Recipes to bring the festive cheer

Deck the halls and don your aprons – it’s Christmas cooking time! Get your little helpers in the kitchen and into the holiday spirit with these five festive recipes.

Walnut, Fetta, Pear and Roast Veggie Salad, by Changing Habits

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup roasted sweet potato and pumpkin (mix), diced
• 4 cups rocket leaves
• 1/3 cup crumbled fetta
• 1⁄2 cup walnuts
• 1⁄2 cup pear, thinly sliced
• Inca Inchi Oil drizzled over the top
• Seaweed Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1/2 lemon juiced

METHOD

• Preheat your oven to 200◦C.
• Chop up the sweet potato into your desired sized pieces. Place in a bowl and coat with 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper, and lay out the sweet potato pieces evenly (smaller pieces for faster bake).
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper evenly, and place in the oven to bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until browned and crispy.
• Whilst the sweet potato is baking, chop the florets off the broccoli.
• In a medium to high heated pan, add 3 Tbsp coconut oil, and then add the broccoli to start cooking.
• Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and the turmeric and fry for roughly 10 minutes, or until they become crispy and softer. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, coat the macadamia nuts in the honey, and in a medium to high heated pan, add 2 tbsp coconut oil and then the honey macadamia nuts.
• Stir consistently until they have become browned and crispy just like the photo.
• Once all is cooked, allow each ingredient to cool just slightly so it doesn’t immediately wilt the rocket.
• Lay out the rocket, and then top with each ingredient evenly, sprinkle with salt and pepper and an extra drizzle of olive oil and/or lime/lemon juice if you feel it needs it.

Four ingredient fruit cake, by 4 Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg mixed dried fruit
• 3 cups (750ml) cold tea of choice
• 3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
• 1 cup (120g) pecan nuts

METHOD

• Place the fruit in a large mixing bowl.
• Pour over the tea, cover with cling wrap and soak overnight.
• Preheat oven to 125°C. Line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper.
• Add the flour and stir to combine. This is a thick mixture so you may need a little elbow grease.
• Using a spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared tin.
• Decorate with pecans, starting from the outside in; laying them in a circular pattern.
• Bake for 2.5 hours.
• Remove and leave to cool completely.
• Refrigerated, this cake will keep in an air-tight container for weeks.

Ginger Date and Pistachio Slice, by Hayley Connor of the Happiest Healthy Project

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 cup Rolled Oats
• 1 cup PomPom Paddock cauliflower flour mix or flour of your choice
• 1/4 Cup Pistachios, roughly chopped
• 6 Medjool dates, chopped small
• 1 Egg + 1 Egg White
• 1 Tbsp Almond Butter
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• If the mixture looks a little too dry, add a splash of water or your favourite milk
• Press into a lined slice tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges started to brown
• Enjoy!

Other ideas include…

• Gingerbread: Is there anything more Christmasy than gingerbread? This recipe is delicious and seriously easy! Make it here.
• Pavlova Christmas wreath: Pavlova is certainly a challenge, but when you nail it, you seriously nail it. This Martha Stewart recipeis easy to follow and ends up looking incredible, but you could totally pick up some pavlovas from your local supermarket and get the same effect.
• Christmas sugar cookies: Make them for yourself or give them away as gifts – however you serve your Christmas sugar cookies, make sure you decorate them with love. We love this recipefrom Dessert for Two.
• Christmas pudding bites: Traditional Christmas cake can be complicated – these Christmas pudding bites are anything but. We love how they look decorated with white and green icing!
• Christmas rum balls: Rum balls are an Aussie Christmas staple – the perfect post-lunch treat. This recipeutilises fruit cake for extra Aussie flavour.