Christmas Eve Eve Dinner

I have to admit that Megan and I are quite the culinary team. On Christmas Eve Eve, we combined our skills to make a fantastic meal. I prepared the appetizer, main, and dessert, and Megan provided the sides (veggies are her forte and meat is mine). We paced out the meal perfectly, played Tile Rummy while waiting for our Camembert to bake, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire meal and evening.

The pork chops are fantastic for those of you who are not pork fans, like me. This recipe originally came from the Family Circle cookbook, and has now been included in my Nancy's Special Recipes cookbook (available in extremely limited editions). I first prepared this back in high school for my family, and it won them over, so obviously, it's pretty quick and easy.

Big shout out to Rob for suggesting Chimay Grande Reserve (blue label). Wowsers! This is now one of my top 5 favorites, because it's...well...delicious....AND you can actually find this Belgium Trappist Ale at your local megalomart. Try it if you love beer like me....or if you don't, because it will make you change your mind. http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/215/2512

Greg

-Baked Camembert topped with sun-dried tomato bruschetta

-Pork chops with glazed apples and onions, roasted zucchini, and cheesy baked mashed potatoes

Recipe/Instructions:

-Baked Camembert topped with sun-dried tomato bruschetta-

First off, purchase a high-quality Camembert cheese. We bought ours from a French importer, but I'm sure Whole Foods or Trader Joe's has some acceptable ones as well. I note this, because my mom told me that poor quality Camembert tastes terrible. Pre-heat your oven to 375, and take the Camembert out of the plastic wrap, but place back in the box it comes in. Then, top with 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 2-3 garlic cloves (sliced), and some fresh thyme sprigs. The easier way is to top it with pre-made sun-dried tomato bruschetta. Bake for 10-12 minutes and enjoy with bread or crackers.

-Pork chops with glazed apples and onions-

Prepare by coring and slicing two Granny Smith apples crosswise, and slicing one sweet onion into rings of the same thickness (1/4"). Then, cook the pork chops in a sautee pan over medium heat with a few tblsp of vegetable oil. I placed the onions in the pan, too, so that they would begin to soften up and capture some of the pork juices. When you have flipped and cooked the pork to desired doneness (8-10 min.), remove the chops and place on a warm plate. Put the apple slices into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until they just begin to brown. Then add one can of frozen apple juice concentrate and bring to a boil. Stir in 2 tsp. of Dijon mustard (I used imported French mustard from Epicurius Imports, because that's how I roll), 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Cook to combine and remove from heat. Top the pork chops with the apples and onions and serve. Bon appetite.

-Potatoes and zucchini-

Recipe/instructions are unavailable. Bug Megan if you want to learn how to make them.