Holiday Roast Box

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with foil. 30 minutes before cooking, remove the beef from the refrigerator. Pat dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with salt, pepper, and the spice blend. Transfer the seasoned beef to the sheet pan. Roast 28 to 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 110°F.* Remove from the oven.

*This cook time will yield a final internal temperature of 125°F (medium-rare) after Step 2. The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 145°F for beef. Roast the beef an additional 4 to 6 minutes to achieve this. 

Consuming raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, seafood or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. 

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the roasted beef. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (125°F), or until browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness.  Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 15 minutes.

While the beef rests, wash and dry the chives; thinly slice. Heat the pan of reserved fond on medium-high until hot. Add the broth (carefully, as the liquid may splatter), mustard, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, crème fraîche, and demi-glace. Cook, whisking occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Turn off the heat. Whisk in the butter until melted and combined. Stir in half the sliced chives. Find the lines of muscle (or grain) on the rested beef; slice crosswise against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve the sliced beef with the pan sauce. Garnish with the remaining sliced chives.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Medium dice the potatoes. Once boiling, add the diced potatoes to the pot and cook 14 to 16 minutes, or until slightly tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a separate, medium pot, combine the cream, caramelized onions, crème fraîche, and demi-glace; heat on medium-high until simmering. Once simmering, cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the cream sauce to the pot of boiled potatoes; stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to a large baking dish; evenly top with the fontina and parmesan. (If making the night before, tightly cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate. Before baking, remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 1 hour, then remove the foil.)

Bake the casserole 13 to 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand at least 5 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. Garnish the baked casserole with the chopped parsley.

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; halve lengthwise. Halve the orange crosswise. Roughly chop the pistachios. Pick the mint leaves off the stems. In a large bowl, combine the honey (kneading the packet before opening), vinegar, the juice of both orange halves, and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper.

Line a sheet pan with foil. Transfer the halved carrots to the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and arrange in an even layer, cut side down. Roast 24 to 26 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

Transfer the roasted carrots to the bowl of glaze. Toss to coat. Serve the glazed carrots garnished with the chopped pistachios and mint leaves (tearing just before adding).

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 400°F. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Separate the kale leaves from the stems; discard the stems. Once boiling, add the kale leaves to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until bright green and tender. Add the spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Hold or rest the strainer over the pot (or a bowl). Using a spoon, press down on the greens to release as much liquid as possible. Discard the liquid. Transfer the blanched greens to a cutting board; roughly chop.

Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Pick the thyme leaves off the stems.  In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped garlic, thyme leaves, and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until softened and fragrant. Add the chopped greens; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a large baking dish. Wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, heat the butter on medium until melted. Add the quatre épices. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the flour; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until toasted and golden. Add the demi-glace (carefully, as the liquid may splatter), cream, and 1 cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened and the sauce coats the back of spoon. (If the sauce seems too thick, gradually add up to ¼ cup of water to achieve your desired consistency.) Add the cheese and lemon purée; stir to combine. Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.

Carefully add the cream sauce to the baking dish of sautéed greens; stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. (If making the night before, tightly cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate. Before baking, remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 1 hour, then remove the foil.) Bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until heated through and the sauce is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve the baked greens garnished with the crispy onions.

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Grate the apple on the large side of a box grater, discarding the core. In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, maple syrup, grated apple, brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and 3/4 cup of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally and mashing the cranberries with the back of a spoon, 7 to 8 minutes, or until the cranberries are broken down and the mixture is thickened. Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Rinse and wipe out the pot. Cover the bowl of compote with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hour, or until cool. Meanwhile, tear the buns into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl; add half the cream and set aside to soak.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, warming spices, powdered sugar, vanilla powder, and a pinch of salt.  Add the egg; beat until smooth. In the same pot used to make the compote, combine the coconut milk and all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining cream. Cook on high, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until just beginning to simmer. Slowly whisk the heated coconut mixture into the beaten egg mixture until combined. Return to the pot. Cook on medium, whisking constantly, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Transfer to a separate bowl and immediately whisk in the remaining cream; allow to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap (making sure the plastic touches the custard to prevent a film from forming). Refrigerate about 1 hour, or until cool.

In a large trifle dish (or among 8 serving glasses), evenly layer 1/3 of the cooled custard, then 1/3 of the soaked bun pieces, then 1/3 of the compote. Repeat two more times. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours, or up to a day in advance.

When almost ready to serve, remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Roughly chop the pistachios. In a small pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped pistachios. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Add the honey (kneading the packet before opening). Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until coated. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined (or lightly greased) plate; spread into an even layer to prevent sticking. Immediately season with salt. Set aside to cool. Serve the chilled trifle garnished with the candied pistachios. Enjoy!