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This is a fairly quick and very tasty meal.
Recipe: Hot and spicy sausage pasta
Summary: Yummy!
Ingredients
- 400g pork sausages
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 150 ml red wine
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- a pinch of sugar
- 400g penne/spiralle
- a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to GasMark6/200C
- Put the sausages in a roasting tin and cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked and nicely browned. Turn once or twice to prevent burning.
- Remove and slice when slightly cooled.
- In a frying pan, fry the onion until soft and golden.
- Season, add chilli and garlic. Fry gently for a couple of minutes.
- Add the sausage slices and the red wine and bring to the boil.
- Add the tomatoes and sugar and return to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Cook the pasta while the sauce is reducing and thickening.
- Serve with the parsley sprinkled over the sauce.
Quick Notes
Good with peas and beans.
Preparation time (duration): 15 minutes
Cooking time (duration): 40 minutes
Diet type: Dairy Free
Number of servings (yield): 4
Meal type: dinner
Culinary tradition: Italian
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While there can be no doubt that mulled wine is non-dairy, to paraphrase slightly, “Christmas isn’t Christmas without mulled wine” and this recipe tastes superb so I thought I’d tuck it in. It isn’t as ferociously alcoholic as many versions, but tastes a great deal better because of all the fruit and you really don’t miss the extra hooch.
You will need a large preserving pan for this quantity of mulled wine.
Recipe: Mulled Wine
Summary: The quintessential Christmas drink: here’s our version.
Ingredients
- 4 bottles red wine – go for something not too expensive, but with a big flavour
- 4 pints / 2.25 litres hot water
- 4 scant teacups granulated sugar
- 8-10 oranges (Un-waxed if possible)
- 4-5 lemons (Un-waxed if possible)
- 1 miniature bottle of rum/brandy (to taste, but better not over-done)
- 20+ cloves
- a good pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Put the water into the preserving pan with the sugar and bring to the boil, stirring to ensure that the sugar dissolves rather than burning onto the bottom of the pan.
- Wash one of the oranges and stick the cloves into it.
- Wash and slice the remaining fruit with its peel on and add it all to the boiling water.
- Add a good pinch of cinnamon.
- Simmer for about 45 minutes.
- Add the wine and brandy/rum.
- Bring it back to just below a simmer, check for sweetness and serve. If the mulled wine is too sharp, add a little more sugar dissolved in a small quantity of hot water.
Quick Notes
If you double the quantities, you won’t need to double the brandy/rum, but you really will need double the fruit – that’s where the delicious flavour comes from.
Preparation time (duration): 10 minutes
Cooking time (duration): 45 minutes
Diet type: Vegan
Number of servings (yield): 12
Meal type: cocktail
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 Like a mince pie, but better! This makes a great party offering: it looks fantastic and isn’t hard to do! Much more impressive than mince pies for the end of a dinner party, less effort and very Christmassy with a little twist of originality. Enjoy!
You will need an 11″ / 28cm loose bottomed flan tin and a wire cooling rack.
Recipe: Mince Tart
Summary: A different take on mince pies: sure to wow your guests.
Ingredients
- 1 quantity of shortcrust pastry
- 1 standard size jar of mincemeat (stir in some rum/brandy for added flavour)
- 1 14½oz / 411g tin apricot halves
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5 / 190°C / 375°F
- When the pastry has rested, roll it out to the required size and line a well-greased flan tin, taking care not to stretch the pastry to avoid shrinkage on baking. Trim the edges level with the top of the tin.
- If you want crispy pastry you will need to bake the case blind, by pricking it all over the bottom with a fork and baking for about 20 minutes. You may use baking beans if you have them, otherwise, check on your case about half way through its cooking time and re-prick a little and/or press down as necessary.
- When your case is ready, remove it from the oven and spread the mincemeat all over it to a depth of about 1/4-1/2″ / 5-10mm. Arrange the apricot halves around it in a ring with one in the middle. Gently push them into the mince a little, but do not bury them.
- Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- After removing from the oven, allow the tart to cool in its tin on a rack for a few minutes, before carefully removing the side ring. A palette knife will allow you to slide the tart off its base if you wish, or you can simply put the tart on its base onto a serving board/plate and serve it as it is: it looks just the same and that way it can’t fall apart!
Preparation time (duration): 30 mins
Cooking time (duration): 15-20 mins
Diet type: dairy-free
Number of servings (yield): 12
Meal type: dessert
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The traditional accompaniment to a glass of mulled wine during the Christmas season.
