Enjoy this warm and inviting Holiday menu, perfect for sea or shore.  Happy Holidays! 

Roasted Pear Salad with Arugula

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes    
Serves: 4

4 pears, Bosc or Bartlett, halved, cored
1/3 c. + 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 oz. Stilton cheese or high quality
blue cheese
6 c. arugula
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. lemon

Place pears cut side up in shallow baking dish. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, kosher salt. Roast in 400-degree oven 10 minutes. Remove from oven. In a large bowl, toss arugula with 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Serve onto plates, with pear on top. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. of Stilton into core and sprinkle with walnuts. Whisk together remaining olive oil, honey, lemon and balsamic. Spoon over pears. Serve

Filet Mignon Wellingtons
with Wild Mushrooms
and Gorgonzola

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time:  35 minutes
Serves: 4

4 – 6 oz. filet mignon
1 pkg. puff pastry, thawed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. baby Portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 c. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
3 oz. gorgonzola, crumbled
1 egg, whipped

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Season filets with salt and pepper, pan sear in loosely covered skillet, until browned, about 4 minutes per side (steaks should still be rare). Remove from heat and set aside. Add butter to skillet, sauté shallot 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and rosemary and cook until mushrooms just softened, about 5 minutes. Place a thawed pastry sheet on work area. Cut to about a 7-inch square, place filet on top, add 1/4 mushrooms, 1 large Tbsp. of gorgonzola, wrap and seal using your fingers. Brush with egg. Repeat 3 times, roast in 425-degree oven 20 minutes.

Wild Rice with Cranberries
and Apples

Cooking time: 2 hours
Serves: 6 – 8

1 c. wild rice, rinsed
1 c. brown rice
1/4 c. olive oil
1 c. Vidalia onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled,
cored, chopped coarse
1 c. dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour 4 c. water in a large pot and bring to boil. Add wild rice and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, simmer covered for 90 minutes until grains are split open. Drain and cool. Cook brown rice according to package instructions. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté onion and celery until softened about 5 minutes. Add thyme and apples and sauté 5 minutes. Add cranberries, butter, brown and wild rice. Toss together with parsley and serve.

Carrie’s Clementini

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8

1 c. vodka
1 c. fresh Clementine juice
1/2 c. Cointreau
Champagne

In a large pitcher combine vodka, Clementine juice and Cointreau. Make martinis to order by pouring over ice in a shaker, straining into chilled martini glass and topping with a splash of champagne. Garnish with pomegranate seeds or dip rims of glass in superfine sugar.

Carrie Hanna is the author of Florida’s Backyard, a collection of original recipes.  To order the book, call 800-839-8640 or visit carriehanna.com.