Recipes: Fabulous festive food

Serves 6

Ingredients
60g butter at room temperature
70g golden brown sugar
1 egg yolk
75g flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

For the trifle
2 cups cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
300 mixed fresh berries
2 tbsp caster sugar

Method

1 Preheat oven to 190°C. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar. Add the egg yolk and continue beating.

2 Sift flour and bicarbonate into the butter mixture. Stir well to combine. Mix in chopped chocolate.

3 Drop spoonfuls on a lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until cooked. Allow to cool completely.

4 Place cookies in a sealed plastic bag and crush roughly with a rolling pin.

5 For the trifle, whip cream and icing sugar until peaks form. In a separate bowl, toss berries with the caster sugar.

6 To assemble, layer cookie crumbs in a glass, top with cream and berries. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbles.

Serves 6

Ingredients
1.5kg beef fillet
Olive oil
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
3 tbsp pink peppercorns

For rocket salsa verde
30g each rocket, dill and basil, chopped
2 anchovies, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp capers, chopped
1/2 lemon, juice of
1/2 cup olive oil

Method

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush fillet with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place a large frying pan over high heat, sear the fillet on all sides until browned and set aside.

2 Brush fillet with mustard and roll in pink peppercorns. Place on a lined baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to stand for 20 minutes before slicing. Garnish with rocket and serve with salsa verde. 3 For the rocket salsa verde, mix together the rocket, dill, basil, anchovies, Dijon mustard and capers. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste.

Serves 6

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
6 plums, stones removed and quartered
150g bresaola, sliced
150g wild rocket
3 balls mozzarella, torn
100g walnuts, toasted and chopped

For the dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 pinch chilli flakes
1 pinch caster sugar
Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1 Heat a griddle pan until it becomes smoking hot. Whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Brush the plums with the mixture and then griddle for 2-3 minutes on each side. Season to taste.

2 Place plums on a serving platter and then toss together with the bresaola, rocket, mozzarella and walnuts.

3 To make the dressing, mix together the ingredients. Pour over the salad, season well and serve.

Serves 6

Ingredients
2 cups water
200g sugar
600g strawberries, cut into chunks
3 cups of soda water (cold)
180g pomegranate rubies
Ice
1 handful fresh mint

Method

1 Make sugar syrup by placing water and sugar in a small pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

2 Blitz strawberries until smooth. Add the syrup, soda water and pomegranate rubies. Stir well.

3 To serve, pour the mixture into serving jugs, add ice and mint.