Chocolate Blitzens

This is going to be part of our dessert on Christmas Eve, along with some shortbread. Yummy! Maybe I'll leave one for Santa?

Ingredients:

1/2 oz. (15ml) Vodka
1/2 oz. (15ml) Dark Creme de Cacao
1 oz. (30ml) Baileys Irish Cream
1 1/2 Cup Chocolate Ice Cream
Chocolate Sprinkles
2 oz. (60ml) Melting Chocolate



1. Rim glass with hot melted chocolate and dip in chocolate sprinkles.
2. Blend vodka, creme de cacao, baileys and ice cream. Do not blend the ice cream completely to a liquid. Let it maintain some of it's thickness.
3. Pour into chocolate rimmed glass and add sprinkles on top.

Christmas Quinoa Salad

A fresh and modern take on a classic combination of cranberry and orange. Perfect with your  turkey dinner or weeknight roast chicken!  Pretty and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cup water
• 2 large leaves of kale
• 2 cup cranberries, fresh
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 TBS orange zest, grated
• 6 small oranges
• ¹/₄ cup mixed nuts
• ¹/₄ cup pomegranate arils
• ¹/₄ cup mint, fresh, chopped

Instructions:

1. Rinse with water: 1 cup quinoa
2. Bring to boil: 2 cups water
3. When water is boiling, transfer rinsed quinoa and return to boil.
4. Cover, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until the water is gone and quinoa is cooked, about 12-15 minutes.
5. Wash, remove from stems and finely chop: 2 large kale leaves
6. Pulse in a food processor to coarsely chop: 2 cups fresh cranberries, 2 tblsp olive oil, 1 tsp honey
7. When quinoa is done, transfer to a mixing bowl and mix with chopped kale. Allow to cool to room temperature.
8. Stir in with the quinoa: 2 tblsp orange zest, grated
9. Peel and coarsely chop: 6 small oranges
10. When quinoa is cooled completely, gently stir in the oranges and cranberry mixture.
11. Stir in: 1/4 cup mixed nuts, 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds, 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
12. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.