Christmas

bubble and squeak being served from a saute pan

Bubble and Squeak

Monday night’s dinner would not be complete without all those leftover roasties from Sunday chopped up and mixed with mashed potato and green vegetables all fried together. Cabbage and Brussels sprouts are particularly good done this way.

chesnuts

Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are a long-standing festive tradition. So is burning your fingertips and blowing on them madly to cool them down enough to eat. Immortalised in ‘The Christmas Song’ by Nat King Cole, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire …” they are part of Christmas tradition. Visiting Trafalgar Square in […]

festive filled brioche

Festive filled Brioche with Baked Camembert

This celebration festive filled brioche from Great British Bake Off’s Kimberley Wilson is perfect party food just made for sharing. This is a lovely recipe but is quite involved and needs a fair bit of preparation the day before. If family or friends are coming round and the clocks ticking […]

turkey crown with orange

Easy Roast Turkey Crown

Mary Berry’s roast turkey crown with orange and thyme. One way to make cooking turkey at Christmas less stressful is to not cook a whole bird. Whole turkeys can be difficult to store and can take a long time to cook. They are easy to overcook or undercook as different […]

sprouts in a bowl

Sprouts and Christmas, a British Love Affair

Sprouts and Christmas dinner, a great British tradition which divides opinion. Rather like Marmite you either love or hate them. Anyone who has had an overcooked soggy green ball on their plate knows what I mean. Perhaps “I’m a Celebrity” could use them in an eating trial? Modern stir-fry style […]

Christmas gravy

Christmas Gravy

Christmas gravy is a must for any festive roast. Our gravy is a long-standing family tradition and Christmas dinner would not be the same without it. It probably seems a lot of effort for some gravy, but a great gravy lifts any roast dinner. Make the stock ahead of time, […]

golden roast potatoes

Golden Crispy Roast Potatoes

Perfect golden crispy roast potatoes with a crunchy shell and soft fluffy insides. No roast dinner is complete without decent roast potatoes. When we have the family round for Sunday lunch, for instance, or a festive event there are never any leftovers. Clean plates all around. For anyone wanting seconds, […]

sprouts with chorizo and almonds

Sprouts with chorizo and almonds

Let’s face it, the small miniature cabbages we call sprouts are the cause of many a festive menu dilemma. Fortunately, this recipe saves us from past traumas with pan-fried sprouts complemented with chorizo and toasted almonds. The classic sprout of my youth, large, green, overcooked and smelling vaguely of rotten […]

roasted parsnips

Honey Roasted Parsnips

Golden honey roasted parsnips are a traditional accompaniment for roast turkey. Add some festive lift with some parmesan and chilli for a twist on a classic. Inspired by recipes from: