10 Easy and Elegant Recipes For A Stress-FREE Christmas

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Holidays are  times when we can be with our loved ones, share good laughs, eat great food, and do good works for other people. With the Christmas fast approaching, many are busy with gwe gift giving and homemakers are now busy thinking of what to put on their table. It must be delicious, special, presentable, and easy to do.

Let us simplify your work and share with you 10 easy and elegant recipes for a stress-FREE Christmas.

via thehealthychef.com

1. Holiday Hens with Fig Glaze and Cornbread Stuffing

source: cookingchanneltv.com

Serves: 4 / Preparation: 25 minutes / Cooking: 1 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried California figs, pitted and roughly chopped


• 1/4 cup honey


• 2 tablespoons lemon juice


• 3 cups warm water


• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar


• 1 stick unsalted butter, for the glaze


• Kosher salt


• Freshly ground black pepper

Stuffing

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 small onion, finely chopped


• 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves


• 1/4 pound loose sweet Italian sausage


• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 4 cornbread muffins, torn into pieces, or 1/2 loaf cornbread, cubed (about 2 cups)


• 1 cup rehydrated dried figs, roughly chopped


• Salt


• Pepper


• 1/2 egg, lightly beaten


• 1/4 cup heavy cream


• 1/2 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought


• 4 Cornish game hens, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each


• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature


• Kosher salt


• Freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
   


2. Begin by re-hydrating the figs. In a large mixing bowl add the figs,honey, lemon juice and cover with warm water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 to 25 minutes until the figs are tender and soft. Strain the figs and reserve the liquid - as this will be the base for the glaze.
   


3. To make the stuffing, heat a little extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat and gently saute the onions with rosemary. Add the sweet Italian sausage and continue to saute until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. When done, scrape it all into a large mixing bowl, add the cornbread pieces and figs and season well with salt and pepper. Give it a good toss until it's well combined. In a separate bowl,whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and set it aside while you work on the hens.
   


4. Wash and clean the birds. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and fill with stuffing. Dot the top of each bird with butter and season with salt and pepper. Lay out on a roasting tray and pop into the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. While they are roasting, set the fig liquid over medium-high heat and add balsamic and butter. Reduce until syrupy and baste the birds with 10 minutes to go. When done, an instant-read thermometer should registers 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

2. Mixed Green Salad

source: delish.com

Serves: 12 / Preparation: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 red grapefruit


• 1/4 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil


• 2 tablespoon(s) minced scallions


• 1 tablespoon(s) white-wine vinegar


• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt


• 1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper


• 8 cup(s) torn butter lettuce


• 6 cup(s) baby spinach


• 1 can(s) (14-ounce) hearts of palm (see Tips & Techniques), drained and cut into bite-size pieces


• 1/3 cup(s) dried cranberries


• 1/3 cup(s) toasted pine nuts (see Tips & Techniques)

Procedure

1. Remove the skin and white pith from grapefruit with a sharp knife. Working over a bowl, cut the segments from their surrounding membranes. Cut the segments in half on a cutting board and transfer to a large salad bowl. Squeeze the grapefruit peel and membranes over the original bowl to extract 1/4 cup grapefruit juice.


2. Whisk oil, scallions, vinegar, salt and pepper into the bowl with the grapefruit juice.


3. Add lettuce, spinach and hearts of palm to the salad bowl with the grapefruit segments. Just before serving, toss the salad with the dressing until well coated. Sprinkle cranberries and pine nuts on top.

3. Smoked Salmon Soufflés

bbcgoodfood.com

Serves: 6 / Preparation: 30 minutes / Cooking: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 40g butter


• 25g plain flour


• 300ml milk


• 85g Philadelphia cheese


• 2 tsp chopped dill


• 3 large eggs, separated


• 85g smoked salmon, chopped


• zest ½ lemon


• To serve


• 6 tsp crème fraîche


• 2 large slices smoked salmon


• dill sprigs

Procedure

1. Put the butter, flour and milk in a pan and cook, stirring over the heat until thickened. Stir in the cheese, in small spoonfuls, and the dill; season to taste, then beat to incorporate.


2. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter 6 x 150ml soufflé dishes and line the base with baking paper. Stir the egg yolks into the sauce, add the chopped salmon and lemon. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then carefully fold into the salmon mix. Spoon into the dishes and bake in a tin half-filled with cold water for 15 mins until risen and golden. Cool; don’t worry if they sink.


3. To freeze, cool completely, then overwrap the dishes with baking paper and foil. They will keep in the freezer for 6 weeks. Thaw for 5 hrs in the fridge.


4. When ready to serve, very carefully turn the soufflés out of their dishes, peel off the lining paper and place on squares of baking paper. Top with the crème fraîche and bake for 10-15 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 until the soufflés start to puff up. Quickly top each with a frill of salmon and a dill sprig. Serve on their own or with some dressed salad leaves.

4. Brown Butter and Dill Brussels Sprouts

source: delish.com

Serves: 4 / Preparation: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound(s) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered


• 1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter


• 1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil


• 3 tablespoon(s) slivered almonds, toasted (see Tips & Techniques)


• 1 tablespoon(s) white-wine vinegar


• 1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried


• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt


• 1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper

Procedure

1. Bring 1-inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add Brussels sprouts, cover, and steam until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling often, until the butter turns a nutty brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir in oil and scrape into a large bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the Brussels sprouts, almonds, vinegar, dill, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

5. Pears With Blue Cheese and Prosciutto

source: realsimple.com

Serves: 8 / Preparation: 10 minutes / Cooking: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett), each cut into 8 wedges


• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice


• 1 cup arugula


• 3 ounces blue cheese, cut into small pieces


• 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, toss the pears and lemon juice.


