Traditions: Old & New

Last week, we celebrated Christmas with my Father's side of the family, and I was more than happy to be in charge of the evening's menu.  While we don't usually go all out for Christmas with my Meme, we still try to keep the idea sort of traditional, not with a baked ham, but with an old time family favourite called 'hamloaf'.  I have not ever seen it outside of Oklahoma, but I know that the recipe has been published in one of the issues of the Better Homes & Gardens cookery books.  It is the same idea of meatloaf, for those of you who are already turned off.  (I do not care for meatloaf, and never have but have always loved hamloaf.  Even if you do like meatloaf, you should give this a try for something a little different.) 

 Being mostly a vegetarian, and my aunt who abstains from all meat, I made us what I hope will be a new tradition for the two of us.  I roasted two acorn squash and then filled them with a festive little rice mixture, and then reheated the whole lot of it the night of the big meal.  

This little menu happens to be pretty stress-free, which is something that most could only dream of during the holidays.

2 acorn squash, seeded
1/4c. brown rice
one celery stick, sliced
one garlic clove, minced
1/4c. onion, chopped
1/3c. sliced mushrooms
a splash of sherry vinegar
a small palmful each of dried cranberries and roasted walnuts
salt, pepper, cumin, and cinnamon


-to open the squash, pluck of it's little stem on the top to create a flat bottom.  Turn the squash on it's side and cut about 1/3 of the pointed end off, so that you now have a lid and bowl.  Scrape out the seeds and pulp and drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in a moderate oven until it is soft, maybe 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven and squash sizes.
-meanwhile, cook the rice as directed and while you're at it, saute the vegetables in their own pan.  When the vegetables are done, add the sherry vinegar, then combine with the rice, other spices, dried fruit & walnuts (both of which, you've chopped) and season to your tastes.
- fill the roasted squash with the rice mixture and save for later or put back in the oven until heated through- and don't forget their little 'lids'.  

This really shouldn't take more than an hour from start to finish, and can easily be done in pieces for a couple of days, which is what I did.   There is something about the idea of stuffing things that seems much to intimidating when it's really not at all.  It's a bit fiddly and hands on but if you've no problem with that, then hopefully, this will please you as much as it did my aunt and I.

If you happen to be a carnivore, however, the other dish, being the hamloaf, is about as easy as it gets.

Bash some crackers, measure the milk, crack an egg, squidge together and bake.  You will never look back, this is so  good.

2/3c. crackers, bashed

1/2c. milk

1 egg

2lb. hamloaf mix*

-combine the first three ingredients, and then the hamloaf (and season with salt and plenty of black pepper as well) and squidge the whole mess together using your hands until everything is evenly mixed.

-shape into patties or loaves about 1/2 cup's worth, leaving you with roughly 8 little mounds.

-bake in a 350 oven for about an hour.

If you are a fan of freezing leftovers, these are so perfect for it that it isn't even funny.  Once they've frozen, you can just put them all in a plastic freezer bag using them as you want.  These are also fabulous cold and sliced with a fresh sprinkling of salt and pepper, or even sliced and warmed though in a pan (spray oil is your friend here) on the stovetop and then tucked between some chewy bread with some mustard.  There really is no wrong way to eat a hamloaf.

Does your family prepare the usual holiday feast, or do you switch things up every year?