For this recipe you will need 2 sizes of pastry cutters (wine glasses will do in an emergency), 2 tart trays, a pastry brush and a wire cooling rack.
Recipe: Mince Pies
Summary: Can’t have Christmas without mince pies! Here’s how to make them dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 1 quantity shortcrust pastry
- flour for dusting
- dairy-free spread for greasing tins
- 1 standard size jar mincemeat
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5 / 190°C / 375°F
- When the pastry has rested in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about ¼” / 5mm.
- Cut out 12 circles of each size, gathering up the leftovers and re-rolling as necessary.
- Grease tins thoroughly and ease the 12 larger circles into the trays.
- Put about a teaspoon of mincemeat in each pie. Resist the temptation to over-fill the pies as you will regret it when they overflow and the sugary mincemeat burns onto the tin.
- Cover each pie with a small circle, pressing down gently.
- Brush with beaten egg. If you wish, you can sprinkle the pies with a little granulated sugar for a crunchy top.
- Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the pies are golden brown.
- Remove from oven when cooked and allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin, before turning them out onto a cooling rack.
Preparation time (duration): 15minutes + 30 minutes chilling time
Cooking time (duration): 15 – 20 minutes
Diet type: dairy free
Number of servings (yield): 12
Meal type: snack
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 All ready for decorating My mother has been making this cake for Christmas and special occasions in the family for about thirty years. It is truly delicious: moist but not sticky. It isn’t cheap because of all the fruit, but it is well worth the effort for a traditional Christmas cake. Do note that the cake is best made a month or so before you eat it.
Recipe: Traditional Fruit Cake
Summary: A moist and luxurious fruit cake, suitable as a Christmas or wedding cake
Ingredients
|
Round 8″ |
Round 9″ |
Round 10″ |
|
Square 7″ |
Square 8″ |
Square 9″ |
| Currants |
14 oz / 400g |
1lb 2oz / 500g |
1lb 6oz / 625g |
soak overnight in
a good slosh of rum or brandy |
| Sultanas |
7oz / 200g |
9oz / 250g |
12oz / 350g |
| Raisins |
7oz / 200g |
9oz / 250g |
12oz / 350g |
| Plain flour |
9oz / 250g |
11oz / 315g |
14oz / 400g |
| Flaked almonds |
1½oz / 35g |
2½oz / 60g |
3oz / 75g |
mince
together |
| Citrus peel |
1½oz/35g |
2½oz/60g |
3oz/75g |
| Mixed spice |
½ level tsp |
¾ level tsp |
1 scant tsp |
| Glacé cherries |
3oz / 75g |
3½oz / 85g |
5oz / 150g |
| Eggs |
3 large |
4 large |
5 large |
| Dairy-free spread |
7oz / 200g |
9oz / 250g |
12oz / 350g |
| Soft dark brown sugar |
7oz / 200g |
9oz / 250g |
12 oz / 350g |
| Lemon (grated rind and juice) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Sherry, rum or brandy(optional) |
2 tbsps |
2½ tbsps |
3 tbsps |
Method
Instructions
For the preparation of this cake you will need at least three medium to large mixing bowls, using the largest one to cream the spread and sugar together.
For cooking you will need a cake tin of your chosen size, a baking sheet, 3 sheets of either brown paper or newspaper and some string.
- Soak the dried fruit overnight in a good slosh of brandy or rum. This makes a big difference to the final texture of the cake. The alcohol will all cook off, so if you don’t want alcohol in the finished cake, don’t worry.
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F
- Grease a cake tin with dairy-free spread and line it with two layers of greaseproof paper. Grease the paper lining as well. Cut a strip of brown paper or newspaper 2″ / 5cm higher than the depth of the tin and about 2″ / 5cm longer than the circumference of the tin. Fold the strip in half lengthwise, wrap it around the tin and secure with string. N.B. Do not use Sellotape or plastic string: they melt. You need proper, old-fashioned string.
- Mince together the almonds, peel and cherries. An old-fashioned mincer seems to work best, but a food processor with a small container would do. The aim is to end up with a finely chopped/mashed mixture.
- Sift the flour and mixed spice together in a bowl.
- Beat the eggs in another bowl.
- Cream the dairy-free spread and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the beaten eggs to the spread and sugar mixture a little at a time. With each addition of egg add a small amount of your flour and spice mixture: roughly a dessertspoonful is plenty. The flour will stop the mixture from curdling. Beat well after each addition.
- Add the lemon rind and stir well.
