'Tis Christmas Eve.......

Welcome to the Christmas Eve edition of Tastey Tuesday Recipe Exchange.
Today I am going to share  MAIN COURSE and DESSERT COURSE recipes.
At this point, I'm pretty sure your  Christmas menus are all planned and your grocery shopping is done.  The very last thing you need is to fall head-over-heels in love with a new main course.  That's something that would happen to me and I'd make myself crazy over it all...
I can see it now.....you wake up on Christmas Eve morning thinking you are going to make X for dinner and then you find a brand new recipe that you decide you must have......before you know it, your life is topsy turvy and your family is pretty sure you've gone half mad.  You're pushing and shoving through the throngs of shoppers at the grocery store and  you're flinging crown roasts and brussel sprouts with the procrastinating crowd.....
So....as my Christmas gift to you.....I am not going to send you there.
I have complete faith that your menus are perfect and you don't need to even consider any other recipes this holiday season.
But, since I have to be true to my 2013 Tastey Tuesday Recipe Exchange commitment, I am still going to share a MAIN COURSE recipe and a DESSERT COURSE recipe......
 But, I am going to make you promise that you aren't going to attempt to make these today, tomorrow or any other day this week.   As a matter of fact, I am going to demand that you save these recipes for a day when you are scratching your head wondering what you will serve for a special dinner......

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Prosciutto, Rosemary, and Lemon

 Who wants to serve chicken on Christmas anyway?  Right??
 Even though this is an excellent recipe that commands amazing reviews from your family and/or guests---it's best saved for a nice family Sunday supper or a lovely evening dinner with friends.   It's very easy to make and makes a great presentation.  The last time I made this, I opted for boneless chicken breasts so that things would go quicker.   Either way, the flavoring is excellent!

Here's an lovely, taste-too-good-to-be-true side dish to serve along with this chicken recipe.......

Butternut Squash with Spinach, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

I am so serious when I tell you that this side dish is absolutely impressive.  If you do nothing else, be sure to make this one soon......but, of course......not today or tomorrow.  

Before I share a dessert course, I have to own up to something---I really don't bake.  Nope, I'm not a fan of baking.  Every once in awhile, I will try my hand at it.  But, if truth be told---I know some excellent bakeries nearby and I know some awsome bakers so if I really want baked goods---I know how to pick up a phone and I'm not afraid to do it! With that being said, however, I do have a few stand-by desserts that I offer when I want to make the dessert myself.   Sometimes I just love to cover the table in fruits and candies, offer some liquer laced concoctions and call it a day.  Other times, I really do want to try my hand at a recipe I am intrigued by and doesn't require baking skills.  That's what happened with this particular recipe that I am sharing with you today.   I don't even remember how I came upon it but it spoke to me when I found it.  So, I tried it on my taste testers and before I knew it.....I was dreaming up ways to serve it to guests.  It's always a huge hit.....sometimes I even get a standing ovation.......

 

Sweet Roasted Grapes

Serve these syrupy grapes for dessert---I have spooned them over a good quality vanilla bean ice cream and I also put them over marscapone---both renditions had diners squeal with delight.  My girlfriend reported that she put them over pound cake and topped them with real whipped cream and got rave reviews.  These are so easy and different, you really will be thrilled.  My only tip is to make sure you watch these very carefully and stir them often.   You can use red or green grapes.....

By the way---I bet these would just be stunning over a log of honey goat cheese....OH YUM!  

Here's the easy directions: 

Grease an ovenproof skillet with 2 tablespoons butter. Add 1 pound seedless grapes and 3/4 cup walnuts; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Roast about 25 minutes in a 500 degree F oven. Transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Simmer the juices with 1 tablespoon honey on the stove until syrupy, 6 to 7 minutes. Off the heat, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of pepper. Pour the syrup over the grapes.

May your Christmas Eve be delicious and blessed.......