Time Saving Christmas Recipes while on Holiday
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400g mushrooms, sliced
- 12 mini croissants
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup or 140g Gruyere cheese, grated
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- Salt and pepper
- With butter, grease a large casserole dish.
- In a large non-stick pan, heat oil and sautee mushrooms for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly golden brown
- While mushrooms are cooking, partially split the croissants, being careful not to cut all the way through. Stuff croissants with the spinach and most of the cheese, leaving ½ cup aside. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish and arrange with cut sides facing up (like hot dog buns). Divide mushrooms among the stuffed croissants.
- Beat eggs with milk and ½ tsp salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour evenly over the croissants before sprinkling remaining ½ cup cheese on top. Cover dish with foil and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, but ideally overnight.
- An hour before breakfast, heat oven to 190C. Bake with foil on dish for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 25-30 more minutes, until eggs are puffed and just set.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 6 medium red onions, finely sliced
- 5 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 100g cranberry sauce
- 1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 2 x 320g sheets of pre-rolled puff pastry
- 300g soft goats cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 200C
- In a non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and cook onions over low heat for 20-25 minutes until softened and lightly brown. Add vinegar and cranberry sauce, and simmer for 5-10 minutes while stirring until most liquid has evaporated. Allow to cool.
- Put sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss with remaining olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Arrange on baking trays and cook for 20 mins, turning halfway, until lightly browned and soft in the middle. Allow to cool.
- Reduce oven to 180C.
- Line two large baking trays with baking paper and neatly unroll puff pastry, trimming the edges.
- Leaving a 2cm gap around each edge, spread onions over the pastry, followed by sweet potato and goats these. Brush the beaten egg around the border of the pastry. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is golden.
- Cut each tart into quarters, garnish with thyme, and serve with a leafy salad!
INGREDIENTS
- 400g golden caster sugar
- 400g can of condensed milk
- 140g salted butter, chopped in pieces
- 1 tsp vanilla essence or vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp coffee liqueur (amaretto or brandy also work well)
- Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper
- In a large heatproof bowl, stir together the sugar, condensed milk and butter, with a generous pinch of salt.
- Heat the mixture on high in the microwave for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. It will bubble up as it cooks to roughly double its size, but keep an eye on it to ensure it does not bubble over the sides.
- Add the vanilla and liqueur to the mixture and whisk together. Heat on high for another 2 minutes.
- The mixture should be caramel-coloured and thick. Scrape it into the prepared tin and set aside for about an hour until cool and firm. Slice into small squares or rectangles.