Hello Everyone!
We officially in mid-December and its ten days to Christmas, Yay!!!
Christmas is celebrated as a sacred religious day but also as a worldwide cultural holiday.
We see our favourite Father Xmas making an appearance this month and we look forward to seeing Christmas décor, liggies, putting up Christmas Trees, exchanging gifts and sharing meals with our loved ones.
Our favourite song or jingle plays on the radio, and we look forward to those heart-warming Christmas movies.
This year however, Christmas and our holiday traditions will look a little different, the lunch table will be smaller due to the pandemic, and many will plan their lunch with caution keeping safety in mind.
It is at times like these technology plays a huge role. Instead of visit, we get to video call our loved ones and the convenience of online shopping is such a bonus and has made things so much easier.
We spoilt for choice, and you can order anything online from food, flowers, chocolate, snacks or even gifts.
It’s a mere click away, and you can order almost anything and have it delivered to your loved one’s door.
Everything and everyone is festive, this time of the year, and we start thinking about themes, colours and most importantly what we are having on the Christmas menu.
Christmas Day is always planned around a lekker lunch spread. Almal wil lekker eet.
We go all out, and we spoil ourselves with die lekker fancy goed. The hustle and bustle in the kitchen start with prep the night before and the home is filled with smells of deliciousness super early on Christmas morning.
Everyone looks forward to their favourite dish and the best crockery and the favourite Christmas tablecloth must be taken out.
This week is part one of Cooksister Christmas Edition, I am sharing a few Christmas lunch recipes.
Good luck with the Christmas meal prep and stay safe.
Happy Cooking, Love your Cooksister.
Recipes
Oven Roast Leg of Lamb
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
A leg of Lamb (3 – 3,5kg)
2 tablespoons of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons barbeque spice
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves of garlic
A few sprigs of rosemary
Root vegetables of choice
Method
Rinse the lamb and trim it of all excess fat.
Marinade the lamb with oil and spices.
Make incisions into the leg with a sharp tip knife and insert the garlic and sprigs of rosemary.
Transfer the leg to a roasting dish and add
peeled root vegetables of your choice.
Add a sprinkle of barbeque spice over your vegetables and cover your roasting dish with a double layer of foil.
Ensure the foil seals the dish completely, so no heat escapes (we want the lamb to steam in its own juices)
Roast in a preheated oven on 180 degrees for 3½ to 4 hours.
In the last 20 minutes of your cook time, remove the foil and return the lamb to the oven to brown.
For the Gravy
Remove the excess liquid from the roasting dish and transfer to a pan.
On a stove top over a low heat, simmer the liquid, until it reduces, and it comes to a slow boil.
In a cup, mix 1 heaped teaspoon of corn flour to a ¼ cup of cold water and add it to the pan.
Stir until it thickens and stir in 1 teaspoon butter.
Oven Roast Leg of Lamb
Seafood Rice
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
1 kg firm white fish of your choice
12 prawns (head and skin on)
200g Crabsticks
Rinse and drain all seafood in the fridge overnight (in a colander) to ensure all seafood has been thawed and no excess water
2 onions
1 green pepper cubes
1 cup corn
1 tomato puree
2 grated tomatoes
2 cups veg stock
Marinade your seafood in
4 heaped tsp garlic (freshly always best)
1 heaped teaspoon crushed chillies
3 tablespoons seafood spice
2 tablespoons Cajun spice
Salt and pepper to taste
The juice of a half lemon
½ cup freshly chopped parsley
¼ cup fresh thyme
Salt to taste
Method
Marinade your seafood in all the above ingredients and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Braise 2 finely chopped onions, green pepper and corn in 4 tablespoons olive oil
Once golden, add your marinated seafood, tomato puree, fresh tomato and stock.
Cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, prep 4 cups rice (4 cups rice, cooked with 8 cups water and 4 level tsp salt. Bring to boil and drain)
Layer half your rice in an oven safe pot or a big black oven tray
add your seafood with your sauce over half the rice.
Add the rest of rice add and pour over the remaining seafood and sauce over your rice and Garnish with fresh parsley.
Cover with double foil and steam in the oven on 180degrees for 35min
After your rice is steamed. Fluff up your top rice with a fork.
Seafood Rice
Spicy Roast Chicken
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
1 kg chicken pieces
1 teaspoon garlic and ginger
2 heaped tablespoons Tikka Spice
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons oil
*Marinade chicken with all of the above for at least an hour or overnight.
Additional Ingredients
4 large potatoes peeled and cut in wedges
100g butter
3 large garlic cloves roughly chopped
Fresh coriander for garnish
Method
In a thick large, wide based pan or pot add the butter until its melts and starts to bubble and foam.
Reduce the heat and add in the chicken and potato, and pack covering the base. (Next to each other not on top)
Add in the garlic and allow to brown.
Once brown, turn over (do not stir) and allow the other side to brown
Add in 1½ cups of water, reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes.
