The MacPherson Diaries

Christmas Recipes

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Here are a collection of my favourite Christmas Recipes all in the one place to help you plan your Christmas Menu.

I adore Christmas and the food is a massive part of it for me. In this blog I will share some of our favourites and some of my most popular Christmas recipes. Often we start the morning with bowls of fresh berries and then once the coffee has been consumed and some presents have been opened I prepare a simple croissant platter and everyone digs in.

Starters

If we are having guests for lunch, I love to serve some seafood while people are still mingling and before sitting down for lunch. My Scallops with Lime, Coriander & Chilli or the Smoked Salmon Wreath are both perfect.

Smoked Salmon Wreath

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Smoked Salmon Wreath

Ingredients

  • ½ red onion finely sliced into rings
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cucumber
  • ½ packet of dill stems removed
  • 250 grams cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 lemon
  • 40 grams of salad greens
  • 300 grams smoked salmon
  • ½ pomegranate seeds removed
  • Good quality olive oil
  • Flaky salt

Instructions

  1. Make the red onion pickle by taking a medium sized jar, adding the onions, sugar and vinegar place the lid on and shake a couple of times to combine. Set aside to pickle.
  2. Take a vegetable peeler and peel ribbons of the cucumber. Set aside.
  3. Finely chop ¾ of the dill and place in a medium sized bowl with the cream cheese.
  4. Take the lemon, cut around 5 nice thin slices and set aside. Squeeze the rest of the lemon into the bowl with the dill and cream cheese and mix well.
  5. Take your large platter and spread ¾ of the cream cheese mixture onto it leaving a small circle in the middle. This is the shape your wreath will take.
  6. Place some salad greens sparingly around the cream cheese, then take your cucumber and roll to give a rough flower/spiral shape. Place these randomly over your cream cheese. The cream cheese helps them stay in place. Then do the same with the pieces of salmon. Now add some red onions. Top with little clusters of pomegranates. Add the slices of lemon.
  7. Put the remaining cream cheese mix in a piping bag and pipe around the wreath.
  8. Finish with a delicate drizzle of olive oil and a small sprinkling of flaky salt and the remaining dill sprigs. Make sure the dill is nice and small so that you just get a little piece when eating.
  9. Serve with crackers and the remaining pickled onions on the side for people to drizzle on more if they desire.

Recipe Notes

The cream cheese needs to be at room temperature, if it isn’t warm enough to mix well, you can place it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften.

Scallops with Lime Coriander & Chilli

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Scallops with Lime, Coriander & Chilli

Ingredients

  • 600 grams Scallops I have used frozen scallops that I defrosted overnight
  • 1 red chilli sliced
  • 3/4 cup Coriander leaves chopped roughly
  • 1 lime or lemon cut in half
  • Flakey salt
  • 20 grams Butter

Instructions

  1. Take your scallops and pat dry with a paper towel.
  2. Place a pan over a medium heat and add the butter.
  3. Once the butter has melted add the scallops, and place the halved lime cut side down into the pan.
  4. Season the scallops with salt
  5. Cook until cooked through and golden. Around 3 minutes, stirring a couple of times while cooking.
  6. Turn the heat off and add the coriander, and using tongs, squeeze the juice of the limes over the scallops. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.
  7. Add the chilli and serve straight away.

Recipe Notes

You can use fresh scallops but frozen is absolutely fine.
You can add prawns to this dish too.
Use lemons instead of lime if you prefer.
Leave the chilli out of you don’t like the spice.

Mains

We make lunch the main meal of the day and usually serve all the middle of the table and everyone can help themselves. We always have salmon and I have made a few different variations over the years. My personal favourite is the Miso Glazed Salmon but probably because it is so simple and tastes incredible!

