Chef Kelli's holiday-inspired gifts and recipes

(WJBK) - Chef Kelli has some holiday-inspired gifts and recipes -- and just in time.

Festive Everything Salmon (serves 8-10 as a platter for snacking or 4-6 as an entrée )

1 Side of Salmon skin intact

Crust
• Dried chopped onion~ 4 TB
• Dried chopped garlic~ 3TB
• Black & white sesame seeds~ 2 TB each
• Coriander ~ 1 tsp
• Caraway 1tsp
• Dried Thyme~1/2 tsp
• Kosher Salt 12 TB
• 1 TB Black pepper
• Bagel crumbs ¾ cup (grind dried or stale bagel or bagel chips) Panko bread crumbs would be a good substitute

Method
1. Season Salmon with sea salt & pepper
2. Combine all crust ingredients then sprinkle on salmon and gently pat down. 
3. Roast salmon side in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until flesh is firm and cooked through.
4. Serve with horseradish cream and or whipped herb cream cheese

Holiday Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin (serves 6)

• 3 pork tenderloins
• 10 pieces  bacon

Brine
• ½ cup apple cider
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 cup water
• 6 TB kosher or sea salt
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 clove
• 3 pepper corns

Method
1. Heat liquids and add sugar and spices. Stir and let cool. Pour over pork tenderloins and let marinate over night
2. Working from end to end, twist bacon around pork tenderloin securing with a tooth pick as needed.
3. Sear pork tenderloin in a hot sauté pan with a little olive oil or butter
4. Remove from pan and roast in 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes until pork reaches 125-130 degrees.
5. Let rest for 5 minutes then slice into 2 inch medallion portions
6. Arrange on plate and ladle pan sauce oven the pork

Mustard Honey Sauce

• ¼ cup dried cherries
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup and 2 TB Dijon mustard
• ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

Directions - Sauce
1. In small sauce pan heat cherries and white wine then reduce liquid by half; add remaining ingredients and continue to simmer for 5 minutes over low heat
2. Remove from heat and season with sea salt and a pinch of cayenne

Culinary Inspired Holiday Gifts

Inspired Culinary Gifts Could Include:

• Assorted Chocolate Bark
• Chocolate Dipped Pretzels
• Sugared Or Spiced Nuts
• Flavored Marshmallows
• Chocolate dipped dried Fruits 
• Flavored Butters
• Infused Liquors
• Flavored Popcorns
• Seasoning Mixes
Don’t forget; bags, bows, packaging and labels!

Peppermint Marshmallows

Ingredients
• Vegetable oil for brushing pan
• 1 cup water, divided in two
• 3 (1/4-ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• ½ cup crushed peppermint candy ( dust) grind hard peppermint in food processor or find small chips at bakery/ craft store
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 10 or more drops of red food coloring
• About 1 cup confectioners' sugar for coating marshmallows
Equipment
9-inch square metal baking pan
Stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment
Candy thermometer

Method
1. Brush bottom and sides of metal pan with some vegetable oil.
2. Put 1/2 cup water in bowl of stand mixer and sprinkle gelatin over it. Stir it briefly to make sure all the gelatin is in contact with water and let it soften while making the syrup.
3. Heat sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup water in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring.
4. Put thermometer into syrup and continue boiling, without stirring, until it registers 240°F (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat and let stand until bubbles dissipate.
5. With mixer at low speed, pour hot syrup into gelatin in a thin stream down side of bowl. Increase speed to high and beat until very thick and the mixture forms a thick ribbon when beater is lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in peppermint.
6. Quickly scoop about two-thirds of still warm marshmallow into another bowl. Add the red food coloring to the remaining one-third marshmallow and beat it to combine.
7. Working quickly, fill the prepared pan with alternating dollops of the white and pink marshmallow (it will be very sticky), then sprinkle candy “dust” over top and swirl a knife through the mixture to marble it. Smooth the surface with dampened fingertips. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until surface is no longer sticky and you can gently pull marshmallow away from sides of pan with your fingertips, 2 to 3 hours.
8. Using a sieve, dust a cutting board with confectioners' sugar. Use a spatula to pull sides of marshmallow from edge of pan, then invert onto cutting board. Dust top with confectioners' sugar. Cut lengthwise into 8 strips, then crosswise into eighths, to form a total of 64 squares.
Package in Clear bags with a festive red bow

Candy Cane Fudge
• 4 & 1/2 cups Bitter chocolate chunks
• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt ½ cup crushed candy canes or starlight mints 
Method:
1. Line 2- 8 inch square pans with parchment pepper
2. In small saucepan combine chocolate chunks and condensed milk. Cook over low heat and stir the entire time until chocolate is melted
3. Add butter, salt and vanilla, stir until butter has melted
4. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pans and sprinkle with crushed candy canes then press candy cane down gently into fudge.
5. Chill for a few hours and then cut into 1 inch squares

Chocolate Chunk Banana Nut Bread Baked In a Jar

This traditional banana bread features an ingenious twist: it is baked in a canning jar! Such a fun and unique presentation makes it perfect for gifts

Ingredients
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 2/3 cups white sugar
• 4 whole eggs
• 2 cups mashed bananas
• 2/3 cup water
• ½ cup chocolate chip chunks
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans

Method
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease insides of 8 (1 pint) straight sided, wide mouth canning jars.
2. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, bananas, and water. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add to banana mixture. Stir in nuts & chocolate chunks/chips.
3. Pour mixture into greased WIDE MOUTH pint jars, filling 1/2 full of batter. Do NOT put lids on jars for baking. Be careful to keep the rims clean, wiping off any batter that gets on the rims.
4. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, sterilize the lids and rings in boiling water.
5. As soon as cake is done, remove from oven one at a time, wipe rims of jars and put on lid and ring. Jars will seal as cakes cool. Place the jars on the counter and listen for them to "ping" as they seal. If you miss the "ping", wait until they are completely cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn't move at all, it's sealed.
6. Jars should be eaten immediately or kept sealed in refrigerator for up to a week.

2-Uniques Peppermint Bark

Ingredients
1 pound white chocolate confectioner's coating or white chocolate chips
1-pound dark chocolate confectioners coating or semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 ounce bag star-brite mints (crushed)

Method
1. Melt dark chocolate over a double boiler saucepan on low heat stirring often (do not over heat)
2. Melt white chocolate in over double boiler on low heat stirring often (do not over heat)
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment
4. Pour a layer of dark chocolate and then stripes of white chocolate reserving ¼ cup of melted white chocolate. Pull a knife through to marble.
5. Sprinkle crushed mints on top.  Dip the tines of a fork into reserved white chocolate and drizzle over top of bark.
6. Let harden or freeze. Break into bit-sized pieces.