It’s almost that time of year again. Depending on your ideas about cooking, you will either be looking forward to or dreading the upcoming festivities.
Some families love the tradition of a roast turkey with all the trimmings. Others hope to find something alternative, particularly those with vegans and vegetarians in their fold. Unfortunately, many of us get all worked up about the one big day and forget to enjoy the run-up or miss out on pre-Christmas festivities because we are stressing too much about the big day.
It doesn’t need to be a nightmare. There are some brilliant websites to give you great ideas about what to offer your friends and family. Gordon Ramsay, for example, might have shot to fame for his TV shows and fiery explosions in the kitchen. Of course, you do not have to live up to his exacting standards, but you can follow some of the great recipe ideas he has on his website. Ramsay is proof that you do not have to be a one-trick pony. He has made his wealth through a combination of excellent food, a TV production company and even a Hell’s Kitchen game which can be played on some brand new mobile slot sites.
If you would rather your home not resemble Hell’s Kitchen, you can follow his recipes for dishes like Baked Camembert with toppings. He describes it as a twist on a classic fondue. The French would probably have something to say about a fondue being made with camembert rather than gruyere and Emmental, but Ramsay has never minded a bit of controversy. This is party food, so if you have a few friends coming over, this is a simple dish to serve with a delicious glass of wine. If you fancy a change from eating meat, there are plenty of tasty alternatives. Ramsay has an excellent vegan nut roast wellington to tempt you.
However, you might still feel intimidated and hope to find some more straightforward ideas. The Minimalist Baker concept is that no recipe should have more than ten ingredients. They promise that everything can be made in one bowl in under 30 minutes. If this sounds more like your cooking style, you do not need to scrimp on deliciousness. People mistakenly think that vegetarian and vegan food is limited. You only have to take a peek at their website to understand that this is not true.
There is a section covering 186 easy vegan Christmas recipes. They have great ideas for breakfast, such as fluffy cornmeal pancakes and cold brew caramel Frappuccino. Lunch dishes include one pot salmon Thai curry or beetroot fritters with dill yoghurt sauce. They might be simple dishes, but your friends and family do not need to know that. You can impress them with your cooking skills without breaking into a sweat in the kitchen.
Perhaps you fancy yourself as a bit of a more complicated baker. Could you get a Hollywood handshake on the Great British Bake Off? If so, you might want to try out some more complex baking recipes. Christmas bread recipes are so mouth-watering your friends will be begging for your recipes. If you want to let the cat out of the bag, you can tell them you found them on the BBC food site. Alternatively, you can keep it secret. Whatever, try out your skills and make Swedish cinnamon bread with a satsuma drizzle called Kanellangd. Just the ingredients evoke the spirit of Christmas. The site also has wonderful recipes for panettone, stolen and vegan cinnamon buns.
Maybe you are more interested in some savoury baking. You could mix things up with Paul Hollywood’s turkey, stuffing and cranberry Chelsea buns on the same website. So whether you want to invite family and friends for a cup of tea or something stronger, there are plenty of options to choose from.
If it still all sounds too much, don’t stress yourself out; this is meant to be fun.
