Stress-free enjoyment: the ultimate Christmas menu to prepare!

Don't feel like spending hours in the kitchen while your guests are enjoying a meal? With this menu, you can fully enjoy the holidays and delicious food. From a fresh tartare, a creamy risotto to a sweet dessert, you can prepare everything in advance. On the day itself, all you have to do is finish it off, and voilà: your festive menu is on the table. Easy, stress-free and delicious. Curious about the recipe from ChicksLoveFood? Read on!

Ingredients

Ingredients needed for 4 people

Starter: Steamed Beetroot Tartare with Goat Cheese

  • 600 g beetroot
  • 200 g soft goat's cheese
  • 1 shallot
  • 2 handfuls of arugulas
  • 1 large handful of walnuts
  • Balsamic cream

Main Course: Roasted Pumpkin Risotto from the Steam Oven

  • 400 g diced pumpkin (fresh or frozen)
  • 300 g risotto rice
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 50 g dried cranberries
  • 2 tbsp ras el hanout
  • 100 g Parmesan cheese (grated)

Dessert: Speculoos Cheesecakes with Cherries

  • 125 g speculoos biscuits
  • 50 g butter
  • 200 g cream cheese
  • 70 g sugar
  • 80 g speculoos paste
  • 200 g cherries (from a jar or tin)

Steamed beetroot tartare with goats cheese

One or two days in advance:

  1. Scrub the beets well to remove dirt and soil, but leave the skin on.
  2. Place the beets in a steamer dish and slide into the oven. Set the steamer to a temperature of 99°C (full steam). You can also boil or roast the beets, but steaming them retains vitamins and flavor.
  3. Steam the beets for 40 minutes. Test with a fork – soft? Then they are ready! If not, continue steaming for another 10-15 minutes.
  4. Toast the walnuts for a few minutes in a dry frying pan, without oil.
  5. Peel and finely chop the shallot.
  6. After steaming, let the beets cool for 30 minutes. Remove the skin and cut into small cubes.
  7. In a bowl, mix the beetroot cubes, shallot, half the walnuts, a splash of extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  8. Crumble three-quarters of the goat's cheese on top and stir through.
  9. This beetroot tartare can be stored in the fridge overnight, covered!

Just before serving: Use a cooking ring to form neat tartlets and top with a tuft of arugula, the remaining walnuts and goat cheese, and a drizzle of balsamic cream.

Roasted pumpkin risotto from the steam oven

One or two days in advance:

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place the diced pumpkin on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp ras el hanout, salt, pepper, and drizzle with oil. Roast the pumpkin for 30 minutes until golden and soft.
  2. Fry the sage leaves. Heat a splash of oil in a pan, then fry the sage leaves for a few seconds until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
  3. Store the roasted pumpkin and fried sage in an airtight container.

Half an hour before serving:

  1. For the risotto, place the rice in an ovenproof dish with 750 ml hot water, 1 tbsp ras el hanout, salt, pepper, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Stir and place in the steamer at 99°C for 20 minutes. Stir once during the cooking time.
  2. After 20 minutes, add the cranberries and roasted pumpkin. Stir and steam for an additional 5 minutes.
  3. Serve the risotto on plates, garnished with the remaining Parmesan cheese and fried sage.

 

Speculoos cheesecakes with cherries

 One or two days in advance:

  1. Crush the speculoos biscuits in a food processor or place them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
  2. Melt the butter in a pan and mix it with the speculoos crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of 4-5 muffin tins or small cake tins and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
  3. While the bases are setting, beat the cream cheese with 50 g sugar and speculoos paste until smooth and creamy.
  4. Remove the bases from the fridge and spread the cream cheese mixture on top. Smooth the surface and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set. You can leave them for a day or two.
  5. Make the cherry compote by gently heating the cherries with the remaining sugar in a pan. Let them simmer for a few minutes until it thickens. Let cool.
  6. The compote can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Just before serving: Remove the cheesecakes from the fridge and top with a generous spoonful of cherry compote. Garnish with more biscuit crumbs.