- Add the dried fruit and the almond/peel/cherry mixture. Mix very thoroughly.
- Stir in the flour/mixed spice and add the lemon juice. Mix well again.
- Scoop into the tin, pressing down gently with a spoon to ensure there are no air pockets. Level the top with the back of the spoon.
- Line a baking tray with two layers of brown paper/newspaper and place the filled cake tin on it.
- Reduce the oven temperature to Gas Mark 3 / 170°C / 325°F
- Bake the cake on one shelf below the centre of the oven for:
- 1st hour – Gas Mark 3 / 170°C / 325°F
- 2nd hour – Gas Mark 2 / 150°C / 300°F
- 3rd hour – Gas Mark 1 / 140°C / 275°F
- 4th hour – Gas Mark ½ / 120°C / 250°F
- If the cake is still very pale after 3 hours, cook for the fourth hour at Gas Mark 1 / 140°C / 275°F. If after 3 hours the cake is already sufficiently brown but not fully cooked, put a sheet of brown paper over the top for the fourth hour. Otherwise leave uncovered and lower the temperature as per the instructions. After 3 hours test cake every 30 minutes to see if it is cooked. Test by pressing gently with your fingers: if it is cooked, it should spring back when pressed and it will have started to shrink in slightly from the sides.
- When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven but leave it in the tin to cool.
- When it is completely cool, remove it from the tin. To make the cake keep well and stay moist, you may wish to prick over the top with a skewer and spoon a little sherry, brandy or rum into the cake. Turn the cake upside down and repeat the process. Wrap the cake in foil and store in an airtight tin. For the full effect, the pricking and dosing with spirits should be repeated twice more at intervals of a week.
- Before serving, we usually just cover with a thick layer of marzipan. You could go the whole hog and cover with marzipan and royal icing if you wanted…
Variations
This recipe works just as well if made with 81% Stone Ground Self Raising flour. The extra “oomph” of the self raising flour compensates for the increased heaviness of the bran content, and the taste and texture are really good. Most good health food shops sell Marriages 81% flour (not Holland and Barratt in my experience), though it is rare in supermarkets. You can use 100% Stone Ground flour, but you must expect a much heavier texture. You would also probably need to increase the liquid levels in the recipe to compensate for the extra absorbency of the high bran content. I know that 81% flour works perfectly to the original recipe because I’ve done it!
Preparation time (duration): 90 minutes
Cooking time (duration): 3 – 4 hours
Diet type: dairy free
Number of servings (yield): 20
Meal type: dessert
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This goes superbly with Christmas Pudding and is really fairly straightforward.
For this recipe you will need a heavy bottomed saucepan which is NOT non-stick, a pint jug and a balloon whisk.
Recipe: Christmas White Sauce
Summary: What would Christmas pudding be without a traditional rum sauce?
Ingredients
- 2 tbsps cornflour
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar (MUCH better than granulated sugar)
- 8 floz / 225ml Provamel Soya Dream
- 12 floz / 330ml rice milk (less starchy than soya milk)
- a few drops vanilla extract (reduce if using Vanilla Rice Dream as the rice milk!)
- a good slosh of rum/brandy
Instructions
- Mix the rice milk and the Soya Dream together in a jug.
- Put the cornflour and the demerara sugar in a saucepan and add just enough of the milk/cream mixture to blend to a smooth paste.
- Add the rest of the milk/cream mixture in small quantities, ensuring that each addition is fully blended before adding more. Do not rush this stage or you will end up with lumps.
- Switch to a balloon whisk and cook the sauce over a low heat, whisking gently but constantly. Continue until the sauce comes to the boil and thickens.
- Add the rum/brandy, stir in and heat through. If you want the sauce to be alcoholic do not allow to boil after adding the rum/brandy. If you want to remove most of the alcohol but retain the flavour, allow to simmer for a few minutes, stirring constantly as it will stick and burn very easily.
- Serve.
Cooking time (duration): 15
Diet type: dairy free and vegan
Number of servings (yield): 6
Meal type: dessert
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This is the recipe which has been used in the family for almost as many years as I can remember. It is lighter in texture than a very traditional pudding, but the flavour is absolutely traditional. I’m afraid I don’t go in for weird and wonderful variations on Christmas recipes; the tradition is all part of the magic for me. The only important thing to remember about this recipe is that it won’t keep un-aided for months like the standard version. However, it does freeze very well.
Recipe: Christmas Pudding
Summary: Where would Christmas be without Christmas pudding? This is a traditional Christmas pud full of fruit and flavour.
