Christmas Eve Dinner For Two

Main

I know this bird looks big on the plate. I wanted some other bird – Dan… What was his name? The 1st Bush’s vice president, embarrassed by a misspelled potato… He looks like Robert Redford at a glance… Oh, yes, Quail. Sadly I can’t find it. So I settled for Cornish Game Hen instead. It worked better, with the left overs I made sandwich and chicken soup later. Christmas next day will be spent at a friend’s house for Bunco game so we decided to have a quiet Christmas Eve at home, dinner and watching Japanese TV show.

• 2 quail, thoroughly cleaned and dried inside and out
• 2 thin slices of prosciutto*
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper

1. Finely chop the garlic cloves and sage together
2. Rub a little salt and pepper on the inside of each bird and place some the garlic/sage mixture in each.
3. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each quail making sure the breast is covered and secure with a toothpick.
4. Heat the olive oil in a fry pan and carefully brown the birds on all sides over medium heat. Remove to an ovenproof baking dish.
5. Cook covered in a preheated 390 degree oven for about 30 minutes, basting with pan juices halfway through cooking.
6. remove the cover about 10 minutes before the end to brown the birds.
7. Remove the toothpicks and serve.

*We didn’t have any prosciutto so we skipped that part.

Appetizer

• Phyllo dough
• Goat cheese
• Grapes, cut in half
• Fresh basil leaves
• Melted butter

1. Take a 7x7 square of phyllo dough and brush with melted butter. Place another sheet on top and brush again. Repeat 2 more times.
2. Place grapes, basil leaves and cheese in the middle of the sheets.
3. Fold the corners together and pinch the sides of the neck to make it like a closed drawstring sack.
4. Drizzle melted butter over the top.
5. Bake on a wire rack placed in a pan in a 350 degree oven until the top is brown.
6. Make a sauce of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.

Salad

• Kale – tear into small pieces.
• Apple – core, peel, slice and put in lemon water to prevent browning.
• Dried cranberries reconstituted by soaking in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes
• Pine nuts – lightly toasted.

Toss all ingredients in a bowl with olive oil, salt and lemon juice. Mix until all are coated. This recipe is from a friend. I like it because it has the Christmas colors. 
We enjoyed a quiet evening. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.