The Dish Dr.'s All Holiday Guide to Fun, Festive Foods!: 101 Recipes for Every Holiday Celebration

By Jeff St. John

Have you searched everywhere to find just one special book that could make your preparation for every celebration quick, easy and help you to maintain your holiday spirit? Finally, someone created exactly what you’ve been looking for! The Dish Dr.’s All Holiday Guide to Fun, Festive Foods:101 Recipes for Every Holiday Celebration is here. And it has over 100 recipes to support you in making every special occasion a memorable one. You’ll discover:

Remarkable Recipes to Ring in the New Year
Delightful Valentine’s Day dishes you’ll love
Irresistible Irish indulgences for St. Patrick’s Day
Super easy Easter Sunday supper recipes
Perfect crowd pleasers for Passover
Spicy good side dishes for Cinco-de-Mayo
Sizzling summer BBQ favorites for Memorial Day, 4th of July & Labor Day
Heavenly treats for a devilishly good Halloween
Tempting & traditional Thanksgiving Day dishes
Hot Hanukkah must-have recipes
Fun, Festive Foods for Christmas
Get The Dish Dr.’s All Holiday Guide to Fun, Festive Foods! 101 Recipes for Every Holiday Celebration. And give yourself the peace of mind you deserve at every special occasion you create.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeff St. John
• Release date: Jan 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311828224

Jeff St. John

TV & Radio Personality, Jeff St. John, Ph.D., is a well known author and owner of the health and communications company: Jeff St. John, Ph.D. Consults in Beverly Hills, California. Nicknamed “The Dish Dr.” for his ability to dish about a variety of subjects, St. John has written over 50 self-improvement guides for Macmillan USA/Penguin Putnam’s Lifelong Learning Channel on topics such as: personal growth, health and beauty, nutrition and fitness, dating and love relationships, marriage and family, parenting, improving work performance and relationships, and many more. He is also co-author of the very popular book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cosmetic Surgery. In addition to his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy, St. John is a certified gourmet cook, has earned multiple health and fitness certificates and received professional training from The Betty Ford Center, The Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Hazelden in New York. He has appeared on many syndicated TV and radio talk shows about a wide array of self-help topics. For media bookings, please contact Susan Haber at Haber Entertainment in Beverly Hills, California:[phone]. For more information about this article, please contact The Dish Dr.: Jeff St. John, Ph.D. at 310-246-0403 or [e-mail]. Also, check out my new books: The Dish Dr.’s Celebrity Guide to Personal Happiness and Success and The Dish Dr.’s All Holiday Guide to Fun, Festive Foods!. - See more at: http://www.thedishdr.com/the-dish-dr-bio/#sthash.MmqB1P1L.dpuf

Book preview

New Year’s Hoppin’ John

This version of New Year’s black eyes peas is full of heart-healthy vegetables. What a great side dish – and fun, festive way to ring in the New Year!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Cook Time: 65 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 large ham hock

1 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup red pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed

1 quart chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves

Salt, black pepper, and cayenne

3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

3 cups steamed white rice (Optional)

Directions:

Step One:

Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the ham hock and brown it on all sides. This will take approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the onion, celery, green bell pepper and garlic. Sautee all ingredients for about 4 minutes or until soft.

Step Two:

Add the black-eyed peas, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme and all the seasonings. Bring ingredients to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the hoppin’ john simmer for an hour. The black-eyed peas should be creamy and tender. If not, continue to simmer until they become creamy and tender. Stir occasionally, and don’t allow mixture to boil.

Note: If the liquid evaporates, add more stock or water. Adjust seasonings if needed, and garnish with green onions. Serve the hoppin’ john over rice.

New Year's Champagne Cake

Why drink champagne on New Year’s when you can eat it? This fun and festive strawberry cake is always a crowd pleaser.

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Total Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 20

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

3 cups sugar

5 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 2/3 cups milk

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup champagne

1 tablespoon of vanilla

12 drops red food coloring; optional

8 egg whites

9 tablespoons champagne Carnations

3/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon of champagne

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar Red food coloring

Directions:

CHAMPAGNE CAKE:

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour one 9 in. round pan and one 13x9x2 in. pan. Set them aside.

Step Two:

In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Add milk shortening, ½ cup champagne, vanilla and food coloring if you so choose. Beat on low to medium speed, for about 30 seconds, while scraping the bowl constantly. Then continue to beat on medium speed for two more minutes. Add unbeaten egg whites, beat for another 2 minutes.

