You might not want to eat turkey for a while, but what will you have instead? Try these delicious and easy recipes to see you through your post-Christmas slump.
You’ve had the mince pies, the Christmas pudding, the sweets, the chocolates, the Champagne, the wine and you have had the turkey – oh yes, you’ve had the turkey!
Turkey has dominated your life for the past few days. You nurtured that bird through a lengthy cooking process and it was a proud centrepiece of your festive feast.
Then you had the turkey sandwiches and, using what was left, a tasty curry but now, three days later and full up to the brim with the stuff, it’s turkey no more.
So what should you cook in the days after Christmas which will allow you to take things a little easier after being tied to the kitchen?
Here are a few ideas of tasty dishes to prepare to carry on the festive fun.
Currywurst-Dog, Chips and Speedy Sauerkraut
Traditionally served at German Christmas markets, the majority of which have been cancelled this year, this is a simple and amazing dish to make.
And if you’ve been to Germany, you’ve probably seen the currywurst – a sausage smothered in delicious curry ketchup.
This recipe from Gousto takes the whole lot, sticks it in a hot dog bun and ta-dah! The currywurst-dog was born. Serve with a quick cheat’s sauerkraut slaw, too.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 Cumberland sausages
- ½ tbsp curry powder
- 300g potatoes
- ¼ baby white cabbage
- 1 carrot
- 200g passata or chopped tomatoes
- 2 sub-style brioche rolls
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ 400°F/ Gas 6. Then cut the potatoes (skins on) into chips, then add them to a baking tray with a drizzle of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt. Slide the chips to one side of the baking tray and add the Cumberland sausages. Put the tray in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the sausages are cooked through and the chips are golden and crisp.
- Meanwhile, boil a kettle. Grate the carrot with skin on and shred or grate the baby white cabbage finely.
- Dissolve 1 tsp of sugar in 2 tsps of boiled water in a large bowl. Once dissolved, add the white wine vinegar and a generous pinch of salt which will make your pickling vinegar. Add the shredded cabbage and grated carrot to the pickling liquor and set aside until serving – this is your speedy sauerkraut.
- Meanwhile, heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium heat. Once hot, add the curry powder and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Once fragrant, add the passata or tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes or until thickened to the consistency of ketchup to make your curry ketchup.
- I the meantime, peel and finely slice the brown onion.
- Once the curry ketchup is done, transfer it to a bowl and wipe the pan clean. Return the pan to a medium-low heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Once hot, add the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 10-12 mins or until soft and caramelised.
- Once the sausages and chips are almost cooked, add the brioche sub rolls to a separate baking tray. Put the tray in the oven for 2-3 mins or until warmed through.
- Carefully cut the warmed brioche sub rolls down the middle. Load each with two sausages, a dollop of the curry ketchup and caramelised onions. Serve the currywurst-dog with the chips and speedy sauerkraut to the side.
Simple tasty breaded fish and chips
This is my take on fish and chips and, while there is a little oil used in the cooking, by and large it’s a relatively healthy version, by breading the haddock rather than deep frying.
The chips, too, are cooked in a healthy way in the oven – and I promise you are absolutely delicious.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- Two medium potatoes – I like to use Maris Piper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 haddock fillets. Buy from a fishmonger – there absolutely is a difference
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 4-5 tbsp breadcrumbs – panko or use some of your own stale bread whizzed up in a food processor
- Some frozen peas
Method
- Set your oven to 200°c or 180°c fan.
- Cut your potatoes into chips and place in a large bowl with 1 tbsp of oil and salt and pepper. Give them a good mix and transfer to a baking tray and bake in the oven, turning occasionally, for 25-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Using three plates and a bowl for the ingredients, dust the haddock fillets with flour removing any excess, then coat in egg and then in the breadcrumbs.
- Fry the fillets for a couple of minutes on each side until the breadcrumbs are crispy and the fish is cooked.
- Serve with the heated peas and enjoy.
Shakshuka (Spiced Tomato Baked Eggs)
Eggs are a good source of iron, and this simple lunch dish provides one-third of the recommended daily intake of this important nutrient.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 large red pepper, seeds removed and discarded, cut into strips
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch of saffron or turmeric
- 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 4 free-range eggs
- 2 medium slices wholemeal or granary sliced bread, toasted
Method
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick, deep-sided frying pan. Add the fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add in the pepper, smoked paprika, saffron or turmeric, tomatoes, salt and pepper.
- Cook for 25 minutes until the peppers are soft, adding more water as necessary to keep the mixture moist.
- Make four small wells in the tomato and pepper sauce, drop in the eggs, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the whites of the egg are cooked
- Spoon two spicy tomato baked eggs onto each plate and serve with toasted bread.
