How to prepare a scrumptious Christmas Dinner

How to prepare a Christmas Dinner 1077x2007

Preparing a scrumptious Christmas dinner

Let’s face it – we’ll never have a white Christmas here in sunny South Africa.

Christmas falls in the middle of summer, when we’d much rather enjoy an outdoor braai than spending time inside a hot kitchen. So why stick to oven roasted turkey and fruitcake?

Borrow a few ideas from the Australians, who also celebrate Christmas during summer. Meats such as ham, turkey and chicken are served cold and they often indulge in seafood, served along with a platter of colourful, fresh seasonal fruit.

Now, doesn’t that sound delicious? And it’s healthy, too!

Seafood platter with three dips

Seafood Platter

  • Place 2 cooked lobsters, halved lengthways, 2kg cooked prawns and 500g smoked salmon slices on a platter of crushed ice.
  • Serve with seafood sauce; avocado and lime dressing; roasted capsicum and caper salsa; and lime wedges.

Seafood sauce

Mix 1 cup of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and half a teaspoon paprika in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill.

Avocado and lime dressing

Toast ½ teaspoon ground cumin in a saucepan over low heat for 1 minute or until aromatic. Process in a food processor with 1 ripe avocado, 1 cruched garlic clove, ¼ cup lime juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Capsicum and caper salsa

Preheat a grill on medium. Cook 1 red capsicum (halved and seeded) skin-side up for 5 minutes or until its skin chars and blisters. Transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 5 minutes. Peel the skin and finely chop the capsicum. Add 200g finely chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon baby capers, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

  • Christmas shopping list

Breathe in, breathe out, and tell yourself ‘This, too, shall pass’. But in the meanwhile, you can make your life a whole lot easier with this free printable Christmas shopping list.

Click  to download
Click to download

 

  • Office party survival guide

It’s that time of the year when employees get a chance to let down their hair, mingle with their co-workers and bosses in an informal setting and celebrate the fact that the annual Christmas shut-down is just around the corner.

No matter what your sentiment is, remember that this is a slightly different version of the party you’d have with your best buddies. There are a few rules:

  • Show up. Look enthusiastic. Remember, your boss is throwing this party for you, a valued staff member of the company.
  • Don’t be a party pooper. Participate in any activities that may have been planned. If there’s a theme, dress accordingly. It’s great for team-building and improved office morale.
  • Don’t get drunk. Do not show off intimate body parts. Do not try to seduce anyone. Always remember that you’ll have to face your colleagues again the following day.
  • Interact with your boss. However, now is not the time to complain about the work environment or ask for a raise.
  • There will always be that one colleague who totally loses control and embarrasses him- or herself. No matter how tempting, do not broadcast such photos on Whatsapp or tag him on Facebook or Twitter. Let’s try to save some dignity, folks.

Office party survival guide

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