Every Christmas, there are a few dishes that make it a truly special day. It’s not just about the food, it’s about the memories you create with your loved ones while enjoying these delicious dishes. So here’s to those few ChristMUSTS dishes:
Green Beans With Mushrooms and Bacon
Ingredients:
• 8 bacon slices
• ¼ cup chopped shallots
• ¼ dried crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1kg fresh green beans, trimmed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
1.Cook the beans in salted boiling water for 10mins
2. After boiling, put the beans in the oven over medium heat for 4 minutes or until crisp and then drain.
3. Plunge the beans into ice water to stop the cooking process, drain and set it aside.
4. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until crisp.
5. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 ½ drippings in the skillet. Discard the remaining drippings and crumble the bacon.
6. Sauté mushrooms and shallots in hot drippings over medium heat for 5 minutes or until shallots are tender.
7. Add green beans and crushed red pepper and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
8. Stir in crumbled bacon, add ½ tsp. black pepper, and salt as per taste
Christmas Pudding
Ingredients:
• 1 cup sultanas
• 1 cup Healthy Alternatives Sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
• 1 cup L’exclusif Mixed nuts, chopped
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup finely grated Healthy Alternatives almond
• 1 cup fresh brown breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon ground Healthy Alternatives cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• Butter (for greasing)
For the butterscotch sauce
• 200ml double cream
• 100gm Healthy Alternatives Sugar
• 85gms butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
1.For the pudding, add the sultanas, raisins, flour, butter, breadcrumbs, sugar and nuts into a mixing bowl with the spices
2. Add milk and egg to the above mix and stir
3. After the mixture is combined, pour it into a buttered 1.5 litre pudding bowl.
4. Cover it with a double layer of buttered foil and make a pleat in the centre to allow the pudding to rise.
5. Tie the foil securely with string and then place it in a steamer or large pan containing enough water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl.
6. Cover the bowl with a lid and steam for 2 ½ hours. Check the water level during cooking, top up as necessary.
7. If you are preparing this pudding later then remove the foil, let it cool slightly, then wrap in cling film followed by fresh foil. If you are serving it immediately, unwrap the pudding and invert it onto a deep plate.
8. For the sauce, put all the ingredients to in a pan, boil and stir.
9. Allow it to boil for 2-3 minutes and keep stirring until the sugar dissolves, the sauce thickens and the colour becomes pale brown.
10. Remove the sauce from the heat and pour the sauce over the pudding. Decorate with the whole mixed nuts before serving.
Find all the ingredients to make these ChristMUSTS dishes at www.naturesbasket.co.in!
