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Welcome to a new series: Santa’s Lidl Helper. Every week in the runup to the big day, an expert will be answering your Christmas food questions.
This week, food writer and cook Caitríona Redmond tackles tricky menu problems, including how to cope with different dietary requirements… and what about those tricky roasties?
IF YOU WERE to spend your Christmas Day cooking individual dinners for each different dietary requirement, I can only imagine the stress you’d be under.
I’m a big believer in cooking the one meal for the whole family. I’ve some suggestions here to adapt your menu so that everybody enjoys the same dishes and you only have to cook once.
Remember, the important part of Christmas is the chance for you to join together with family and friends so don’t get too hung up on what you’re cooking. If you’re stuck there’s always crackers, cheese, and a good chat by the fireside.
1. We’ve got a vegan coming for the big day – but the rest of my family are committed turkey eaters. I don’t want to make them something sad, so how can I make sure they feel included?
As your guest eats a plant-based diet, the best way to make them feel included is to make your traditional dishes compatible so that everybody can enjoy them together. I’d leave out the milk and butter from the mash and use a tablespoon or two of warm vegetable stock instead which will still give you that creamy texture.
Cook your roasties in sunflower oil as opposed to duck or goose fat, then glaze the carrots and parsnips with maple syrup rather than honey. For dessert, what about some beautiful winter berries warmed through with a little whiskey, served with sorbet or vegan ice cream? That’s the perfect dessert for any Christmas party in my opinion!
Nut roast is a great protein alternative if you don’t eat meat. I would definitely buy a small nut roast and have it on the side for your guest. You never know, some of the rest of your family might decide to join them.
2. Nobody in my family really likes Christmas pudding – but it’s nice to have something you wouldn’t eat the rest of the year. Are there any dessert alternatives that will still create a sense of occasion?
I have the same problem in our family; not everybody is a fan of desserts with dried fruits in them. However, I really love the appearance of a Christmas pudding. I get around this by making a standard chocolate biscuit cake mixture by melting butter with sugar and golden syrup. Once this is melted I stir in crushed biscuits and chocolate sweets before pressing it into a pudding basin.
If I’m making this well in advance I actually put the pudding basin into the freezer until the day I intend to serve it.
When I’m ready to serve the ‘pudding’, I remove it from the bowl, then pour melted dark chocolate on top first, let it set for an hour, and then pour some melted white chocolate on top. It looks like a classic Christmas pudding but is really a chocolate biscuit cake inside which the whole family loves. You could also do this with Rice Krispies and melted chocolate!
3. Help! My daughter’s boyfriend is joining us for Christmas and he’s on a gluten-free diet. What can I give him and what should I watch out for?
The good news is that most of the food for the main meal we traditionally eat at Christmas is naturally gluten-free. You’ll want to be careful to cook the stuffing in a separate tray away from the turkey and watch out for wheat in the cooking process – such as the flour thickener in your gravy.
I’d recommend buying some slices of gluten-free bread for the obligatory sandwiches in the evening, and make sure your crisps and snack items are suitable by checking the ingredients before you buy or pick them up directly from the gluten-free section of the supermarket.
Overall though why not ask him what he can eat and what he can’t eat well in advance of the day? This should take an awful lot of the stress around Christmas food for both the guest and the host!
4. Try as I might, I can NEVER get the roasties good and crispy at the same time as everything else is ready. Any advice? What can I give people to keep them quiet while I’m having a mild panic?
Perfect roast potatoes are all down to the timing and a little bit of advance preparation.
Make sure that your potatoes are peeled and chopped into equal-sized chunks. About 90 minutes before you intend to serve your meal parboil the potatoes for 15 minutes, then drain away the water and put the potatoes back in the pot with the lid off to allow them to dry out a bit.
When the meat comes out of the oven crank up the heat to about 190 degrees (you should be resting your turkey for at least 40 minutes before serving). I use sunflower oil for my roasties and pour a generous glug into a non-stick baking tray before putting the tray into the oven to come to temperature (this takes about 5 mins). Once the oil is hot, I spoon the potatoes into the baking tray, roll them around in the oil to make sure they’re coated, season generously with salt and pepper, then roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
After which time you should have beautiful roasties with a crispy outer skin and lovely soft centre. The stuff of legend.
When it comes to keeping your guests occupied I’m in two camps about this one. If I’m in a flap I like to ask for help; the guests feel useful and I don’t feel so overwhelmed about the tasks in front of me.
The other option is to keep a stash of drinks and nibbles on hand in case your meal is delayed to the table. Family favourites are houmous with fresh vegetables and breadsticks or nachos with salsa all washed down with generous glasses of Gluhwein.
