Hello. Recipes to make in advance. Squash puree

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Hello Who doesn t love a tasty Christmas dinner, a chance for the whole family to get together to enjoy good food.

Recipes to make in advance Put a note in your calendar to make them a few weeks before the big day. Pop them in the freezer and follow the instructions to defrost and serve.

as well as tips on what to feed little ones of all ages. We hope you find it helpful.

2 Hello Who doesn t love a tasty Christmas dinner, a chance for the whole family to get together to enjoy good food. But when it comes to feeding the whole family it can get a little stressful at times cooking, cleaning, entertaining and making sure everyone, big and small, is happy! Recipes to make in advance Put a note in your calendar to make them a few weeks before the big day. Pop them in the freezer and follow the instructions to defrost and serve. In this booklet we ll share tips on how to manage the Christmas Day cooking jobs to help take the strain off the day, some tasty child friendly recipes to help make a memorable dinner for everyone, as well as tips on what to feed little ones of all ages. We hope you find it helpful. With Christmas wishes, from us all at Squash puree Can be frozen 1 butternut squash Drizzle of vegetable oil Couple of sage leaves Large knob of unsalted butter 1. Slice the squash in half from top to bottom, remove the seeds, and place onto a baking tray. 2. Drizzle with oil, add the sage, and bake at 200 C / 180 C fan / gas mark 6 for around 40 minutes until soft. 3. Scoop the cooked flesh from the skins and mash with the butter. For a silky smooth texture, puree in a blender or food processor. 4. Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. All the recipes in this little book make enough for 2 adults and 2 toddler age children, although there may be some leftovers for Boxing Day! Each recipe can be adjusted up or down to fit your family s needs. 2 3

whole chestnuts 1 tin unsweetened chestnut puree (439g) If you can t find this then you could puree some pre-cooked chestnuts with just a little water.

3 Herby chestnut stuffing As long as chestnuts are very finely chopped or blended. Can be frozen 2 onions 4 sticks of celery 3 tbsp fresh sage leaves 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 1 tbsp rosemary Handful fresh parsley leaves Splash of vegetable oil 115g unsalted butter 350g pre-cooked whole chestnuts 1 tin unsweetened chestnut puree (439g) If you can t find this then you could puree some pre-cooked chestnuts with just a little water. 6 slices of day-old bread Black pepper 2 eggs - these will be needed on Christmas Day when you bake the stuffing 1. Finely chop the onion, celery, all the herbs and chestnuts. 2. Tear the bread into small bite size pieces or roughly blitz in a food processor. 3. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and sauté the onions, celery and herbs (except the parsley) until soft. 4. Add the chopped chestnuts and chestnut puree and heat through. 5. Remove from heat and stir through the bread, parsley and black pepper. 6. Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. Recipe notes If you prefer a nut free stuffing then leave out the chestnuts and chestnut puree and add in 2 extra slices of bread. If doing this though try only adding the 1 egg when you finish the recipe off on the day, as otherwise the mixture may be a little too wet. You can then add a little more if required. The butter can also be replaced with oil if preferred, and you can adjust the herbs to suit your own taste. The eggs are important to bind the mixture together, but if you want an alternative you could use flax seeds. Combine 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds with 6 tbsp of water and leave to thicken for 15 minutes until it forms an egg like texture, then use instead of the 2 eggs. Cranberry sauce To make suitable for younger children you could replace the honey with maple syrup. Can be frozen 300g fresh or frozen cranberries 180ml orange juice Zest of 1 orange 4 tbsp honey, or to taste 1. Heat all ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat until cranberries pop and soften and the sauce thickens (around minutes). 2. Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. 4 5

