If you’re not expecting a huge crowd this year, try a scaled-down Christmas dinner menu instead. You’ll have more time to make merry

There’s a lot of satisfaction to be had from preparing and sharing a big Christmas dinner, but what about the time it takes, the mountain of pots and pans it requires and the leftovers congealing in the fridge afterwards? If you don’t have the time or inclination for a big production, if you’re a couple on your own or a young family just starting to create your own Christmas traditions, you can still make your day festive and full of good eats without spending most of it in the kitchen. Try these alternative menus.

Menu 1: Classic Christmas Dinner with a Twist
All the elements you love, presented in a modern way

• Cranberry fizz cocktail
• Smoked salmon tortilla wraps; German salami and slices of Serrano ham
• Pumpkin and chestnut soup
• Rolled turkey escalopes with sage stuffing
• Mashed potato and stir-fried Brussels sprouts
• Christmas pudding ice cream

• Nutty herbed cream cheese salad with smoked salmon
• Duck breasts with cranberry salsa
• Individual root vegetable Rostis
• Sticky toffee puddings with caramel brandy sauce

Menu 1: Classic Christmas Dinner with a twist
This version of Christmas dinner has most of the usual components, just in a different form. And the great thing about the turkey dish is that you can make the stuffing and roll the escalope in advance, leaving them sitting happily in the fridge until about half an hour before lunchtime.

Breakfast

• Cranberry fizz (cranberry juice with chunks of orange and apple, and a splash of sparkling wine)
• Smoked salmon tortilla wraps; German salami and slices of Serrano ham

Lunch

• Pumpkin and chestnut soup
• Rolled turkey escalopes with sage stuffing
• Mashed potato and stir-fried Brussels sprouts
• Christmas pudding ice cream

RECIPES

Smoked salmon wraps
These can be made up to a day in advance. They add colour and richness to a simple selection of morning treats. Spread a wheat tortilla with cream cheese and cover with a layer of soft, green lettuce leaves (middle stem removed). Lay thinly sliced smoked salmon on top, squeeze over some lemon juice, sprinkle with some freshly chopped dill and season with salt and pepper. Roll up the tortillas like a big cigar and wrap with cling film, twisting the ends like a cracker. Place in the fridge to firm up until ready to slice and serve.

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

Rolled turkey escalopes with apple and almond stuffing (continued)

1. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and fry the shallots and celery sticks gently until soft, then tip into a bowl. Add the almonds, apple, breadcrumbs, sage, salt and pepper and toss together. Add 1 tbsp water if the mixture seems a bit dry. It should just stick together.
2. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
3. Lay the turkey steaks on a board, cover with cling film and use a rolling pin to evenly bash out the meat to a thin escalope. Press a small handful of stuffing on to each escalope, firming and spreading it evenly almost to the edge. Roll up like a Swiss roll and tie with 3 or 4 pieces of string. Tuck any escaped stuffing back in the ends. Roll the rest of the stuffing into walnut-size rounds and place in a roasting tin.
4. Heat the oil in the frying pan and fry the turkey rolls until nicely browned on all sides, then place in the roasting tin with the stuffing. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the wine and stock into the same frying pan, bring to the boil and reduce by almost half.
5. When the turkey is done, place the rolls on a clean board, remove the string and slice into 2cm slices.
6. Serve on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes with stir-fried Brussels sprouts on the side. Instead of the usual boiled or steamed sprouts, shred them as finely as you would cabbage and heat a little oil in a wok or frying pan. Stir-fry quickly until it just begins to go soft, but still has some bite. Add a couple tbsp water or apple juice to give it a quick steam at the very end. Sprinkle over some chopped chestnuts (already cooked), salt and pepper.

Christmas pudding ice cream
Indulge yourself and buy the best quality vanilla ice cream you can find. Allow to soften enough so you can stir it. Take a small, store-bought Christmas pudding and crumble into the ice cream, folding the bits through. Add a tbsp or two of brandy and refreeze until ready to serve.

