Christmas lunch for two

Here are easy steps-to-follow recipes:

Tomato and goat’s cheese tarts for a starter

Ingredients

250g puff pastry

80ml basil, chopped

80ml flat-leafed parsley, chopped

1 clove granulated garlic, crushed

60ml olive oil, plus extra tomatoes

1 pinch of salt

50g goat’s cheese

250g cocktail tomatoes halved

Extra olive oil for brushing

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Cut two 12cm diameter discs from pastry and set aside.

Mix basil, parsley, olive oil and seasoning together.

Leave a 1cm border around pastry and spread herb mixture onto each pastry disc.

Crumble equal amounts of cheese onto each pastry disc and arrange tomatoes on top of cheese.

Brush tomatoes with a little oil and bake for 20-30minutes or until pastry is cooked through and golden.

Classic Christmas Turkey

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

30ml thyme, chopped

60ml juice and grated peel of lemon

1 dash of salt to taste

100g Kerrygold pure Irish butter, plus extra for frying

5kg self-basting turkey

Stuffing balls

1 drizzle olive oil

2 large onions, finally chopped

15ml chopped thyme

500ml fresh breadcrumbs

400g traditional pork sausages, casings removed

100g walnuts toasted and chopped

1 pinch of salt to taste

1 pinch of milled pepper to taste

Method

Mix together garlic, thyme, lemon juice and peel, seasoning and butter.

Rub all over the turkey and marinate overnight.

Heat a glug of oil and a knob of butter in a pan and sauté onions until soft, brown and caramelised. Cool slightly.

Mix onions with remaining stuffing ingredients and shape half the mixture into golf-ball sized nuggets.

Push remaining stuffing under turkey neck flap and truss turkey. Place on a roasting tray and cover with foil.

Roast turkey for 30 minutes, then for another 20 minutes per 500g.

Uncover for the last 35 minutes and place stuffing balls around turkey.

Drain liquid from roasting tray and reserve it for the gravy.

Roast for another 35 minutes or until turkey is golden and cooked through, skin is crispy and stuffing balls are golden (juices will run clear when thickest part of bird is pierced).

Cover loosely with foil and rest turkey for 20 minutes before carving.

Pear and nut salad with caramelised onion dressing

Ingredients

30g watercress or rocket

1 pear, thinly sliced

60ml blue cheese salad dressing

60ml flaked almonds, roasted

45ml olive oil

1 red onion, finally chopped

45ml white balsamic vinegar

10ml Dijon vinegar

Pinch of salt

Method

Heat the olive oil and fry onion until well browned, but not burnt. Cool slightly.

Whisk in remaining dressing ingredients and slightly season.

Toss watercress and pear slices with 30ml dressing and place on two plates.

Scatter over cheese and nuts.

Serve with remaining dressing.

Spiced, roast butternut and sweet potato shards

Ingredients

1 large butternut peeled and thinly sliced

4 sweet potatoes thinly sliced

60ml olive oil

1 tablespoon (tbsp) cumin seed

1ml coriander seeds crushed

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Toss vegetables with oil, spices, sugar and vinegar.

Spread onto a baking tray and season.

Roast for 30-40 minutes or until golden and caramelised.

More good ideas:

Add lightly cooked beetroot wedges and toss vegetables with roasted seeds before serving.

Festive fruit flan

Ingredients

60ml fresh lemon juice

180ml cold water

1 packet Ina Paarman’s lemon cheesecake mix (250g)

1 cup cream

Topping

1 jar of fine green fig preserve in syrup

100g maraschino cherries

1 packet pecan nut halves

Pastry base

80 g Kerrygold pure Irish butter, at room temperature

60ml soft brown sugar

1 pinch course black pepper

1 cup ground almonds or desiccated coconut

Method step one

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Place oven shelf in the middle position.

Coat a 28cm x 20cm loose-bottomed tart tin with non-stick spray.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Mix in flour and salt.

Stir through almonds or coconut.

Press crumbly mixture into base and sides of tart tin.

Smooth with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool.

Step two:

Add lemon juice to water

Prepare cheesecake mixture according to package instructions using lemon water and cream.

Scrape cheesecake filling into pastry case.

Refrigerate until set.

Step three:

To unmould tart, turn a small mixing bowl upside down and place tart on top.

Push down gently on rim of tin until it releases.

Garnish with figs, cherries and nuts.