Constructing a supercharged Christmas Day is not as laboured or time-consuming as you might think. From your first mouthful of spicy nuts to your last gulp of eggnog, I’m going to ensure that all your Christmas needs are covered and then some. You’ll have your guests eating out of your hand with a delicious banquet of healthy, satisfying, easy-to-prepare dishes. Supercharging your festive season is the perfect way to combine family festivities and full tummies, with limited food-overs the next day.
Don’t be too restrictive with your eating — if you can’t indulge at Christmas time when can you? If you’re on a special diet, you can eat, drink and be merry. With a few basic modifications to the traditional menu, it’s easy to come up with recipes everyone can savour. Discovering new ways to use fresh, unadulterated ingredients can be fun and in no time you’ll be making beautiful, health-promoting seasonal dishes.
If you’re cooking for others, here are a few tips for creating a supercharged Christmas Day.
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About a week before, plan your menu and check recipes, ensuring ingredients are suitable for guests. If using store-bought ingredients, check the labels to ensure there are no hidden ingredients. The words “all natural”, “added spices”, “natural colourings and flavourings” and “maltodextrin” can signal ingredients that can be disastrous for people who can’t tolerate gluten, additives and preservatives.
Activated nuts can be made in advance and will stay crunchy for the Christmas holidays and beyond. On my blog, I have a guide on how to activate nuts along with some yummy recipes.
For cracker and dip options, why not make buckwheat and herb crackers and team them with dairy-free pesto, tahini or guacamole? You can also slow-bake crunchy sea salt and apple cider vinegar almonds a few days earlier.
If you’re planning on cooking a traditional turkey, why not bake it with the stuffing on the outside or flavour it with your own stuffing? Combine crushed nuts or brown rice or quinoa with celery, onion, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, sage, an egg yolk, chicken stock, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
If you’ve decided to ham it up, remember to check the label before buying commercial ham glazes: many packaged glazes contain chemical additives, preservatives and gluten. Try the Christmas Ham recipe below, which I roll out every year. It will knock your guests out with its intense, exotic flavour and tenderness.
When it comes to dessert, a good option is to pre-bake a lemon flan or pumpkin pie and serve it with dairy-free ice-cream or mock or cashew-nut cream.
Chicken Liver Pâté
Serves: 6
Cooking time: 20 mins
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Gluten-free Glazed Christmas Ham With Rosemary
Serves: 8
Cooking time: 3 hrs
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Gluten-free Mince Pies
Makes: 12
Cooking time: 20 mins
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Servings
Prep time
Cook time
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 500g chicken livers
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp grated lemon zest
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Generous pinch grated nutmeg
Method
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan and sauté chicken livers and onion over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until livers are lightly browned with no pink remaining, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a food processor, add remaining ingredients and season well with freshly ground black pepper. Process until smooth and fluffy. Transfer to a small pot, cover with a lid and put in the fridge to chill before using, to allow the flavours to blend. Serve with gluten-free crackers or alongside vegetable sticks.
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