christmas menu recipes

Asparagus gratin ( for 4 people)

12 asparagus

6 pcs roast ham cut in half

3 oz cheddar

2 tsp mustard

1 1/2 oz plain flour

15 fl oz milk

breadcrumbs

flaked almonds

Preheat oven. Peel the asparagus and cook in boiling water for 4 mins. Now in a dish place the asparagus rolled in the ham. In a pan melt butter add flour stirring, milk , mustard and cheddar. Stir 2 more mins and place on top of the asparagus. Sprinkle bread crumbs and flaked almonds and bake till golden.

Roast Chicken

1.5 kg chicken

8 fl oz white wine

1/2 oz butter

8 fl oz chicken stock

for the stuffing: 1 oz butter

2 celery sticks finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried taragon

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp grated lemon rind

4 oz bread crumbs

1 onion finely chopped

Preheat oven 180 degrees celcius, in a pan melt 1 oz butter and cook onion till soft combine with it the herbs, rind, breadcrumbs and spoon into neck cavity. Place the chicken in a flameproof dish add the wine, stock & extra butter and cook for approx 1 and a half hours or till skewer comes out clear, basting frequently.

Rosemary potatoes

1 kg small old potatoes

5 springs rosemary

olive oil

sea salt & pepper

Preheat oven, peel potatoes and make deep diagonal cuts almost cutting right through. Strip rosemary from stalks and chop them. Place potatoes in a roasting tine sprinkle the roasemary, salt & pepper and olive oil abd bake approx 1 and a half hour or till golden brown and cooked through.

Braised Red Cabbage with apples

900 gr red cabbage

450 gr apples peeled, cored and chopped small

450 gr onions chopped small

1 clove garlic chopped small

1/4 whole nutmeg grated

1/2 tsp ground cinammon & ground cloves

3 tbs brown sugar

3 tbs white wine vinegar

10 gr butter

Preheat oven, cut cabbage in quarter and remove hard stalk and shred rest of cabbage. Next arrange a layer of cabage, chopped apples, onion, garlic and mixed spices and carry on till casserole is full. Add the vinegar and butter on top and cook very slowly for 1 and a half hours stirring around twice while cooking.

Spiced cheesecake

4 eggs

200 gr spiced biscuits

750 gr rikotta cheese

200 gr whipped cream

150 gr caster sugar

100 gr butter

vanilla essence

Crush biscuits & combine with melted butter. Line base of a hinged cake tin with buttered baking paper & pour mixture in it and leave in fridge. Blend cheese in blender and add sugar plus essence. Seperate eggs, blend yolks with cream add to cheese. beat the whitrs of 2 eggs only till soft peaks form add to cheese and pour into cake tin. Bake approx 1 hr or till firm.

hope you enjoy doing them and eating them just as much as I did.