Happy New Year 2020! I definitely didn’t expect to cook this New Year since we just came from the cruise just a couple of days ago.

I hope you will find these Holiday Recipes and presentations practical to create a special occasion dinner for your family!

We ate so much on the cruise that I didn’t want to look at food and think about preparing elaborate meals. BUT… I’m an impulsive cook, after all! If the cooking wind picks me up, I need to go with the flow!

Preparing Holiday Table

On the way from the cruise, we stopped by the European Deli and got so many Russian delights! That encouraged me to make a special New Year’s meal!

Plus I have collected so many beautiful plates over the years that it would be a shame to keep them in a china cabinet and not use them.

Actually, it may look like a lot of food, but it didn’t take me that long this time around. Experience definitely comes in handy! And I decided not to bake any desserts; we had plenty of candy and fruit and didn’t need the extra calories.

New Year’s Dinner Menu
2020

Salads/Appetizers:
Shuba
Cod Liver salad
Vinaigrette Salad
Asparagus Salad
Smoked Fish selection
Bread with red caviar
Seledka
Boiled Potatoes
Spanakopita (Costco)
Naan Pizza
Smoked Veal Tongue with garlic
Mussels in garlic sauce

Main:
Butterflied shrimp with pasta and cheese
Chicken Fried rice with snow peas
Beef Bulgogi dumplings (Costco) with caramelized onions and peppers

Dessert:
Candy
Polish Tortik (the Best)
Seasonal fruit

Salads

SHUBA – Russian herring salad “under a coat”

HOW TO MAKE SHUBA SALAD

from the bottom layer:

Seledka thinly cubed
Marinated onion
Shredded potatoes
Shredded carrots
Mayo
Shredded Beets
Mayo
Grated egg whites
Mayo
Grated egg yolks
Decorations on top

You can buy the Food Mold used on Amazon (click here)

COD LIVER SALAD

HOW TO MAKE COD LIVER SALAD

I don’t have exact proportions, but here are the layers. Mayo, is just a very thin layer, just for flavor and to hold it together.

Shredded potatoes
Cod liver
Mayo
Thinly sliced cucumber and green onion
salt/pepper
Mayo
Grated egg whites
Mayo
Grated egg yolks
Decorate on top as you like.

You can buy the Food Mold used on Amazon (click here)

Vinaigrette Salad (Vinegret, Винегрет)

FOR THE RECIPE CLICK HERE

Asparagus Salad

HOW TO MAKE ASPARAGUS SALAD

Add olive oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add and cook garlic for a minute, but do not brown. Add asparagus, and cook for a couple of minutes to desired tenderness, turning asparagus to ensure even cooking. Remove to a plate.

Pan-fry sliced colorful bell peppers and sliced tomatoes.

To serve this dish lay cooked asparagus, peppers, and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle sumac, Za’atar, salt/pepper. Add olives, feta cheese, red and green onion.

Refrigerate for an hour to overnight for the flavors to mix.

Seledka

This Russian Delight definitely doesn’t need any instructions. There are millions of ways to serve it!

Seledka is usually served with boiled potatoes.

Smoked Fish selection and Russian Delight: bread with butter and red caviar!

Mussels in garlic sauce

These are store-bought from Publix. You can find them in the freezer section and just need to reheat them and serve! They taste amazing! Recommend!

Smoked Veal Tongue with garlic, boiled potatoes with butter, garlic, and dill

Another one of the Russian Delight served on holidays!

Beef Bulgogi dumplings with caramelized onions and peppers

We love potstickers, and these Beef Bulgogi dumplings from Costco are one of our favorites.

I make a MEAL out of them by adding caramelized onions, mushrooms, and peppers. It makes it healthier and definitely more satisfying.

Butterflied shrimp with pasta and cheese

This dish is my mother-in-law’s favorite, so I always make it when she comes over.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

Chicken Fried rice with snow peas

How to make Chicken Fried rice with snow peas

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked chicken, sliced
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. light olive oil
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 large eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups. cooked long-grain rice
3-4 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
frozen veggie mix
snow peas
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over high heat.
Add butter and oil, cook garlic until fragrant.
Add cooked rice, sesame oil, soy sauce, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring until heated through.
Move rice to the sides making room to cook the eggs.
When eggs are cooked, add mixed veggies and cooked chicken.
Mix well and serve.

Fruit and Candy

Polish Tortik is the Best! If you are ever at the European or Polish store, try one.

It’s like a kit-kat bar, but SO MUCH BETTER!!!

Happy New Year from my family to yours!

My in-laws have always been supportive and love everything that I make!

A picture of my loving crew on the cruise!

I always prepare a lot of food even though we have a small family since I pack food for my mother-in-law to take home.

My MIL doesn’t cook much for herself since she takes care of her husband, that has been through so much and can’t eat most of the things. So it’s a big treat for her to have Yummy leftovers!

I hope you will find this post useful! I have tried to be as detailed as possible with every recipe, which takes a LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT!

If you use and like any of the recipes, please let me know! Your feedback always delights me!

ENJOY!!!