Beginning of December make stuffing and freeze it to use at Christmas time

Tip: if you find it difficult to get gluten-free breadcrumbs it is easy to make your own using your favourite gluten-free bread. Simply leave the bread out of the pack for a few hours and then break it into small pieces and make into breadcrumbs using a food processor.

Pine nut and cranberry stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 red onion diced finely
• 450g of gluten free breadcrumbs
• 100g of salted butter
• 50g of pinenuts
• 70g of dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
• Cracked black pepper

Method

1.  Melt the butter in a saucepan on a gentle heat and cook the diced onion until soft but not browned.
2. Stir in the pinenuts and the cranberries
3. Add the breadcrumbs
4. Finally add the chopped parsley and the pepper.
5. (This stuffing can be frozen)

Gluten free Chestnut and sausage rounds

Ingredients

• 100g of dried cranberries
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 50g of salted butter
• 2 chopped rashers of bacon
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 450g gluten free sausages (with the skin removed)
• 150g of gluten free breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 150g of tinned cooked chestnuts, drained and roughly chopped.
• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten

Method

 Fry the onion and bacon gently in the butter, until the bacon is cooked. Add the garlic and cranberries and fry for another minute.

Cool slightly, then mix with all the remaining ingredients, add the egg to bind the mix.  Fry a small piece of the stuffing in butter and taste it to check for seasoning. If needed add more seasoning.

Roll the mixture into walnut sized rounds. Put them on a tray lined with greaseproof paper. They can be frozen raw to cook at Christmas. Make sure to defrost thoroughly before cooking.

To Cook:  Roast the stuffing balls on a baking sheet brushed with olive oil for 30 mins until nice and brown on the outside.

Hazelnut and Apricot stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 onion diced finely
• 450g of gluten free breadcrumbs
• 100g of salted butter
• 50g of toasted hazelnuts
• 70g of dried Apricots (chopped into small dice
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage
• Cracked black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan on a gentle heat and cook the diced onion until soft but not browned.
2. Stir in the hazelnuts and apricot
3. Add the breadcrumbs
4. Finally add the chopped sage and the pepper.
5. (This stuffing can be frozen)
6. Traditional herb stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion diced finely
• 500g of gluten free breadcrumbs
• 100g of salted butter
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme
• Cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan on a gentle heat and cook the diced onion until soft but not browned, add the chopped thyme cook for 3 to 4 minutes
2. Add the breadcrumbs
3. Finally add the chopped parsley and the pepper.

  (This stuffing can be frozen)

Mid December prepare ahead

Homemade cranberry, port and orange sauce

Ingredients

• 500g of fresh or frozen cranberries
• 200ml of fresh orange juice
• Zest of one large orange
• 200g of light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons of vintage port

Method.

1. Put 200g light muscovado sugar and 200ml orange juice into a stainless-steel saucepan, then bring to the boil. Add the port.
2. Stir in 500g fresh or frozen cranberries, simmer until soft but not mushy (5/8 mins.
3. The sauce will be thicker when cold.
4. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.
5. This sauce can be used cold or warmed
6. Make your own chicken stock and freeze it for making soup over Christmas or make a soup now and freeze it.

How to make real chicken stock.

Prep time 5 mins cooking time 2 hrs

Ingredients (makes 1 litre)

• 3 large chicken legs or a whole chicken carcass (ask your butcher)
• 1 carrot, cut roughly
• 1 onion, skin on, cut roughly
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 stick of celery, chopped
• 1 garlic clove
•  Handful of fresh parsley, 2 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leaf (optional)
• ½ teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
• 2 cloves

Method.

1. Put everything into a large saucepan add a pinch of salt then cover with 2 litres of water.
2. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2hours, skimming when needed.
3. Pass through a sieve and cool completely.
4. It will keep in the fridge for a week and for up to three months in the freezer.

Mushroom and tarragon soup.

Makes 8 portions

Prep time 20 mins. Cooking time 20 mins

Ingredients

• 50g dried wild mushrooms
• 50g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 800g chestnut mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons of gluten free flour
• 1.5 litre of fresh chicken stock or stock made from gluten-free stock cubes or powder
• 400ml crème fraiche
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon

Method:

1. Boil the kettle, then pour the water over the dried mushrooms just enough to cover them.
2. Heat the butter in a saucepan, then gently sizzle the onion and garlic for 5 mins until softened and starting to brown.
3. Drain the mushrooms, keep the liquid, then add to the onion with the chestnut mushrooms. Sprinkle on the flour and cook for 5 mins more.

