cake. Serve warm or
cold with a dollop of whipped cream.

Place all ingredients in a pan and whisk
well. Heat through and serve with crusty
bread sticks or rye crisp crackers. If you’d
like a touch of sweetness, add a dollop
of honey to the soup during the cooking
process.

ROCK CORNISH
HENS WITH
RASPBERRY GLAZE
• 2 rock Cornish hens
• 2 T butter, melted and combined
with 1 T lemon juice
• 1/4 cup raspberry preserves
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Remove the neck and giblets from the
hens. Rinse the hens well and sprinkle
cavities with salt and pepper. Place the
hens breast side up in a roasting pan
and brush on the butter and lemon mix.
Roast the hens in a 350-degree over for

Take advantage
of the
opportunity to
close ranks and
have just as
good a holiday
as ever.