Party food can be healthy, too. In fact, during the festive season, it’s important to have a few recipes up our sleeves that are fancy enough to be invited to a holiday party while balancing the season’s excess. While “tartare” generally refers to finely chopped meat (often beef) that is served raw, this recipe is all about smoked salmon, which is brined and cured in salt before being smoked at a low temperature. Its finished texture is soft, supple and smooth, which makes for a luxurious winter canape.

Salmon tartare is a perfect multitasking appetizer: It’s fresh, salty and bright with citrus. It’s also rich in protein, B vitamins and calcium, and it's low-fat to boot. To serve, dress it up and serve on brioche toasts, or keep it more casual and spread on crostini. In this recipe, it’s dolloped on whole-grain cocktail rounds for a slightly heartier texture. It’s also wonderfully versatile: Assemble the tartare up to one day in advance and serve any leftovers on breakfast toast or spooned over greens for a light lunch.

When preparing the tartare, finely chop the salmon and onion in similar minced size. I prefer to do this by hand with a knife rather than use a food processor, which can create a pasty texture if overprocessed. Taste as you go, and don’t skimp on the herbs. Each mouthful should be fresh, juicy and bright. And if you are celebrating, go ahead and pour some bubbles -- it’s the party season, after all.

Smoked Salmon Tartare Canapes

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Makes about 1 1/4 cups or 10 to 12 canapes

10 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Whole-grain cocktail rounds

Freshly ground black pepper

Dill sprigs for garnish

Lemon wedges and slices for garnish

Finely dice the smoked salmon and transfer to a bowl. Fold in the onion, yogurt and lemon juice. Add the dill and chives and gently stir to combine; feel free to add more herbs to your taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

To serve, mound heaping tablespoons of the tartare on whole-grain cocktail rounds (or crostini or mini brioche toasts). Generously season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve garnished with additional dill and lemon, if desired.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Do you need a holiday timeout? When we are in the eye of the storm, aka the lull between Thanksgiving and December celebrations, it helps to step off the conveyor belt of planning, cooking, baking and entertaining. Take a break and fix something easy, healthy and decidedly not holiday-inspired. Make a fragrant warming curry and call it a culinary break.

I use the term “curry” loosely since this recipe is hardly authentic. An authentic curry consists of a mountain of whole spices and aromatics, carefully and lovingly toasted, ground, sauteed and coaxed to create a potent paste that forms the base of a stew, which simmers for an ample amount of time to infuse its flavor. (I highly recommend doing this, by the way, but suggest you wait until after the holidays.)

This yellow curry rendition gets its name thanks to a generous shortcut dump of curry powder into the soup, which, in the category of quick meals, does the trick. It’s a healthy soup, brimming with vegetables and thickened with coconut milk, and it’s a one-pot wonder, prepared in about 30 minutes. During a month of roasts, bakes, sauces and icings, this soup is a spicy and refreshing hiatus, guaranteed to warm and restore before you get back to the business of planning and making that big holiday dinner.

Curried Chicken Stew

Active Time: about 35 minutes

Total Time: about 35 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 to 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot, sliced 1/4–inch thick

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, chopped

1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press

1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (not light)

2 cups coarsely chopped curly green kale, Tuscan kale or spinach leaves (tough stems removed)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

1 red or green jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot in one layer without overcrowding. Cook over medium heat until the chicken colors on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. (The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point. It will continue to cook when added to the stew.)

Add 1 tablespoon oil and the onion to the same pot. Saute over medium heat until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and peppers and saute until the carrot brightens in color and the peppers begin to soften, about 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the curry powder, cumin and coriander, stirring to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spices for about 15 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale or spinach. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the leaves wilt, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the 1/4 cup cilantro and taste for seasoning.

Ladle the curry into bowls. Garnish with additional cilantro and the jalapeno slices. Serve with basmati rice.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

If you celebrate Christmas, when do you get your tree? We wait until the week before Christmas to get ours. It’s important that our tree is fresh and not dry for the holiday, because we celebrate Christmas Danish-style: by lighting live candles on the branches. Live candles are traditional on Nordic Christmas trees. It may sound risky, but when closely managed, it’s quite safe and rewarding for its beauty.

The candles are inserted in special weighted holders perched on the branches, and the flames self-extinguish once the candles melt down to their base. It’s a magical sight, traditionally first done on the eve of Christmas, or julaften, which is celebrated with a big holiday dinner.

We break Danish tradition in our home by lighting our tree candles the weekend before Christmas. This way, we can open our home to friends to enjoy the experience, which has become its own tradition. Naturally, there is plenty of food and libations to go with the event. I load a table with platters of finger food, cheese and charcuterie, and of course, sweet treats such as these cookies.

The ginger and spice in the cookies go well with glogg (spiced mulled wine), which I make in a large pot swimming with orange peel, cinnamon and cloves. Once the sun sets and darkness creeps in, we turn down the lights and light the candles. A hush envelops us as we gather around the tree, entranced by the flickering flames casting a soft glow that illuminates the tree and warms the room.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Makes about 36 cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

1/3 cup finely diced candied ginger

Sanding or demerara sugar for sprinkling

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, salt and cloves in a bowl to combine.

Cream the brown sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in the candied ginger. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two rimless baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Arrange on baking sheet and gently flatten. Sprinkle with the sugar. Bake the cookies until set and crinkled on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and cool.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS