Mt Hood Dining

Want to Cook Something Scrumptious?

Mt Hood’s Chefs Share Their Favorite Holiday Recipes

The Villages of Mt. Hood have many wonderful restaurants run by chefs who love good food and hospitality.  In the spirit of the season, here’s the gift of a few select recipes from their kitchens.  We hope they’ll help bring the savory flavor of the holidays to your own kitchen!
             
Sweet Potato Babycakes
From Kathryn Bliss
Rendezvous Grill and Tap Room
Chef / Co-owner

Finally something different to do with sweet potatoes!  These will work well as part of your holiday dinner, or as an appetizer. They can be prepared in advance and reheated.

1 egg
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2  tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 medium yams or sweet potatoes (about 1 pound) peeled and grated
1 small onion, grated    
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 to 1/3 cup canola oil    
1/3 cup sour cream

Optional topping, cranberry chutney, crystallized ginger, chives or applesauce

1. In a large bowl, combine egg, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Beat until well blended. Add crystallized ginger, honey and garlic and mix well. Stir in sweet potatoes and onion. Sprinkle flour and baking powder over sweet potato mixture, mixing well.

2. In a large frying pan, warm 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium heat. Drop tablespoons of mixture into hot oil and flatten with back of a spoon. Cook, turning once until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining mixture, adding more oil to pan as necessary.

3. If made in advance, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Before serving, arrange pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 450º oven until heated through, about 5 minutes.

4. To serve, top each warm pancake with 1/2 teaspoon sour cream and any additional toppings as desired.

Northwest Wild Mushroom Strudel
By Brigette Romeo
Still Creek Inn
Chef/Co-owner

If you have dried mushrooms from earlier this season they will work too. This recipe makes either a nice side dish or can be served as an appetizer

½ lb chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
½ lb shitake mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
½ lb button mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
1 small onion, julienned
1 tbsp chopped garlic
½ tsp fresh chopped thyme
¼ stick butter
½ cup white wine
½ cup grated swiss cheese (or gruyere)
1 sheet puff pastry 4x6 (frozen section at grocery store)

In sautee pan melt butter, then add onions.  Cook till soft, then add mushrooms and cook till wilted.  Add garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and wine then reduce till wine is absorbed.
Refrigerate till cool then add cheese. Roll out thawed puff pastry, and then spread mushroom mixture all over pastry. Then roll up like a pinwheel. Brush the outside with egg, then bake at 350º until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Slice into serving sizes. Bon Appétit!

Sugar Cookies
By Jan Ostrom
Busy Bee Catering
Chef/Co-owner

Here is a sure bet cookie recipe for the holidays.  If you are not in the mood to roll out cookies, but want the look of a sugar cookie, these are easy and tasty.  They are perfect for kids to decorate for the holidays, too.

1 cup butter
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt

Blend the butter, oil and sugars until creamy.  Stir in eggs and vanilla.  Gradually add in the remaining ingredients until smooth.  Use an ice cream scoop or roll the dough in a ball, placing 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly. Bake at 350º till lightly browned.  Decorate before or after baking.

Delicious Wine Paring Suggestions

Andrea Galusha of Andrea’s Wine Gallery has a few suggestions on wine paring for seasonal dishes.  Most rich, hearty holiday foods are complimented by Oregon wines such as such Oak Knoll’s pinot gris or Maysara Winery’s pinot noir. 

You may prefer the pinot gris with the white meat of a holiday turkey, and the pinot noir with roast lamb.  If beef takes center place at your holiday table, she suggests the cabernet sauvignons offered by Maryhill Winery or Chateau Ste. Michelle, both Columbia Valley wineries in Washington State. 

Ice wine is the perfect compliment to holiday desserts like pumpkin pie and pecan pie.  Andrea’s favorites are from Canadian wineries, Inniskillin and Jackson-Triggs, where the weather grows cold enough to freeze the grapes on the vine.  Pressed still frozen, the resulting wine is sweet yet refreshing.  It’s the most coveted of dessert wines.

Andrea’s Wine Gallery
67195C E. Highway 26
Welches, Oregon
503-927-5207

 

December 2008 /January 2009

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