Best-ever Christmas Recipes!

Tarted Up Berries by Chelsea Winter

This tarted up berry dessert looks a million bucks, but it’s super simple and you can prepare the pastry and creamy topping in advance.

Serves 6 | Prep time 20 minutes | Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 punnets fresh berries – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries, blackberries etc.
400g block flaky puff pastry (or two pre-rolled sheets)
1 free range egg, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp milk
1 ¼ cups thick Greek yoghurt (or try coconut yoghurt)
1 ¼ cups chilled cream, whipped to soft peaks
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla paste or essence

Click here for the full recipe.

Strawberry, Lime, Cucumber & Mint Infused Water

Jazz up your daily hydration with this infused water. Strawberries add a little sweetness, while cucumber, mint, and lime make the water taste so refreshing and bright!

Serves 6 | Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 punnet sliced strawberries
1  sliced cucumber
2 limes, sliced
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
Ice cubes
Water

Method

In a 8L drink dispenser, layer the strawberries, cucumbers, lime slices, and mint leaves with the ice cubes. Fill jar or pitcher with water. Let chill for 10 minutes, and then enjoy!

Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Drizzle

Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Drizzle are perfect bites of freshness. Enjoy this healthy appetizer recipe year round!

Serves as many as required | Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup balsamic vinegar
cherry or grape tomatoes
mini mozzarella cheese balls (could use regular sized ball cut into bite-sized pieces)
fresh basil leaves, cut in half if large
salt & pepper
toothpicks

Method:

Bring balsamic vinegar up to a boil in a saucepan, then lower heat to medium and simmer until it’s the consistency of very thin maple syrup, about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let cool.

Cut tomatoes in half. Thread a mini mozzarella cheese ball, basil leaf (fold in half if large) and a tomato half onto a tooth pick. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, then drizzle cooled balsamic reduction on top.

Oven-Roasted Cranberry-Dijon Glazed Ham

Ain’t nothin’ better than an oven-roasted glazed ham!

Serves 16-20 | Cooking time approx 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients

2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5-6 pound cooked ham

Method

Combine cranberries, water, and honey in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat.

Stir occasionally for about 4-5 minutes, until most of the cranberries have popped.

Add dijon mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper.

Continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened some and is syrupy. Remove from heat.

If you have an immersion blender, use it to puree the sauce. (If you don’t, transfer the mixture to a regular blender. Leave the top of the blender vented (to allow steam to escape) and cover with a towel. Blend it up until smooth.)

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Prepare a roasting pan with a roasting rack so that the ham doesn’t cook in it’s own juices (you want a nice crispy bottom, no soggy ham bottoms please.)

Place the ham on the roasting rack and use a sharp serrated knife to score the ham diagonally.

For the rest of the method click here.

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Granita

Serves 12

Ingredients

½ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
pinch sea salt
200 grams dark chocolate (62% cocoa), finely chopped
¾ cup cream, very softly whipped

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Bacon makes everything better… right?

Serves 10 | Cooking time 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus (20 stalks)
10 pieces of center cut bacon
*Any quantity is fine, you just want to make sure you have half as many whole strips of bacon as you do asparagus.

Method

Wash asparagus and pat dry. Trim off the woody stem – usually the bottom 2 inches.

Slice strips of bacon down the center so you have two long, thin pieces.

Wrap the bacon around the asparagus and place on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the oven (with the oven rack on the upper middle slot), then turn it on to 200 degrees C. The bacon wrapped asparagus should be in the oven during the preheat phase.

Bake for a total time of 20-25 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp.

Serve immediately.