Christmas lunch side dishes

The festive season is upon us, and what better way to embrace the holiday spirit than by hosting the perfect Christmas lunch that will leave your guests filled with joy and warm memories?

Get ready to embark on a culinary journey curated by Nozi Manaka that will make this Christmas truly unforgettable. Here are two side dishes to enjoy with your Christmas lunch. 

Stuffed Calamari

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small onion, very finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 leaves fresh spinach

¼ cup short-grain rice, cooked and cooled

4 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

2 cups dill

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 tablespoons freshly chopped shrimp, cooked and finely chopped

Dash of crushed red chilli flakes

1/2 cups seafood stock

300 g calamari tubes

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the spinach, rice, parsley, dill, salt, pepper, shrimp, red chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add stock and cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Take the mixture off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
5. Stuff the calamari three-quarters all the way full with stuffing.
6. Secure the top with a toothpick, leaving a little bit of room between the toothpick and the top of the stuffing to allow for any expansion.
7. On a baking tray lay the calamari flat, do not stack on top of one another. Let calamari brown on both sides and remove from oven.
8. Garnish and serve warm.

Tip:

To quicken the process, use a piping bag to squeeze stuffing into the tubes.

Pesto Baby Potato Salad

Prep Time: 7 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

1 kg baby potatoes, whole or cut into half

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 cup fresh basil and parsley

1 tbsp lemon zest

3 tbsp Parmesan

1 garlic clove

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Black pepper

Small red onion, finely chopped

2 heaped tbsp mayonnaise

1. Transfer potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Salt well and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Once boiling, reduce heat slightly, half cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender, approximately 15 min. Drain.
3. In the meantime, toast pine nuts in a dry frying pan until fragrant and browned, approximately 4 min, tossing often.
4. In a large measuring cup or jug, add basil, parsley, lemon zest, grated Parmesan, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil and blend until very smooth and saucy.
5. Add lemon juice to taste and season with salt and pepper, then blend again. Add red onion and mayonnaise, and pesto to potatoes and combine, toss well, and garnish with micro-greens. Serve!

Tip:

Drizzle lemon juice over your dresses salad for the pesto to pop.