Happy New Year 2021! I hope this will be a better year than the previous one for everyone! It’s been a long year, let’s see what the next year brings. I just want to share our festive New Year’s Eve table this year with some new recipes and decor ideas.

Watch the Video of our New Year’s Table below
(press on the small square on the right side and turn your phone or tablet sideways to see it full screen)
You can find more ideas for decorating Holiday and Special Occasion tables by clicking here!

How to make Shuba
It’s very difficult to give precise measurements since I make it different sizes every time. You will need to estimate how big or small you want your salad to be and have enough ingredients ready.
Place a food mold or the ring from a Spring Form.
From the bottom, let’s start layering
- Seledka thinly sliced
- Marinated onion
- Grated or chopped potatoes
- Grated carrots
- Mayo
- Grated Beets
- Mayo
- Grated egg whites
- Mayo
- Grated egg yolks (or combine egg white and yolks with mayo and spread evenly)
Decorate as you like.
Again you don’t have to follow this exact order, you may want your beets mixed with mayo to be your top layer.
There are so many variations of this popular salad; just have fun layering it.
Cod Liver Salad
Another Super Tasty and Festive salad for the holidays.
Cod Liver is very healthy and contains omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains vitamins A and D, both of which provide many other health benefits.
Unfortunately, you can only find it in European markets, but I have been ordering it on Amazon for a while now and love this brand.
I have used my 7.5-Inch Springform Pan that I bought for the Instant Pot.
How to make Cod Liver Salad
I don’t have the exact proportions, but here are the layers.
Use a very thin layer of mayo just for the flavor and to hold it together.
From the bottom:
- Chopped potatoes
- Marinated onion
- Cod liver (used 2 cans for this large size)
- Mayo
- Thinly sliced cucumber and green onion
- salt/pepper
- Grated egg whites mixed with mayo
- Grated egg yolks mixed with mayo
Decorate on top as you like.
This is definitely one of the best-tasting salads. If you don’t have Cod Liver, try it with canned tuna or wild salmon.
Well, come to think of it, sardines and sprats will go well with it as well.
Salad Olivier
How to make Salad Olivier
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds potatoes, boiled, peeled, and finely diced
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled, finely diced
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 small dill pickles, finely diced
- 1 cup canned peas
- 1 tbsp. Fresh dill
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
Shrimp Salad
How to Make the Best Shrimp Salad
You will absolutely love this recipe and will make it again and again.
- 1 1/2 pound cooked shrimp
- 1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced
- 2 small cucumbers, sliced
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Decorate as you like.
TIP: you can use the same recipe for imitation crab meat, canned tuna, canned wild salmon, and cooked chicken breast…
The Star of the show – Ham and Cheese Party Tree
> How to make Ham and Cheese Party Tree, detailed instructions here!
Once we discovered these Spanokopita cheese and spinach in phyllo pastries at Costco, I decided not to make my own again. These are just perfect, and I keep buying them once we run out.
Great to have in the freezer just in case you have company over. They are best prepared just before serving when they are hot and crispy. They take almost no time to bake, so it’s not a problem.
Remember I mentioned combining recipes earlier in this post.
I had one large Eggplant on hand and decided to use it for two dishes: Eggplant Crostini Sandwiches and Roasted Eggplant Appetizer see below.
For these crostini sandwiches, I left a few eggplant slices without the mayo, just with red onion and tomatoes on top, and Za’atar seasoning.
- On a large cookie sheet, lay baguette slices, brush with butter, and toast in the oven until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
As you can see, I’ve also made some plain garlic bread ( just brush the bread with butter, and season it with garlic powder and Italian spices).
- Add Roasted Eggplant mix on top of the toasted bread, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and toast until the cheese is melted.
It’s a great Party appetizer but make it the same day you will be serving since the bread will get soggy the next day.
Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant
How to make Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant
- tomatoes, sliced
- colorful salad peppers, thinly chopped
- red onion, diced
- mayo
- Garlic powder
- Za’atar seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh dill for garnishing
- Roasted pine nuts (optional)
Directions:
- Wash and pat dry eggplant. Slice it into about 1/2-inch circles.
- Lay slices on top of the parchment-paper-lined large cookie sheet.
- Brush each slice with mayo enough to cover.
- Top with tomatoes, salad peppers, and red onion.
- Season with garlic powder, Za’atar, and salt and pepper.
- Roast in the preheated 400F oven for about 30 minutes.
- You can roast pine nuts for a couple of minutes in the oven or in the skillet; up to you.
- Garnish with dill and serve.
It’s delicious warm or cold. You can make it a day or two ahead of time.
If you like, splash with a bit of wine vinegar for that extra zing.
Baked Lobster Tails
I wanted something Fancier for New Years’ than we usually eat, which is NOT an easy task if you see my posts on Facebook.
Actually, these Lobster Tails were not that expensive. We found 2 for $12.50 at Walmart! Bought 6 for the occasion.
This dish looks Fabulous but is Super Easy to prepare, and instead of me explaining how it’s done, you can see it here for yourself!
TIP: make sure to season the UNDERSIDE of the lobster meat as well for more flavor.
When serving, brush the Lobster Tails with a mix of melted butter, garlic powder, and paprika and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Shrimp and Scallops Scampi with fresh Fettuccine Pasta (Buitoni)
I make Shrimp Scampi with fresh pasta almost every holiday since it’s my Mother-in-laws’s favorite dish and she never cooks shrimp at home. So this is very special for her!
I had medium wild scallops in the freezer so I’ve added them as well. If you add scallops, add them during the last 5 minutes of baking.
> Click here for the recipe!
Marinated Greek Lamb Chops with Tomatoes
How to Make Marinated Greek Lamb Chops with Tomatoes recipe here
Dessert Table
Belgian Mini Cream Puffs with chocolate
While shopping at Costco, I saw these Belgian Mini Puffs on sale and decided to give them a try!
Let me tell ya, you get A LOT of them, obviously – COSTCO-SIZED!
But, these were too plain for me, and I decided to drizzle them with chocolate, and they transformed into something very ADDICTIVE! Don’t even try them without the chocolate on top! So much better!
These are the best-melted chocolates that I have found. So easy to melt in the microwave and tastes amazing!
Chocolate Trees

