5 Dishes to Jazz Up Your Christmas Menu
Christmas is coming and what better way to set the mood than having a plethora of tantalizing dishes for dinner. Of course, Christmas is not complete without some Festive dishes. If you are thinking about kicking it up a notch this year, we are here to help you. So, take out your favourite festive aprons and cookware - we have rounded up 5 dishes that will spice up your Christmas table!
Photo by: CJ Wadhwa, All Things Delicious
1. Spicy Thai Minced Pie
Substitute your normal sweet pie to a savoury one! You can easily make this using your favourite minced meat such as beef, chicken or pork. Stir fry dried red chilli slices, garlic, basil leaves, brown sugar, and your preferred minced meat in soy sauce and oyster sauce and end with a slurry of cornflour. Pro tip: let it cool before assembling your pies! Put the mince into mini aluminium pie dishes and cover with store-bought puff pastry, cut to size. . Bake the pies until golden brown and serve. Savoury Asian style pies served at Christmas? Yes please! This dish is perfect for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Also, if you are worried if this dish is children-friendly, fret not, you can remove the red chilli spices to make it more suitable for them.1
2. Vegetarian Lasagna with Spinach and Broccoli
If you are having vegetarian guests for dinner, this carb-laden, flavour-packed, cheese-oozing lasagna will seal the deal. And the peace of mind, knowing your vegetarian guests won’t leave your house hungry! Made with loads of spinach, cheeses and marinara sauce, this dish will be enjoyed by the non-vegetarians too. So make sure you prepare an extra tray of this amazing vegetarian lasagne! Recipe is linked down below.2
3. Rendang Roasted Lamb
Want to keep your stress level relatively low while cooking Christmas dinner for your loved ones? Here are 10 easy steps to alleviate holiday cooking stress!
- Step 1: Call your guests ahead to say that you are making the lamb and that they should bring everything else. Pot lucking is a major stress reliever this holiday season!
- Step 2: Go to the meat counter or butcher and get a leg of lamb, boneless or bone-in, it’s entirely up to you.
- Step 3: Go to the condiment aisle and get at least three packs of ready-made rendang paste and a pack or two of coconut cream.
- Step 4: Go home and marinate the meat with the rendang paste and some coconut cream. To get more flavour into the meat, we recommend scoring the meat all over with a sharp knife so that the spice paste can go inside! And don’t forget to season the meat nicely with salt and pepper too.
- Step 5: cover with cling wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Step 6: remove from the fridge and let the meat come to room temperature. It might take an hour or a bit more.
- Step 7: crank up your oven to 170˚C and roast the lamb, fat side up.
- Step 8: Start your timer and set it to 1.5 hours to 2 hours depending on your preferred doneness.
- Step 9: Shower, put make-up on, spritz some perfume, get dressed and do everything else you need to do before your guests arrive!
- STEP 10: Take the meat out and greet your guests!
How’s that for a merry and meaty, stress-free Christmas! This dish will definitely elevate your Christmas game with everyone asking for seconds!
4. Gingerbread Cake
A Christmas feast wouldn’t be complete without some mouthwatering dessert! Try making this Gingerbread Cake! This cake will make your house smell amazing and warm! A super-easy and moist cake, containing sugar, spices and everything nice. The usual pantry spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg (you can omit this if unavailable, it is still gonna be delicious), and ginger, is used for this recipe. It is perfect when paired with fresh whipped cream! And why not cut some berries to serve with the cake as well? Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy of a dessert for everyone to enjoy! Recipe is linked down below.3
5. Steamed Kueh Lapis
Trying to impress your guests? Why not make some colourful kueh lapis. All you need are tapioca starch/flour, rice flour, sugar, coconut milk, food colourings and boiling water. This kueh lapis is so easy and fun to make with your kids. I am sure that they will enjoy making it as much as eating them. Not only that, it is perfect as a gift to your friends, colleagues and loved ones! This kueh is exceptional for Christmas since it is colourfully layered. So what are you waiting for? Grab the ingredients and your tools, and make some kueh lapis! Link to recipe provided below.4
Prepping for Christmas isn’t an easy feat. We hope that these dishes will excite the people at your dinner table, have everyone talking and of course make your Christmas an unforgettable one. Now, if you are thinking of ordering in, All Things Delicious has definitely got you covered. Ranging from our Christmas Foods suitable for both lunch and dinner, Christmas Cakes, Christmas Cookies, and even Sweet and Special Christmas Gifts, we are ready to celebrate the Festive season with you!
Happy Holidays! Wishing you peace, joy, and unconditional love at Christmas and always.
