Irish Christmas Eve Dinner

Since we are planning to spend Christmas Eve Traveling (ugg!) and Christmas day in FL (yay!)I won't get to make my version of a traditional Irish Chrimstmas dinner like I like to do for my hubby on Christmas Eve.  So I plan to make this tomorrow night.  Here are some details and I will post pics when I make them :) I find the Irish menu quite fitting as my last name is Monaghan and my life is populated with several Irish Redheads! :) 

Our Menu consists of:

Salmon

Potato Soup

Beer Bread

Steamed Asparagus

Hollandaise Sauce

Recipes are as Follows--

Asparagus:

Snap the tough ends off the asparagus. The ends may be discarded.

Steam asparagus until tender (not mushy) and drain. Asparagus should be a bright green rather than an olive color. The length of cooking time depends on how young the asparagus shoots are when harvested, and their size.  (I usually do it around 3 minutes; any longer they are mushy yuk!)

Serve with the following Hollandaise sauce.

Hollandaise Sauce:

4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or water
2 sticks butter (1/2 lb), in chunks
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
pinch of white pepper (optional)

In a saucepan, beat egg yolks over low heat for about 5 minutes. The eggs should become heated, but if the temperature nears a boil, the eggs will scramble. If the mixture is not hot enough, the sauce may be too thin and is more likely to separate.

The sauce is ready when, with a stroke of the whisk, you will see the clean bottom of the pan.

On the lowest heat setting, add the chunks of butter, one at a time, and beating after each addition. Stir in the salt, pepper, cayenne and lemon juice.

Pour sauce over asparagus and enjoy!

Salmon:

I take a 9x13 baking dish and coat with a thin layer of olive oil.  Align the fish so they are not touching if possible.  I top with the following:

1 Lemon, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
Sprinkle Dried Onion Flakes to taste

1 tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped
1 tablespoon Fresh Dill, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Morton® All-Purpose Natural Sea Salt

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

Easiest Potato Soup Recipe EVER:

2 cans of Cream of Potato

2 cups of shredded hash brown potatoes

2 cups milk

Cubes of Velveeta to taste

I put in a crock pot all day so it is super tender and flavorful!  I season with seasoning salt, dried onion flakes and garlic salt to taste. 

When serving I garnish with dried chives, bacon and shredded cheddar cheese.  So easy and everyone LOVES it!

Beer Bread:

Purchase from tastefully simple and add one can of beer.  Doesn't get much easier or taste much better than that!