Christmas Day feasts started with nibbles then prime rib roast with all the fixings and ended with no-bake chocolate cheese cake, black forest-style! (in another post)
Nibbles included Brie, Cambozola (blue brie), mozzarella with prosciutto, stilton with blue berries, prosciutto, smoked gouda, and dry salami served with miscellaneous crackers
My “secret Santa” (Resident Director Sondra Matter) gave us a lovely German sparkling wine that made for delicious Bellini combined with Peach nectar
Quite the feast along with some store-bought dips & chips (crisps for any Brits who might be reading this!)
Now for the Prime Rib roast – approximately 5lbs (3 bones)
Coated in a little olive oil, chopped garlic, freshly ground black pepper and chopped tarragon with the ends rubbed with butter, per the recommendations of the recipe I was using: Cooking Perfect Prime Rib (I liked this page best because it had lots of information and was clear and concise, not too fru fru)
Initially the roast was cooked for 15-minutes at 450-degrees – during that time I scrubbed and par-boiled red potatoes, tossed with olive oil and Herbs de Province and then added them to the pan once the roast was turned down to 325-degrees and set to cook for an additional 60-minutes. Checked the Internal Temp at that time and returned the roast for an additional 10 minutes, turning the potatoes at that time.
Shallots sauteed and caramelized in a drizzle of olive oil
A drizzle of Pomegranate Balsamic toward the end of the cooking process
Once the roast had reached the desired internal temperature (120-degrees for rare), it was removed to rest for 30-minutes on the cutting board. The oven was turned up to 400-degrees in preparation for the Yorkshire puddings. I tossed the potatoes in the beef fat in the pan and returned them to the oven, on the top shelf. The potatoes continued roasting while the Yorkshires cooked.
Veg #1: Steamed whole cauliflower topped with a combination of crumbled saltine crackers and chopped, pecans, walnuts & sliced almonds saut??ed and browned in butter… I LOVE this side dish my Heart does!
Veg #2: Petite peas drizzled with olive oil and tossed with the caramelized shallots
The prime rib turned out perfectly and the potatoes were the best I’ve ever done – exactly how my Heart likes them.. crispy with delicious soft centers
Plated and topped with my Heart’s perfect red wine gravy – I wouldn’t have changed a thing about this meal – YUM!!
…AND… Dinner tonight (Dec 26) – How about a leftover pizza? One of my Heart’s creative pizzas using leftovers from last night’s dinner (beef, cauliflower with the nuts, roasted potatoes) and adding mozzarella, gorgonzola and caramelized onions on top of gluten-free wraps (two with a shredded mixed cheddar between) – YUM!