Easy recipes for festive foodies

Stay merry, cosy and content this Christmas with our favourite festive recipes. Super simple ideas to delight your guests!

Jamie Oliver's Yorkshire Pudings

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs, 115g plain flour, 1 pinch sea sale, 285 milk, 12 tablespoons vegetable oil

Makes 12 puddings

Method

1. Whisk the eggs, flour, salt, and milk together really well in a bowl to make your batter. Pour the batter into a jug, and let it sit for 30 minutes before you use it.
2. Turn your oven up to the highest setting, and place a 12 cup muffin tray in the oven to heat up for 5 minutes.
3. Place 1 tb of oil in each muffin hole, and put the tray back into the oven and heat until oil is very hot.
4. Open oven door, slide the tray half out, and carefully pour the batter into the muffin holes.
5. Close the door and cook for 15 minutes without opening the oven door.
6. Serve immediately.

Nigella Lawson's Quick Halloumi

INGREDIENTS:

3 fresh chillis, 2 tablespoons of runny honey, 1 lime, 225g block of halloumi cheese

Method

1. Slice 2 of the chillies, leaving the seeds in, then de-seed the third and chop it into fine dice (this is for full-on fieriness; you may de-seed more cautiously if you wish) and add to a small pan – ideally, the sort sold as a butter-melting pan – along with the honey, and squeeze in 1 teaspoon of lime juice from one half of the lime.
2. Put the pan on the smallest ring on the hob and bring to a bubble, then turn the heat down low, and let it foam away for 4 minutes. Stir frequently and do not leave the pan unattended, otherwise it will foam over the hob. Remove from the heat.
3. Before you turn to the halloumi, arrange a few salad leaves on 2 plates, and pour as much or as little oil over them as you want. Cut the un-juiced half of the lime into wedges, and pop one on each plate if so wished.
4. Slice the halloumi block into 8 pieces, and heat a cast-iron or heavy-based frying pan. When it’s hot, add the slices and cook them – without any oil in the pan – for 30–60 seconds until they are tiger-striped underneath, then turn the slices over and cook until the underside is patchily bronzed, too.
5. Remove the halloumi to the salad-lined plates and spoon the pieces of chilli in their honeyed glaze over the cheese.