4 Recipes to make the day before Clementine pudding Suitable for 7mths+ if using maple syrup not honey. Pudding 2 tins coconut milk 8 tbsp chia seeds Zest and juice of 2 oranges 4 tbsp honey or maple syrup Toppings 2 clementines Toasted chopped pecans or slithered almonds (optional) Shredded toasted coconut (optional) Leftover cranberry sauce Drizzle of maple syrup Drizzle of rum - for the grown ups 1. Stir all the pudding ingredients together and pour into serving glasses or bowls. 2. Store in fridge the night before. Not suitable for freezing. To serve Recipe notes for vegetarian roast Add the toppings of your choice and serve. For 7mths+ portion a quarter of the adult serving with the clementine broken into segments or finely chopped. For 12mths+ you can offer other toppings but make sure any nuts are finely chopped. For a dairy free option you could leave out the cheese and only use oil for cooking. The eggs are important to bind the mixture together, but if you want an alternative you could use flax seeds. Combine 5 tbsp of ground flax seeds with 15 tbsp (225ml) of water and leave to thicken for 15 minutes until it forms an egg like texture, then use instead of the 5 eggs. Vegetarian nut or seed roast Can be made suitable from 6mths+ if the roast is blended down or mashed to a puree. 200g brown or green lentils (dry weight) 1 onion button mushrooms 2 garlic cloves Knob of butter Drizzle of vegetable oil 1 tsp each of dried sage, thyme, basil and marjoram 100ml hot vegetable stock (ideally homemade with no added salt, or a low salt alternative) 400g mixed nuts or seeds Nut mix - walnuts, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts or your choice. Seed mix - pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or your choice. 150g cheddar cheese 50g parmesan cheese or vegetarian equivalent 100g gruyere, gouda or similar (optional for extra flavour) Large handful of fresh herbs - parsley, thyme, rosemary or basil 5 eggs 250g cottage cheese (optional) A little ground black pepper 1. Cook the lentils according to pack instructions then drain and allow to cool. 2. Finely chop the onion and mushrooms, keeping a couple back for the topping and peel and crush the garlic. 3. Sauté with the butter and oil and dried herbs in a pan over a medium heat. 4. Once soft and the pan is dry, add the stock and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced. Allow to cool completely. 5. Finely chop the nuts or seeds or pulse in a food processor until you have small broken bits (not a powder!). Grate the cheeses and finely chop the fresh herbs. 6. In a large bowl whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese, if using, then stir in the nuts / seeds, cooked lentils, grated cheeses and chopped fresh herbs. Add a little black pepper, then stir in the cooled mushroom mixture. 7. Cool the mixture completely and store in an airtight container in fridge overnight for cooking the next day. Keep for no longer than 24 hours. To cook & serve The nut or seed roast is best cooked fresh, but it can be cooked in advance and frozen if you are short for time. If you decide to do this make sure you heat through thoroughly on the day. It may have a tendency to dry out in the oven so you could reheat in the microwave or cut into slices and heat a slice in the oven with a little thin gravy until hot. 6 7

5 Prep for the night before To help spread the workload for the day, these jobs can be done on Christmas Eve or in the morning and kept in the fridge. Just follow the final steps on Christmas Day when you re ready to get cooking! Roast potatoes How to prepare 1. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks about 5cm big. Place into a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. 1kg roasting potatoes 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2. Reduce heat a little and simmer for about 5-10 minutes until potatoes are only just tender. 3. Drain potatoes well. Place back into the saucepan over a low heat for a minute to absorb the last bits of moisture, then shake saucepan vigorously to rough up surfaces to help make them crunchy when roasted. 4. Place in the fridge uncovered until ready to roast. Meat tray roasting veggies There is nothing really to pre-prepare for the bird itself, but you can chop up some roasting vegetables to cook in the tray with your turkey or chicken to give it more flavour and moisture. How to prepare 2 onions 1. Peel the onion then roughly chop along with the carrot 2 carrots and celery. Break the garlic into cloves and bash lightly 2 sticks celery (don t peel). 1 bulb garlic 2. Place everything except the oil and black pepper in a 1 lemon tub ready for the morning. Bunch of herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary) Olive oil A little ground black pepper Roast parsnips 500g parsnips 1 tbsp oil Roast carrots 1kg fresh carrots 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp paprika Greens Broccoli Leeks Sprouts Or your family s favourite greens! Don t forget to defrost! How to prepare 1. Top and tail the parsnips and peel if you prefer, then cut in half lengthwise and slice into 6cm pieces. 2. Coat with oil in a large dish and place in fridge until ready to roast. How to prepare 1. Top and tail the carrots and peel if you prefer, then cut in half lengthwise and slice into 6cm pieces. 2. Mix all other ingredients together in a large dish, then add in carrots and coat thoroughly. 3. Store in fridge until ready to roast. How to prepare 1. Simply slice the leeks, chop broccoli into small florets and halve the sprouts. 2. Pop all the prepped greens into an airtight container in the fridge. Before you tuck yourself in for the night, remember to take all your pre-prepared and frozen items out of the freezer. Allow at least 12 hours to defrost thoroughly in the fridge - you could even do this on Christmas Eve morning just to be sure you don t forget. 8 9

