New Year's Eve Menu

We have BIG New Year's Eve traditions!  It is one of our favorite holidays!  Jason and I both grew up in families with fantastic NYE traditions.  

If you want to read more about the traditions go to my personal Blog.

Here is the menu, probably the most important part.  

A quick explanation - When I was very young, my dad gave my mom a wok and a Chinese food cookbook for Christmas.  For NYE that year she made a lot of Chinese food for us!  It became a tradition after that.  I still make many of the same recipes that she made that first year!

Still need to add some recipes, but most of these are linked up.  Good luck!  I can't wait to hear what you think!

Egg Rolls 

Chicken Cashew 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Fried Rice

Sweet and Spicy Rumaki 

Banana Slush 

Old Fashioned Custard Egg Nog 

Old Fashioned Custard Egg Nog

No food says Christmas more to me, and my senses, than my mother in law's Egg Nog!  It is nothing like the egg nog you buy at the store!  It has been in Jason's family for many generations.  If your house is a dry house like ours, you will especially love this family friendly holiday beverage.

I like to double this recipe so we can have some on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day, or enough to feed a crowd - which is usually the case.  I always make another double batch for New Years Eve so we can make sure and get enough of it before the next Christmas!

Eggnog makes everyone feel happier!  Egg Nog mustache.

6 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar, divided

4 cups milk (I use skim)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pint heavy cream, whipped

2 tsp. vanilla

Nutmeg for garnish

**This part needs to be done many hours before serving.  I usually do it first thing in the morning if are planning on serving it that night.  It can also be done the day before.  Also, this is a million times easier to make with a Kitchen Aid or Bosche mixer.  The egg yolks and whites require a lot of whipping action.  I used to make it with my hand mixer.  It is possible, it just means you have to stand there holding the mixer and watching it for a lot of time.  

1. Beat egg yolks till light in color.  (Really pale yellow.)  Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar,beating well.

2. In a saucepan scald milk just until it coats a metal spoon.  Watch closely so it doesn't boil.  Slowly stir about 1 cup of the milk into the egg yolks.  Stir constantly to keep eggs from cooking.   Pour the egg yolks into the milk in the saucepan while continuing to stir.

3.  Cook slowly over low heat, stirring until mixture thickens slightly and coats a metal spoon.

4.  Pour into large bowl and chill in refrigerator.

**This next part needs to be prepared after the egg yolk mixture is well chilled. I usually prepare right away, but keep it chilled in a separate bowl until they are both sufficiently chilled and ready to fold together.

1.  Add salt to egg whites, and beat until soft white peaks form.  Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff and glossy.

2.  Whip cream until stiff.

3.  Gently fold egg whites into cold custard (egg yolk mixture).

4.  Add vanilla extract, then carefully fold in whipped cream.

5.  Pour into serving bowl and chill for several hours!  This tastes almost disgusting when even slightly warm. It must be cold!

6.  Dust top with nutmeg before serving.

**Just before serving, or re-serving, gently refold to distribute any liquid which may have settled to the bottom.

Sweet and Spicy Rumaki

            It is so hot and sweet and delicious! My sister Brooke got this recipe and passed it on to us.  Growing up my mom always made Rumaki as part of our New Year's Eve dinner and as an appetizer other times during the year.  My mom's is very good, but but Brooke's is better, so mom's recipe has been replaced.  My mom has even replaced it.  

one package of bacon, thawed

2 cans of sliced water chestnuts

box of tooth picks

Sauce:  1/4 cup mayonnaise

             1/2 cup brown sugar

             1/4cup (or less, is recommended! more like 1/8 cup) of "Sriracha HOT chili sauce" this comes in a clear bottle and the sauce is red. 

      

Cut the bacon into thirds.  Then wrap each piece of bacon around two slices of water chestnuts and secure with a toothpick.  Set them all in a casserole dish close together.  Then mix up the three ingredients for the sauce and spoon mixture evenly over all of them. Try to not get the sauce on the toothpicks.  This makes them easier to eat.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Egg Rolls

 

There is not much to say here.  These made from scratch egg rolls are SO delicious!  Many years ago, when I was very young, my dad gave my mom a wok and a Chinese Cookbook for Christmas.  This recipe was in her book.  She made us a bunch of Chinese Food that year for New Year's Eve.  That is how our super fun NYE traditions started.   With the family so big now and friends coming over I have to double, triple or even quadruple this recipe!

These are easier to make if you have someone helping you chop and fry.  I'm all for TEAM WORK!  Or do all the chopping one day and the frying another.  However you do it, it's all worth it in the end... I promise!  By the way, I at least double these when I make them.  They store in the fridge well, and heat up nice in a oven or toaster oven the next day.

1 lb. chicken breasts, finely chopped      ½ cup finely chopped bamboo shoots                                   

2 T cornstarch                                        cabbage, finely chopped (3 cups)

2 T soy sauce                                          4 T. Oil                

1 tsp. Ginger                                           ¼ cup finely chopped water chestnuts

¼ lb. Mushrooms, finely chopped            1 tsp salt

2 tsp. Sugar                                             egg roll wrappers (usually in the produce section)

In a small mixing bowl combine chicken, cornstarch, soy sauce and ginger.  Blend, let stand for 15 minutes.  Heat oil in wok.  Stir-fry mushrooms about 1 minute.  Add chicken and continue to stir-fry until firm and white. Add remaining ingredients and stir-fry until cabbage is crisp-tender.  Cool before filling egg roll wrappers. Follow directions on egg roll wrapper packaging for filling, and frying.  Makes filling for 20 egg rolls.

Chicken Cashew

This is a good one to double if you are feeding more than 4 adults.  I always want leftovers of this dish.  It is very good reheated.  It is also a good recipe to do everything ahead of time.  Chop and shred all the ingredients the night or morning before cooking, and the job will be much easier to throw together at the last minute.   It can be cooked in a large fry pan if you don’t own a wok.

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts,                          2 Tblsp. oil

        cut in thin strips                                         1 small cabbage, shredded,

2 Tblsp. soy sauce                                                  about 4 cups

1 Tblsp. cornstarch                                            1 teas. Sugar

2 Tblsp. oil                                                         ½ cup cashew nuts

½ teas. salt                                                         1 teas. cornstarch

1 lb. Mushrooms, sliced                                      ¼ cup soy sauce
1 small onion, sliced (I like about 1/2 inch strips)
Cooked Rice

Put cut up chicken strips with 2 Tablespoons and 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch.  Let sit at room temperature for about 15 mintues.  In a wok heat 2 Tablespoons oil.  Add in salt, and then chicken.  Stir fry till chicken cooked through.  Add in mushrooms and onions till tender.  Place in warm bowl. 

*** If making a freezer meal I let this cool then package in a Ziploc bag and freeze flat.  When ready to prepare take out and let thaw.  Cook the cabbage then throw in the previously frozen chicken mixture, and finish.  I prefer not to freeze the cabbage or cashews.  They do not stay as crisp after frozen.***

Wipe out the wok.  Heat oil and add cabbage and sugar.  Stir fry till crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Add in chicken and veggie mix.  Add in Cashews.  Mix together 1 teas. cornstarch and 1/4 cup soy sauce.  Pour over, and stir in.  As it cooks it will thicken. 

Serve over rice.  I like Japanese Sticky rice with this dish.