Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!
Today, I have something special for you! I create a complete menu for your Christmas lunch or dinner!
These holidays are gonna be really different for all of us this year! For example, it’s the first time for me, after a long time, that I do not work on Christmas time at the restaurant! Too weird! However, I hope all of you are safe and healthy! Let’s be brave, active, happy and creative! This Christmas is an opportunity to cook for our family and friends and to give joy and happiness to those we love!
I create for you some easy, festive and delicious treats for your Christmas lunch or dinner! The menu consists of one salad, one appetizer, one main dish with side and one dessert! Let’s start!
1.Christmas Salad
Green Salad with Roasted Rainbow Carrots, Mushrooms, Homemade Croutons & Creamy Sauce!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 lettuce
- baby leaves spinach
- baby leaves rocket
- baby leaves mesclum mix
- 5-6 rainbow carrots (yellow,purple,orange)
- 3-4 mushrooms (champinion brown)
- 4 slices of toast bread
- salt pepper
- olive oil
- oregano
- paprika
- thyme
- rosemary
For the sauce:
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
- 1 tbsp greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 or 2 tbsp of milk
- salt
- pepper
- chives
Instructions:
- Wash and dry all the leaves for the salad and set aside.
- Boil the carrots for 4-5 mins, pour them in cold water fast and revome the skin. Then, heat up a pan with butter and olive oil and saute the mushrooms and the carrots, until become gold and add some fresh herbs.
- For the homemade croutons: cut the slices of toast bread in small cubes, marinade them with olive oil and herbs and bake for 15-20 mins at 160 degrees.
- For the sauce: in small bowl, mix all the ingredients and a bit of milk in the end, until become a smooth, flavor, soft white sauce.
- Build your salad, in a large bowl, pout the green, then the croutons, a bit of olive oil, the roasted veggies and the sauce on top. Ready!
2. Christmas Appetizer
Oh! Cheesemas Tree!
Ingredients:
- 200g blue cheese
- 200g italian hard cheese
- 200g spicy cow cheese
- some raspberries
- some nuts
- fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 slices of proscuitto
- pink pepper grains
- some dried cranberries
Instructions:
- Cut all cheeses into small cubes and cut some of them with the heart-shaped and star-shaped cookie cutter. Start create your Cheesemas tree: 1)on the bottom put some rosemary sprigs, 2)put some italian cheeses on top, 3)then some raspberries, contuine with some cranberries, 4)rosemary, 5)then some spicy cheeses, 6)slices of proscuitto, 7)cassius, 8)then blue cheese, 9)rosemary sprigs, 10)and then one star-shaped cheese on top. Sprinkle with pink pepper and some star-shaped and heart-shaped cheeses.Ready!
3. Christmas Main Course
Crispy Roasted Garlic Chicken & Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pine Nuts
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 4 chicken legs
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- olive oil
- butter
- water
- salt
- pepper
- dry thyme
- dry rοsemary
- paprika
- turmeric
- dry oregano
- fresh oregano
For the wild rice:
- 400g wild rice
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/4 green apple
- 1 green onion
- some pine nuts
- some cranberries
- some cassius
- white wine
- 1 stick lemongrass
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500 ml water or chicken broth
- salt
- pepper
- chives
- 2 tbsp parmezan
Instructions:
- In a baking pan place the chicken legs with all the herbs and spices, olive oil and water and bake for about 45 mins at 180 degrees.
- At the same time, you can prepare the rice. Heat up a pan, put butter and oil, then saute the onion, lemongrass and the garlic for some minutes.
- Add the rice and saute them, until veggies become soft and the rice becomes brown.
- Next, pour the white wine, water, seasoning and let it boil for about 20 minutes.
- Taste it and if its not ready add more water and cook it for 10 mins more. If it’s cooked, put the rest of the ingredients: green onions, green apple, pine nuts, cassius, cranberries, chives and parmezan. Ready!
4. Christmas Dessert
Chocolate Lava Cakes with Bailey’s Sauce & Pistachios!
Ingredients:
- 170g high quality semi-sweet chocolate
- 115g unsalted butter
- 31g all-purpose flour
- 60g confectioners’ sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
For the Bailey’s sauce:
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tbsp Bailey’s
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- topping: grated pistachios
Instructions:
- Prepare 6 muffin pan cups. Grease each muffin cup with a little non-stick spray and a dusting of cocoa powder before filling with batter. This preparation helps the baked lava cake release seamlessly from the muffin onto the plate for serving.
- Preheat oven to 218°C.
- Place butter into a medium heat-proof bowl, then add chopped chocolate on top. Microwave on high in 10 second increments, stirring after each until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- the eggs and egg yolks together until combined in another small bowl. Pour the eggs and the flour mixture into the bowl of chocolate. Slowly stir everything together using a rubber spatula. The batter will be slightly thick. Spoon chocolate batter evenly into each prepared muffin cup.
- Place muffin cups onto a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until the sides appear solid and firm– the tops will still look soft.
- While, your chocolate lava cakes are cooking, you can prepare the sauce and the pistachios. For the sauce: heat up a small pot and add the heavy cream and butter, when these are warm, add the sugar, Bailey’s and the vanilla and whisk well until become a soft white cream. Also, rub the pistachios.
- Remove the cakes from the oven. If you used a muffin pan, use a spoon to release the cakes from the pan and place each upside down on plates.
- Add toppings (Bailey’s sauce and pistachios). Serve immediately. Ready!
Don’t forget to tag us #foodenyo on instagram, if you remake some of our recipes! We’d love to see your recreations!
Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!
Foodenyo
