Community Recipe
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Casual Christmas Eve Supper

Treat your family and your close friends to dishes with Caribbean and African flavors. Ordinary ingredients such as pork, rice and citrus fruit are seasoned with pantry staples and easy-to-find ingredients such as chili powder, allspice, and coconut milk. Chef Marvin Woods of Hollywood, Florida contributed several of his wonderful recipes for this holiday menu, which is great for a laid-back Christmas Eve gathering. Each recipe is perfect to serve buffet style and easy to eat while balancing a plate on your lap. So fill your plate, find a comfy chair, and be joyful.

Citrus Batida

Let guests man the blender for this festive beverage. Pre-measure ingredients into one-batch containers, and chill. When you're ready for another round, all you have to do is pour it into the blender, and push the button.

Ingredients

2 cups orange juice
2 cups Ruby Red grapefruit juice
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 cup rum

Preparation

Process all ingredients in a blender until frothy. Serve over ice.

Southern Living NOVEMBER 2002

Slow-Roasted Pork

Shred slow-roasted pork and serve over Caribbean rice and peas for an island-inspired meal.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 bay leaves, crumbled

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (5- to 6-pound) Boston butt pork roast or pork shoulder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Garnishes: lemon slices, grated lemon rind

Preparation

Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pork roast, turning to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate roast at least 4 hours or overnight.

Remove roast from marinade, reserving marinade. Brown all sides of roast in hot oil in a Dutch oven. Add reserved marinade.

Bake, covered, at 275° for 6 to 7 hours or until meat can be shredded. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living NOVEMBER 2002

Caribbean Rice and Peas

This tangy Caribbean Rice and Peas recipe is a flavorful change from the typical rice and peas.

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups basmati rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 (10-ounce) can chicken broth

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 (15-ounce) can pigeon peas, rinsed and drained*
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon salt
Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs

Preparation

Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes or until translucent. Add rice and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in peas, parsley, lemon rind, and salt. Garnish, if desired.

* 1 (15-ounce) can field peas may be substituted.

Southern Living NOVEMBER 2002

Rutabaga-Carrot Mash

Ingredients

2 medium rutabagas, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 sweet onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 (10-ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Cook rutabagas in boiling water to cover in a Dutch oven over medium heat 20 minutes. Add carrots and onion; continue boiling 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain and place into food processor fitted with metal blade. Add remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Southern Living NOVEMBER 2002

Winter Fruit-and-Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1 or 2 bunches Red Leaf lettuce, torn
2 medium navel oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 medium Ruby Red grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 seedless cucumber, scored and sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Basil Vinaigrette

Preparation

Toss first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; serve with Basil Vinaigrette.

Southern Living NOVEMBER 2002

Sweet Potato Crème Brulée

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, baked, skinned, and mashed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 quart whipping cream
1 cup sugar

8 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup brown sugar
Garnish: chopped toasted pecans

Preparation

Combine mashed sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and lemon juice; spoon potato mixture into a buttered 10-inch quiche dish to form a 1/4-inch-thick layer.

Stir together cream, 1 cup sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla in medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes or until hot. Pour over sweet potato mixture in prepared dish. Place dish in a shallow baking pan. Add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out almost clean. Remove from water. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Sprinkle custard with 1/3 cup brown sugar; place custard on jellyroll pan. Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat about 2 minutes or until sugar melts. Let stand 5 minutes to allow sugar to harden before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living NOVEMBER 2002