If your heat is too high and the water dries up before the chicken and potato is done, add in ½ cup of water at a time (not more)
Once potato is soft and chicken is done, garnish with fresh coriander
Spicy Roast Chicken
Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Bread
Recipe Credit Lauren Miyashiro @delish.com
Ingredients
500g refrigerated pizza dough or bread dough
Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water)
300g mozzarella
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tbsp Thinly sliced basil
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
Directions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Cut mozzarella sticks into small pieces and set aside.
On a floured surface, divide dough into two pieces. Stretch and roll each piece of dough into a long rectangle, then cut dough into squares (you’ll need 33 total).
Wrap a dough square around each piece of mozzarella, forming a tightly sealed ball. Place balls seam-side down on the baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree (they should be touching). Brush egg wash on dough balls and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a bowl whisk together melted butter and herbs. Brush on baked pizza balls.
Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Bread
Lamb Shanks
Recipe Credit MMB @mitchells_moslem_butchery
Ingredients
1kg Shanks
4 All Spice
6 Peppercorns
2 level teaspoons garlic and ginger paste
1/4 cup of Worcester sauce
2 teaspoons Steak and Chops seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
For those who like it spicy, add 1 teaspoon of crushed chillies
Marinade for one hour, or overnight for best results.
Method
Slowly brown the meat in a pot, over a low heat with some garlic butter. Once brown, add 1/2 cup water every time the pot gets dry, until tender. This can take just over one and a half hours depending on the protein used. Make a paste with 2 teaspoons cornflour and 2 tablespoons Worcester sauce then add it to the pot to thicken the juices.
Note: Steak and Chops seasoning has its own salt so you may add extra salt according to your taste.
This versatile recipe can be used for shanks, leg of lamb as well as a succulent roast beef!
Lamb Shanks
Oven Roast Chicken
Recipe Credit MMB @mitchells_moslem_butchery
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
Root vegetables of your choice
1 tablespoon dried crushed chillies
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon salt (adjusted to your taste)
Cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons honey
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
Method
Mix all the ingredients together. Place the chicken in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the chicken. Bake, uncovered in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 40-45 minutes or until fully cooked.
Oven Roast Chicken
Oven Beef Roast
By Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
1 piece Rolled Beef
3 tablespoons barbeque spice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic flakes
1 tablespoons thyme
2 rosemary sprigs
Baby potatoes
Method
Marinade the beef and potatoes with the oil, herbs and spices.
Transfer to a roasting dish and cover with a double layer of foil.
Ensure the foil seals the dish completely, so no heat escapes
Roast in a preheated oven on 180 degrees for 2 hours.
In the last 20 minutes of your cook time, remove the foil and return to the oven to brown.
For the Gravy
Remove the excess liquid from the roasting dish and transfer to a pan.
On a stove top over a low heat, simmer the liquid, until it reduces, and it comes to a slow boil.
In a cup, mix 1 heaped teaspoon of corn flour to a ¼ cup of cold water and add it to the pan.
Stir until it thickens and stir in 1 teaspoon butter.
Oven Beef Roast
Pineapple Gammon Glaze
Rhodes Quality
Ingredients
1 medium smoked or prepared gammon
1 x 825 g can Rhodes Pineapple Rings in Light Syrup, drained, syrup reserved
65 ml (¼ C) maraschino cherries
190 ml (¾ C) brown sugar
2.5 ml (½ t) ground Hinds ginger
Method
Remove the skin and fat from the gammon and place in a roasting pan.
Using toothpicks, secure the Rhodes Pineapple Rings and maraschino cherries to the gammon and set aside.
Heat 125 ml (½ C) reserved pineapple syrup, sugar and Hinds ginger in a small saucepan, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves and the glaze thickens.
Brush the glaze all over the gammon and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.
Baste again and bake for a further 15 minutes until browned and glossy.
Pineapple Gammon Glaze
Slow Roast Pork Belly with Pineapple Glaze
Rhodes Quality
Ingredients
Slow Roast Pork
1 kg pork belly, rind scored
65 ml (¼ C) salt
45 ml (3 T) olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
Pineapple Glaze
125 ml (½ C) brown sugar
80 ml (⅓ C) white wine vinegar
2 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick (or 5 ml ground cinnamon)
250 ml (1 C) prepared chicken stock
1 x 227 g can Rhodes Pineapple Crush
Method
Rub the pork belly with the salt and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Rinse off the salt and pat dry with kitchen paper towel.
Place the belly skin down in a roasting tray.
Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the black pepper.
Roast at 200˚C for 30 minutes.
Turn the heat down to 180˚C and roast for a further 1 hour.
Turn the belly over, skin side up, and roast for a further 20 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden.
To make the glaze, bring the brown sugar and the vinegar to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until syrupy.
Add the star anise, cinnamon, chicken stock and Rhodes Pineapple Crush.
Bring the glaze to the boil again and then simmer over a gentle heat until the thickened.
To serve, carve the roasted pork belly and pour some of the pineapple glaze over the meat, serving any extra glaze on the side.
Slow Roast Pork Belly with Pineapple Glaze
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