The Festive Kitchen - Share A Recipe

[Angela_L]

Do you have a favorite festive recipe to add to our festive menus? Traditional, not so traditional, hot or cold, regional or all your own creation … let’s share.

This recipe is a firm family favorite and It’s great because it can be made a day or two before and gently reheated with no last-minute bother. It is a perfect accompaniment to venison, goose or pork (and if you have any left over it does wonders for bangers and mash).

Delia Smith’s totally different Christmas recipes:
Traditional braised red cabbage with apples

SERVES 10-12

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg (2lb 4oz) red cabbage

• 450g (1lb) onions, chopped small

• 450g (1lb) cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped small

• 1 clove garlic, chopped very small

• ¼ whole nutmeg, freshly grated

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons wine vinegar

• 15g (½oz) butter

• Seasoning

You will need: A large casserole with a tight-fitting lid

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2. First, discard the tough outer leaves of the cabbage, cut it into quarters and remove the hard stalk.

Then shred the rest of the cabbage finely, using your sharpest knife (although you can shred it in a food processor, I prefer to do it by hand because it doesn’t come out so uniform).

Next, in a fairly large casserole, arrange a layer of shredded cabbage and some seasoning, then a layer of chopped onions and apples with a sprinkling of garlic, spices and sugar. Continue with these alternate layers until everything is in.

Now pour in the wine vinegar and lastly add dots of butter on the top.

Put a tight lid on the casserole and let it cook very slowly in the oven for 2-2½ hours, stirring everything around once or twice during the cooking.

Red cabbage, once cooked, will keep warm without coming to any harm and it will also reheat very successfully.

And yes, it does freeze well, so all in all, it’s a real winner of a recipe.

Extracted from Delia’s Happy Christmas by Delia Smith,

NB My twist? I add Port …

[Joanne]

@Angela_L what a great idea-thanks for sharing. We all have different levels of cooking skills, taught to us beginning in our youth. I was the oldest daughter of six children, and learned my way around a kitchen at a very young age. By the time I was 12, it was my responsibility to cook dinner for the 8 of us, when I came home from school each day. So, in this past year of my retirement life, I’ve finally chosen (after 50 years) to step out of the kitchen and cook a lot less. Here’s my easy peasy go-to appetizer that is yummy and quick, and the ingredients also travel well (to be prepared upon arrival)

One can of small shrimp (or fresh If you’d prefer)
One package of cream cheese (soften at room temperature)
One bottle of cocktail sauce
One box of crackers

Put the cream cheese on the plate, form/spread into any shape preferred
Pour the cocktail sauce over it
Open the can of shrimp and spread over the top of the cocktail sauce
Add crackers to the plate
Enjoy!!!

[Angela_L]

@Joanne you must have known that I’m having a very small gathering for drinks tomorrow evening, with very little time to spend in the kitchen and a husband who bypasses that room on his way to anywhere, except to eat this will be a great addition to the table … THANK YOU!!

Now all I need to do is mix up some cocktail sauce, et voila!!

[Amparo]

Ha ha I’m with @Joanne!
All the years in the kitchen are now what’s good and simple. Traditions have changed as it’s just me now and always out somewhere wonderful.

So here is a recipe just came in the mail from a local vendor that looks like a bit of fun.

[Joanne]

@Angela_L so pleased you can use the recipe. Too funny about your husband!!! I actually taught Roger to cook and both of our children are amazingly creative chefs in the kitchen. I’ve decided it’s ok to let all the rest of the family cook for me now, and I’m happy to be on clean up duty

[Angela_L]

My childhood story is similar to yours (cooking wise) although not that many siblings just parents who worked and no M&S Food Halls, food halls of any description or deliveroo, that was the milkman!

Haven’t quite managed the kitchen family delegating … still working on that one, they bat it back with "But you’re such a good cook … " works every time, they probably know that

[Smiley]

That’s great Angela but I just couldn’t be bothered to do all that prep and cooking for spiced cabbage

[Angela_L]

It’s really quick and easy @Smiley …

Food processor does all the slicing and dicing, building is a doddle, the oven takes care of the rest.