Ingredients
- 8oz / 225g breadcrumbs
- 4oz / 110g vegetable/beef suet
- 4oz / 110g plain flour
- 2oz / 50g peeled chopped apples
- 4oz / 110g sultanas
- 4oz / 110g raisins (if very large, chopped)
- 4oz / 110g currants
- 1oz / 25g chopped mixed peel
- ½oz / 10g flaked almonds
- ½oz / 10g finely chopped crystallised ginger (or 1tsp ground ginger)
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 2oz / 50g soft dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- strained juice of ½ orange and 1 lemon
- 1½ floz / 34ml brandy/rum
- 2+ cans Guinness/dark bitter
Instructions
- Mince together the chopped mixed peel, flaked almonds and crystallised ginger (if you are using it).
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat the egg in a bowl and stir in the brandy and the citrus juices.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Blend together with either a wooden spoon or a clean hand. To be honest, the hand technique seems more effective if messier.
- Add Guinness until you have a soft dropping consistency. It should be quite sloppy.
 It looks too soggy, but don't worry!
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave the mixture to soak overnight. By the next day the consistency will be thick and fairly firm.
- Pour into a well-greased 2lb / 900g pudding basin (use dairy-free spread for this). Cover the top of the mixture with a greased piece of greaseproof paper and make a foil covering for the basin. Tie string firmly round the basin and across the top to make a handle.
- Put the basin into a roasting tin with about 2-3″ / 5-7.5cm water in the tin. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 10 hours at Gas Mark 1 / 140°C / 275°F. Check the water level at intervals and top up as necessary.
- The pudding will need a further 4 hours’ steaming exactly as before on the day you wish to eat it.
Quick Notes
You can make this pudding up to about three weeks before Christmas. However, what we do is put it together on the evening of December 23rd, leave it to soak overnight to Christmas Eve, then cook it through the night to Christmas Day. This way you wake up on Christmas morning to a house which is softly scented of spices and fruit: all the best smells of Christmas. It goes superbly with Christmas White Sauce, or with a dollop of whipped double cream and a sprinkle of icing sugar for those members of the family who cannot bear to be deprived of their dairy intake.
Preparation time (duration): 45 minutes
Cooking time (duration): 14 hours
Diet type: dairy free and vegetarian (if you use vegetable suet)
Number of servings (yield): 12
Meal type: dessert
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Yes, you really can make a dairy-free version of this and it is just as tempting to stick your finger into as the tins of the real thing! The only slight drawback is that this is not a quick thing to make and you do have to stay with it at all times. However, it isn’t something you would want to use every day. It’s just nice at Christmas to be able to make sticky sweets and nibbles for the tea table. If the sugar content seems alarming, think about the real thing: ingredients whole fat milk and sugar? Need I say more? After all, it isn’t for consuming in huge quantities on a regular basis, just for a treat on a special occasion.
For this recipe you will need a medium sized heavy-bottomed saucepan which is not non-stick and a spiral/ balloon whisk.
Summary: A dairy-free version of condensed milk, useful for making stcky sweets and nibbles
Instructions
- Pour the Soya Dream into a medium sized heavy-bottomed saucepan, which is not non-stick, and add the spread and syrup.
- Heat gently, stirring constantly with a spiral/balloon whisk.
- Bring the mixture to a steady simmer and keep it there for 40 minutes. You really must keep all of the liquid moving at all times to stop it sticking and burning. At first it will froth slightly, but don’t worry as this will disappear during the process. Gradually the milk will thicken until it resembles custard and darken to a pale gold colour. It will also bubble up from the bottom as it cooks so do watch out as when these burst they can occasionally splash and the mixture has a lot of sugar in it, so it is very hot.
Quick Notes
- Allow to cool before using in cooking as it “shrinks” on cooling and using it hot will distort your measurements.
- You can keep “condensed milk” in the fridge in a clean, sterilized jam jar with a screw-top lid. Enjoy!
- Try using this to make chocolate fingers!
Cooking time (duration): 45
Diet type: dairy free and vegan
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Goes down a storm and you can’t tell it’s dairy-free. Down sides? Expensive and fiddly to make.
For this recipe you will need a smallish basin and a saucepan to make a bain marie, a large mixing bowl, an electric hand mixer, a second saucepan and 6 ramekins about 2″ / 5cm deep by 3″ / 7.5cm diameter at the top and 2½” / 6cm at the bottom.
