Our Christmas family celebration was an undeniably delicious affair, note that I put the word "family" before celebration, because that's what I celebrate: my small family gathering and sharing beautiful food, truly magical 🌟!
Sourdough apple & cinnamon muffins - recipe testing!
🎄It's a wrap!🎄
This Christmas time was my most anticipated in the last few years, our grown up children still want to spend time with us around Christmas and that's huge!
I mean there are so many other ways they could spend Christmas: with friends or going on a winter sun getaway. So, I am grateful for their choice: it makes my heart full and I cherished every moment, despite the exhaustion of putting out dish after dish after dish and just being a mum!
It didn't go without a hitch though 🤣!
I had this whole cozy vision of our daughter Iggi decorating gingerbread cookies as she does every year, I even did a last-minute supermarket dash for red and black food coloring like my life depended on it. Listen, not a single gingerbread cookie was decorated! But she absolutely redeemed herself in the most delicious way, turning up with homemade applesauce, a proper tangy chutney, and a parfait chicken liver pâté that made us hover around the plate “just for one more bite.” And because we clearly needed something fresh to cut through all the rich bits, we made a light pavlova piled with mango and passionfruit, which totally hit the spot!
Mango & Passion Fruit Pavlova with Berry Coulis
Now we’re in that in-between week where the fridge is full, the cupboards are full, and nobody is in “big cooking mode.” So here’s the vibe for tonight!
🎄🍖Have some leftovers from your Christmas dinner 🎄?
Make The “Bits & Bobs Board” (no cooking required)
Use: crackers/toast, cheese, leftover roast slices, olives, nuts, fruit, something pickled/fermented, a dip (like this whipped feta).
Add a gut-friendly nudge: “something tangy” like fermented cucumbers, cauliflower (I made a few fresh jars this year), kimchi, quick pickled onions.
Make it feel intentional: a drizzle of olive oil, cracked pepper, lemon zest.
Pantry Pasta, but make it zingy (15 minutes) Base: pasta & olive oil, garlic and lemon. Add one of each:
Use: eggs and whatever veg is hanging around (or frozen spinach/peas), plus cheese. Add-ons:
leftover roast potatoes, veg or smoked salmon (check out my salmon omelette)
side salad with shredded cabbage & pickle juice (or vinegar)
any leftover pickles on the plate for crunch
Snacky Dinner Nachos (if you want cozy and fun)
Use: tortilla chips/pitta crisps. Top with: leftover meat or canned beans, cheese, jalapeños (or pickled anything), salsa. Serve with: shredded cabbage (or even leftover roast veg), lime/lemon and sour cream or yogurt.
Sneak peak!
Next on the list is New Year. It will be a quiet affair, nonetheless we will have gorgeous food! I am planning to make my traditional Boeuf Salad, think Russian Salad or Olivieh Salad and you won't go wrong. I make this salad around the holidays every year and it evokes memories of my childhood, so nostalgic and a bit of a 70's vibe. This salad fits in our flexitarian menu, a little meat and crammed with veggies. The cooked and cooled potatoes increased resistant starch has been shown to have benefits for your gut health, not to mention that I am also using naturally fermented cucumbers. Mum makes mayonnaise from scratch, watch this space, I might give it a go, read the next newsletter to find out if I succeeded or I split the mayo 🤭!
Hit reply to tell me what’s your go-to ‘bits and bobs’ dinner? Or what is your must-have dish for New Year? Or what you'd like to see me making! I READ EVERY EMAIL!
