Some Christmas Cheats

With only a week and a half until Christmas, everyone's thoughts are turning to the  for wonder of Christmas dinner (also known as the horrors of Christmas dinner, depending on who's doing the cooking this year). While many of you will be looking forward to sitting down to a feast that has been prepared by a friend or relative, I suspect an awful lot of you are bearing the responsibility of COOKING the damned thing.

Mr Bubbles (left) & Miss Gizzy, awaiting Christmas dinner

While the myriad cooking shows currently filling the airtime on The Food Network and GoodFood tell us that it's EASY to cook a juicy turkey with homemade cranberry sauce, or minted lamb, or even the perfect homemade trifle, in truth the day is often very different. While you're madly waving a tea towel at the smoke alarm, simultaneously trying to whisk the lumps out of the gravy and swearing at the cat for swiping some chicken, you stop feeling so Nigella-ish and begin to feel more Tazmanian Devil-like.

Just another winter's day

And of course, there's also the fact that, when you're avoiding gluten, you often feel deprived of some of the best parts of Christmas dinner. So...what if you could cheat a little? What if you could make something that tastes as good as a non-gluten free counterpart AND it was ridiculously easy?! Well, here are three recipes to boost your Christmas dinner from great to WOW, with some pictures I've borrowed because I'm cheating today as well.

Gluten Free Bread Sauce

1/2 loaf white bread with crusts removed
1 and 1/2 pints milk (whole is best)
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1-2tsp onion granules
Salt and pepper

Bread sauce is one of my Christmas luxuries. My favourite thing has always been to pour it into my yorkshires and save them til last. SO good! To make it, blitz the white bread in a blender until you have fine breadcrumbs. Put all the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan, and put over a medium heat. Stir frequently. When it reaches boiling point, reduce to a simmer and leave it there, stirring constantly, until it's thickened. Personally, I'd remove the cloves and bay leaf after the first 10 minutes, but taste it at 10 minutes and if you want to leave them in a little longer, do. Serve piping hot once it's thick and creamy.

Photo courtesy of About Food (www.about.com/food)

Perfect Yorkshire Puds (adapted from Good Food)

140g gluten free plain flour (I use Dove's Farm)
200ml milk (I use Lactofree semi-skimmed)
4 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Sunflower oil
Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees C. Pour 1tsp sunflower oil into the bottom of each hole in a 12-hole muffin tin, and place the tin in the oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix the eggs and milk, then add the flour and whisk thoroughly to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the oil in the tin is heated up, pour an equal amount (around 2tbsp) into each hole, quickly as you can without burning yourself, and pop the tin back in the oven. Leave for a good 25-30 minutes and either serve immediately or allow to cool, freeze and re-heat  220 degrees

Sage & Onion Stuffing

We generally use Mrs Crimbles Sage & Onion Stuffing, because it's delicious. But we've had a couple of years in a row now where we haven't been able to find it around Christmas, so I ended up creating our own. This really could not be easier!

1 pack gluten free breadcrumbs
1 jar dried sage
Equal quantity dried onions
Seasoning, to taste
Freshly boiled water

 Now, what you do first really depends on how fussy you (or your guests) are. I'm VERY fussy and really hate when you take a bite of stuffing, only to find big, chewy pieces of dried onion. Blech. If you feel the same, stick the dried onions in a food processor and pulse for a bit so they're a little smaller. Once you've done that, pour the breadcrumbs into a bowl, and add the sage and onion. Quantities vary because some people don't like their stuffing to sage-y and others don't like it too onion-y. Personally, I like it with an equal balance of both, so I add both in equal proportion to around a half to two-thirds breadcrumbs. Add salt and pepper, if desired.

Mix everything together so it's evenly combined. Then pour enough boiling water to ensure it's a dough-like consistency and all the water has been absorbed. Use a fork to create lines running across the top, so it gets a little crispy and delicious on top OR get creative and make balls (hehe, dirty!).

Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of dish and serve immediately with your roast.

Photo courtesy of BBC Food website

That's all for now campers! Wishing you the best of British luck in preparing your Christmas dinner!