Have you been asked to bring a side to the family get-together? Or maybe you’re stuck with what to pair with your Christmas roast? Here are some great ways to add some veggies to your table in a creative and fun way. Most of these dishes only require one ingredient, but make for a delicious side dish.
The purpose of these recipes is to give you some inspiration for the week ahead. We’ve suggested meal ideas based on our produce selection and they can all be enjoyed on their own, or with any protein that suits your appetite.
Enjoy!
Maple Glazed Dutch Carrots
- 1 bunch Dutch carrots
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Trim feathery tops from carrots leaving about 1 1⁄2 cm of stalk attached. Peel the carrots. Add to a stockpot of boiling, salted water. Boil for about 5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain. Transfer to a large roasting pan lined with baking paper.
Whisk syrup, mustard and oil in a jug. Pour over carrots. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook in a hot oven (200C), turning halfway, for about 30 minutes, or until caramelised.
Serve on a platter.
Cheesy Baked Asparagus
A unique recipe that is sure to impress. This cheesy baked asparagus will be a welcome surprise for your guests.
- 1 bunch asparagus, stalks trimmed
- 1/2 heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- Red pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 200º. Place asparagus in a baking dish and pour over heavy cream and scatter with garlic. Generously season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with Parmesan, mozzarella and red pepper flakes (if using).
Bake until cheese is golden and melty and asparagus is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes, and serve.
Cauliflower Gratin
A must have at any Christmas dinner! If your cauliflower gratin’s have failed in the past, then you have to try this one.
- Melted butter, to grease
- ½ head cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 40g butter
- 1/4 cup plain flour
- 400ml milk
- 1 cup coarsely grated cheddar
- White pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
- 25g butter, extra, melted
Lightly brush an ovenproof dish with melted butter
Cook the cauliflower in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain. Transfer to the prepared dish.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the mixture bubbles. Remove from heat. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, until smooth. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in three-quarters of the cheddar. Season with salt and white pepper. Pour over the cauliflower.
Preheat grill on high. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cauliflower mixture. Drizzle over the extra butter and sprinkle with remaining cheddar. Place the dish under the grill, about 10cm from the heat source, and cook for 5 minutes or until golden.
Creamed Leeks
These creamed leeks are full in flavour yet very easy to make using one pot and 5 ingredients. Perfect for Sunday Roasts & Christmas Dinner.
- 1 - 2 leeks, washed
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp oil
- 100ml double cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Cut the whole leeks into 1cm slices.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the oil.
When the butter starts sizzling, add the leeks and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the leeks have softened.
Add the cream and let it bubble for 1 minute.
Season to taste and serve immediately.
Sticky Roast Pumpkin
This is a super easy recipe that can be used with any type of pumpkin.
- ¼ pumpkin, cut into 2cm-thick wedges
- 1 tbsp Alfa One rice bran oil
- 1 tbsp Blue Tree Honey Farm Messmate Honey
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- fresh sage leaves
- Chopped pecan nuts, to serve
- Feta, to serve
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Place pumpkin, oil, honey and juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Transfer to a roasting pan. Roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Turn pumpkin. Add sage. Roast for 10 minutes or until golden and tender. Serve topped with pecans and feta.
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Master the perfect restaurant-quality mash potato with this step-by-step recipe.
- 1kg potatoes, peeled, quartered
- 1/3 cup (80ml) thickened cream
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 50g butter, chopped
Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 mins or until potato is very tender.
Drain in a colander and set aside for 5 mins for the steam to evaporate from the potato – this makes it less watery. If the potato is too wet at this stage, you could end up with a very watery mash. Meanwhile, bring the cream and milk almost to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Zucchini Salad
Not a fan of a warm Christmas lunch? Then this light, cool salad is what you should be serving Christmas day.
- 2 Zucchini’s
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
- 1 tbsp Blue Tree Honey Farm Messmate Honey
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- 1 small garlic clove , crushed
- salt and pepper , to taste
Grate the zucchini’s on the coarse side of your grater.
Toss them with the olive oil, lemon or lime juice, clear honey, poppy seeds and the crushed garlic clove. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve as soon as possible (or it will get too watery).
Oven Roasted Balsamic Rosemary Beets
Fresh beets tossed with balsamic vinegar, fresh rosemary and extra virgin olive oil; then roasted until soft and tender. Eat them hot as a side dish or cold in a salad.
- 3 Beets
- 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/8 tsp. Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 220 degrees c.
Using sharp knife, cut the stems off the top of each beet; then peel the skin.
Cut the beets into 1 cm pieces and place in a bowl.
Add the oil, vinegar, and rosemary and toss to coat.
Place on a baking sheet lined with foil; then roast for 20-25 minutes until the beets are fork tender.
Christmas Tree Vegetable Platter
This is a fun and refreshing way to get some veggies on the table this Christmas and is really easy to make.
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 14 grape or truss tomatoes
- 1/2 capsicum, cut into strips
- 1 ½ cups fresh cauliflower florets
- About 40 pretzel sticks
Rinse and thoroughly dry vegetables. Trim broccoli and cauliflower floret stems.
Arrange broccoli on serving platter to form tree shape and tomatoes to form garland. Arrange capsicum to form star and cauliflower to form snow. If desired, cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
Just before serving, arrange pretzels at bottom of tree to form trunk. Serve with dip of choice.
Warm Spinach Salad with Rosemary Roasted Walnuts & Chickpeas
This recipe is a delicious dinner salad you can whip up for a main or side this Christmas. Drizzled with a warm garlic oil dressing, it’s an easy way to transition into warmer veggie sides.
- 1 can chickpeas
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1½ cups raw, unsalted walnuts
- 1 bunch spinach
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup sliced red onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Drain and rinse chickpeas and dry them off. Spread them out on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle chickpeas with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Toss to combine.
Place the chickpeas in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 180. Roast for 22 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
Remove the pan from the oven and add walnuts, chopped rosemary, and an additional tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for an additional 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit.
Add spinach and roasted chickpeas and walnuts to a large serving bowl before you prep the dressing.
In a small frying pan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, red onion, and garlic over medium heat. When the garlic is beginning to become soft (about 3-4 minutes), remove the pan from the heat. Add in vinegar and maple syrup and stir to combine.
Pour the warm dressing over the salad and toss to coat and warm the spinach. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and serve immediately.
If you would like to check out the latest produce selection, click here to visit the Seasonal FarmBOX product page and be sure to secure your Thursday delivery if you haven't already.