[CreatureCuddler]

something a little different that looks festive and tastes yummy:

Apple and Pomegranate Salad

3-4 large granny smith apple, diced
1 large pomegranate, deseeded
a couple ounces of crumbled bleu cheese (optional)
balsamic glaze (optional)

Quantities are all subject to personal taste. as is the cheese. the balsamic glaze you can make or buy and just mix the rest of the ingredients and drizzle the glaze on top. it makes a lovely sweet/tart/salty combination that also looks pretty and is super easy.

[Angela_L]

I must try this @CreatureCuddler it sounds absolutely delicious … thank you SO much for sharing

[Angela_L]

Found a pic … makes me want to try even more

[Dace]

Here’s a recipe for a sugar-free Christmas pudding which I have used for years and everybody loves it because it is not too sweet. I’ve made it as late as a couple of days before Christmas so there’s still time. It’s from the Patrick Holford website: Saying No to sugar at Christmas | Health and Nutrition Advice on Patrick Holford.com

Sugar-free Christmas Pudding

Makes 1 x 1 3/4 pint pudding; serves 8

Ingredients

• 450g/16oz dried mixed fruit (go for organic and check that there is no added sugar)
• 80g/3oz breadcrumbs (use Kamut® bread or rye bread if you cannot eat wheat, or millet, brown rice or quinoa flakes if you are gluten intolerant – available from health food stores)
• 80g/3oz ground almonds
• 40g/1.5oz chopped nuts (pecans, almonds and hazelnuts work well)
• 80g/3oz butter (or dairy free alternative) (for those watching their waist lines, use only 40g/1.5oz butter plus a mashed banana)
• 1 medium Bramley apple, chopped finely
• 2 eggs
• Juice of one orange (or 3 tbsp brandy if you are feeling decadent)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Half tsp grated nutmeg
• Half tsp mixed spice
• Half tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Mix together the dried fruit, nuts and breadcrumbs (or flakes), and rub in butter.
2. Add the chopped apple and fruit juice.
3. Beat eggs well and stir into the mixture with the spices.
4. Add any lucky coins (well wrapped in greaseproof paper – not aluminium foil – to prevent metal poisoning).
5. Place in a buttered 1 3/4 pint pudding basin and make a cover with 3 layers of greaseproof paper.
6. Steam for 4 hours and a further hour when you are ready to eat it.
7. Serve with natural yoghurt or cream.

[Angela_L]

Ooooh @Dace this sounds delicious and I have family members who will now be able to enjoy Christmas pudding.

Thank you for sharing!!

[Amparo]

This is nice. Just one question what is “waistline”?

[Françoise-et-Youn]

@Angela_L : This is a perfect recipe for some-one house-sitting in a house with an Aga !
Love that recipe.
Thant you for the personal tip !
My tip to that recipe (yes I admit I have an Aga AND a book from Delia - a gift I was offered 25 years ago when I was jeune fille au pair in England !!) : add some pomegranate molasses !

[Angela_L]

I LOVE an Aga … my other half (who doesn’t cook BTW) views an AGA as a very costly storage heater, although he loves the food produced on one

Must try the molasses too … thank you

[Françoise-et-Youn]

Does that birthday cake means it is your birthday today @Angela_L ???
BTW, maybe a strike on meal prep would help to decide your other-half-who-doesn,'t-cook ?? (strike is always a good solution, believe my french opinion !).
We are actually dog-sitting in a place with an Aga : it is a “total control” and it doesn’t heat full time… so this storage-heater story is fake !

Oh I realise it is our 4th Christmas and New year’s sitting and 3 out of 4 have been with Aga (the other one was in Portugal !)… I think we have a trend !!

[Angela_L]

Thank you @Françoise-et-Youn … as I said I love an Aga, we’ve enjoyed one on many sits over the years.

Yes it is indeed my birthday …

Christmas “babies” often have non birthdays as the main event usually takes over.

[Amparo]

Happy Birthday Beautiful Lady!

[Françoise-et-Youn]

Happy birthday to you then @Angela_L !
Of course christmas babies deserve a proper birthday, and I hope you have been celebrated as you should today. with and and lots of and maybe a ?