Summary: A delicious chocolate dessert. You can’t tell it’s dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 5oz / 150g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
- 1 pint / 570ml Soya Dream
- 1oz / 25g dairy-free spread, melted
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2oz / 50g caster sugar
- 1 generous teaspoon cornflour
For the caramel:
- 6oz / 175g granulated sugar
Instructions
Start the day before you want to eat them.
- Put the broken chocolate, 5 floz / 150ml of the Soya Dream and the melted spread into a bain marie and heat gently until the chocolate is melted. Keep the heat low, this should take 5-6 minutes. Keep stirring once the chocolate has started to melt and watch the mixture like a hawk: the Soya Dream has starch in it and this can start to cook, making the chocolate turn dry and lumpy. If it starts to go I’ve rescued it with a little hot water. In the end you should have something which is smooth and glossy. Take it off the heat and let it cool for 2-3 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, caster sugar and cornflour for about 2 minutes until they are thick and creamy.
- Heat the rest of the Soya Dream gently. If you aren’t careful it can split, so be gentle! When it just reaches simmering point, take it off the heat and pour it into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. You shouldn’t have lumps doing it this way, but if you do you can sieve it at this point. You now have a custard mix.
- Rinse the pan you used to heat the cream and pour the custard mix into it. Heat it gently for about 2-3 minutes until it thickens. If the heat is very low it can take longer, but it is important not to rush this stage or you will end up with lumps.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Whisk up the chocolate mixture to return it to smooth glossiness. Add a little of the custard mix to it and whisk it in. Add a little more, still whisking until the mixture is runny enough to pour into the remaining custard, whisking constantly.
- Divide the chocolate custard between 6 ramekins (each about 2″ / 5cm deep by 3″ / 7.5cm diameter at the top and 2½” / 6cm at the bottom). Leave a little space at the top for the caramel, cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge overnight.
- A couple of hours before serving, make the caramel by putting the granulated sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and placing it on a medium heat. Watch it for about 4-5 minutes until a rim of melted sugar appears around the edge of the sugar. At this point shake the pan, then leave the sugar again until it is about a quarter to a third melted. Stir gently and keep stirring until the sugar is all melted and the colour of darkish liquid honey.
- Take the chocolate custards out of the fridge, remove the clingfilm and pour over a thin layer of caramel. Tilt them around to get the covering even. Cover with foil (NOT clingfilm or they will go soft!), and re-refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cooking time (duration): 45
Diet type: dairy free
Number of servings (yield): 6
Meal type: dessert
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These are sticky and very more-ish.
For this recipe you will need a medium to large heavy-bottomed non-stick saucepan (you do all the mixing in this so it needs to be big enough), a food processor or a rolling pin, a wooden spoon and a baking tray measuring 12″ / 30cm by 8½” / 21cm.
Summary: Sticky and sweet chocolate treat
Ingredients
- ½lb / 225g rich tea biscuits (or something similar which you can find dairy-free)
- ¼lb / 110g dairy-free spread
- ¼lb / 110g dark chocolate (minimum cocoa solids 70%)
- 5oz / 150g dairy-free condensed milk
- 5 ½oz /155g dark chocolate (minimum cocoa solids 70%) for topping
Instructions
- Crush the biscuits either in a food processor or in a polythene bag with a rolling pin. You need the pieces to be very small, though not necessarily all powder.
- In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the spread and chocolate together. This requires great care to prevent it from burning. I tend to hold the pan a little above the heat and keep stirring fairly vigorously with a wooden spoon. When both are fully melted and blended, remove from the heat.
- Add the dairy-free condensed milk and stir it in thoroughly.
- Add the raisins and stir, then tip in the biscuit crumbs. Carefully stir in until evenly distributed.
- Tip into a greased 12″ / 30cm by 8½” / 21cm baking tray and level out with the back of the wooden spoon.
- Leave overnight either in the fridge or a very cool room to set.
- Melt the chocolate for the topping in a bain marie. Make sure that the bowl does not touch the hot water in the saucepan. Cover the mixture in the tray with an even layer of melted chocolate and leave to set in a cool room. Putting it in the fridge at this stage can make the chocolate go cloudy.
- When set, slice into pieces about 2″ / 5cm by 1″ / 2.5cm. It is very rich, so you don’t want it in large pieces.
Quick Notes
Try to stop it all going at once! It keeps well in an air-tight container if given the chance.
Preparation time (duration): 30 minutes
Cooking time (duration): 10 minutes
Diet type: dairy free and vegan
Number of servings (yield): 40
Meal type: snack
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