If you want an EASY AND IMPRESSIVE dessert – this is it!
I have done these Chocolate/Coconut Trees for several years and my family loves them. They don’t last too long at my house!
> You can find the RECIPE HERE
Since I have done Roasted Pears with Mascarpone, Honey, Nuts, and Fruit for Christmas, I’ve decided to make the same but with Fresh Figs instead. Delicious!
>Roasted Pears recipe here
Happy New Year, my friends from my family to yours!
I hope you will find these recipes and ideas useful for New Year’s Eve or any occasion! Please check the “recommended products” in the recipe card below.

New Year's Dinner 2021
New Year's Eve Dinner 2021! Delicious ideas and decor for the holidays. Traditional Russian New Year's Salads!
Notes
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Ariceleo Led Fairy Lights Battery Operated, 1 Pack Mini Battery Powered Copper Wire Starry Fairy Lights for Bedroom, Christmas, Parties, Wedding, Centerpiece, Decoration (5m/16ft Cool White)
- Led String Lights, Sanniu Mini Battery Powered Copper Wire Starry Fairy Lights, Battery Operated Lights for Bedroom, Christmas, Parties, Wedding, Centerpiece, Decoration (5m/16ft Warm White)
- ANPHSIN Set of 8 Christmas Napkin Rings- Snowflake with Sparkly Rhinestone Napkin Holder Rings for Christmas Holiday Party Dinner Wedding Banquet Dinning Table Settings Decoration (Silver)
- HALOViE 13 x 90 Inch Table Runner, Rectangular Coffee Dining Table Cloth Dresser Runners with Diamante Strip for Home Kitchen Christmas Party Wedding Decorations Gray
- Katbite 200Pcs 9x13/12x16 Inch Heavy Duty Unbleached Parchment Paper, Parchment Paper Sheets for Baking Cookies, Cooking, Frying, Air Fryer, Grilling Rack, Oven(9x13 Inch)
- Instant Pot Official Springform Pan, 7.5-Inch, Gray
- Ateco Round Food Molding Set, 3.5 by 2.1-Inches High, 4-Piece Set Includes 2 Rings, Fitted Press & Transfer Plate
- Riga Gold Cod Liver in Own Oil 4.27oz/ 121g From Iceland pack of 3