6 It s Christmas! The day has come Roll your sleeves up, it s the business end of Christmas dinner! Timing is often the hardest part, so try and use a timer and note down what you need to put in the oven at what time. It ll really help make things in the kitchen run smoothly and you ll feel a little less flustered too! You ll need to put your roast veggies in for the last minutes of bird cooking time. Potatoes first, followed by the carrots and parsnips shortly after. Your first job needs be the bird if you re having one as it s going to take the longest to cook. If your oven space is limited you can pre-roast the veggies first, before cooking the bird. Then re-heat right at the end, while your bird is out of the oven resting. Vegetarian nut or seed roast Can be made suitable from 6mths+ if the roast is blended down or mashed to a puree. 1. Get your prepped roast out of the fridge and preheat your oven to 180 C / 160 C fan / gas mark Grease and line a 25cm loaf tin. Pour the mixture into the tin and level. You can then add a few slices of raw mushroom or some fresh herbs like rosemary or even some sliced red pepper if you have some to the top for decoration. 3. Bake for around an hour until golden and cooked through. The bird If blended with veggies, mashed or finely chopped. Serves 4 to 6 people 4. Place into the oven for 20 minutes, 2kg bird then reduce heat to 180 C / 160 C fan / gas mark 4 for the next hour and 1. Preheat your oven to 200 C / 180 C 20 minutes. If you choose a different fan / gas mark 6. Get the chicken or size bird make sure you check the turkey out of the fridge and up to cooking instructions on the label or room temp for at least 10 minutes. ask your butcher for advice. 2. Place your pre-prepared meat tray 5. Baste the bird a couple of times during roasting veggies into a large tray and cooking, and if the veggies or tray get a then place your bird on top. little dry, add a splash of water or stock. 3. Roll the lemon on the tabletop to help 6. Test to see if the bird is cooked by release the flavour, then prick all over piercing the meat near the thighs and with the point of a sharp knife. Place checking the liquid runs clear and the into the cavity followed by the herbs. meat is white and not pink. Finally rub with oil and add a little 7. Remove from the oven, wrap in foil black pepper. and leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Roast potatoes Can be suitable for younger babies if crushed or mashed, or you can replace with boiled potatoes if you prefer. 1. Pour 2 tbsp vegetable oil into a large roasting pan. Place roasting pan into oven for 5 minutes or until oil is hot. 2. Quickly but carefully add prepped potatoes to hot oil, using some tongs to turn and coat them. 3. Roast for around minutes until crisp and golden (180 C / 160 C fan / gas mark 4), turning half way through. Roast carrots & parsnips Can be suitable for younger babies if crushed or mashed, or you can replace with boiled or steamed veggies if you prefer. 1. Simply roast pre-prepared carrots and parsnips in two large trays for around 30 minutes until golden (180 C / 160 C fan / gas mark 4)

Stuffing 1. Stir two fresh eggs into the defrosted mixture, and pour into a buttered dish. 2. Bake in the oven at 180 C / 160 C fan / gas mark 4 for around 30 minutes until golden and cooked through.

500ml hot chicken stock (ideally homemade with no added salt, or a low salt alternative) 2 tbsp of meat drippings from the pan 2 tbsp plain flour (or gluten free alternative) 1.

