By As is tradition, we always look forward to the arrival of Christmas Eve to have dinner with the family, share gifts together on Christmas Eve.
December 24 is one of the most anticipated dates on the calendar; around midnight in some cultures the opening of gifts is carried out symbolically brought by Santa Claus; in others it represents the arrival of the baby Jesus.
Since this is such a special day for many, we remind you that on known dates such as Mother's Day, Valentine's Day or Love and Friendship Day, there is no prior celebration the day before, however, Christmas Eve is the Christmas waiting lobby.
Porque celebramos Nochebuena y cual es la historia de su surgimiento
From a religious point of view, Christmas Eve is the wait for the birth of the baby Jesus, since according to tradition it is believed that his birth took place between midnight on the 24th and the early morning of the following day.
Although the Bible does not mention this fact, it is said that the tradition arose in the year 380, with the celebration of a mass on the day of the Savior's birth.
Another reason that makes this date so special is the beloved Santa Claus, a representative character of Christmas in various parts of the world. A charismatic plus-size man, who is received at home with cookies and socks, to count on his presence and receive gifts from him.
The Saturnalia festivities were celebrated to honor the god Saturn, god of agriculture and the harvest; It is one more of the theories that accompanies this day in which the custom of dining and exchanging gifts is maintained.
Over time, Christmas Eve customs have been assimilating changes in countries and cultures. It would be nice if you knew the before and after.
About Christmas Eve Mass
In the 16th century, the custom required celebrating two masses: Misa del Aguinaldo in the morning and Misa del Gallo at midnight. Each Mass for the sole purpose of honoring the birth of Jesus.
Currently only Midnight Mass is celebrated, in which parishioners gather the day before to celebrate the arrival of baby Jesus on earth.
Christmas Eve Inn
In other times, a celebration was organized between friends and neighbors to lull the child to the beat of the interpretation of Christmas carols.
Currently, families prepare to have dinner together instead of attending other celebration sites, and the baby's lullaby is performed between family members. In order for someone outside the family circle to join the lullaby, they have to be a godfather and finance their outfits for February 2, Candlemas Festival.
Christmas eve gifts
In the pagan celebrations of Rome, the locals gave gifts to their emperor as a way of honoring them, while the solstice of winter, ritual of exaltation to the Sun, this being also one of the theories of the delivery of gifts on such a significant date.
To this day, the tradition is maintained, as families exchange gifts between close members and friends, as a form of thanks or payment for the Christmas bonus. There are several traditions that make this day special, one of them is the opening of the gifts brought by Santa Claus, to open in the first minute of Christmas.
What to eat on Christmas Eve?
Gathering most of the family to celebrate this day is still the main reason for Christmas Eve; the meeting is accompanied by a delicious dinner, consisting of three main courses and dessert at the end. In the buffet offered, the tasty turkey should not be missing, a key component so that the table is well served.
Each member of the family labels a special dish. Thus, the dinner meets the expectations of all the members because it is cooked that day with each one of them in mind, in their enjoyment when tasting to encourage the desire to repeat.
But if you want to do something different and surprise your loved ones, here are some recipes for Christmas Eve with the exclusive touch of the Argentine chef Laura Sujov.
5-course gourmet menu:
Christmas Eve menu:
Stuffed eggs a la Berta
Ingredients: 4 eggs, 1 pinch of curry, 1 pinch of sweet pepper, ½ grated lemon, c/n (necessary amount) of mayonnaise, ½ can of tuna, 1 tbsp. of mustard, 1 chopped green onion, c / n of salt and pepper.
Preparation:
Boil the eggs without overcooking them, once they are ready, proceed to peel them and cut them crosswise in the middle.
The yolks are extracted and crushed in a bowl with the tuna and other ingredients; mayonnaise is added and seasoned. Mix well until you get a creamy texture, but consistent so that it does not stand out.
Fill the eggs using a medium-sized spoon; decorate the plate with the green part of the green onion, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then… to taste.
Tapenade tart with asparagus and tomatoes
Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 whole wheat pie crust, 3 tbsp. tureens of olive oil, 300 g of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, 1 bundle of asparagus, 50 g of black olives, 2 eggs, 190 cc (cubic centimeters) / 1 pot of natural yogurt, c/n of salt and pepper, w/n basil leaves.
Homemade wholemeal dough option: 250 g of wholemeal flour, 125 g of butter, 1 egg.
