Almost Christmas!

For those of us living in Southwestern Ontario, this Christmas week will be remembered for the havoc of the ice storm.  It has been both beautiful and terrible, but we are very grateful that our families will be able to be together.  At the same time we are mindful of all the people whose travel plans have been interrupted, or who have been without power for an extended period. 

On Friday, just as the freezing ran began, we carved out a few hours for some Christmas cheer over lunch with Bev and Mary Ann.  The simple menu was largely make-ahead, so we could just enjoy the time together. 

 

Twice Baked Goat Cheese Soufflés

Serves 8

2 cups milk

2 fresh bay leaves

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

100g goat cheese

2/3 cup finely grated parmesan

6 egg yolks

5 egg whites

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease eight 200ml-capacity ovenproof ramekins. Combine the milk and bay leaves in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mixture bubbles. The mixture will be very thick.  Gradually add hot milk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring constantly until well combined. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Add goat cheese and 2 tablespoons of parmesan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Add the egg yolks to the cheese mixture, one at a time, whisking well between each addition. Use an electric mixer to whisk egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Use a metal spoon to add half the egg whites to the cheese mixture and gently fold until just combined. Add remaining egg whites and fold to combine.

Spoon the mixture evenly among the prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven and roasting pan and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Run a knife around the inside edge of each mold to loosen soufflés, then turn them out on to the tray. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to chill for up to one day.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.  Spoon 1 tablespoon of cream over each soufflé and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

Grilled Pear, Hazelnut and Arugula salad

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 ripe, firm medium pears, cored, peeled and cut into 12 wedges.

More olive oil for the pears

arugula

To make the pear and rocket salad, spread the hazelnuts over an oven tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Place hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins. Coarsely chop.

Combine the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and olive oil in a mason jar and shake well.  Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM LOW.  Brush the pear wedges with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking.  Grill for about 10 minutes, or until slightly browned and just tender.  Combine the hazelnuts and arugula in a bowl, then drizzle with as much of the dressing as desired, leaving some to drizzle over the pears. Gently toss until just combined.

Arrange the soufflés and salad on the serving dishes.  Arrange the pears on top of the arugula, and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve immediately.

We served the Twice Baked Goat Cheese Soufflés with Tomato Chili Jam. 

Since the kids started arriving home, some of them have been coming together to work on a Gingerbread Hogwarts.  Here is a sneak peak of their creation, which will likely be finished on Christmas Eve.

 

Hagrid's Cabin in the woods is Charlie and Tim's project