Curtis Stone’s Holiday Party Game Plan

Christmas is a big deal at the Stone house. My wife Lindsay loves the holidays and makes each one of them special. I leave decorating and design details to her, from taking the boys to pick a tree to the finishing touches of gift wrapping and table settings. I, of course, am the Santa of the kitchen.

The holidays are a perfect opportunity to take stock and remind us of what and who is important in our lives. There is no better way to celebrate that than by breaking bread with our favorite people.

Holidays can be stressful, which is why I prefer to keep entertaining simple. Here are a few tips for pulling off a stress-free party: When cooking for a group, planning ahead pays off. Lay out your serving dishes, polish the silverware, and create a playlist. Get ahead of your kitchen prep. Delegate tasks such as greeting guests and hanging up coats to your best elves. Do as much as you can ahead of time so you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with guests. You don’t need to go overboard with food options. A few tried-and-true crowd-pleasers and you’re good to go.

Spicy Shrimp Cocktail is a festive, healthy, and easy appetizer that takes only 15 minutes to prepare. Roast Beef Crostini with Arugula Pesto is loaded with flavorful ingredients and is undeniably delicious. Place a platter of the meaty bits on the table so guests can help themselves. There’s always one guy who hovers and takes more than his fair share. (Guilty as charged!)

Spicy Shrimp Cocktail

(Makes 4 servings)

1/4   cup low-fat sour cream

1/4     cup low-fat mayonnaise

3      tablespoons prepared horseradish

2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2      teaspoons ketchup

1/2   heart of romaine lettuce, very thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined cooked large shrimp

Lemon wedges, for garnish

In medium bowl, stir sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish,
2 tablespoons of chives, lemon juice, and ketchup to blend. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Cut all but 8 shrimp crosswise in half. Divide lettuce among 4 pretty glasses. Divide cut shrimp evenly among glasses, then place 2 whole shrimp on top of each serving. Drizzle some sauce over shrimp and sprinkle with remaining chives. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Make-Ahead: The sauce can be made 8 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated.

Per serving:

Calories: 273
Total Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
Sodium: 455 mg
Carbohydrate: 8 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 40 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 5.5 lean meat, 1 fat, .25 vegetable

Roast Beef Crostini with Arugula Pesto

(Makes 24 crostini)

Pesto:

1 1/2    (lightly packed) cups fresh arugula

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1    tablespoon freshly grated peeled fresh horseradish

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Crostini:

1    loaf ciabatta bread

1 1/2-pound beef tenderloin, silver skin removed

1    tablespoon olive oil

4    sprigs fresh rosemary

1    tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

1    tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

1    tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1    tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

1    cup fresh arugula

To prepare pesto:

Blend 1 ½ cups arugula, pine nuts, and horseradish in food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Add Parmesan cheese and slowly blend in extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

To prepare crostini:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Thinly slice ciabatta crosswise into 24 ¼-inch-thick slices and arrange slices in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Toast in oven for 5 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove from oven and cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Cut filet lengthwise into 3 even pieces. Place large frying pan over high heat. Sprinkle beef filets with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place beef and rosemary sprigs in very hot pan and cook until beef is brown on all sides but still rare in center, about 6 minutes total. Place pan in oven for 2 minutes.

Remove beef from oven and let rest in pan for 5 minutes. Discard rosemary. Stir basil, chives, parsley, and tarragon on shallow plate. Roll beef filets in fresh herbs to coat.

Using sharp knife, very thinly slice beef filets crosswise. Arrange remaining arugula leaves atop crostini. Top with beef slices, drizzle pesto over beef, and serve.

Per serving: (1 slice)
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Sodium: 136 mg
Carbohydrate: 8 g
Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 8 g;

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 lean meat, 1.5 fat

This article is featured in the November/December 2024 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.