From deluxe food treats to decorations and gifts – whatever you’re looking for to make your Christmas special, you’ll find it in Lidl with more for everyone this Christmas. Visit the Lidl website for full details.
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My son was just telling me that one of his teammates who lost is part time job in March, just got 250 into his account today on top of the 203 he typically gets, and he’s soon due a Christmas bonus. When he was working his part time job in a petrol station job he used to bet no more than 150 euro. He is a 21 year old who is more than fit enough to find himself another part time job but instead he’s sat at home profiting big time. I’m by no means against the unemployment payment and I thinks it’s been critical to those who need it, but it’s scary to think how many others out there are doing the same as the lad I mentioned above.
@Michael Fielding: I’m not sure there are many other part time jobs that he could get at the moment but I get your point in that he has no incentive to even try look for one. Imagine how it would be if Sinn Fein got their way and everyone was on a minimum PUP of €350+ a week!
@Michael Fielding: I agree it’s far too broad but for every person like that lad who is getting ‘too much’ there are 100s who need this to get by and it is still a lot less than some were making. I would guess/hope that they considered it more expensive to look at it case by case than just paying standard 350 across the board.
@Michael Fielding: we are screwed, live in a hand out state
@DK: I can’t speak on behalf of the whole country, but there’s plenty available here in Cork. My son works part time in a dunnes stores and he said they can’t hire enough people coming into Christmas, and I’d hazard a guess that’s the case for most of their busy branches. Places like Musgraves etc are always actively taking on too. The opening of the restaurants and pubs will most likely open up some waiting and bartending opportunities, similarly with the opening of gyms and leisure centers. If he really wanted one I’d be confident he got could get one, but what incentive does he have to do so when he’s getting just as much, if not more, sitting at home?
@Michael Fielding: that’s lie. Petrol station remained opened so he wouldnt got PUP.
@DK: I’d beg to differ on that one! I’ve been trying to fill a number of positions over the past 6 weeks and the level of applicants is appalling, knowing the sheer number of people on layoff in my industry. I’ve also had great difficulty getting people to come back to work. All taking great advantage of the PUP. I fully support it for those in need, but it’s being abused.
They failed to pay me for my first 3 weeks. Today, they only paid me one of those weeks (the 1st week), leaving me still short of 2 full weeks of arrears. Completely incompetent.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: I’m owed a few weeks but will sit it out as I’d imagine they are kind of busy.
@Paul Furey: If they made the payment, they could have saved themselves from making extra work for themselves by paying it all. They paid me for my first week of arrears, but not the 2nd or 3rd. They literally just made things busier for themselves as now I WILL be contacting them daily until it’s rectified.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: had to sign on twice. First I was completely without work took one week to get sorted. Got that week’s arrears. Second time I was reduced to part time and it took 3 weeks to get sorted, didn’t get any of that.
@Paul Furey: bear in mind, the longer you leave it and the closer to 2021 it gets, the less likely you are to receive your payment.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: I’m due 3 weeks payments in total and haven’t got any today. Hopefully will get it in next week or week after. I’m behind on bills due to missed payments and now getting the debt collectors letters from gas and electricity. With a baby due any day is just so stressful.
@Sam Glynn: I spoke with DSP today, and they said that today was the only day arrears were being paid. If you didn’t get it today, you’re not getting it at all. Sorry, Sam.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: it seems the report on the news suggests different to what I just wrote. Not sure why the DSP agent told me otherwise.
Meanwhile spare a thought for the hardworking student nurses who worked hard throughout this pandemic. They got a clap from the public but not a cent for their efforts. This is positively shameful
I have to say when I got it , I applied on the Wednesday and got my first payment on the Tuesday , that was during the first lockdown. It really was a lifesaver. I was on it six weeks
Thanks Leo
I think it’s disgraceful. All the health are workers got was a ’round of applause’. They worked over & above, through their annual leave, sacrificed seeing their families so that other families could be taken care of. The very least the Minister for Health could offer them is to pay their annual retention fee to the NMBI of €100 per nurse. They certainly deserve that much.
that’s very generous of the government, so a lady with a children today would get 700 euro and 280 child allowance, and another 700 double week next week. Super stimulus for Christmas. Well done government giving back to those who need it.
@Padraig Carey: and nothing for student nurses who worked so hard throughout this pandemic. Why are we not challenging our government on their behalf
Everyone moans about what others are getting and legally entitled to. Very significant numbers of these moaners would take the moaney money and we would never hear a word about it.
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