Treats for a family meal
Dec 23, 2007
MANY families have a culture of celebrating Christmas at home and want to prepare something special, but may not know what to cook.
MANY families have a culture of celebrating Christmas at home and want to prepare something special, but may not know what to cook. Charity Gusenga brings you special recipes you can prepare for your family on Christmas
CRISP CURRIED AND VEGETABLES
It takes 25 minutes to prepare this meal. Thereafter, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cooking time is 10 minutes. The meal serves four people
Ingredients
500g raw prawns, peeled and deveined
One-two table spoon Red curry paste
Two table spoon oil
Two medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
Two table spoons lime juice
Tea spoons finely grated lime juice
Two table spoons finely grated lime zest to garnish
Method
Combine the prawns, curry paste and oil in a bowl, cover with plastic crap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan until it is very hot. Toss seafood in the curry paste again to coat well and add two-three batches, cook each batch for three minutes, tossing frequently.
Remove from heat, return all the seafood, add the French beans and stir fry for five minutes.
Then add tomatoes and lime juice and stir well. Serve immediately and garnish with lime zest. Serve with steamed rice on the side.
SWEET AND SOUR DRUM STICKS
It serves four people
Ingredients:
Eight chicken drumsticks
Four tablespoons of red wine Vinegar
Two tablespoons tomato puree
Two teaspoons of soy sauce
Two tablespoons of clear honey
One tablespoon of Worchester shire sauce
One garlic clove
One pinch of cayenne pepper
Spring of fresh thyme, to garnish
Method:
Skin the chicken, if desired and slash 2-3 times with a sharp knife.
Lay the chicken drumsticks side by side in a shadow, non metallic container
Mix the red wine vinegar, tomato puree, soy sauce, honey Worchester shire sauce, garlic and cayenne pepper together and pour the mixture over the chicken drumsticks.
Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for one hour. Cook the drumsticks on a preheated barbeque for about 20 minutes, brushing with the marinade and turning during cooking.
Garnish with parsley and serve with crisp salad.
TRI-PASTA SALAD
Ingredients
Two tablespoons Vinaigrette dressing
One crispy lettuce leaf
100g three-colour pasta
One medium-size onion
One teaspoon parmesan cheese grated
Method
Plunge pasta in plenty of boiling salted water with a little oil, boil till tender but firm. Drain in cold water
Combine pasta and Vinaigrette dressing in a bowl. Add a little salt and mix well
Arrange well on a clean plate with crispy lettuce leaf down and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
SAGE AND GARLIC NOODLES
Preparation time is 10 minutes. Total cooking time is 15 minutes. The meal serves four people
Ingredients
Two tablespoons of Olive oil
Two tablespoons of chopped Sage
One tablespoon of garlic cloves
300g coloured spaghetti
Spring of parsley to garnish
One tablespoon of Parmesan cheese grated
A pinch of salt
Method
Plunge pasta in plenty of boiling salted water, with a little oil, until read, but still firm. Drain in cold water and set a side.
Heat oil in the pan, add garlic, fry for one min. until soft. Add chopped sage and pasta. Stir fry for three minutes consistently.
Check the seasoning and arrange on a clean plate, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and spring of parsley.
TUFFED PUMPKIN
Preparation time is 20 minutes. Cooking time is 30 minutes and the meal serves four to six people
Ingredients:
One large onion, chopped
One clove garlic chopped
50g butter, oil or margarine
100g cooked fresh peas
100g carrots diced
100g sweet corn
One table spoon coriander leaves, chopped
Two table spoons curry paste
l One table spoon lime juice
l One large pumpkin, deseeded .
Method:
Heat oil in a small pan, add onions and garlic, cook until soft and tender without browning
Add peas, carrots and sweet corn, stir fry for two minutes.
Add curry paste, tomato paste, lime juice and coriander leaves, stir fry for about three minutes and set aside.
Carefully, cut around pumpkin top to remove the stalk, scoop out all seeds with a spoon.