4. Pour over the stock and the juice from the dried mushrooms, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins.
5. Stir in crème fraiche, then simmer for a few mins more.
6. Blend the soup with a hand blender or liquidiser, stir in the chopped tarragon

It will keep in the fridge for 3 days and for up to three months in the freezer

Celery soup with Parmesan cheese

Serves 8

Prep time 15 minutes, cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 700g celery, chopped with the tough strings removed
• 1 leek
• 500g rooster potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 litre of homemade chicken or vegetable, or made from a gluten- free stock cube or powder.
• 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast (optional)
• 60g of shaved parmesan cheese
• 200ml milk
• Crusty gluten free baguette for serving

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, put in the onion, celery, leek and potatoes and cook without browning, on medium heat for 7 minutes.
2. Add 100ml of the stock and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring regularly add more stock if the vegetables begin to stick
3. Pour in the remainder of the stock, bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes more until all veg is soft. Add the milk and parmesan. Blend with a hand blender. Cool completely.
4. It will keep in the fridge for 3 days and for up to three months in the freezer

Mid December

 Make a freezer dessert.

Chocolate and raspberry ice cream cake

Serves 12

Cooking time 20 mins

Assembly time 20 mins

This dessert takes a bit of time to prepare but is a great one to have in the freezer. This recipe can be made and frozen a month before Christmas, it can be served defrosted or simply left out of freezer for an hour before serving.

Preheat the oven to 150°c fan assisted oven

Ingredients

• For the sponge layers
• 5 eggs
• 5oz / 150g of caster sugar
• 5oz / 150g of dark chocolate (55% cocoa solid)
• For the filling
• 12oz /360g of dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids)
• 3oz /90g of butter
• 10floz or 250ml whipping cream
• 100g of frozen raspberries
• Method for the sponge (you will need a baking tray measuring approx.  30cm x 23cm)

Brush the tray lightly with vegetable oil, cut a sheet of baking parchment slightly bigger than the tray, at each corner make a 2-inch cut diagonally in towards the centre of the paper. This forms corners when placed in the tray

1. Melt the 5oz/150g of chocolate in a heatproof bowl over and saucepan with hot water in it (make sure the water does not touch the end of the bowl).
2. Separate the eggs into two bowls.
3. Add the sugar into the egg yolks, whisk this with a hand whisk for 3to 4 minutes.
4. Meanwhile with an electric mixer beat the egg whites until stiff and will hold a peak
5. Take the chocolate off from saucepan of water when melted, allow to cool for 2 mins and then scrape the chocolate into the egg yolks and sugar, stir this together with a large metal spoon until totally combined.
6. Add a ¼ of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, fold it through gently using the large metal spoon. Gradually add the remaining beaten egg whites in batches, until all incorporated.
7. Spread onto the lined baking tray and cook for 20 minutes. When cooked, take from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes
8. Lay a clean piece of parchment out on the counter sprinkle with a small amount of caster sugar Turn the baking tray upside down onto the parchment, the sponge will now have the oiled parchment facing upwards. Remove this gently
9. Cut the sponge into two halves to form two rectangles.

You will need a roasting tray or dish the size of the rectangles you have cut to assemble the dessert. Brush the tray or dish with vegetable oil and layer cling film into and over the sides of the dish, making sure to press it into the corners.

Put one rectangle of sponge onto the clingfilm lined tray to form the base

Make the filling

1. Melt the 12oz/360g of chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl over and saucepan with hot water in it (make sure the water does not touch the end of the bowl).
2. Whip the cream in a clean bowl until it is stiff
3. When the chocolate is fully melted, take off the heat and stir the mixture so the butter and chocolate are combined well.
4. Take a large metal spoon and fold in a spoonful of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, gradually add the remainder of the cream.
5. Sprinkle half of the frozen raspberries onto the sponge base
6. Fill half of the cream and chocolate mixture on top, then more raspberries
7. Top this with the remainder of the cream and chocolate mixture, finally, place the other rectangle of sponge on top and press it down gently, refrigerate for 2 hours and then cover and freeze until Christmas.