Good Morning Tuesday 23rd April St Georges Day
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Winter dinner recipes
Christmas is coming and this month's fabulous recipes all have a festive feel to them. Seasonal ingredients are colourful, punchy and just a little sharp. Citrus fruits, cranberries, chestnuts and spices - now is the time to mix it up in the kitchen and try surprising new combinations. You never know, you could invent a family classic for decades to come. So to get you in the mood, here are our favourite winter recipes for the festive season ahead.
Christmas, cranberries and chestnuts
Versatile, tasty and incredibly pretty, cranberries and chestnuts are everywhere this month and we see no need to limit them to turkey and stuffing sandwiches on Boxing Day. These recipes prove that there is so much more to these winter ingredients - and we've got our eyes on those biscotti for our afternoon tea...
Recipes
Cranberry almond winter tart - a festive twist on a classic Bakewell tart.
Cranberry and pistachio biscotti
You could also try: Cranberry and white chocolate tray bake
Beets, roots and pumpkin
Watch out because these vegetables steal the show this month. Brightly coloured, freshly tasting and effortlessly delicious, these winter staples can be added to all of your favourite recipes - and they make fantastic side dishes for roasts.
Recipes
You could also try: Celeriac soup
Hotpots, turkey and Brussels sprouts
December is here and we can't wait for the traditional Christmas food, but what do we eat in the days before and when do we start eating like it's Christmas? This month is all about indulgence and nostalgia, so here are our favourite dinner recipes for December.
Recipes
Brussels sprouts
Every summer, masses of berries flood our supermarkets - and every winter, Brussels sprouts replace them. Synonymous with Christmas dinners and polite 'no thank yous', sprouts are traditionally steamed with a lemony twist, but there are plenty more ways to enjoy the festive side dish throughout the month.
If you are a vegetarian and looking for inspiration for the festive season, why not try: Nut roast
Christmas dinner
Perhaps you are already starting to feel the pressure of planning your Christmas dinner? You are not alone, so we've made a guide to help you stay on top of things and avoid the holiday stress.
Christmas baking
With mince pies and gingerbread, we don't think there's a better time than Christmas to flex those baking skills and spend some quality time in the kitchen. Take inspiration from these recipes, indulge guests, or treat yourself to homemade mince pies this month. Or better yet, make these festive favourites with your grandchildren - their small hands will be perfect for this task and they'll love the result! Introducing children to cooking can be a rewarding experince and baking with your grandchildren is not something to be missed.
Recipes
You could also try: Almond mince pie pastry, Chestnut brandy meringue and mini Christmas cakes
Chocolate
Another perfect way to spend the afternoon with your grandchildren - they will love shaping and rolling the chocolate, but prepare for a bit of mess!
Mulled wine, cider and hot toddies
If you're coming in from carol singing or if you're having a few friends round, the scent and the taste of a glass of mulled wine is cheering and warming. Booze, spices, citrus - no wonder that it's the classic pick-me-up for tired skiiers. And you don't actually have to have come down a mountain at high speed to deserve it - a brisk walk some time in the past month qualifies you.
Heat 250g of caster sugar with some citrus peel - lemon, lime and orange are all lovely - and some orange or clementine juice. Cloves, a stick of cinnamon, a bay leaf and some grated nutmeg all go in the pot, with a halved vanilla pod. Cover the sugar with red wine and simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved and then bring to the boil and keep it boiling for about five minutes until it's turned into a syrup. Add two bottles of wine and two star anise, heat for another five minutes and it's ready to drink.
Alternatively, if you are not a mulled wine fan - why not try mulled cider? To make this winter classic, just substitute wine with sweet or low alcohol cider.
You could also try: Sloe gin
Images: Shutterstock