Don't Fancy Turkey This Year? incl: poultry, beef, pork, fish, vegetarian/vegan

 

TURKEY FREE CHRISTMAS DINNERS 

    (Please check against current prices)

Vegetarian Pate & Mushroom Dome with
Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy 

Turkey prices are expected to be high again this Christmas.

Pairing up with a pal to buy half a bird each is possible, as is buying a joint of turkey.  In past years, Selfridges sold solitary (large) legs and wings but the meat department has just been taken over by the very posh Donald Russell.  Markets or frozen supermarket birds may be the better bet.  

If your household is opting for something smaller but doesn't want to sting on the usual trimmings, these recipes from the archive offer scrumptious main courses.  They run the range from spectacular to frugal, some are quite healthy, most are easy and some can be prepped in advance. 

Buy the best you can afford.  If organic is out of the question, some higher welfare meats are a good third cheaper.  But even common-all-garden supermarket meat, presented in an exciting new way, can provide a tasty attractive crowd-pleaser for the festive table. 

The usual alternative to the Big Bird is Chicken but others are guinea fowl and capon, pork, beef, lamb and fish, vegetarian or vegan delights.  

 

POULTRY

Easy Christmas Chicken 

A begionners' prep-ahead chicken; a one-stop indulgence that virtually cooks itself.  Two rubs are available, one rich with paprika and orange, the other with orange, 5-spice and hoisin.  Either steeps the bird with rich flavour.

Lightly spiced roast chicken; baked white & sweet potatoes; mixed veg  
 Extras: pineapple dessert & pull-apart fan rolls 
: 

Special Occasion Chicken:  

On a scale of 1-10, this is 10 & 1/2!  Unbelievable flavour & crispiness.

 Everything lovely about chicken including the bits not very good for you: crispy glistening skin, rich sticky juices & crunchy croutons soaked in chicken juices

Roast Oriental Chicken: wallet-friendly, exotic, for the adventurous   

Chilli Con Turkey: frugal, low-cholesterol, low-salt, frugal

          

Armagnac Partridges with Apple:  

boozy, fruity and fanciable,wallet friendly, low fat/cholesterol; slow cooker  

       

Pheasant with Mid-Eastern spices and Orange: order from your butcher 

Peking Duck for Pancakes: lower-fat, authentic flavour, wallet-friendly opt,  easy, guilt-free, easy

Selection of sassy Chicken Wings:  Chicken wings are a given in the Blog's Frugal  section; they're high in protein and take easily to different flavours.  Usually offered as footie snacks, they are also great with rice or chips and salad for lunch or supper  

BEEF

Brisket, Melt-in-the-Mouth with rich tomato sauce: wallet-friendly, low-fat, slow cooker

 

Beef & Black Beer Stew 

 One of 67goingon50's signature dishes; easy-peasy Skinnier indulgence; wallet-friendly 

Luxury Steak, Potato & Onion Pie:  

wholly indulgent guys' favourite, tender beef with potatoes in plenty of gravy, with alcohol

Hamburger Soup: thrifty, another multi-generational winner from across the pond; easy; makes lots of hearty bowlfuls of tender beefyness.

LAMB

Irish Stew: frugal, ambrosial peasant food

Lamb Shoulder with Savoury Gravy & Mint Sauce:  

gorgeous lower-fat roast for small households

Lamb Mongolian Style: fabulously low-fat; slow cooker; eat two ways - a stew or crispy meat lollipops  

PORK

       Exquisite Barbecued Pork: 

Wonderfully tender meat; nearly fat free; lower-sugar & salt, easy-peasy

 

Spiced Spare Ribs: almost no sugar, low-fat

FISH

Festive Fish Pie in White Wine Sauce: (dairy free option)

Creamy slightly boozy sauce and a crunchy top makes this pie so special.  Go indulgent with fresh mixed fish or go thrifty with frozen seafood; top with golden croutons (pictured) or mashed potato or puff/shortcrust pastry.  Lower fat.  

Spicy Oriental Salmon: 

Moist, succulent and subtly flavoured; sugar-free, sassily simple, prepare-ahead, healthy

Scallop & White Bean Potage:  

Unusual but gorgeous pairing, soothes after over-indulgence, relatively wallet-friendly

 

Sweet Chilli & Ginger Salmon:  lower sugar, Healthy, 

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN recipes here

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