Are you hosting your loved ones for Christmas dinner this year? Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of putting together the festive meal? Put your fears aside, we have some wonderful Christmas feast ideas to share with you. So grab a glass of bubbly and read about how you can make your Yuletide celebrations a resounding success, especially when shopping for your ingredients at Wildsprout!
The Spirit of Christmas
For young children, Christmas is something quite magical. It comes with festive lights, Christmas songs, baking smells, beautifully wrapped presents, a decorated home – and Santa! As adults, we come to appreciate and look forward to this time for different reasons. Christmas is a time where families try to come together, differences are put aside and of course – delicious food abounds. The tree looks beautiful and we all love presents, but what we look forward to the most is the Christmas food. I mean, what is Christmas without a stunning feast shared with family and friends?
If someone was asked to describe Christmas using colours, I guarantee that they would choose the colours red and green first. These are traditionally the colours of the festive season and what better way to decorate your feast table, than with food that follows the theme. This is easy to do as these colours abound in the fruit and vegetable world. Keeping to this theme we’re going to break our menu into starter, main and dessert courses and will give you some ideas of how to produce tasty and decorative feast dishes which will delight the entire table.
Sumptuous Starters
They say that we eat with our eyes first and I couldn’t agree more. If something doesn’t look appetizing, we are unlikely to put it on our plate, let alone in our mouths. Starters are meant to whet the appetite, not fill you up. They get the digestive juices going to prepare for the larger main course, so try to avoid anything too rich. As we spend a great deal of our Christmas day socialising it may be an idea to serve your starter as a canape or finger food and there are a wealth of ideas to try.
Make a delicious sushi Christmas tree, bake up some brie bites with cranberry jelly or present a salmon salad wreath using the leafy greens, fresh herbs, microgreens and tasty radishes available at Wildsprout. This last recipe is in keeping with the red and green colour theme. When served with thin slices of sourdough or rye bread available from the Wildsprout bakery section, it makes the perfect light starter for your guests.
Meaty Mains
What is a Christmas feast without something meaty, be it a tasty beef or pork roast, a succulent turkey or meat substitute nut loaf? Something with substance is most certainly required. Traditionally there is a good variety available too. Try making the ever traditional glazed gammon / ham, using Chaloner Canadian Maple Syrup available at Wildsprout. Alternatively, try your hand at a herb-roasted turkey using fresh herbs and rubs from the Wildsprout pantry and deli. If you want to go for a more South African meat dish and braai, rub some Good Life Organic Dijon Mustard onto your fillet, wrap it in foil, and bake it on the braai or in a Weber.
Cooked to perfection, your meats now need the perfect accompaniments. Roast potatoes are not even negotiable, so try seasoning them with herbed salts like those in the Funky Ouma range or sprinkle them with grated parmesan for a cheesy alternative. Carrots come up as the second most popular vegetable at Christmas feast tables, but don’t just boil them, try something new like roasting them with honey and fennel or try Jaime Oliver’s Ultimate Carrot recipe with thyme and clementines. You can always combine all of your veggies into a roasted medley of delightful flavours; potatoes, carrots, parsnips and broccoli, seasoned with herbs and lemon zest. When it comes to vegetables, the sky’s the limit and recipes to tempt any appetite are available on the internet. Lastly, don’t forget a well-seasoned stuffing for your turkey and of course, gravy for your meat dishes!
Delicious Desserts
There is so much preparation that goes into a Christmas dinner, that by the time you get to the desserts, one is tempted to just put some ice cream in a bowl and pour over the hot chocolate sauce. Fear not, dessert need not be as big a deal as you think. You can prepare tasty moreish desserts in no time at all and your guests will be begging for more.
Why not present your guests with a beautiful dessert platter by making a deconstructed pavlova. You can buy all of the ingredients beforehand and just put them together on the platter on the day. Introduce your festive colours with ramekins filled with bright red berries, kiwi fruit and fresh mint leaves. Layer some mini meringues, an assortment of nuts and some ice cream. Select your favourite De Villiers chocolate slab and break it into pieces and sprinkle over the top for an extra touch of decadence!
And if you’re really not in the mood to make dessert we’ve got you covered with Christmas cakes and Christmas brownies that are gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free. Just add custard, cream or ice cream!
Family, Friends, Feast & Festivities
Whatever you choose for your meal this year, it will be just perfect when you make it with love. Wildsprout has a host of ingredients available in-store or online to make your feast shopping an enjoyable experience and to cater to all dietary needs too. Be inspired, get into the festive spirit, pour a glass of bubbly and choose your favourite recipes for your family Christmas feast this year.