Step Three:

Spread 2 and ¾ cups of batter in the 9-in. pan, and the remaining batter in the 13x9x2 pan.

Step Four:

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes for round cake and 40-45 minutes for the rectangle pan.

Step Five:

Cool cakes on racks for 10 minutes, Remove them from their pans.

Step Six:

Using cardboard circle patterns of 4 and 6 inches, cut one 4 in. and one 6 in. cake layer from the 13x9x2 in. cake. Place the 9 in. cake layer on a serving plate; frost sides and top. Lining up the backs of the layers, place the 6 in. cake on top of the 9-inch cake; frost sides and top. Repeat with remaining 4 in. cake. If desired, tint any remaining frosting; decorate with tinted frosting and flowers.

CHAMPAGNE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Step One:

In a mixing bowl, beat shortening and margarine until well combined. Beat in champagne or sherry. Beat in sifted powdered sugar and a few drops of red food coloring.

Step Two:

Mix in a little oil or more champagne to make frosting spreadable.

New Year’s Fun Fondue

New Year’s is a time to celebrate the coming year with the ones you love. Fondue is a fun, festive dish designed for sharing and bringing everyone together. This makes it the perfect pick for your New Year’s celebration.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 cups Swiss cheese

2 cups Gruyere cheese

2 tablespoon of flour

1 clove garlic, halved

1 and 1/2 cups dry white wine, MUST be dry

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Step One:

Combine all cheeses with flour by tossing it together in a large bowl. Rub garlic on the bottom and sides of the fondue dish. If you don’t have a fondue dish, use a heavy saucepan. Pour wine into the fondue dish or pot and heat until the wine bubbles. When the wine is bubbling, add lemon juice or the kirsch.

Step Two:

Gradually start adding the cheese, about ½ cup at a time. Stir the cheese and wine mixture constantly over low heat until the cheese is melted. Let the melted cheese reach your desired texture. If you used a saucepan to make the fondue, pour the fondue into a heated fondue pot on a heating device or a bread bowl. Fondue should be eaten immediately.

Note: If the cheese is lumpy, add more lemon juice and stir. Only use dry wine, never sweet. Fondue should be served with breads, meatballs, sausages, vegetables, apple slices or pretzels. Other types of cheese can be used to make the fondue spicier, such as pepper jack or jalapeno cheddar. If looking for more decadence, cheeses like Roquefort or Gouda.

New Year’s Prime Rib with Horseradish Sauce

Prime rib has become a traditional dinner option for many on New Year’s. This hearty cut of beef is as elegant as it is filling. This fun, festive option will be sure to please!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Cook Time: 3 hours, 5 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 bone-in beef rib roast, about 4 to 6 pounds

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 to 2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Horseradish Sauce:

1 cup of sour cream (8 ounce)

3 to 4 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Then, brush the roast with the olive oil and rub with pepper. Place roast, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

Step Two:

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Next, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Step Three:

Bake for an additional 2 to 3 hours or until the meat is at the desired level of doneness. Baste the roast with the drippings from the pan every half hour. Medium Rare: 145 Degrees. Medium: 160 Degrees. Well Done: 170 Degrees.

Step Four:

Remove from oven and let stand for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Step Five:

While the roast is resting, combine the ingredients in a small bowl to make the horseradish sauce. Serve the sauce with the beef.

Note: For even cooking, let the meat rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes so it won’t be as cold.

New Year’s Special Scallops and Chicken

Not only are chicken breasts and scallops healthy lean meats, but they also make for a fun, festive New Year’s dish packed full of flavor.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves- about 4 ounces each

½ pound of bay scallops

¼ cup of olive oil

1 to 1 ½ cups of sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

¼ cup of white wine or chicken broth

2 teaspoon of cornstarch

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

½ cup shredded Swiss cheese

Optional: 1 cup of fresh steamed spinach

Directions:

Step One:

In a large zipper-type plastic bag, combine the salt, pepper, and flour.

Add chicken and scallops in small batches.

Shake to coat.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Step Two:

Sauté the chicken and scallops in olive oil until lightly browned.

Spoon the chicken and scallops into a 13x9 in. baking dish.

Step Three:

Use the pan drippings from the chicken and scallops to sauté the mushrooms and onion. Add in the wine or chicken broth and