With the festive season around the corner, braving the shopping malls and planning your festive dinner can be quite the exercise.
We thought we would help relieve some of that stress by putting together a comprehensive list of our favourite foods for you to plan your festive shopping.
Sweet potatoes
Mashed potatoes are great and all, but mashed sweet potatoes? That is my carb choice, every time.
They have got the creamy goodness of the traditional mash, with about a hundred times more flavour and nutrition.
Add a little rosemary and sprinkle the whole shebang with roasted pecans and watch everyone head back for seconds.
Oil
You cannot get very far in the kitchen without cooking oil, so do a final audit before you make your last trip to the shops.
You may want to stock up on different varieties – including extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over salads or making salad dressings, peanut, or sesame oil for Asian salad dressings, vegetable oil for roasting and frying, and maybe even some duck fat for roast potatoes if you are feeling indulgent.
Seafood
The festive season is the holiday season in South Africa, meaning that seafood is an ever-popular festive dish, especially in coastal towns where fresh fish is available daily.
Dishes such as crayfish tail, mussels, prawns, and line-fish are typically served as starters before the hearty meat dishes.
When it comes to prawns, you could serve them as a starter in the form of a prawn cocktail or maybe even garlic and spice them for a simple side accompaniment.
Mimosas
Mimosas are not just for Sunday brunch. They are also the perfect way to kick off Christmas morning. Just combine champagne and orange juice for a traditional mimosa, or give it a festive twist by mixing champagne with a bit of cranberry juice.
Brussels sprouts
This polarising vegetable is a key part of a festive dinner. Even though many people dislike Brussels sprouts (they can have a slightly bitter taste), they can always be found on the table during the festive time! They are normally served steamed or fried up with bacon.
Pecan pie
Although pecans are packed with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, pecan pie is a minefield of sugar and calories.
According to health experts, a typical slice of pecan pie has 464 calories, and that is because it is usually made with lots of corn syrup, butter, and sugar.
Nibble on a bowl of mixed nuts instead. If you cannot resist the pie, choose pumpkin or opt for a very small slice, and do not eat the crust.
Spaghetti and macaroni pasta
Pasta is another dry good and a great pantry staple. You can buy these in bulk and have a full stash of different kinds of pasta as needed.
Does your family have to have spaghetti? Is macaroni salad a must-dish on the dinner table? Dried pasta keeps well if kept away from moisture and insects, so these make prime ingredients to stock up on.
Tacos
Tacos are a great dish to serve to your guests during the day or night. They are tasty, easy to prepare and encourage your guests to get their hands dirty and tuck in, making it a really social meal to enjoy.
The taco recipe below is tasty, easy to make, and can be made with relatively affordable ingredients, which makes it perfect for feeding the whole family.
Fully loaded breakfast tacos
Makes: 2 large tacos
Ingredients
1 cup baby button mushrooms, sliced in half
1 cup white button mushrooms, sliced
½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 tsp Mexican taco spice
4 eggs
1 tbsp butter
½ avocado, sliced
â…› red onion, finely sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small fresh chilli, finely sliced
2 large flour tortillas
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lime wedges for serving
Method
Fry mushrooms in a drizzle of olive oil until golden brown. Season with salt, pepper, and taco spice. Add black beans and corn and stir together until hot and the flavours have mixed. Set aside and keep warm.
Scramble eggs in simmering butter until done to your liking. Season. Keep warm.
Prepare the rest of your taco toppings.
Toast your flour tortillas over a gas burner using tongs until charred on the edges and warm throughout. If you do not have a gas hob, toast the tortillas in a dry pan until warm.
Assemble the tacos by layering them with scrambled eggs, mushroom, bean and corn mix, fresh avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and chilli.
Squeeze over some lime juice and serve.
Recipe by The South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association.
Roasted brussels sprouts
Serves: 4
Ingredients
450g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp hulled, unsalted sunflower seeds
1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp whole-grain mustard
½ tsp honey
â…“ cup diced red apple
Method
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Celsius. Place the brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet and then toss them with one tablespoon of the oil and the salt.
Roast (middle rack) for 30 to 40 minutes until they are deep golden brown, crisp on the outside, and tender on the inside.
Meanwhile, place the sunflower seeds on a small baking sheet. Place them in the oven (lower rack), and toast for 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant. Let cool.
Whisk together the remaining tablespoon of oil, vinegar, mustard, and honey in a liquid measuring cup to form an emulsified vinaigrette.
Once the brussels sprouts are done, transfer them to a serving bowl.
Toss with the apple, sunflower seeds, and dressing; serve right away.
Recipe by dietitian, nutritionist, and author Ellie Krieger.
