Festive vegetable recipes

We've been cooking this Christmas day menu for several years as we love every scrap of it! The vegetables (except the cranberries) will have been growing or stored from the garden which reduces the grocery bill considerably too. 


All the recipes were taken from a selection of Good Food and Good Housekeeping magazines that have long since been recycled. There's usually only the five of us sitting down for dinner but we love heating up the leftovers for the following day or two, which is why we cook so much.


Traditionally Christmas eve in our house is all about preparing the food for the big meal the following day. It's the day we bake the ham so the stove is usually on for hours and the whole family gets involved baking, chopping, peeling, rinsing, stirring, decorating and tasting.


You can find the recipes for the vegetable dishes below if you'd like to try something different and I'll post the meaty ones separately for the non vegetarians (the sprout recipe is here).

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Creamy Lemon, Pancetta & Rosemary Turkey,

Sausage Nut Stuffing Cake,

Brussels Sprouts in Pine Nut Butter,

          Roast Honey Glazed

           Carrots & Parsnips,

   Steamed Rainbow Swiss Chard

             Pigs in Blankets,

         Bacon Wrapped Prunes,

                Creamy Leeks,

                Roast Potatoes,

             Cranberry Sauce,

               Bread Sauce

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 Cranberry Sauce

(Serves 8-10)

2 clementines

200g cranberries

100g light muscavado sugar

6 tbsp port

Squeeze 1 clementine and put the juice in a pan with the cranberries, sugar and port. Cook for 5 minutes until the cranberries start to soften and burst. Tear the other clementine into segments (remove the membrane if you have time) and cook along with the cranberries for 2 mins more. Store in the fridge, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Creamy Baked Leeks

(Serves 3 - 4)

2 large leeks

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

salt & pepper

1 tsp fresh thyme

60g grated Parmesan

2 tbsp cream

Chop the green leaves off the leeks and cut the white stem into rounds and rinse well. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the leeks, thyme, butter and salt allowing them to sweat, stirring frequently. Add half the Parmesan cheese and the cream. If it looks dry add a little water. Place into an oven proof dish, sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan and bake for 15 minutes until browned on top.

Roast Honey Glazed Carrots & Parsnips

(Serves 8)

800g each of carrots and parsnips

4 tbsp runny honey

2 tbsp chopped lemon thyme (if you can get it)

zest & juice of 1 lemon

75g butter, chopped

600ml hot turkey stock

Roughly chop the carrots and parsnips, place in a large pan of boiling water and cook for 3-4 mins. Drain well. Put the honey, thyme, lemon zest and juice into a large bowl. Season and mix well, then add to the carrots and parsnips. Mix to coat. Put into a large, lightly greased ovenproof dish. Stir butter into the hot stock, pour it over the vegetables and cover with greased foil. Bake for 1 hr, removing the foil 15 mins before the end of the cooking time until tender and golden.

Not vegetable or meat but delicious.... 

Bread Sauce

(Serves 8-10)

600ml milk

50g butter

1 onion

6 cloves

6 peppercorns

2 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

3 thyme sprigs

100g white breadcrumbs

4 tbsp single cream or mascarpone

pinch nutmeg, freshly grated

Simmer the milk, butter, onion, cloves, peppercorns, garlic and herbs in a pan for 20 mins. Strain and return the liquid to the pan. Add the breadcrumbs and simmer for 3-4 mins. Stir in the cream or mascarpone. Add nutmeg, season and serve. (This can be made up to 3 days ahead and reheated.)