Sipping pineapple margarita while preparing noche buena… But, if you’re a long time reader, you’d know that my family never prepares a traditional noche buena. We stay away from “traditional” dishes because those retailers with no conscience always jack up the prices even when the supply can outlast the demand. Except once during the last ten years, we’ve never bought a whole leg of ham. We don’t buy queso de bola because we’re not fans of queso de bola anyway. And we don’t have the noche buena “spread” on the table. We just have a normal meal which may just be a little more indulgent than usual.
As it was last year and the years before that, our Christmas Eve (late) dinner will consist of one main course, a side dish and one dessert. Just enough for a family of four. And just what are we having? Chicken relleno but with paella-style rice stuffing this time. I’ll post photos and the recipe well before the New Year so you’ll have time to get the ingredients should you decide to make the dish for New Year’s Eve. The chicken will go into the oven in 30 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, we’re having pineapple margaritas.
Based on a recipe by Ina Garten.
Ingredients
- 2 cups lime juice (you may substitute lemon juice although, if you do, you may need less than 2 c.)
- 2 cups white tequila
- 2 and 1/2 cups Triple Sec
- 2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons salt
- additional lime or lemon wedges to wet the rim of the cocktail glasses
Instructions
- Chill the glasses you intend to serve the drinks in until needed.
- Place a couple of tablespoonfuls of refined salt in a saucer.
- Wet the rim of the glasses using the lemon or lime wedges. Dip in the salt.
- Pour all the ingredients for the drinks in a pitcher and stir.
- Half fill a shaker with ice. Pour in enough margarita mixture to reach about two-thirds of its capacity.
- Shake for half a minute.
- Pour into chilled glasses rimmed with salt.
Happy holidays to all.
Read 
Chocolate-topped cream cheese cookies
Hi! I am a regular visitor of your blog and I just want to thank you for all the information I get here. You make cooking easy and fun and most important, economical.
I wish you and your family a very merry Christmas and an even brighter 2012. Bless. you.
@Iam You are welcome, Iam. Holiday greetings to you and your family too. :)
I have a tendency to go overboard during Christmas and this year was no exception!
It started with baking fruitcakes during the last week of October. On the second week of December I prepared your chicken galantina recipe and froze it ready to be thawed and served chilled. A week before Christmas I quick cured two pieces of ham each weighing 2.5 kilos (one two be used for Christmas and the other for New Year) and a 2.5 kilo slab of bacon to be used for other recipes like Jambalaya or callos. I decided to make my own ham and bacon because I found those two items so expensive and overpriced. Last Wednesday I prepared embotido and started baking food for the gods (a better recipe) from your archive to be given away as gifts to relatives and neighbors together with banana cake and brownies. I actually tried out four food for the gods recipes- your recipe, marketmans, pinoyblogs and Dorothy Fereria’s recipe and your recipe was the BEST!!! On Friday afternoon I made you TIRAMISU which has become a family favorite and is always requested by my sister-in-law not only during Christmas but for ALL celebrations. A few hours before Noche Buena the fish fillet was fried and paired with your garlic mayo dip and a your marble potatoes with olive oil and rosemary went into the oven.
Just like the previous year, almost everything on our spread was from your great blogsite!
Merry Christmas Ms. Connie and thank you very much for sharing your GREAT recipes!
@natzsm Oh my goodness. That’s a lot! But then you have a huge family with the in-laws coming over so you can consume all of that. :)Glad you like my food for the gods recipe.
edit:
I made YOUR version of TIRAMISU.
Its looking very good, I must try the same on my coming week end, but please let me know what is Triple Sec?
@msubham It’s a cocktail mixer. You can Google it. :)