Full recipe menu: Ruth Pretty’s Make-ahead Christmas Feast
With a little planning, a touch of prep and — voilà — a make-ahead Christmas lunch menu that leaves plenty of time for hosts to spend with guests.
Words & Recipes: Ruth Pretty Styling & Photos: Carolyn Robertson
ON THE MENU
Perfumed Punch
Cheese Christmas Trees
Chilli Prawn, Roasted Kumara, Yellow Pepper and Pistachio Salad
New Potatoes with George’s Guacamole
Beetroot Salad with Horseradish Dressing
Honey-Glazed Pork Loin with Guava & Raisins
Lemon Meringue Cake
Cheese Christmas Tree Shortbreads
These are perfect with drinks and easy to make with a Christmas-tree cookie cutter.
Ruth Pretty’s Chilli Prawn, Roasted Kūmara, Yellow Pepper & Pistachio Salad
This chilli prawn salad makes a magnificent side for a celebration feast but is substantial enough to be a delicious stand-alone main.
New Potatoes with George’s Guacamole
Give new potatoes a Caribbean twist with a healthy dollop of zesty Cuban guacamole.
Green Bean Salad with Cranberries
Green beans with a tangy cranberry twist, a delicious side from Ruth Pretty’s make-ahead Christmas lunch menu.
Recipe: Beetroot Salad with Horseradish Dressing
Horseradish dressing gives this herbaceous beetroot salad the x-factor.
Honey-Glazed Pork Loin with Guava & Raisins
Ask the butcher to leave the belly attached to the loin but to remove the skin, leaving as much fat as possible on the meat. Keep the skin to wrap the loin for great crackling and easy carving.
Lemon Meringue Cake
A cake on a grand scale that tastes as good as it looks. Make it from scratch or buy the best sponge cake, meringues and lemon curd you can and proceed to assembly. Use a cardboard cake round if possible. The cake is lovely to eat the day after making.
Perfumed Punch
A fruity non-alcoholic drink, fit for a festive feast.
This article first appeared in NZ Life & Leisure Magazine.
