Festive cheer is spreading fast – Christmas lights are being switched on left right and centre, the hunt is on for perfect evening attire for all those Christmas parties and you can hear jingle bells on almost every TV ad. Let’s not forget the important prep you’ll be doing for Christmas dinner; if you’re looking for some top tips to make your Christmas dinner perfect, then read on as this week we’re talking sprouts and a veggie Christmas roast – yum!
Sprout Surprise
We all know the deal with sprouts – it’s a love or hate scenario and if you’ve got young ones sitting round the table this year then they probably fall into the latter category. So today we’re showing you a simple trick that will spruce up your sprouts and give them a tasty twist.
It’ll take you 20 minutes and the results are totally worth it. You’ll need:
- 300g Brussels sprouts with their outer leaves removed
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 crushed glove of garlic
- 60g smoked bacon or pancetta
- Salt and pepper, for seasoning
Shred your sprouts with a knife or a good processor. Take a large frying pan and heat up the pan with the butter. Add the chopped red onion then after a couple of minutes add the garlic. Then add the bacon or pancetta and cook for two minutes. Add the shredded sprouts and cook for 10 minutes until the leaves are cooked and smothered in the onion, butter and bacon. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Simple! And the little ones will love it, guaranteed.
Vegetarian Alternatives
Perhaps you’re cooking for a vegetarian this year? This might not seem as nightmarish as you initially thought. You just need to remember to serve food that complements the rest of the dishes you’re serving – somehow we don’t quite think Linda McCartney veggie sausages will cut it on Christmas day. Why not try this scrumptious Christmas roast that’s nut free and a delicious alternative to turkey.
It takes 90 minutes to make and an hour in the oven. You’ll need:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- All your veg needs to be finely chopped, including;
- A green pepper
- 2 leek
- 2 carrots
- 1 parsnip
- 2 shallots
- 2 celery sticks
- 350g Portobello mushrooms
- 1 egg, beaten
- 250g grated mature cheddar
- 100g dried breadcrumbs
Preheat your oven to 180°C / gas mark 4 and heat the oil in a large pan. Add all the vegetable apart from the mushrooms and cook together for ten minutes. Add your mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then, fold together your egg, 200g of your cheese and the breadcrumbs. Mix well and transfer to a greased, base lined loaf tin. Sprinkle this with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake this for one hour until the top is golden. Cool, then turn it out to slice and serve with vegetarian gravy.