Festive treasures

Christmas treasures

Out-of-the-ordinary ideas for your Christmas feast


Simplify is my mantra in the kitchen.

Even, or maybe especially so, on special occasions, like Christmas. Celebrating is meant to be social after all, and slaving away in the kitchen on your own is everything but.

Making things easier, better, or just more like you doesn't have to be complicated or difficult. Sometimes the solution is right under our nose, but we can't see it until we change perspective.

Here's an example... Like some, I used to be a Brussels sprout hater. Steamed Brussels wasn't something I would eat voluntarily, any time of the year. But then my vegbox subscription forced me to go looking for better ways of making them. I went into research mode (for me that means having fun browsing through my favourite cookbooks and sites) and learned that Brussels sprouts hate water and love fat, spices, and a bit of acidity to balance their bitterness. I have since tried them roasted with butter, cumin and harissa, sautéed with bacon, honey and balsamic, and stir-fired with miso and ginger. Guess what... no more sprout hating in my house! The trick is to avoid water, and be generous with strong flavours.

So whether your challenge is about making the bird roasting easier, coming up with a vegetarian centrepiece or a festive meal for two, or rustling up an easy side or one-of-a-kind salad... I suggest you have fun with the research and never dismiss the unusual solutions. I'm not a recipe writer, and I won't turn into one for this occasion, but I have put together a collection of my favourite resources and ideas for an out-of-the-ordinary Christmas feast here. Enjoy!

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ALL THE LINKS


START WITH A DIP (OR TWO)

Dips are a great way to rustle up some easy starters!
Yes, you can get them in any supermarket (and even at the gas station) but they will be so much better (and healthier) if you make them yourself and it's a lot of fun playing around with the flavours (well suited to making in advance too).
Take hummus as a 'concept' and improvise from there: https://www.theintuitivecook.co.uk/blog/hummus-concept


TURKEY SHORTCUT

If turkey is a must... do you really need to roast it whole? Roasting it in pieces makes everything soooo much easier (and less time consuming too).


DINNER FOR ONE OR TWO

A different way with chicken pieces from Nigel Slater, perfect for a smaller gathering. Simply amazing (and simple enough to make any weekday).


A WHOLE FISH

Roast a whole fish is my favourite way of cooking fish, and it looks the part too.
I just stuff the belly with garlic, lemon slices and herbs, and douse with olive oil, salt and lemon juice. When you can easily pull out the spikes across the back of the fish it's done.

A whole side of salmon also looks impressive.
Salmon needs punchy flavours to cut through the fatty flesh: I recently came across this genius idea in Nadiya Hussain's book 'Fast Flavours': salsa verde salmon!
This is my riff on the recipe: https://www.theintuitivecook.co.uk/blog/salmon-salsa-verde

VEGETARIAN CENTRE PIECES

Veggie dishes can easily steal the show and hold their own if you focus on flavours and colours (Anna Jones just has the best ideas here!)

a pie as a centre piece
http://www.annajones.co.uk/recipe/celebratory-celeriac-sweet-garlic-pie
http://www.annajones.co.uk/recipe/beetroot-tart

a nut roast
http://www.annajones.co.uk/recipe/the-best-ever-nut-roast-with-pistachios-and-cranberries

and a different take on nut roast
http://www.annajones.co.uk/recipe/seeded-pistachio-and-squash-galette

whole roast cauli
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/whole-roasted-cauliflower/
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/oct/24/whole-roasted-vegetable-recipes-squash-cauliflower-anna-jones-the-modern-cook

a colourful tray roast
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWYXHoEMrKK/

SIDES WITH A TWIST

  • Roast potatoes with a (Greek) twist
    Add some lemon juice and lemon zest to your potatoes before roasting. I like cumin and oregano too.
  • Technicolor mashed potatoes
    Impress the kids with purple, green or even blue potato mash (or several colours, even?)
    Add grated beetroot, pureed spinach, or mashed sweet potato to add colour to your mash.
    And yes, blue is possible too! (use red cabbage and baking soda)

And even more ideas for sides:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/dec/12/nigel-slater-christmas-side-recipes-potatoes-onion-gravy

http://annajones.co.uk/recipe/killer-christmas-sides


DESSERT

I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I'm the wrong person to advise on fancy dessert...but I occasionally love a not-so-sweet zero-fuss sweet treat.

Chocolate mousse the easy way (and it's healthy too!) https://www.theintuitivecook.co.uk/blog/choc-mousse

Greek yoghurt with honey and walnuts

Whipped yoghurt with cream, cocoa powder, maple syrup

Baked apples

  • carefully core apples, fill the hole with raisins and chopped nuts, drizzle with honey & cinnamon, top with a bit of butter, bake until golden
  • baked pears are lovely too!
  • serve with cream or ice cream

Fruit compote (stewed fruit)

Roughly chop fruit, gently simmer with a tiny bit of water, and as little honey/sugar as you can bear (you want to taste the fruit, not the sugar), put through a sieve for a finer result (more here).
Serve with cream, ice cream or Greek yoghurt.

  • stewed apple: cinnamon, vanilla and a squeeze of lemon
  • stewed rhubarb: ginger, vanilla and orange
  • stewed pears: maple and cinnamon


LESS WASTE

Most of the food we throw away is perfectly edible... (I should know... I eat out of date stuff from the shop most days!)

Freeze veggie scraps to make stock or stock paste
https://afarmofyourhome.com/scrap-vegetable-stock-paste/

Use the whole bird (and save the bones for making stock) 
This article refers to chicken but it applies just the same to turkey, duck or goose.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/nov/13/how-to-make-use-of-the-whole-chicken-with-virtually-zero-waste

    Don't throw away your cauliflower leaves
    Try this quick pickle instead: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CV-dgOhIDtQ (This also works with finely chopped broccoli stems or cabbage cores.)
    Pickles are great for adding some zing and some life to cloying over-rich flavours.


      Categories: COOK, EAT, EXPLORE

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