Menu 2

• Nutty herbed cream cheese salad with smoked salmon
• Duck breasts with cranberry salsa
• Individual root vegetable Röstis
• Sticky toffee puddings with caramel brandy sauce

RECIPES

Herbed cream cheese salad with smoked salmon
Serves 2

For a rich but easy starter, mix 1 tbsp each freshly chopped chives and parsley and about 1 tsp dill into half a tub of mascarpone cheese. Finely chop 50g smoked salmon and fold through the herb and cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Lay some fancy salad leaves on 2 plates and drizzle over some fresh lemon juice. Take a teaspoonful of the cheese and make tiny quenelles by scooping the cheese between two spoons until you have a rugby ball shape. Dot the salad leaves with the quenelles and serve with Melba toast.

Individual root vegetable Röstis
Serves 2

For the röstis, fry a chopped small onion gently until soft. Meanwhile, peel and grate 1 parsnip, 1 carrot, about a quarter of a medium size swede and 1 baking potato. You can do this by hand on a coarse cheese grater or with the grater attachment on a food processor. Add the softened onion to the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Heat a little butter in the frying pan while you ‘build’ the rösti. If you have special chefs rings, use them, otherwise use an empty, washed small can of tuna fish with the top and bottom taken off with a can opener. Place on a board or plate and press the vegetable mixture firmly into the ring so it is about 2.5cm thick. Slide a metal spatula or fish slice under the ring and carefully lay it in the hot pan. Lift off the ring and repeat until all of the röstis are shaped and cooking. Don’t move them until they have had a good 6-8 minutes cooking over a medium heat. Carefully turn them over and cook on the other side.

Spicy duck breasts with cranberry sauce
Serves 2

2 duck breasts
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
salt

For the Cranberry Salsa
150g fresh or frozen cranberries
2 tbsp sugar
juice of half an orange
pinch ground cinnamon

1. Use a sharp knife to score diamond shapes in the skin of the duck, taking care not to cut into the flesh. Mix together the spices and rub into the skin.
2. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
3. Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and lay the duck breasts skin-side down (you won’t need any oil) and fry for about 4-5 minutes until the fat has melted from the skin and turned a golden brown.
4. Transfer to a roasting tin, skin side up, and bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on size. They are best served slightly pink in the middle.
5. While the duck is roasting, place the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cover and heat until the cranberries begin to pop and wilt, stirring occasionally. The sauce should be juicy but chunky.
6. When the duck breasts are done, allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing to serve. Place two root vegetable röstis in the middle of the plate, fan the duck slices around and spoon over the cranberry sauce.

Christmas sticky toffee pudding with caramel brandy sauce
Makes 6

This recipe makes 6 little puddings so if you are only serving 2 or 4, pop the rest in the freezer. You can make these weeks in advance – the only danger is they’re so good they may get eaten before Christmas day. You can also freeze the sauce.

175g stoned dates, finely chopped
3 tbsp mixed dried fruit
3 tbsp brandy
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
300ml boiling water
50g butter, softened
175g dark brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
175g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the caramel brandy sauce
150g sugar
284ml double cream
3 tbsp brandy

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4, and butter 6 large ramekins. Place the dates and dried fruit in a bowl, add the brandy and boiling water, and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Re-boil the kettle.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric whisk. Add the eggs gradually, beating between each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold through the mixture. Add the dates and fruit, along with the liquid and stir through.
3. Place the ramekins in a roasting tin and divide the mixture between them. Place on the oven shelf and pour in the boiling water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 20 minutes or until done in the centre. Remove the ramekins and cool on a rack.
4. To make the sauce, place the sugar in a small saucepan with about 4-5 tbsp water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Watch it carefully, as the syrup will eventually begin to turn golden and caramelise. Let the caramel begin to smoke and go to a dark golden colour, then quickly remove it from the heat and pour in the cream. It will bubble and splutter at first, but place it back on the heat and stir to mix thoroughly. Stir in the brandy.
5. To serve, ease the puddings from the ramekins with a blunt knife, turn upside down on dessert plates and pour over the sauce.