Miso Glazed Side of Salmon

Miso Glazed Side of Salmon
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Miso Glazed Side of Salmon

Ingredients

  • Side of salmon approx. 1-1.5 kilos
  • ½ cup mirin
  • ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons caster sugar
  • ½ cup miso

Garnish

  • Kaffir Lime Leaf – vein removed and thinly sliced
  • Coriander
  • Sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Put salmon on a baking tray lined with baking paper
  2. Mix glaze ingredients together and spoon over salmon. Use a whisk if there are any lumps in the glaze.
  3. Cook at 180 for 12-15 mins until cooked.
  4. Remember it will keep cooking while still on the tray.
  5. When it is cool enough to handle, move the Salmon on to your serving platter or board. be aware there will probably be drips.
  6. Scatter on your garnish and serve!
  7. We had ours with a Green Salad with edamame & Seaweed, and Asian Slaw.

Pomegranate & Orange Glazed Salmon

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Pomegranate & Orange Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

  • Side of salmon mine was 600 grams

Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 cm piece ginger minced
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice

Pickle

  • Half a red onion very thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of white vinegar

Garnish

  • 1 cup Mint leaves
  • 1 cup coriander leaves
  • ½ pomegranate seeds removed
  • Tiny drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 fan bake.
  2. Take a piece of baking paper and place on an oven tray.
  3. Place your side of salmon directly onto the tray and set aside
  4. Make your glaze by adding all ingredients together in a jar and shaking to combine. Taste and check seasoning. Set aside.
  5. Make your red onion pickle by adding all ingredients together in a bowl and stirring. Set aside.
  6. Once all your elements are ready, you are ready to cook your salmon.
  7. Spoon over the glaze and place in your oven. See cooking notes above, I check after 5 mins and then watch it pretty closely. Under is better than over.
  8. Once it is cooked take from the oven and let cool for a few mins so that when you add your herbs they don’t wilt.
  9. In a bowl combine some of your red onion pickle with the herbs and pomegranate and squeeze over half the lime.
  10. Top the fish with the pickled red onion mix and drizzle over a tiny bit of olive oil.
  11. Serve immediately.
  12. Happy Cooking xx Jana

Balsamic & Beetroot Glazed Salmon with Horseradish Cream

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 Balsamic & Beetroot Glazed Salmon with Horseradish Cream

Ingredients

Salmon

  • 1 x side of salmon mine was 800 grams
  • 3 medium sized beetroot peeled and grated
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup rock salt

Balsamic glaze

  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Pinch salt

Horseradish cream

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons grated horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. For the salmon, get a dish that will comfortably fit the whole side of piece. A Glass or ceramic dish is best.
  2. Mix the salt, beetroot & sugar together in a bowl.
  3. Pour beet mix over the salmon and cover. Place in the fridge for 2 hours.
  4. After 2 hours, turn salmon over and redistribute the beet mix. Cover and refrigerate again for 2 hours.
  5. While it is chilling make your balsamic glaze and horseradish cream.
  6. To make the horseradish cream mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until needed.
  7. To make the balsamic glaze, place everything in a saucepan over a medium heat and simmer for ten minutes
  8. When you are ready to cook, preheat oven to 180 degrees fan bake
  9. Line a tray with baking paper
  10. Take the beet mix off the salmon, wipe salmon surfaces with a paper towel.
  11. Put the Salmon on the tray skin side down, brush the salmon with the glaze and place in the oven.
  12. Brush every 5 minutes with more glaze.
  13. Cook for around 12 – 15 minutes until golden but it doesn’t need to be fully cooked through as it will keep cooking once its taken from the oven.
  14. Serve the salmon with the horseradish cream, lavosh, parley rocket & lemon wedges

Salads

Let’s be honest, I usually over cater on salad and we are eating salad for days! Here are some favourites. ‘

Beetroot & Raspberry Salad

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Beetroot & Raspberry Salad

Ingredients

  • 5 beetroot
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • Olive oil
  • 50 grams Herbs – oregano or thyme
  • 100 grams Green beans
  • ½ cup Quinoa
  • 1 Lemon
  • 50 grams mint
  • 1 punnet Raspberries
  • 150 grams Rocket
  • Oil for frying

Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
  2. Cut the root end off the beetroot.
  3. Take 5 pieces of foil and place each beetroot on a piece of foil.
  4. Add some garlic, herbs salt and pepper and a splash of oil, to the cup side of the beetroot.
  5. Wrap each beetroot up and place on a tray and into the oven.
  6. Cook for 45 mins and then check. The cooking time will depend on the size of your beets. Mine took an hour. To test, stick the tip of a knife or skewer into the beetroot and see if it is tender.
  7. Once cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool enough to handle.
  8. Make dressing by combining ingredients together in a jar and shaking. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  9. Top and tail beans. In a frypan heat some oil, add beans and season. Add the juice from the lemon while cooking. Take off the heat once cooked and set aside.
  10. Unwrap beets and peel either by hand or with a knife and slice into wedges. Place in a bowl and pour over most of the dressing.
  11. Take your serving plate/bowl and scatter over the rocket
  12. Add the beans
  13. ¼ cup of the quinoa scattered over
  14. Then the beets, and the rest of the quinoa, and finish with the raspberries, the rest of the dressing, and mint.
  15. Serve.

Caprese Pasta Salad

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Caprese Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 250 grams pasta I have used bow ties
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 250 grams bocconcini mozzarella balls
  • ¼ cup basil or more if you are crazy for basil like me!
  • 400 grams Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
  • Extra balsamic vinegar to serve

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in your Biroix pot in salted boiling water as per packet instructions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, take a large bowl and add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper, lemon juice, tomatoes & cheese, mix well.
  3. Slice the basil leaves.
  4. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain well and add back to the Biroix pot, tip in the tomato mixture and mix well. Add the basil and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
  5. Serve with extra balsamic on the side.

Beetroot & Feta Wreath

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Beetroot & Feta Wreath

Ingredients

  • 6-8 teaspoons Anathoth Farm Beetroot Chutney
  • 200 grams feta diced quite small
  • Balsamic glaze/reduction
  • A Handful Walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon Honey
  • ½ teaspoon Avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
  • 60 grams mesclun leaves
  • 350 grams peeled and cooked baby beetroot I used the leaderbrand ones from the vegetable section of the supermarket
  • Salt & Pepper

Instructions

  1. Take a large round flat plate/platter and place a small bowl in the middle so that you are making the wreath shape. We will fill the round gap in the middle.
  2. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees
  3. Take a small baking tray and place your walnuts on top, add the honey and season well with salt.
  4. Roast in the oven for around 10 mins until toasted, stirring a few times to distribute the honey, and make sure they don’t burn.
  5. While the walnuts are roasting, scatter the salad greens over the plate, in the wreath shape.
  6. Drizzle over a little balsamic glaze.
  7. Drain your beetroot and place them artfully around the wreath.
  8. Take dollops of beetroot relish and add these around the salad.
  9. Finish with the diced feta and walnuts
  10. Drizzle with a little olive/avocado oil, season with salt & pepper and serve

Creamy Potato & Blue Cheese Salad

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Creamy Potato and Blue Cheese Salad

Ingredients

  • 700 grams new potatoes cut to similar size
  • I packet green beans ends cut off
  • 1 punnet cherry tomatoes halved
  • ½ red onion finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 150 grams castello creamy blue cheese
  • 2 sprigs of mint sliced
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until tender.
  2. Cook your beans and refresh under cold water so they don’t keep cooking. I like to steam the beans above the pot of potatoes to save on dishes!
  3. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and place in a large bowl. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, but not until cold. We want the mayonnaise to hit the potatoes while still warm. Add beans, red onion, tomatoes, lemon juice, mint and mayonnaise, mix well and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Place half the salad on your serving plate. Take the blue cheese and roughly cut into 2cm pieces, scatter half the cheese over the salad, top with the rest of the potato salad, and finish with the rest of the cheese.
  5. Serve.

Dessert

It wouldn’t be Christmas without DESSERT! These are the Christmas desserts we love.

Raspberry Trifle

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Raspberry Trifle

Ingredients

  • 3 85g packs of Raspberry jelly
  • 2 125g punnets of Raspberries
  • 12 Macarons
  • 125ml Seedlip Citrus Non-Alcoholic spirit OR orange juice
  • 500 ml Cream
  • 4 tbsp Icing sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla essence
  • 1 kg Thick custard
  • 100 grams Sponge finger biscuits

Instructions

  1. Make up your jelly as per the directions and pour into your trifle dish.

  2. Scatter over the raspberries. When you place it in the fridge you can gently push the raspberries out to the edges so that they are seen when set.

