My Favorite Holiday Recipes

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and a very Merry Christmas!  I love the holiday season because it’s the perfect excuse to showcase your favorite holiday recipes, from the simplest to the most elaborate, and enjoy them with your friends and family.  For us Romanians, the holidays represent a baking and cooking extravaganza, and although Christmas has already come and gone, I still want to share with you my Christmas and New Year’s favorites.  And they are all here at Simply Romanesco ready for you to try this holiday season and beyond.  Happy New Year!  

Appetizers

·         Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates with Prosciutto

·         Homemade Pretzels

·         Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts

Beverages

·         Hot Mulled Wine – fun and festive, warm and comforting, this spiked drink is perfect during the cold and snowy nights

Cakes

·         Double-Chocolate Layer Cake – a delightful chocolate overload!

·         Maple Sweet Potato Cake – although it’s not really a traditional Christmas cake, I love that it’s a cinch to make, it’s absolutely gorgeous and delicious, and goes well with coffee or tea while you open presents on Christmas morning; and let’s not forget that sweet potatoes are ever so popular this time of the year

Cookies

·         Brazilian Chocolate Truffles

·         Nutella Filled Cookies (Ișlere) – a Romanian classic and a staple in our family during the holiday season

Main Dishes

·         Herb-Roasted Pork Loin – during the winter holidays the pork consumption in Romania goes through the roof; and pork brings luck in the New Year! 

·         Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Sarmale) – Christmas is not Christmas without them

Salads

·         Boeuf Salad (Salată de Boeuf) – perhaps my favorite salad and the one I look forward to every Christmas

Side Dishes

·         Baked Potatoes with Garlic and Fresh Herbs

·         Creamed Corn

·         Mashed Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese and Mixed Herbs

·         Sweet Green Peas  

Soups

·         Chicken Sour Soup (Ciorbă de Pui) – Grandma Vicki always makes this sour soup with pork as the chief ingredient on New Year’s Day

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)