Not everyone spends months preparing for Christmas. Some only have a few days, if not only the actual day, to cook a meal. Here are a few quick and easy meals to serve on the 25th that will impress even the most discerning diners.
PRAWN DELIGHT
There’s no shame in buying the main part of your meal ready-made and sprucing it up at home. Buy a bag of fully cooked, ready-to-eat small peeled prawns and jazz them up with a delicious drizzle.
To create the drizzle, combine ½ cup soya sauce with 1 T sesame oil, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, 1 chopped fresh chilli, grated ginger and 2 cloves crushed garlic.
Drizzle over 800 g cooked prawns and toss with cucumber ribbons and fresh coriander.
Serve the prawns with slices of toasted baguette scattered with a little lime zest and sea salt.
There are many other easy recipes that make use of ready-cooked prawns. Here are a few:
THE MAIN EVENT
Cooking a turkey is a task that some of us just don’t have the time or energy for, but if you’re keen to take the plunge and put in a little work to cook a whole turkey from scratch, here’s how to become a turkey expert!
Turkey, like any meat, can tend to be a little dry and flavourless if not cooked properly.
Stuffings can make a world of difference to the final product, adding flavour, texture and moisture to your Christmas creation.
For an essential side to any turkey dish, see our how-to guide to perfecting Christmas roast potatoes.
HERE ARE SOME GREAT IDEAS FOR STUFFING
Once you’ve worked your magic and are ready to serve, you need to carve the bird perfectly. Here are a few quick tips to help you ensure that your turkey looks as good as it tastes.
There are lots of other ways to make Christmas dinner stress free. There’s no harm in even buying your entire Christmas meal ready-made, what with all the good quality produce available.
Why not try a roast chicken and mushroom pie and make a yummy modern Caesar salad to go with it? Or how about having a go at making a herbed vegetable and feta bake?
Many people still love a roast leg of lamb as the star of the Christmas table. Surprise your guests with a delicious free-range deboned lamb leg roast. There are many different ways to prepare lamb; here are a few to get you inspired:
Because of our warm climate, South Africans often celebrate Christmas with a fish dish rather than a rich roast. Why not try buying frozen salmon portions and prepare them in any way you like?
Here are a few suggestions:
SIMPLE SIDE DISHES
It’s quick, easy and affordable to buy ready-made Christmas side dishes, plus it will give you extra time with the family. Here are some great sides available from Woolies:
Make at home: Spiced carrot and cashew salad or Warm cauliflower and green olive salad
THE PERFECT PUD
Made with minimal effort but delivering maximum wow factor, ice-cream puff pastry towers are sure to impress. Simply roll out a sheet of buttery puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut two circles, one larger than the other.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 10 minutes, allow to cool, then stack with flavoured ice cream and frozen yoghurt, a scattering of summer berries and a good dollop of double cream.
MORE YUMMY DESSERT RECIPES:
Or have a look at our readers' alternatives to the traditional Christmas pud.
Download our exclusive step-by-step guide to the perfect Christmas banquet.