Spoon the vegetables mixture into pumpkin, cover with the stalk. steam for 10-15 minutes until ready. You can use banana leaves for steaming. Remove and serve immediately.
CRISP CURRIED AND VEGETABLES
It takes 25 minutes to prepare this meal. Thereafter, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cooking time is 10 minutes. The meal serves four people
Ingredients
500g raw prawns, peeled and deveined
One-two table spoon Red curry paste
Two table spoon oil
Two medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
Two table spoons lime juice
Tea spoons finely grated lime juice
Two table spoons finely grated lime zest to garnish
Method
Combine the prawns, curry paste and oil in a bowl, cover with plastic crap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan until it is very hot. Toss seafood in the curry paste again to coat well and add two-three batches, cook each batch for three minutes, tossing frequently.
Remove from heat, return all the seafood, add the French beans and stir fry for five minutes.
Then add tomatoes and lime juice and stir well. Serve immediately and garnish with lime zest. Serve with steamed rice on the side.
SWEET AND SOUR DRUM STICKS
It serves four people
Ingredients:
Eight chicken drumsticks
Four tablespoons of red wine Vinegar
Two tablespoons tomato puree
Two teaspoons of soy sauce
Two tablespoons of clear honey
One tablespoon of Worchester shire sauce
One garlic clove
One pinch of cayenne pepper
Spring of fresh thyme, to garnish
Method:
Skin the chicken, if desired and slash 2-3 times with a sharp knife.
Lay the chicken drumsticks side by side in a shadow, non metallic container
Mix the red wine vinegar, tomato puree, soy sauce, honey Worchester shire sauce, garlic and cayenne pepper together and pour the mixture over the chicken drumsticks.
Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for one hour. Cook the drumsticks on a preheated barbeque for about 20 minutes, brushing with the marinade and turning during cooking.
Garnish with parsley and serve with crisp salad.
TRI-PASTA SALAD
Ingredients
Two tablespoons Vinaigrette dressing
One crispy lettuce leaf
100g three-colour pasta
One medium-size onion
One teaspoon parmesan cheese grated
Method
Plunge pasta in plenty of boiling salted water with a little oil, boil till tender but firm. Drain in cold water
Combine pasta and Vinaigrette dressing in a bowl. Add a little salt and mix well
Arrange well on a clean plate with crispy lettuce leaf down and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
SAGE AND GARLIC NOODLES
Preparation time is 10 minutes. Total cooking time is 15 minutes. The meal serves four people
Ingredients
Two tablespoons of Olive oil
Two tablespoons of chopped Sage
One tablespoon of garlic cloves
300g coloured spaghetti
Spring of parsley to garnish
One tablespoon of Parmesan cheese grated
A pinch of salt
Method
Plunge pasta in plenty of boiling salted water, with a little oil, until read, but still firm. Drain in cold water and set a side.
Heat oil in the pan, add garlic, fry for one min. until soft. Add chopped sage and pasta. Stir fry for three minutes consistently.
Check the seasoning and arrange on a clean plate, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and spring of parsley.
TUFFED PUMPKIN
Preparation time is 20 minutes. Cooking time is 30 minutes and the meal serves four to six people
Ingredients:
One large onion, chopped
One clove garlic chopped
50g butter, oil or margarine
100g cooked fresh peas
100g carrots diced
100g sweet corn
One table spoon coriander leaves, chopped
Two table spoons curry paste
l One table spoon lime juice
l One large pumpkin, deseeded .
Method:
Heat oil in a small pan, add onions and garlic, cook until soft and tender without browning
Add peas, carrots and sweet corn, stir fry for two minutes.
Add curry paste, tomato paste, lime juice and coriander leaves, stir fry for about three minutes and set aside.
Carefully, cut around pumpkin top to remove the stalk, scoop out all seeds with a spoon.
Spoon the vegetables mixture into pumpkin, cover with the stalk. steam for 10-15 minutes until ready. You can use banana leaves for steaming. Remove and serve immediately.