7 Stuffing 1. Stir two fresh eggs into the defrosted mixture, and pour into a buttered dish. 2. Bake in the oven at 180 C / 160 C fan / gas mark 4 for around 30 minutes until golden and cooked through. Gravy Gravy can be far too salty for young children. This recipe uses a low salt stock and additional salt can be added at the end for adults if required. 500ml hot chicken stock (ideally homemade with no added salt, or a low salt alternative) 2 tbsp of meat drippings from the pan 2 tbsp plain flour (or gluten free alternative) 1. Heat the stock and meat drippings in a pan over a medium heat until hot, then gradually add the flour (sieving in helps) stirring continuously until thick to your taste and the flour has cooked out. If you get a few lumps then you can push through a sieve at the end. 2. Add additional seasoning to taste for adults, removing a serving for little ones first. Top tip Make your gravy once everything is roasted, but before you cook your greens. Last minute fresh, bright greens If blended, mashed or finely chopped, or as finger foods if cooked until soft. When everything else is ready throw your pre-prepared greens into a steamer or into boiling water and cook for 5-10 minutes until just cooked but still bright green. Check them every couple of minutes for tenderness. Some greens, like sprouts, may need a few more minutes than leeks or broccoli. Your fork should be able to poke into the veg easily, but the colour should still be bright green. If you are boiling your greens they usually cook a little quicker than if steaming. Don t forget the squash puree! If older members of the family While the greens are cooking, heat the squash puree, that you made in advance, through thoroughly in a pan with a lid or in the microwave until piping hot. Watch out for salt You can either season everything at the end of cooking, setting some unsalted food aside for your little ones, or if you have enough space and trays, you can set aside a separate tray of unsalted veg for your young children, then season the rest for the adults before cooking, if required. prefer their greens more al-dente, then you can simply remove a scoop of greens earlier with a slotted spoon, leaving the rest to soften more for younger babies. Top tip For adults only: If you like you can quickly sauté half of the cooked sprouts in a pan with some chopped up bacon

Dishing up for little ones Little ones can sample the whole of the Christmas Day feast, just adapt the serving as suggested.

For 6mths+ My first Christmas dinner puree! Little ones starting out with food can still enjoy a bit of everything.

To do this keep a few potatoes after the boiling stage and before roasting, as once roasted in the oil they may be a little rich.

Simply mash or gently pulse everything in a food processor to a loose mash. If using a masher the meat will need to be cut very finely with scissors or a knife and mashed in.

Give your little one some tasty veggie finger foods to grab hold of and enjoy with their meal, why not try some cooled cooked soft carrot batons. For 10mths+ I like it chunky!

8 Dishing up for little ones Little ones can sample the whole of the Christmas Day feast, just adapt the serving as suggested. If your little ones are vegetarian, replace the meat with a small piece of the nut or seed loaf which can be crumbled up, sliced, or even blended depending on the age. For 6mths+ My first Christmas dinner puree! Little ones starting out with food can still enjoy a bit of everything. A selection of unsalted vegetables and meat can be pureed with a little hot water at the last minute. To do this keep a few potatoes after the boiling stage and before roasting, as once roasted in the oil they may be a little rich. You may want to boil or steam some carrot and parsnip instead of roasting as well. For 7mths+ More mash and finger foods please! Older babies will enjoy a little more texture to their dinner. Simply mash or gently pulse everything in a food processor to a loose mash. If using a masher the meat will need to be cut very finely with scissors or a knife and mashed in. As with younger babies the root veggies and potatoes can be boiled or steamed instead of roasted if you prefer. Give your little one some tasty veggie finger foods to grab hold of and enjoy with their meal, why not try some cooled cooked soft carrot batons. For 10mths+ I like it chunky! At this stage babies are interested in exploring different textures and sensations in their mouth, so a chunky mash with varying textures will be perfect, and super interesting for your little one. Simply mash or pulse everything a bit rougher, or chop into small pieces instead. Keep some veggies back to serve as finger foods - steamed broccoli florets make a tasty choice! For 12mths+ I want what everyone else has! From one year onwards your little ones will be keen to follow you and if they haven t already, will most likely be interested in stealing some off your plate! At this stage, you can give them a plate of all the different bits in bite size pieces, or chunks that are just the right size for their little fingers to pick up and have a nibble on, like a floret of broccoli or a small roast potato. Add just a little of the rich trimmings like gravy, cranberry sauce and stuffing

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