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I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Years Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second." ~ Helen Fielding in "Bridget Jones's Diary".
Swear by Bridget's words of wisdom do you? Well, it would be incorrect to not consider the handsome helpings of food gorged down and the abysmal gallons of liquor lapped up before and during New Years Day. Food is an integral part of any form of celebration and thus it is rather important to make a meal ceremonious on special occasions, especially if it is the last meal of the year. So, here are some scrumptious and yet easy New Year's Eve recipes that'll leave all and sundry craving for more!
New Year's Eve Recipes: Appetizers
Tickle that palate of yours to boost that appetite, Joey style!
Bon Appétit!
Golden Brown Mozzarella Globs
Ingredients
- Mozzarella balls, 16 oz.
- Eggs, 3 (whipped)
- Vegetable oil, 3 cups
- Fine breadcrumbs, 1 cup
- Tomato sauce to taste
Procedure: For this food recipe, dip the balls in the whipped eggs and then coat them well with breadcrumbs. Next, heat the oil on a high flame and deep-fry the balls carefully until they become golden brownish in color. Allow the balls to rest on butter paper or tissues for sometime for the excess oil to get soaked up. Garnish with parsley and present with hot and spicy tomato sauce. Easy and finger-lickin' good!
Shrimp and Cream Cheese Mounds
Ingredients
- Tiny shrimp, 4 oz.
- Cream cheese, 8 oz.
- Scallions, 2 (minced)
- Lemon juice, 2 tbsp. (freshly squeezed)
- Cocktail sauce, 12 oz.
- Hot sauce, a dash
Procedure: One of the easy New Year's Eve recipes to make, commingle the shrimp as well as the minced scallions in a bowl. Next, blend in the cream cheese, hot sauce and a dollop of lemon juice together, all frothy and soft. Pile the shrimp motley as well as the crème mixture in a nice rounded mound-like shape. Cover it with an upside down, deep bowl and chill it for about 45 minutes. Take it out once it's nice and firm, splash some cocktail sauce on it and
tu peut server sa.
New Year's Eve Recipes: Entrée
Ham Devils
Ingredients
- Deviled ham/smoked turkey/smoked chicken, 16 oz.
- Cream cheese, 18 oz.
- Pepper to taste
- Onion, ½ (very finely chopped)
- Celery/triangular toast crusts/crackers
Procedure: Just toss everything together in a large bowl and mix. Voila! It's ready. Just place small proportions on the toast crusts or crackers or celery and serve.
Fish and Onion Tfaya with Couscous
Ingredients
- Pacific Halibut, 3 pounds (skinned and slivered in to 2 inch wide strips)
- Chicken/fish/vegetable broth, 2½ cups (with reduced sodium levels)
- Large onions, 3 (Sliced)
- Durum wheat couscous, 1½ cups
- Extra virgin olive oil, 5 tbsp.
- Butter, 3 tbsp.
- Raisins, 1 cup (soaked in hot water and then drained)
- Canola oil, 2 tbsp.
- Saffron threads, 10
- Almonds, ¾ cup (finely splintered)
- Nutmeg, ½ tsp.
- Allspice, ½ tsp.
- Turmeric, 1 tsp.
- Ginger, 1 tsp. (crushed)
- Cinnamon, 1 tsp
- Sugar, 1 tbsp.
- Salt, 2½ tsp.
- Pepper to taste
Procedure: One of the easy New Year's Eve recipes to make, grind the saffron threads into a fine powder with some added salt and then mix it with all the other spices - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, turmeric, and pepper. Add the oil and a dash of butter in a saucepan on a moderate flame and add the spices mixture to it. Keep sautéing until frothy, and then add the finely sliced onions, some sugar and the raisins. Let it cook for 15 minutes until the onions become brown, then add 1½ cups of broth and the fish to it and cook it for another 15 minutes. Change sides of the fish 2 to 3 times while cooking. Sprinkle some pepper on top, cover, and remove from flame. Next, heat up some more oil in a frypan and introduce the sliced almonds to it when hot. Sauté until brown and remove. Now add the rest of the broth, olive oil and bring to a simmer, then add the couscous and stir. Turn off the flame and set it aside for 7 - 8 minutes. Finally, place a small mound of couscous on each plate, topped with a small helping of fish and onion tfaya and garnish with almonds.
New Year's Eve Recipes: Drinks
And now to cater to the 'drunkenness' part of the feast.
Il Bellini
Ingredients
- Peach Puree, 3 oz.
- Champagne, 6 oz.
Procedure: To make this extremely simple Italian champagne cocktail, christened after Giovanni Bellini, the renowned artist, all you need to do is add the peach puree to a flute and then very gradually decant the champagne into it. This drink has remained a hit ever since its inception in Venice, at Harry's Bar in the 1940s, by barkeeper Giuseppe Cipriani.
Cranberry Party Punch
Ingredients
- Ginger ale, 2 quarts
- Lemonade, 12 oz.
- Cranberry juice, 1 quart
- Orange juice, 1 cup
- Oranges
- Water, 8 cups
Procedure: Simply mix all the liquors, except the ale, and refrigerate it. Dash some ale just prior to serving and use orange slices to decorate.
So, there you go. A complete guide to
party food ideas for New Year's Eve. These New Year recipes do not take a lot of time to cook up. You can even try these easy New Year's Eve recipes in case of a sudden guest visit on that special night! Happy cooking!