2. Layer a slice of pear, an arugula leaf, and a piece of cheese on a piece of prosciutto and roll up.

6.  Easy Wreath Cake

bbcgoodfood.com

Serves: 10 slices / Preparation: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 x 18cm square or 20cm round Christmas cake (see 'Goes well with', below)


• a few fresh cranberries


• 1 egg white, frothed with a fork


• 3 tbsp white caster sugar


• 3 tbsp apricot or raspberry jam, warmed and sieved


• 300g marzipan


• 500g pack fondant icing sugar, sifted


• small bunch sage


• small bunch bay leaves

Procedure

1. Dip the cranberries in the egg white, then roll in caster sugar a few times until well coated. Leave to set (or use glacé cherries instead, even easier and no need to frost with egg white). Brush just the top of the cake with a little jam. Roll out the marzipan to slightly larger than the top of the cake, lay on top of the cake, press down and trim flush to the edges of the cake.


2. Mix a dribble of water at a time into the fondant icing sugar, until it’s a smooth, stiff consistency that won’t run. Pile on the top of the cake. Push to the edges with a palette knife so it eases down the sides a little. Make a wreath from the sage and bay, then add a few of the frosted cranberries (or glacé cherries if using instead).

7. Roast turkey with sage & onion butter and Marsala gravy

thestar.co.uk

Serves: 8 with leftovers / Preparation: 20 minutes / Cooking: 4 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 7kg/15lb 4oz fresh turkey


• 2 onions, halved


• 1 lemon, quartered


• 75g soft butter


• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage


• 2 tbsp plain flour


• 200ml marsala wine or Madeira


• 400-500ml/14fl oz-18fl oz hot chicken stock


• 1 tbsp cranberry jelly

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3-4 and place the turkey in a large roasting tin. Tuck 3 of the onion halves and the lemon quarters into the cavity and season. Cover with foil, make sure there’s plenty of space between the turkey and foil for the air to circulate and seal the edges tightly so that no steam escapes. Roast for 4 hrs.


2. Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining onion half, and mix with the butter and sage. Take the turkey out of the oven and raise the temp to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Brush the sage and onion butter all over the turkey and return to the oven, uncovered, for 45 mins until crisp and dark golden. If you’re making the roasties, then start them in the oven when the turkey goes back in, uncovered.


3. Transfer the turkey to a warm serving plate, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 30 mins. Tip the juices out of the pan into a bowl, leave for a moment to settle, then scoop the buttery oil from the surface into a separate bowl. Spoon 2 tbsp of this oil back into the tin and return to the heat.


4. Stir the flour into the tin using a wooden spoon, scraping the residue off the bottom of the tin as you go. Cook for 2 mins, then stir in the Marsala or Madeira and bring to the boil. Make the reserved turkey juices up to 500ml using hot chicken stock and pour into the tin. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few mins, then add cranberry jelly. Keep warm until ready to serve.

8. Potted Salmon Rillette

source: bbcgoodfood.com

Serves: 4 / Preparation: 10 minutes + 2 hours chilling / Cooking: no cook

Ingredients

• 100g cream cheese


• 100g crème fraîche, soured cream, double or whipping cream – or a mixture of all your leftovers


• 100g smoked salmon trimmings, half diced, plus extra to decorate (optional)


• 2-3 tsp creamed horseradish


• lemon wedge


• few dill sprigs, to decorate (optional)


• melba toast, crackers or toasted rye bread, and a few leaves, to serve

Procedure

1. Put the cream cheese, the leftover creams, 50g salmon, 2 tsp horseradish and a small squeeze of lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Whizz until smooth, then scrape into a mixing bowl. Fold in the remaining salmon, then taste – add another tsp horseradish if you like, plus seasoning if needed. Divide the mixture between 4 small ramekins and chill for at least 2 hrs.


2. Before serving, decorate the rillettes with a spiral of salmon or a few dill sprigs, if you like. Add a pot to a plate with a few leaves and some crunchy Melba toast, or similar, and serve.

9. Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin With Cherries

source: realsimple.com

Serves: 6 / Preparation: 15 minutes / Cooking: 75 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 2-pound piece boneless pork loin
  1/2 teaspoon ground allspice black pepper


• 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped


• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped


• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard


• 6 slices bacon


• 1 tablespoon currant jelly


• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Season the pork with the allspice and 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet.


2. In a small bowl, combine the cherries, parsley, and mustard. Spread evenly over the pork. Lay the bacon slices crosswise over the pork, overlapping them slightly and tucking the ends underneath. Roast for 45 minutes.


3. In a small bowl, combine the jelly and vinegar. Brush over the bacon and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer registers 150°; F, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

10. Twisty cheese straws

source: bbcgoodfood.com

Serves: 24 / Preparation: 10 minutes / Cooking: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 100g cream cheese


• 2 tbsp fresh pesto


• 320g sheet puff pastry


• a little flour, for dusting


• 1 egg, beaten

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the cream cheese and pesto into a bowl and mix well.


2. Unroll the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut in half lengthways. Spread the pesto mix over one half, pop the other piece of pastry on top to create a sandwich, then cut in half lengthways to create 2 long rectangles. Divide each rectangle into short strips, about 1cm thick. Twist each pastry strip and place on a baking tray lined with parchment.


3. Brush with egg and bake for 20-25 mins until risen and golden brown.

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