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.

Unfortunately, we have no control over what happens outside of our homes, but inside – we do!

I wanted my family to have a wonderful and memorable Holiday Season! I worked hard to make this happen! Talent is just half of what you need! The key to any success is Hard Work!

In one of the Facebook groups, I was asked how many people were involved in cooking for this table. LOL I said: “Only the woman you see in the picture”! (that would be – ME!)

I guess after years of creating these holiday tables I have sort of a system where I combine the ingredients for several recipes.

For example, I’ve boiled potatoes and carrots that went into 3 salads: Olivier, Cod Liver and Shuba.

Presliced some of the ingredients beforehand. Had diced parsley and dill in plastic bags for the final touches.

Combined baking recipes, lobster tails, then shrimps, and scallops.

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!

Menu for New Year’s 2021

Appetizers/Salads

Shuba

Cod Liver Salad

Salad Olivier

Shrimp Salad

Ham and Cheese Party Tree

Eggplant Crostini

Spanakopita

Mediterranean Roasted eggplant

Main dishes/Sides

Baked Lobster Tails

Shrimp and Scallops Scampi with fresh Fettuccine Pasta (Buitoni)

Marinated Greek Lamb Chops with Tomatoes

Homefries

Fried rice

Dessert

Belgian mini cream puffs with chocolate

Chocolate Trees

Roasted figs with mascarpone and honey

Candy

Fruit plate

Shuba

Shuba (herring under a fur coat) is a very popular Russian salad traditionally served on New Year.

It’s basically a layered salad composed of diced pickled herring, potatoes, carrots, beets, onion, eggs with mayonnaise in between layers.

If you have not acquired a taste for herrings (how? why?), just replace them with smoked salmon or tuna; just be creative. I won’t tell!

You can layer it as you like and add as much or as little mayo as you like. It should be done according to your particular taste.

As you can see, my beets are very dark because I have skipped a step and used the Organic Boiled Beets package to save some time.

If you boil or, better, BAKE beets (you get more flavor baking, just wrapping them in heavy foil and baking for an hour at 350F), you will get a much more intense and colorful beet layer.

I have used my 7.5-Inch Springform Pan that I bought for the Instant Pot to make Shuba and Cod Liver Salad (below).

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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.

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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:

Mix all ingredients above in a large bowl, serve and enjoy!

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!

Eggplant Crostini

Spanakopita

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

Roasted figs with mascarpone, honey, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and sliced almonds

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.