If you want a weekend indulgence, then this is it…… The Fluffiest Pancake Ever, enjoyed by family and friends for many years.
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Easy Christmas Recipes
Christmas is just around the corner!! If your house is anything like ours, you’re either hosting some friends or family, or going somewhere for Christmas lunch or dinner and you need to bring a dish.
Below are some great options for a kiwi summer Christmas lunch or dinner – they might seem a bit non-traditional or off the wall, but we’re here to help you make a good impression and stand out from the usual stuff!
Starters and Side Dishes
There is always a place for starters, small plates and side dishes at Christmas time – either as a snack to be passed around before the main event, or as a side dish to have with your classic ham or chicken. We’ve got one of each of our favourites this year.
Mini Stuffed Potatoes
These mini stuffed potatoes are delicious – they’re so easy to make, and will please even the fussiest of eaters. They do need an oven, so perhaps easier if you’re the one hosting, but the preparation could be done at home and finished off in the oven 15 minutes before its time to serve!
Curry Rice Salad
This might seem like a really different side dish – because it is! The advantage of this one is (assuming you’ve got some leftover rice) there is no cooking required and prep-time is minimal – perfect for those Christmas Day’s which turn out to be a massive rush! The ingredients for this one are customisable, so you can let your flare shine.
The Christmas Main Course
When most people think about Christmas Day main courses, they focus on the usual suspects, like ham, turkey, chicken and lamb. We won’t reinvent the wheel with those classics, but consider another favourite recipe of ours for the big dish.
Pork Belly
This pork belly recipe is super easy – it just has the classic flavour of pork belly so it can go nicely with the rest of Christmas lunch or dinner. Everyone loves crispy crackling and tender pork belly meat so its a sure fire winner.
Dessert
What would Christmas be without a few desserts! There are so many you can do – and they often vary from family to family as everyone has their favourites – but the following two always say “Christmas” in our house.
Ambrosia
This is a kiwi favourite – for a good reason. Its super easy to make – quick to prepare and a few hours in the fridge – and tastes delicious. Kids love ambrosia but adults do just as much!
Trifle
A trifle with fresh fruit is a Christmas classic. We’ve seen a few versions over the years – some with jelly and some without – but this is one of the more traditional ones made with jam. The custard and the sponge together are a match made in heaven – enjoy!
Your Christmas Favourites
Got your own Christmas favourites? Let us know! Head over and Submit Your Recipe and we’ll include it if it looks the goods.
Tasty, Easy No Bake Desserts
No bake desserts are a great option in many dinner situations. Running short on time, as there is too much other stuff to cook? Most of these recipes only need a short assembly time. Ovens tied up with your starters and mains? Assemble these and leave them in the fridge to set – no oven required! Too many other things going on, and you’re worried about timings and being ready to serve when people are ready to eat? Well just pull these desserts out of the fridge whenever they’re required – they’re ready when you are!
Easy Ambrosia Recipe
The first featured recipe is really easy, and a real crowd favourite – our Easy Ambrosia Recipe. This is the quickest of our desserts to assemble if you go for the “family style” option and assemble it in a large bowl. Even if you go for the fancier option – plating in individual bowls or glasses – it doesn’t take too long.
This dessert just needs a few hours in the fridge, to help it set somewhat and to soften the marshmallows a bit. We find that if you can get sweeter, riper strawberries it makes for a better ambrosia, as the cream and yoghurt is not that sweet by itself.
Banoffee Pie
This one has a special place in a lot of people’s hearts – the British classic, Banoffee Pie! Most people think this recipe is from the USA, bit it originated in England.
This recipe uses a few pre-made ingredients to speed things up and keep things consistently tasty – the only “cooking” required is to melt some butter to mix with the biscuit crumbs to make the base. We think this still definitely counts as a no bake dessert.
Easy Trifle Recipe
Trifle is a classic NZ recipe – it reminds me of summer, probably because its full of fruit, and my family traditionally eats this at Christmas time!
If you must bake your own sponge, this dessert is much more complicated, but we’ve always made this with pre-made sponge which tastes just as good in this trifle recipe. This recipe shows you how to make your own custard from custard powder, but if you really didn’t want to cook anything up there are some great pre-made custards you can buy to speed up the process.
This NZ style trifle recipe really benefits from lots of time in the fridge for the flavours to combine, so do it in the morning before the meal, or even the night before.
Chocolate Fudge Slice
Our last no bake wonder is the classic Chocolate Fudge Slice. This one is so easy – just 10 minutes of prep time, assemble and leave for a few hours in the fridge and its ready to go.
Its a great simple dessert option, but also shines for afternoon tea or a sweet treat snack.
Tasty Butter Chicken
This simple butter chicken is much nicer than if made with canned sauces. There is something about cooking the spices that really brings out those delicious flavours which are the hallmark of Indian cuisine.
Easy Ambrosia
Ambrosia is the classic kiwi BBQ bring-a-long. This simple ambrosia recipe is easy to prepare, just ten minutes in the morning, and by the time the BBQ rolls around the marshmallows will be perfectly soft from the time in the fridge. Its a great recipe for Christmas lunch or dinner too.
This can either be served “family style” in a large bowl for spooning up, or into individual serving bowls or glasses with a sprig of mint as a garnish if you want to be a bit fancier!
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Easy Pork Belly Recipe
This is a super simple recipe for cooking pork belly in the way everyone likes it – with soft meat underneath, but crisp skin crackling on top!
This recipe has no sauce or accompaniments, so pair it with any flavours you like – apple sauce being a classic one. This is really your definitive guide to getting that perfect, crispy skin every time.
If you’re looking for some other pork belly recipes, check out our BBQ Pork belly and Asian inspired Chinese Pork Belly recipes.
Easy Trifle Recipe
Trifle is an old English dessert but its a classic kiwi favourite – for me trifle brings back memories of Christmas and summer holiday get togethers with family.
This is an easy recipe, based on the classic Edmonds Cookbook – this one has no jelly or anything complicated, just sponge, jam, custard, and fruit. It can be made as individual trifles, or a large bowl for group sharing.
Easy Pancake Recipe
Looking for an easy pancake recipe to whip up in a jiffy? You don’t need to buy pancake mix in a bottle to make easy & delicious pancakes. If you’re looking for an easy pancake recipe to whip up in no time, this one has ingredients you’ll already have in your cupboard. It’s perfect for those last minute requests from friends, family or children and tastes delicious!
We’ve got a number of other pancake recipes, check them out if you’re looking for something different or a bit more fancy.
Asian Pork Belly Recipe
Something a little different with your pork belly – try this dish full of asian flavours.
This recipe is great as it uses pork belly slices, which are often cheaper than a whole pork belly for the same weight. If you’ve got a whole pork belly, cut it up as per the size below.
BBQ Pork Belly Recipe
The thing I love to cook the most on my charcoal BBQ is pork belly – and this is the recipe I use as it works every time.
Where better to go then the home of BBQ – the USA!! A video of the whole process is here below, as well as a transcription of the recipe.
This recipe uses a spice rub – use your favourite, or a nice one bought from the store. If you’re interested in buying the exact rubs used in the video above, check out the recipe on their website and their shop.