Christmas Season Is Whet Your Appetite Season

Christmas Jamboree is here again, and Sunday rice will not taste the same.

Christmas is that special season where you are allowed to ditch the meals that your taste buds are used to and try out new recipes, and ooh, before we forget, anybody ready for wine tasting? 

JAMBALAYA RICE

Jambalaya rice | Photo Mark Weinberg

INGREDIENTS

• Rice (Washed)
• Chicken breast
• Prawn (deveined)
• Tomatoes
• 5 medium-sized chilli peppers
• 1 cup Cooking oil
• 2 Large Onion (chopped)
• 1 bunch Spring onion (chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (blended)
• Sausages (thinly sliced)
• 2 green bell peppers (chopped)
• Celery (chopped)
• Chicken stock
• Bay leaves
• Maggi chicken seasoning cubes
• Salt

METHOD

1. In a pot, pour 2 cups of water, add the chicken breast, onion, seasoning cubes, salt and allow to boil for 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock, put it in a strainer over the pot and allow to drain. Wash and blend your tomatoes, onion, and chilli pepper. Set aside.
2. In a bowl of prawns, sprinkle salt and mix. In a non-stick saucepan, heat up 2 tbsps of oil and add the blended garlic. Smoothly add the salted prawn and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes on both sides. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the chicken and sausage and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and gives off its juice while the sausage is light brown. Gently put them on a clean plate and set aside.
4. Pour the remaining oil into the saucepan and add the chopped onion. Fry for 2 minutes then add the tomato and pepper paste and allow to fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock (Taste and add 1-2 seasoning cubes if necessary), bay leaves and stir to combine. Add the rice and spread evenly. Cover the pot and leave to cook on medium heat for 20-30 minutes until stock is almost dried up. (Check in-between to avoid burn and add water if necessary to avoid hard rice).
5. Add the bell peppers, spring onion, a handful of celery, chicken and sausage mix and stir to combine. Then add the prawns and sprinkle with extra celery.
6. Cover the pot and steam for 5 minutes on low heat.

Serve with cocktail drinks.

HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN

Jambalaya rice | Photo Mark Weinberg

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken breast
• All-purpose flour
• Butter
• 2 Garlic cloves (minced)
• Soy sauce
• Onion (chopped)
• Honey
• Apple cider vinegar or Lemon juice
• Red bell pepper (diced)
• 2 Maggi Chicken seasoning cubes 
• Salt
• Parsley (Chopped)

METHOD

1. In a dish, pour flour, salt and pepper and combine. Rub the mixture on the chicken thoroughly, shaking off excess.
2. In a non-stick frying pan, put butter and melt on medium heat, add onion and after 1 minute, gently place the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove and set aside.
3. Add garlic, honey, soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, seasoning cubes and 1 cup of water and cook for 2 minutes until thick. Place chicken to the sauce and flip to coat thoroughly.
4. Garnish with parsley, and serve with rice.

HONEY-PEPPERED OXTAIL

Honey Barbecue Oxtails | Photo Mommy’s Home Cooking

INGREDIENTS

• Oxtail
• 2 cooking spoons Honey
• Onion (chopped)
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Cooking oil
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ¼ tbsp Ginger
• Ground chilli pepper
• Maggi seasoning cubes
• Salt
• Parsley (chopped)

METHOD

1. Wash oxtail and put in a pot, with ginger, onion, chilli pepper, seasoning cubes and salt and allow to cook for 20-30 minutes until it is soft. Remove and put beef on a strainer over the pot and allow to drain.
2. In another pot, heat up the butter and oil and stir-fry your garlic on medium heat. Put in the oxtail and fry for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the pepper and honey and cook while stirring thoroughly to coat the meat. Pour the beef stock and allow to simmer until the mixture is thick.
4. Garnish with parsley, and serve with rice.

CAMPARI-ORANGE COCKTAIL

Campari Orange Sour |Photo Nyssa’s Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces Campari
• 5 ounces Orange juice
• Orange slices

METHOD

1. Pour Campari into a cocktail shaker, add orange juice, ice and shake well.
2. Pour into a cocktail glass, garnish with orange slices and serve.

WHISKEY-SOUR PUNCH

WhiskySourCocktail | Photo Tesco Real Food

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups Bourbon
• 2 ½ cups Orange juice
• ½ cup Lemon juice
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• ½ cup Lemon juice
• 3 cups club soda
• 1/3 cup Water
• Orange slices

METHOD

1. Combine sugar and water in a bowl and microwave at “high” for 2 minutes. Stir until sugar dissolves and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Pour sugar mixture, orange juice, bourbon and lemon juice in a large pitcher and stir. Add the club soda, stir.
3. Pour into a glass cup and garnish with orange or your favourite slices.