When it comes to holiday entertaining, you’ll want to serve your guests food that is not only delicious but also looks beautiful on the plate. However, you want to enjoy the holiday and not be stuck in the kitchen.

The recipes below are not complicated and some of the accents and flavorings can be prepared in advance. These special entrees can go in the oven and cook while you enjoy visiting with your company.

Pork Loin with Orange Wine Sauce

8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed of fat
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Combine the salt, pepper and coriander and sprinkle first 3 ingredients over pork.

Combine parsley and the next 4 ingredients (through thyme); rub over the pork.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork to pan; cook 7 minutes, browning on all sides.

Place pork in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink). Remove the pork to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes.

Place  pan over medium heat. Add shallots to the pan; cook 2 minutes. Add wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup (about 3 minutes).

Add chicken broth and orange juice; cook until mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup (about 8 minutes). Serve sauce with pork.

Baked Steak with Mushrooms

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced thin
• 1 lemon
• 1 medium red onion, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• One 2-lb, 2-inch thick sirloin steak
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F.

In a roasting pan, combine the mushrooms, celery, lemon, onion, oil and 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Mix well

Season the steak with 1⁄2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, sprinkle the garlic over the steak and place on top of the vegetables.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, lemon juice and Worcestershire.

Spoon the ketchup mixture over the top of the steak and place the roasting pan in the oven.

Roast to the desired temperature. (125°F for medium-rare, 30 to 35 minutes.) Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let for rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 medium red-skin potatoes, quartered
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 onion, cut in eighths
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-lidded pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.

Add vegetables, garlic, herbs and white wine to the pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 4 minutes.

Return chicken, skin side up, to the pot; add broth, return to a simmer, cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Braise until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 20–25 minutes. Uncover; continue to cook in the oven until the skin begins to crisp, 8–10 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving platter; cover with foil to keep warm.

For the gravy:

Skim fat from cooking juices; strain juices into a large measuring cup. Add butter to the Dutch oven and let it melt. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add cooking liquid. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Serve chicken and vegetables with the wine gravy.

Honey Glazed Baked Ham

• Half of a ready-to-eat, cooked ham, bone-in, uncut (NOT spiral cut), shank end or butt end, about 9-10 pounds

Glaze

• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dry)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Remove the ham from the refrigerator a couple of hours before you intend to cook it so that it is room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Place ham, fattier side up, in a foil-lined roasting pan. Score a diamond pattern in the fat with a sharp knife, about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch deep.

Prepare the glaze:

Mix the thyme in with the hot melted butter and let sit for a few minutes. In a small saucepan on high heat, let the cider vinegar reduce down from 1/4 cup to 2 tablespoons, remove from the heat.

Whisk in the butter and thyme. Add the honey, the brown sugar and the Worcestershire sauce.

Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the ham. Only use about third of the glaze (reserve the rest for later in cooking). Work the glaze into the scored lines.

Place ham in the oven. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours (check after 1 hour) or about 10 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature of the ham is 110°-120° (use a meat thermometer).

(Note that ham is already cooked when you buy it and you just want to heat it.) Baste the ham with the glaze a couple of times during the cooking.

When the ham has reached the desired temperature, take the pan out of the oven and brush the ham all over with the pan juices. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Spice-Crusted Roast Salmon

This dish makes such a pretty presentation for the holidays.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pound beets (about 8 small to medium, a mix of red and gold if available), peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the parchment paper
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 whole side (about 3 pounds) boneless salmon, skin on
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh chives
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place beets on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold them in a single layer. Sprinkle with ginger, fine sea salt and 1 tablespoon of the oil and toss to coat.

Place black peppercorns in a spice grinder and pulse once or twice until cracked, or place them on a cutting board and crack with a rolling-pin. Add pink peppercorns, coriander seeds, rosemary and coarse sea salt; continue to pulse or crush until the mixture is very coarsely ground.

Line a second large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, oil the paper and place salmon on top; fold the thin tail section under if the fillet is too large for the baking sheet.

Brush salmon with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with peppercorn mixture.

Roast the beets in the middle of the oven, stirring once or twice during cooking, until tender and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

After the beets have roasted for about 15 minutes, place salmon on the top rack of the oven and roast until just lightly pink in the center, about 12-15 minutes.

Loosen salmon from the parchment with a spatula, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer salmon to a serving platter. Spoon beets around salmon and sprinkle them with chives and parsley.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in Beef, beets, carrots, Chicken, Dinner, Fish, Ham, Herbs, Honey, orange, Pork, potatoes, salmon, Sauces, Vegetables Tags: holiday main dishes