Yummy Food Ideas & Recipes For Christmas Parties

You need some different recipes to punch your Christmas party – make it sweet as well as continual in eating. Here are such spice sweet wonderful recipes.

Poached pear, pomegranate & Cardamom cream.

Ingredients: 4 mini ripe pears.

½ bottle red wine.

1 lemon.

1 orange.

¾ cup sugar.

1 tsp vanilla.

1 cinnamon stick.

4 cloves.

¾ tsp ground cardamom.

2 slices fresh beet.

½ cup pomegranate seeds.

CARDOMOM CREAM:

¼ – 1.2 tsp ground cardamom (to taste).

2 tbsp. sugar.

½ tsp vanilla.

1 cup heavy whipping cream.

• In a small pot, combine the wine, zest from ½ an orange, the juice from the lemon and orange, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and beet slices. Bring to simmer and stir to allow beet slices to infuse.
• Add the pears and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, gently stirring and turning the pears to get uniform coloring. Simmer until they’re easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 25 minutes depending on the size of the pears. With a slotted spoon, gently transfer the pears to individual plates. Strain the liquid and return to the stove, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened and syrup and reduced by two-thirds, about 15 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the pears. Garnish with pomegranate.
• CARDAMOM CREAM: place all ingredients in a mixer with whisk attachment and whisk until stiff peaks form, or for a work out, whisk by hand in a mixing bowl. Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Store any unused portion in an airtight container for up to 10 hours. When ready to use, re-whisk for 10 to 15 seconds.
• TIP- Play around with using different spices and flavorings, like star anise, pink peppercorns, juniper berry, or ginger. Remember to taste your poaching liquid, for balance, pink peppercorns, juniper berry, or ginger. Remember to taste your poaching liquid, for balance, sweetness and flavor. If the poaching liquid doesn’t taste good, your pears won’t either.
• Makes 4. Preparation: 30 min. cooking time: 45 min.

Cranberry Pot Roast.

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp. olive oil.

1.1kg chuck roast.

1 tsp salt.

1 tsp pepper.

1 lge red onion.

1 carrot

1 celery.

340 g bag fresh cranberries (or 4 cups).

2 tbsp. fresh thyme.

1 cup ruby port.

2 cup beef stock.

4 tbsp. sugar.

• Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
• Heat oil in an oven-proof Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Rub chuck roast with salt and pepper on all sides, and brown all sides well. While meat is browning, dice the onion, carrot and celery.
• Once meat is nicely browned on all sides, set aside on a plate.
• Add onion, celery and carrot, turn heat to medium and sauté until they soften, about 6 minutes.
• Add cranberries, port, beef stock, sugar and thyme, and give a stir.
• Nestle meat into the middle, bring to a simmer, cover tightly and place in the oven.
• Bake for 3 hours. Meat should be fork tender, and cranberry port sauce, reduced.
• Serve over horseradish mash potatoes with a little cranberry sauce over top.
• Serves 4. Preparation: 20 min. cooking time: 3 hr.

Grilled Chickpea Seekh Kebab Wraps.

Ingredients. 1 ½ tbsp. vegetable oil.

1 medium red onion, half finely chopped and half finely sliced.

2 tsp ginger, finely chopped.

2 good cloves garlic, finely chopped.

400 g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed.

1-2 tsp green chilies to taste, finely chopped.

3 tbsp. red capsicum, finely chopped.

20 g cheddar cheese, grated.

1 tsp cumin powder.

1 tsp garam masala.

1 tsp dried mango powder.

3 tbsp. gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Salt and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

2 small fistfuls of chopped fresh coriander.

1 rounded tbsp. butter, soft or melted.

Large skewers, soaking in water as you cook.

To serve: 6 tortillas/thin gluten-free flatbreads.

8-10 iceberg lettuce leaves.

Small fistful of chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves.

½ lemon.

250g thick Greek yoghurt.

• Mash or blend the chickpeas until they are a coarse puree. Heat the vegetable oil in a small non-stick frying pan and add the chopped onion and some salt; cook until soft and then golden. Add the ginger, garlic and chili and stir fry over a gentle flame for 1 minute or until the garlic is just cooked. Add the cumin and garam masala with a splash of water and cook until here is no moisture left in the pan and you can see the mixture frying in the oil. Add this to the mashed chickpeas, along with the fresh coriander, dried mango powder, cheese, capsicum and the gluten-free breadcrumbs. Mix well together, taste and adjust the seasoning to taste. Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile stir the handful of chopped mint and coriander into the yoghurt along with salt and pepper to taste. Marinate the sliced onions in a good squeeze of the lemon juice.
• Roughly portion the kebab mix into 6 and with slightly oiled hands, form the seekh kebabs around the skewers, you can make these round or slightly flattened. Preheat your grill setting in your oven, place the skewers on oiled foil and place about 25 cm away from the hot grill. Cook for 10 minutes, carefully turning half way, or until browned on both sides.
• Place the breads in foil in the oven to heat through for the last 3-4 minutes before the kebabs come out. Brush the cooked kebabs with the butter (they will be dry and quickly absorb fat). Quickly ease the kebabs off the sticks and place straight on the breads, top with the onions, lettuce and yoghurt wraps and serve.
• Serves 6. Preparation: 15 min. cooking time: 20- 25 min.

BY SANGITA MAITY