Serena Ryder's Favourite Christmas Dinner

SERENA RYDER’S

FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS

DINNER

by Chef Brian Henry www.thespiceco.ca www.chefbrianhenry.com

Over my career I have had the privilege of cooking for countless celebrities. Many people gush at this notion and wonder what it was like to cook for them and what they ate. For the most part, I can readily state that they take comfort in wholesome home-style meals which is why I wasn’t surprised when Serena Ryder said that her favourite Christmas Dinner foods were Creamy Mashed Cauliflower, Whole Roasted Chicken and Swiss Chard which can be easily made using the following recipes.

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower Ingredients: 1 head caulifl ower cut into bite-size fl orets 4 cloves garlic, peeled ⅓ cup buttermilk 4 tsp. cooking oil, divided

1 tsp. butter Salt and fresh cracked pepper Chives

Method: Place caulifl ower and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until tender. Place the cooked caulifl ower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 tsp. cooking oil, butter, salt and pepper; pulse mixture a bit and then process until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining cooking oil and garnish with fresh cut chives.

Roasted Chicken Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, giblets removed Salt and fresh cracked pepper 1 tbsp. onion powder 1/2 cup butter, divided 1 stalk celery 1 small cooking onion, peeled and cut in half

Method: Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt, pepper and onion powder. Place half the butter in the chicken cavity. Break the remaining butter into pieces and place under the skin of the chicken over the breast meat. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity along with the onion. Bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 350 °F for about 60-75 minutes and a minimum internal temperature of 180 °F has been reached. Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before serving.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH CAULIFLOWER & SWISS CHARD

Mediterranean Swiss Chard Ingredients 2 tbsp. cooking oil 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped ¼ cup pine nuts 1 bunch Swiss chard, separate the stems from the leaves and cut both into 1-inch pieces ¼ cup raisins ¼ cup of water or unsalted vegetable stock Salt and pepper ½ lemon cut into wedges

Method: In a large sauté pan heat the cooking oil over medium high heat. Lightly brown the garlic and pine nuts in the oil being careful not to scorch either. Quickly remove the garlic and pine nuts from the pan and set aside. Add the chard stems and raisins to the pan with the stock and gently simmer until evaporated. Add the chard leaves to the pan and quickly toss them so they begin to wilt. Return the garlic and pine nuts to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with lemon wedges to be squeezed over the chard.