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Easy Christmas Lunch

  • serves 6

  • Preparation time:

  • Cooking time:

Ingredients

Antipasto Platter

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
200 marinated red capsicum
200g marinated eggplant
200g marinated olives
Assorted sliced salami, to serve


Pesto Croutons

1 small breadstick
1/4 cup basil pesto



Lemon Seafood Salad

1 butter lettuce, trimmed
500g cooked, peeled prawns
400g smoked salmon
12 fresh oysters
1 avocado, thinly sliced
250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow capsicum, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Bread rolls, to serve


Lemon Dressing

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste



Ham With Cranberry Orange Sauce

4kg leg ham
1 orange, thinly sliced
Fresh herbs, to garnish



Cranberry Orange Sauce

275g jar whole cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup



Ice-Cream Christmas Pudding

2 litres vanilla ice-cream
Chocolate Ice Magic and Christmas decoration, to decorate



Filling

1/2 x 200g packet Tim Tam Biscuits, finely chopped
100g almonds, toasted, chopped
1/2 cup sultanas
100g packet red glace cherries, halved



Easy Fruit Mince Tarts

2 x 12 frozen sweet pastry cases
1/4 cup plum jam
Icing sugar mixture, to decorate



Filling

1 cup bottled fruit mince
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Antipasto Platter

1. Cook asparagus in a heated, oiled grill pan, on both sides, until tender. Remove.
2. To make pesto croutons, slice bread stick into 1cm thick slices. Spread one side with pesto. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Cook in a hot oven (200C) for about 5 minutes or until crisp.
3. To serve, arrange asparagus, capsicums, eggplant, olive, croutons and meats on a serving plate.



Lemon Seafood Salad

1. To make lemon dressing, combine all ingredients in a jug. Whisk to combine.
2. Arrange lettuce leaves on a large serving plate. Top with prawns, salmon, oysters, avocado, tomatoes, capsicum and onion. Drizzle with lemon dressing.
3. Serve salad with bread rolls.



Ham With Cranberry Orange Sauce

1. If you prefer, remove rind and some of the fat from ham. Decorate with orange slices and fresh herbs.
2. To make cranberry orange sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until combined and warmed through.
3. Serve ham with cranberry orange sauce.



Ice-Cream Christmas Pudding

1. To make filling, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Allow ice-cream to soften slightly. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in filling.
3. Pour mixture into an 8 cup-capacity pudding basin lined with plastic wrap. Cover and freeze overnight.
4. Remove pudding basin from freezer. Turn out pudding onto a serving plate. Drizzle with ice magic.
5. Top with Christmas decoration.



Easy Fruit Mince Tarts

1. Cook pastry cases for according to packet instructions for 10 minutes. Remove.
2. Meanwhile, make filling by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon plum jam into the base of each tart shell. Top with 2 teaspoons filling into each one. Return tarts to a moderate oven (180C). Cook for a further 20 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Remove and cool. Serve tarts dusted with sifted icing sugar.

Notes