Preparation:
In a frying pan add the tomatoes and asparagus, add olive oil, and sauté both vegetables until browned and also add the olives; Once the ingredients are browned, remove from the heat and set them aside.
The yogurt is beaten with the eggs and seasoned with salt and pepper. The oven is preheated to 200°C.
The vegetables are incorporated into the yogurt mixture and then carefully placed on top of the dough, centered and away from the edges. Then it is necessary to fold the edges inwards, resting part of them on the mixture, it is not necessary to hide the filling, it is exclusively to contain it on the sides.
Cook until the dough and filling are browned, maintaining 180°C, for an approximate period of 25 min. After the cooking time, remove from the oven and decorate with basil. A great detail: "it is consumed warm".
Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs with Tangerines
Ingredients for 6 people: 12 chicken thighs, 4 tangerines, 3 tbsp. tureens low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp. soups of honey, 2 tbsp. homemade chopped parsley, 6 tbsp. soups of olive oil, c/n black pepper, c/n rocket leaves and radicchio to accompany.
Preparation:
The oven is preheated to 190°C. Place the soy sauce in a bowl together with the honey, the oil and a pinch of freshly ground pepper.
Dip the thighs in the sauce and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle the thighs with the tangerine and put them in the oven for 20 min at 190°C.
While the thighs are cooking in the oven, wash the tangerines and cut them in half. Then they are placed in the oven for 15 more minutes.
Transcurrido el tiempo se retira del horno y espolvorea con perejil picado. Servir el plato acompañado de la rúcula, el radicchio y las medias mandarinas.
Pan dulce navideño receta
Ingredients
Sponge: 50 g of yeast, ½ cup of milk, 1 tbsp. of sugar, ½ cup of flour.
Dough: 1 tbsp. malt extract, 1 tbsp. of orange zest, c/n of almond essence, 1 tbsp. vanilla essence, 2 tbsp. of orange blossom water, 1 pinch of salt, 1 tbsp. of lemon zest, 200 g of butter, 600 g of flour, 5 eggs, 150 g of sugar.
Filling: 150 g of black raisins, 150 g of almonds, 150 g of walnuts, 150 g of peeled pistachios, c/n cognac.
Miscellaneous: c/n of icing, 2 beaten eggs, c/n of powdered sugar, c/n of melted butter.
Preparation:
To make the sponge, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let them rest for 20 minutes until they double in volume.
To prepare the dough, mix the eggs together with the zest, the essences, the orange blossom water and the malt extract. In the processor the flour is placed with the butter, the salt and the sugar, and the previous preparation is added, then it is kneaded.
Add the sponge and knead until all the ingredients are combined. Then pour it on the counter and knead with your hands; once this is done, let it rest for 30 min until it doubles its volume.
To fill, hydrate the raisins with cognac overnight.
To form the dish, pour the dough on the counter and extract the gases from it. Add the filling and knead it to integrate.
Place the dough in molds previously painted with dissolved butter. Make a cross-shaped cut on the surface. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
The last step is to paint with butter and then with beaten egg. Put the dough in the oven at 180ºC; if it is going to be baked in small molds, leave them for 25 min, and if it is going to be baked in large molds, 45 min; remove the bread from the oven, after the estimated time, sprinkle with very fine sugar and glaze. With these quantities, 3 molds come out, 2 of 1kg, and 1 of ½ kg.
White ice cream with chocolate
Ingredients for 4 people
Frozen cream: 500 cc of milk cream, 400 cc of condensed milk, 125 g of semi-sweet chocolate
Chocolate: 125 g of semi-sweet chocolate, 100 cc of milk cream, c/n sprigs of mint to decorate.
Preparation:
Chop the chocolate coarsely and beat the cream before refrigerating.
In another container, mix the condensed milk, the chopped chocolate and add it to the whipped cream carefully so that it does not go down or go over.
Fill 4 glasses with this mixture, cover with plastic wrap and take it to the freezer for at least 2 hours.
For the chocolate, first grate it and place it in a pot with the milk cream. Cook over low heat, and stir for 10 minutes until melted and combined with the cream.
Then let it cool for 20 minutes, and distribute it among the 4 glasses, over the ice cream and refrigerate.
Remove them with a little time from the fridge so that they are not so cold when serving them. Decorate to taste with mint leaves.
The traditional turkey may be on our tables, but as you can see, endless recipes await you in the kitchen if you decide.
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