Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 500 g fish, cut into pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 slit green chillies
• Red chilli powder to taste
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp chopped coriander
• 1 tsp chopped mint leaves
• 2 tbsp oil
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Method

Clean the fish and marinate with ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, pepper powder, garam masala, salt and coriander powder for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions, green chillies and fry till onions change colour. Add half the turmeric, red chilli powder and stir for about 2 minutes.

Now stir in the marinated fish and toss. Add half-cup water and cook with the lid on till the fish is done.

Add coriander and mint leaves and mix well. Simmer for a minute. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve hot.

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Serves: 1-2

Ingredients

• 1 apple, cut into pieces
• 4 tsp butter
• 3 slices of bread
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Honey to taste
• 2 tbsp grated cheese
• Chopped mint leaves for garnish
• Pepper to taste

Method

Heat a pan and melt half the butter on a high flame. Fry apple pieces stirring constantly till golden brown.

Reduce the flame, add honey and lime juice. Stir well. When it starts bubbling, it is done. This takes about 2-3 minutes.

Heat another pan and melt remaining butter. Toast bread till light golden or crisp on both sides. Take them on a plate.

Spread the apple on each slice of bread. Pour the syrup on top of the apple and the bread. Add grated cheese on top. Sprinkle pepper powder and garnish with mint leaves.

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Serves: make 10 muffins

Ingredients

• 3 bananas (mashed)
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp butter (melted)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease 10 muffin cups. In case you don’t have muffin cups, you can take muffin papers also. Take a big bowl and mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Mix the ingredients well. In another bowl beat egg, banana, sugar and melted sugar together. Stir the banana mixture into the mixture of flour until it gets moistened. Pour and spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups. In a small bowl mix brown sugar, 2 tsp flour and cinnamon together.

Cut in 1 tbsp butter until the mixture looks like the coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle this topping over muffins. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Let them cool down and later serve them.

It is not always easy to find fresh raspberries, but you can use frozen raspberries. Allow them to thaw before preparing this recipe.

Ideal with a fresh Merlot, enjoy this dish with your loved ones.

Ingredients

• 4 duck breast halves
• 2 tsps sea salt
• 2 tsps ground cinnamon
• 4 tsps demerara sugar (or just brown sugar)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup creme de cassis liqueur
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 4 ounces raspberries

Directions

Preheat oven on broiler setting at medium high heat. Use a fork to score the duck breasts through the skin and fat but not all the way through to the meat.

Heat a large heavy skillet on medium high as well. Fry the duck breasts skin side down, until the skin browns and fat runs out. This will take about 10 minutes. Use medium high heat to get a brownish skin and to leave the beasts as juicy as possible. If you use low heat every juice (if not all) will run out.

Remove the breasts from the pan, and pour off most of the fat. Place breasts into the pan again and fry skin side up for another 10 minutes. Once cooked, remove breasts from pan, and allow them to rest on a baking sheet.

Grab a small bowl and mix the sea salt, cinnamon and the sugar together. You can also try ginger instead of the cinnamon, with extraordinary results. Sprinkle over the skin of the duck breasts. If any fat remains in the frying pan, pour it out.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the red wine, cassis, and cornstarch.  Pour into the pan, and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened.

Add raspberries to the sauce, and simmer for another minute until heated through. Do not abuse of heat since raspberries will completely disintegrate.

Broil the duck breasts skin side up, until the sugar begins to caramelize, about 1 minute. Slice the duck breasts thinly, pour a little sauce over the top, and serve warm.

Ducks and raspberries have more than enough taste themselves, so you can accompany this dish with a side of simple mashed potatoes or beans and carrots.

Pea and carrot cubes

Fish pie

Recipes:

Apple and pear rusk porridge: steam the apple and pear together with some vanilla and blend with a small amount of water. Break down a few baby rusks of whatever flavour and mix these in.

Pea and carrot cubes: Blanch the peas and carrots in butter and water. Drain most of the water and blend with a bit of milk or cream.

Fish pie:

Cooking time: 45 minutes,

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Cod, potatoes, leeks, parsley, flour, butter, milk.

Method of Preparation:

Get your fishmonger to debone the fish. Cook in milk and a pinch of pepper until it is flaky. Sautee the leeks in some butter and put in the bottom of an oven proof dish.

Mix the flour and butter together until they form a smooth paste. Add the milk in drop by drop until you have a smooth sauce, stirring all the time. Add the parsley to this sauce. Cook the potatoes until tender and mash very smoothly. Assemble by putting the fish in with the leeks and pouring over the parsley sauce, and then put the mash on top. Bake this in the oven for about 15 minutes.

For instance, on December 24, Italian families all over the world gather together for La Viglia di Natale–the Christmas vigil–where fish is the main ingredient on the menu instead of meat.

Also called The Feast of the Seven Fishes, the ritual of La Viglia has been handed down from generation to generation over the centuries.

These dishes may vary from family to family, but you will likely find an array of seafood that include the freshest catch of the day as well as clams, oysters, mussels, squid, shrimp, and lobster.

Here is a typical dish of southern Italy. Swordfish is marinated in a lemon and oil mixture which gives it a unique citric flavor.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsps olive oil, divided
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/4 pounds fresh swordfish, cut into chunks
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1 (19 ounce) can fava beans, drained
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper making a nice and flavored marinade.

Add the fish into the marinade and stir enough to get it coated. Let it marinate for about 15 minutes and no more of 25. If you let is marinate too much, fish will be cooked with the lemon juice and you will over cooked in further steps. Remove fish from the marinade, and pat dry.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the onion until golden.

