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There are so many great recipes floating around this holiday season that I am just drooling at the chance to try my hand at them. Some of you long-time readers may be wondering why is Nishita posting recipes and foodie posts all of a sudden. It’s moving into the new house, people! I now have an expansive kitchen with a lovely oven, and also some spanking, shiny new utensils, all of which are inspiring me to be the chef at home.
After all my online browsing, I have shortlisted two easy but yummy looking recipes that I plan to cook for Christmas (not that we celebrate Christmas, but that’s not the point). I want to cook these dishes and I want to make a festive occasion out of it :).
Without further ado, here they come…
Linguine with Asparagus and Egg
I plucked out this recipe from Martha Stewart. It combines my favorite ingredients of pasta and egg. I don’t mind asparagus too. Plus it’s only a 30-min recipe. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy as the next generation is wont to say.
Doesn’t it look absolutely delicious? I can’t wait to try it out.
Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese
I’ve been looking for a good veg au gratin recipe for ages, but everything I found used a store-bought sauce. Jamie Oliver’s recipe makes this dish from first principles (nothing store-bought), without being too precious, or fussy about it.
Apart from these two dishes, I could cook up my monstrously filling (and satisfying) minestrone soup and round it off to make a full 3-course meal.
All that would be left out would be a nice bottle of wine and some fancy dessert. I’ve been looking through some of the stuff on RedEnvelope’s Anniversary Gifts to address the wine and the dessert part and couldn’t help creating a wish list of some of the stuff I’d love to have on my dining table when we sit down for Christmas dinner.
We badly need a set of classy wineglasses and a wine bucket for our entertaining. Some chocolate and red roses would also add a festive touch. Hint hint to K, if you are reading my blog…a little initiative in this area from your side would be most welcome.
What are you planning for your Christmas meal? Do you have any recipes or plans in mind? Do share in the comments.
Disclosure:
This post was written in collaboration with RedEnvelope. All ideas and opinions expressed here are my own.
I’m totally wanting that Linguine with Asparagus and Egg too – that would be my idea of heaven.
Those gifts on RedEnvelope look fantastic! (I’m also a little bit hungry now…)
@nikkiann:disqus Yeah, I liked those gifting ideas too :). Thanks for visiting and commenting 🙂
These dishes look delicious! I’m particularly interested in the linguine, asparagus, and egg (I could eat an egg on almost anything!).
@disqus_TZfUAHiCge:disqus I know, so could I. I went off eggs a few years back when there was all that cholesterol brouhaha but with all the recent studies claiming they aren’t too bad, they are back in my diet again 🙂
OOH they all look so good! I want to make them too!
@sheila_dechantal:disqus if you do it before Christmas, let me know how it turns out 🙂
The pasta dish looks great, plus I’m a sucker for cauliflower and broccoli cheese any time1
@samstillreading:disqus Me too, I love cauliflower, but more than that anything with broccoli always pricks my interest, and of course, all that cheese 🙂
I’ve pinned a few Christmas recipes already! Just getting my feet wet with Pinterest this month, really. I daydream about elaborate recipes and elegant table settings, but in reality it’s always a family-style Christmas around here!
@baystateRA:disqus Oh, Pinterest is such an intoxicating dream. I love all those pretty photos, but with 2 small kids in the house, I can’t even dream of anything fancy.
Also, I love family-style, there’s something very homely and cozy, sometimes no frills is great too 🙂
Oh, man, that cauliflower dish looks good! I’m still working on Thanksgiving recipes–Christmas isn’t even on my radar yet. Good for you.
@KerryAnnMorgan:disqus: Yeah, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here, and so Christmas is the only festival to look forward to
Honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead to figure out Christmas recipes. I remember buying all kinds of things, like giant turkey platters, when we got our first house. 🙂
@JanelGr:disqus: I am thinking far ahead as I have some business travel in between. There’s lots happening in the next 3 weeks at our place-probably our busiest time ever, so lot of advance planning happening 😀
I’m still finalizing our Thanksgiving menu and plan to get started on Christmas ideas soon… lots of inspiration here!
Those dipped strawberries look fab! Because Christmas is mid summer here we have a pretty simple menu – glazed ham and salads followed by fruit salad. Cheers
@Ca4ole:disqus a simple menu for a hot Christmas sounds like an eminently sensible idea 🙂
That vegetable gratin looks rustic and delicious. A wonderful dish for the season.
@joyweesemoll:disqus thank you 🙂
Both dishes look great! And those chocolate-covered strawberries look beautiful, festive, and yummy.
Thanks, Beth. Usually I avoid recipes from master chefs like these as they are usually too complicated, but these are really easy to do 🙂
The linguine dish appeals but not the au gratin because I hate broccoli cooked into a dish. It’s such a strong taste. Maybe another veg could be substituted though. As for my christmas lunch, I haven’t thought that far ahead yet – last year it was a nutroast with cranberries in a pastry case. A lot of work but delicious
@Bookertalk: I think you could sub broccoli with something else…maybe some squash or carrots if you are so inclined 🙂
Such yummy recipes Nish. I am yet to plan for Christmas.
@0af261404f54b242c403f3a09ff83e4d:disqus Thanks very much Ava 🙂