Downsize your Christmas dinner

Pumpkin and chestnut soup
Serves 2 generously

You may not want to bother with a starter, but this soup is so delicious (and even easier if you use tinned pumpkin) it’s well worth the effort. It also freezes beautifully so you can make it days – even weeks – in advance.

450g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks (or you can use a tin of pumpkin purée)
1 onion, chopped
20g butter
½ tsp ground cinnamon
200g tinned chopped tomatoes, drained
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
dash Worcestershire sauce
125ml milk
½ tsp smooth peanut butter
double cream or crème fraîche, to swirl through for garnish
chopped, cooked chestnuts, to garnish

1. If using fresh pumpkin, place the chunks in a roasting tin, drizzle with a little vegetable oil, salt and pepper, cover with foil and roast at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for about 30 minutes or until soft. Purée in a food processor or blender with some of the stock.
2. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan and fry the onion gently until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cinnamon and fry for another minute. Add the puréed pumpkin (fresh or tinned), tomatoes, stock, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, milk and peanut butter. Stir, bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Purée in a food processor, blender or with a hand blender. To make a really smooth soup, pass through a sieve. Pour into heated soup bowls and swirl with a little cream or crème fraîche. Finally, sprinkle the chopped chestnuts over the soup and serve immediately.

Rolled turkey escalopes with apple and almond stuffing
Serves 2

Just because you’re not roasting an entire bird doesn’t mean you have to go without turkey. Cooking steaks or escalopes still gives you the flavour of turkey and stuffing without all the fuss.

30g butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
3 tbsp roasted, flaked almonds
1 dessert apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
100g fresh breadcrumbs
4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 large turkey steaks
1 tbsp oil
150ml dry white wine
150ml good quality chicken stock