Skip to main content

Final Food Preparations for the Big Day

Final food preparations for the big day

With seven sleeps left till Christmas (eeek!) there's a lot to think about and a lot to prepare for this spectacular Monday we have ahead of us. Let's face it, the main thing that's on our mind is the food, how will it all come together? How will it be on time? Is my goose/turkey basted, rested and loved enough? Do not worry, I have written a small guide on how to tackle these daunting questions to make your Christmas day magical.

For the next few days I would say continue your festivities however that may be. Mine include drinking a lot of mulled wine, wrapping presents, eating fondue (or any cheese), giving secret santa gifts, decorating the house, and going to as many Christmas markets as possible. 

- Saturday and Sunday will probably be the main shopping and cooking days. On Saturday I'll be going cheese buying to prepare an amazing cheese board for the day. We normally go to Paxton and Whitfield since it's an occasion but during this period any supermarket will have a lovely selection. Along with the cheese we pick up our other food: turkey/goose, sprouts, ham, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, sausage stuffing, chestnuts.. whatever you have to eat. 

- Sunday will probably be a day of food preparation if you have the time. I would say aim to do as much prep as possible so that you have less to think about on Christmas day and can enjoy lots of bubbly without the stress. For the cooking of the meat and stuffing I would say do whatever you normally do, there's usually some instructions on the packet. Rather than writing out how to cook a whole Christmas lunch I've included a few of my favorite recipe's. 

1) Brussel Sprouts:
Boasting a bad reputation I would argue that these are an essential part of Christmas dinner and they can be made delicious. 
To jazz them up I stream them, then fry them with butter, maple glazed bacon, chilli flakes, garlic and lime juice. I know this doesn't sound traditional but it makes them so tasty and indulgent and could probably sway sprout haters. 

2) Braised red cabbage:
Another member of the farting family. This is something you can prepare the day before and it is a real crowd pleaser. Chop the cabbage and roast it for two hours on a low heat. All you need is red wine vinegar, a cooking apple, onion, garlic, all spice, sugar, salt, pepper and some water to make this melt in the mouth side dish. 

3) Smoked salmon Pate:
salmon pate is a light and refreshing way to kick start the meal. You'll need smoked salmon (duh), half a lemon, creme fraiche, a pinch of salt, pepper, one tsp of horseradish and a quarter of a red onion. Put all the ingredients in a blender including some lemon zest as well as the juice. Blend and taste, adding more lemon, pepper, salmon, onion if you need to. Serve with bread or crackers and enjoy with a glass of prosecco. 

So, those are three of my favorite Christmas day recipes and can all be prepared the day before- you just need to reheat the sprouts and cabbage. The food makes Christmas for me and you can get really creative with it, so don't be afraid to play around with the classics and add a bit of heat, a drop of booze or a twist of lemon. 
Merry Christmas!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chilli Con Carne

I love Chilli Con Carne, for me it's one of the ultimate comfort foods for when I'm feeling blue at Uni. It's really easy to make and doesn't cost too much either and you can get really creative with how you make it. Ingredients:  -1 pack of beef mince meat - 2 white onions - 4 cloves of garlic - 1 carton of passata  - 1 tin of red kidney beans - salt and pepper - garlic powder - smoked paprika - regular paprika - ceyane pepper - cumin powder - one cube of beef stock - red wine  Side options:  - avocado - red onion - fresh coriander - cheddar cheese - sour cream Method:  - Start by chopping your onions and put them in a frying pan on a low heat. Mince the garlic and add in.  - When the onions have softened add the mince meat and put some salt and pepper on it.  - Once the meat is cooked chuck the passata in and start to season with the garlic powder, ceyane pepper, cumin, paprika and a little bit of s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Recipe of the week: 5 less obvious essential ingredients

5 less obvious essential ingredients Rather than doing a recipe of the week this week I've decided to write a list of five ingredients that I think are absolute essentials and that aren't the classic salt, pepper or garlic! I think when cooking it's good to have an understanding of what flavors you really like and for those who are less confident it can be handy knowing about some other ingredients that are out there. So at number one we have garlic powder In my eyes this is an absolute must for the cupboard. It's cheap and you can buy it in big bags so you'll be stocked up or a while. I love this ingredient as it gives a lovely garlicky depth to sauces, almost a bit like stock but without the saltiness. I typically use this when I make curries, chilli con carne or garlic mayo. Sometimes it's just the thing that's missing. Two:  Cayenne Pepper For all spice lovers, this ingredient is your friend. Make sure you taste as you go along as it pack...
Post a Comment
Read more

London

London means a lot of things to me. It's where I grew up Hornsey It's where I am now Hornsey It's where I want to live in the future North London It's where I've found some of the most amazing people A ll over It's where I've found some of the worst people All over It's where the majority of my friends are Haringey, Tottenham, Bethnal Green, Muswell Hill, Newcross, Hackney etc...   It's where people are always moving to All over It's where my favorite photography gallery is Oxford Circus It's where my favorite museums are Bloomsbury and Kensington It's where my favorite art is Grafton Street and the Tate Modern It's where I have so much more to explore South London It's where I know best Green Lanes, Finsbury Park, Islington, Moorgate,  Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia etc...  It's where my favorite green spaces are Ally Pally, Regents Park, Primrose Hill  It's where my favorite food is Kings Cross, Shoreditch, Isl...
Post a Comment
Read more