Christmas is a time to celebrate, be merry, socialise with friends and family and feast on delicious Christmas dinners. Plan your Christmas dinner menu in advance and serve up these delicious recipes.
Roasted Beetroot and Pistachio Salad
You’ll Need:
- 6 medium beetroot
- ½ c. shelled unsalted pistachios
- 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
- ⅓ c. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 bag baby greens and herbs mix
- ¼ c. crumbled blue cheese
- ¼ c. packed fresh mint leaves
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Arrange beetroots in single layer on large sheet of foil and wrap tightly. Place in shallow glass or ceramic baking dish and bake 1 hour or until tender when pierced with tip of knife. Unwrap and cool. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/2-inch chunks. Meanwhile, place pistachios in small baking pan; bake alongside beets 4 minutes or until golden and toasted. Cool completely in pan.
- Prepare dressing: In small bowl, with fork or wire whisk, mix vinegar, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until blended. In thin, steady stream, whisk in oil until blended. In medium bowl, combine beets and 2 tablespoons dressing. In large serving bowl, toss greens with remaining dressing until coated. Top with blue cheese, pistachios, and beets. Tear mint leaves over salad.
Recipe: Good House Keeping
Barbeque Stuffed Pork Loin
You’ll Need:
- 50g butter
- 3 rashers Primo middle bacon, rind removed, finely chopped
- 1/2 small brown onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 (70g) cup chopped unsalted macadamia nuts
- 1 large granny smith apple, peeled, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 5kg rolled pork loin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- Apple sauce, to serve
Method:
- Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion has softened. Add macadamias. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until macadamias are golden. Remove from heat. Stir in apple, breadcrumbs, parsley and rosemary. Preheat barbecue on high with hood closed.
- Remove string from pork. Unroll. Place on a board, skin-side down. Slice crossways through the thickest part of the meat without cutting through to skin. Open pork out to form 1 large piece. Press stuffing, in a wide row, on cut side of loin. Roll up pork to enclose stuffing. Tie with kitchen string at 3cm intervals to secure. Rub with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Place in a large, disposable foil baking dish.
- Cook pork, with hood down, using indirect heat (see note), for 20 minutes. Reduce barbecue temperature to medium. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes using indirect heat or until juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into centre. Remove pork. Cover with foil. Stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with apple sauce.
Recipe: Taste.com
Spice Roasted Carrots
You’ll Need:
- 8 large carrots
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. packed fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- ⅓ c. roasted salted pistachios
Method:
- Preheat oven to 230 degrees C.
- In roasting pan, toss carrots with oil, oregano, paprika, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast 1 hour or until tender but not falling apart. Transfer to serving platter. Drizzle with butter and vinegar and garnish with pistachios.
Recipe: Good House Keeping
Cranberry-Vanilla Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting
You’ll Need:
Cake
- 3 c. cake flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- salt
- 1 c. butter or margarine
- 2 c. granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1¼ c. low-fat buttermilk
Filling
- 1 bag fresh or frozen cranberries
- ⅓ c. apricot jam
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Garnish
- ¼ c. water
- ¾ c. granulated sugar
- 1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
Frosting
- 2 c. heavy (whipping) cream
- 1 c. confectioners’ sugar
- ⅓ c. crème fraîche or sour cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottoms of 3 (8-inch) cake pans with parchment paper. Grease sides of pans and parchment. Into large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- In large mixer bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; alternately add buttermilk and flour mixture, beating well after each addition.
- Divide batter evenly among pans; smooth tops. Tap pans firmly against counter. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; remove pans and peel off parchment. Cool completely. Cakes may be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature up to 1 day.
- In 3-quart saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, apricot jam, and cinnamon. Cook on medium 8 to 10 minutes or until most berries burst, stirring often. Transfer to bowl; refrigerate until cold.
- In 1-quart saucepan, combine water and 1/4 cup sugar. Heat to boiling on high. Stir in cranberries. Cool completely, then drain. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar on plate. Toss berries in sugar to coat. Place on wire rack; let dry 1 hour.
- Place 1 cake layer on cake stand; spread half of filling on top. Repeat with another layer and remaining filling. Top with third layer.
- With mixer on medium speed, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low; add confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Spread frosting all over cake. Garnish with sugared berries. Cake can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 day. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe: Good House Keeping
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