Add the fish. Brown the chunks of fish on all sides, then remove from the pan, and set aside. Be careful with the time cooking since olive oil reaches very high temperature and fish does not take that much time to be over cooked.

Stir the flour into the skillet; cook and stir until lightly browned. Gradually stir in the white wine.

Return the fish to the pan, and add the fava beans. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Cover the pan and simmer for 2 to 3 additional minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve hot.

Pair this fish with a refreshing and tasty white wine like a sauvignon blanc.

This recipe is also suitable with meat of you choice, like duck, goose or even chicken which is used in many countries for the holiday meals. Just pay attention to the cooking time, since chickens are usually pretty small compared to turkeys.

It will take you just 20 minutes of preparation and almost 7 hours to be completely ready. But I promise you will have a dish to show yourself off.

Ingredients

• 2 tsps rubbed sage
• 2 tsps salt
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1 (16 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed.
• ¼ cup butter
• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 ½ tsps honey
• 1 orange, peeled, sectioned, and cut into bite-size pieces.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) or at medium heat for at least 15 minutes.

Combine sage, salt, and thyme in a small bowl. Rub half of the sage mixture all over the turkey, then place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Set remaining sage mixture aside.

Bring butter, orange juice, orange marmalade, honey and orange sections to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. After a couple of minutes reduce heat and simmer uncovered until thickened. Stir occasionally. Cook for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the remaining sage mixture. Brush the turkey with the glaze obtained.

Bake the turkey in the preheated oven, basting every 30 minutes. It will take approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes. After this period of cooking time, cover turkey lightly with foil and continue baking until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 30 minutes to 1 hour, occasionally brushing with the glaze. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, near the bole should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

Remove the turkey from the oven. Cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in the warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

This recipe will suit for 20 servings.

Roasting a turkey is the easiest cooking method: the oven remains a constant temperature, and it’s easy to baste the turkey and check the internal temperature periodically, which should be around 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) at the thigh.

But for the adventurous, grilling or deep-frying provides a different experience and flavors, while it frees up the oven for other dishes.

Deep-frying a whole turkey can be messy and present some hazards. If you choose this cooking method, you should do so always outdoors on a flat, non-flammable surface (not on a deck or inside a garage).

On the other hand, the benefit of smoking a turkey is that it is almost impossible to overcook anything in a smoker. The temperature remains low and the cooking is slow, resulting in perfectly moist and tender meat with a rich flavor.

This is special since we use sour cream in it. The cream ads extra moist to its texture and makes it so soft it melts in you mouth.

A traditional dish for Christmas but ideal match to a cup of English tea for every rainy afternoon. Prepare loaves in quantities and freeze them.

This recipe yields four medium sized loaves.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¾ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, or in small hear for about 10 min. Grease very well four 7×3 loaf pans and reserve. In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Use this mixture to dust pans lightly. The mixture will stick because of the grease you used in the pans.

In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups of sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Mix the preparation very well, and do not scare if the preparation separates a bit. Keep mixing. Add mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Once well incorporated, add ½ teaspoon of salt, baking soda and all the flour. Stir in walnuts.

Divide the preparation into the four pans. Do not fill them up to the border. Just fill the pans up to the half.

Bake for one hour in small to medium heat oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

If you have all the ingredients prepared it will not take more than 10 minutes to prepare the mixture and one more hour to be completely ready.

You can always replace walnuts with any fruit of choice, like chopped almonds, peanuts or chestnuts.

I specially recommend this recipe with chocolate as well. Replace nuts with the same amount of chocolate chips. Stir some flour over the chips so they do not swank to the bottom of the pan.

Few cubes of cheddar cheese and carrot sticks with some hummus

Chicken curry

Recipes:

Apple puree: Steam the apple with some vanilla or cinnamon. When soft and tender, mix with some apple juice as thin or thickly as you want it and served with mixed cereals.

Hummus: Buy a smooth shop-bought variety, or make your own with chickpeas, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Chicken curry:

Cooking time: 40 minutes, Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken, onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, green pepper, curry powder, flour, chicken stock.

Method of Preparation:

Cook the chicken and remove from the bone. Sautee the pepper, onion, carrots, and celery in a little butter until translucent. Sprinkle over the curry powder and flour and cook for a little longer. Cover with chicken stock and stir. Add the chicken and simmer slowly for 15 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, thinly slice the mushrooms and add these raw into the mixture and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with baby rice. Blend for younger babies and leave chunkier for older babies.

Easy to prepare, good for every occasion, from Thanksgiving and Christmas to simple friends reunions in a Sunday afternoon. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and one more hour to cook, so you have a nice tea companion in a blink.

This is a large quantity, but you can prepare in small pans or as muffins and give those as a gift or souvenirs wrapped up in colored cellophane. Be careful with cooking time if you use small pans or muffins containers.  You can use coffee cans as well to bake the breads in.

Ingredients

• 3 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• 4 cups white sugar
• 6 eggs
• 4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves.

Preparation

1.        Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9×5 incheas loaf pans. If you want a very crispy and sweet exterior stir some brown sugar over the pans so the sugar sticks to the pan. You can add a spice of your choice to the sugar if you like.

2.       In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, oil, sugar and the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time.  Separately combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Manage the quantities of the species if you prefer one instead of the other. Stir into the pumpkin mixture and mix all together until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

3.       Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to one hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

4.      Let the loaves cool before taking them out of the pans.

You can innovate this recipe by adding different ingredients to give the bread a distinct flavor like peanuts, walnuts, chocolate chips, pecans or raisins. Just keep in mind to preserve the proportions between the wet and the dry ingredients.

It freezes extremely well. You can keep them in the freezer up to three months.

Looking for more Christmas Recipes? check out this delicious Christmas Cake recipe.