  3. Set overnight.

  4. Take a large bowl and add your chilled cream, vanilla and sift in the icing sugar. Beat until just whipped.

  5. To assemble: start with the macarons and layer them around the outside on top of the jelly.

  6. Top with all of the custard. Pour into the middle and spread it out to the edges with a knife or pallet knife so that it is even.

  7. Put the seedlip/juice into a small bowl. Dip in your sponge finger biscuits, I found just dipping one side worked perfectly. Then arrange on top of the custard on the trifle.

  8. Check your cream is still looking lovely and give another quick whip if needed. Then spoon on top of the sponge finger biscuits. You can smooth the top off or keep it rustic.

  9. Top with the last punnet of raspberries and serve.

Recipe Notes

I used a 4 litre capacity trifle dish.

Passionfruit & Berry Trifle

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Passionfruit and Berry Trifle

Ingredients

  • 1 x 170 gram can passionfruit pulp or fresh passionfruit pulp
  • 1 x Swiss roll ready made
  • 4 cups of jelly I used 2 x Mango & Passionfruit sachets.
  • 1 punnet of strawberries
  • 500 ml Cream
  • 1 kg thick custard
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 4 tablespoons icing sugar optional
  • 1 punnet blueberries
  • A few mint leaves optional

Instructions

  1. Start a day or two prior to wanting to serve the trifle.
  2. Make the jelly and pour into your trifle dish, mine is a 4-litre dish
  3. Set for 6 hours or overnight
  4. I like to whip the cream with vanilla and icing sugar (if using) now too
  5. When ready to assemble. Slice the jam roll, place around the dish on top of the jelly. Fill the inside with custard and if you have jam roll left place on top of the custard.
  6. Drizzle a third of the passionfruit pulp over the sponge.
  7. Now for a layer of cream.
  8. Slice your strawberries and toss with 1-2 tablespoons of passionfruit pulp. Place in a layer on top of the cream.
  9. Another layer of cream on top.
  10. Then finish with blueberries, a few strawberries and a little more passionfruit. Add mint leaves if using.

Chocolate Cob Loaf

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Dessert Chocolate Cob Loaf

Ingredients

  • 1 round loaf of bread I have used a medium sized sourdough from the deli section at Countdown
  • 200 grams Frey milk chocolate chopped roughly
  • 80 grams Frey dark chocolate chopped roughly
  • 600 ml cream
  • 1 teaspoon of white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 80 grams of butter melted

To serve

  • Fresh fruit I used kiwifruit & Strawberries
  • Pretzels
  • Wafers
  • Chocolate straws
  • Marshmallows

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 fan bake.

  2. Take your loaf of bread and cut the top off with a serrated knife. Slice top into chunks and put in a medium sliced bowl. With your fingers, remove the inside of the loaf and cut or tear into chunks too. Drizzle half the butter over the bread chunks in the bowl, toss to coat and place on a lined baking tray. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle each piece of bread with a little cinnamon sugar. Place on a lined baking tray

  3. Add the remaining remaining butter to the bowl and mix around then brush on the loaf of bread and place this on the tray too.
  4. Bake for 5-10 minutes until golden.
  5. In a medium sized bowl, place the milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Set aside.
  6. Now to warm the cream over a double boiler. In a medium sized pot bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Place a heatproof bowl over the top, make sure it doesn’t touch the water, place 300 mls (half) of the cream into the bowl. Heat until steam rises off the top but don’t let it boil.
  7. Remove from the heat and pour the hot cream into the chocolate and whisk well until its well combined and all chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
  8. Whip the remaining cream into soft peaks. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture gently.
  9. Spoon the chocolate mix into the cob loaf. Arrange on a board with all your dipping bits and pieces and serve!
  10. Happy cooking xx Jana

Recipe Notes

you may have some chocolate filling leftover, this depends on the size of your loaf of bread. But just use this to refill the chocolate when people are dipping to their hearts content.

I hope you have enjoyed these Christmas recipes and you have a lovely festive season xx Jana

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