It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
The year has flown by, and what a year it has been!
To ring in the Christmas season, and bid adieu to 2020, here are some good eats to look forward to as the season ramps up. And if you like, we have thrown in some easy recipes for you to create, and enjoy.
The Christmas Turkey
Turkey usually takes centre stage at Christmas celebrations. While it goes very well with chestnut stuffing, any other stuffing will do, too.
Eaten with generous lashings of gravy, and dollops of cranberry sauce, this is a firm family favourite.
Thinking of trying your hand at a roast turkey? This recipe is a winner. If turkey is not your thing, a roast leg of lamb, beef or grilled whole salmon would be a good call too.
A helpful hint; leftover turkey makes for delicious pies or Devil Curry.
Buffet of Sides
The variety of sides to accompany your pièce de résistance is up to you. Get creative with garlic mashed potatoes, roasted root veggies, or scrumptious Brussel sprouts.
Pair those with a tureen of thick, creamy pumpkin, or mushroom soup served alongside platters of thick, crusty bread, slathered with garlic butter. The incorporation of wine into your mushroom soup is optional.
A helpful hint: garlic butter is a great kitchen staple. You can use it to marinate meat, stir fry vegetables, or slather it on atop corn on the cob.
Salads And Such
It is true that Christmas fare makes for a rich and tantalising feast. To counterbalance that, the addition of a festive salad, like this Pomegranate Pear Salad makes for a zesty alternative.
In the absence of Bartlett pears, use Forelle pears instead.
The Christmas Cake
Christmas isn’t Christmas without the Christmas cake. Loaded with fruit and nuts, and cured with generous helpings of brandy, nothing compares to it.
For fuss-free serving, the cake can be cut into bite-sized pieces, then wrapped in coloured cellophane paper. Alternatively, for a statement piece, the cake is covered with a layer of marzipan, before it is topped with royal icing.
The Christmas Pudding
Similar to the Christmas cake, the Christmas pudding is another traditional staple.
It is a richer and denser version of the Christmas cake. While non-alcoholic versions are available, the ones with brandy are the best.
Usually served as a dessert to the Christmas meal, it is doused with a good helping of brandy before being set alight, and served. It can be eaten on its own, or with a brandy custard sauce.
Sri Lankan Love Cake
This one is slightly off the beaten track and is a rare offering nowadays. If you chance on one, do not miss it!
Originating from Sri Lanka, this cake is full of cashews, sugee, and delicately scented with rose water. One piece is never enough
Panettone
Panettone is a cake-like bread, filled with candied fruit. While it is an Italian tradition, it has taken root here.
Panettone can be bought plain, or in a variety of flavours, from chocolate to lemon. While it can be snacked on its own, it tastes heavenly with Zabaglione sauce, which is a creamy custard sauce, infused with Marsala wine.
When this sweet bread arrives on our shores (hopefully), give it a try. It’s delicious.
Eggnog
Nowadays, this delectable drink can be store-bought, but nothing beats whipping up one for some festive cheer. There are non-alcoholic versions, although the original one does contain generous helpings of either rum, bourbon, or brandy.
If you would like a hand at eggnog, this simple recipe is worth a try. You can substitute brandy with any other alcohol of choice, or take it off entirely.
Minced Pies
Minced pies are filled with a delightful mix of apple, dried fruit, candied peel, and spices, wrapped up in a melt-in-your-mouth pastry. Although the filling is called mincemeat, it does not, in fact, contain any meat.
If you would like to try your hand at minced pies, this is an easy recipe. For the mincemeat filling, Robertson’s Mincemeat is a good choice, and available at leading supermarkets.
Alternatively, pick up a box, or two the next time to visit your local supermarket or the M&S store. They come in alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions.
Gingerbread Everything
Whether it is houses, men, cookies or cakes, ’tis the season for gingerbread. Grab a selection for family, and friends, and enjoy. Gingerbread goes great with tea or coffee, or just on its own.
In colder climes, gingerbread men, and cookie cutouts are hung on Christmas trees as decorations.
Candy Canes
Another staple during the Christmas season is the candy cane. Originating from Cologne, Germany as far back as 1670, its popularity has gained traction in recent years with an assortment of colours and flavours, to suit every palate.
Wrapped tightly in cellophane paper, they make colourful additions to decorations around the house or hung on Christmas trees.
Hot Chocolate
What makes hot chocolate extra special over Christmas is the addition of marshmallows into the hot, frothing mix, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. For those who like peppermint, Peppermint Hot Chocolate is a delicious alternative.
Hot chocolate pairs perfectly with gingerbread.
Christmas comes but once a year, and it is a season of sharing, and caring with family, and friends. What better way than with food, which brings people together, and nourishes both body and soul.
While this year may see more somber toned celebrations, we can still make it a Christmas to remember.