Not everyone spends Christmas via the traditional routes. While many of us assume that the festive season means family celebrations, some might not celebrate at all, while others may have other responsibilities to manage. After all, the world doesn’t come to a full standstill on this day, many countries operate as normal, and many people have to work or are away from their loved ones.
However, if you usually do celebrate this holiday but for whatever reason will be alone this year, you still deserve to relax as much as you’re able to. In some cases that might just mean wishing your colleagues happy holidays, others it may mean spending the day alone but in relative comfort.
In this post, we hope to offer three suggestions and alternatives to a traditional festive Christmas meal. We hope you’ll be sure to enjoy your time a little and feel comforted by a hearty feast. With that in mind, let’s begin:
A Mediterranean-Style Christmas Feast
Not only is this style of cuisine some of the healthiest out there, but the warmth of Mediterranean cooking brings comfort thanks to how rich it is. A simple feast might include a herb-crusted rack of lamb, maybe roasted with garlic and rosemary. The great thing about this dish is that it’s simple – just pop it in the oven, keep the delicious drippings and used that as a stock for more gravy. From there you could add saffron threads to fluffy rice to have a nice side dish which is fragrant and still good for you. If you like, pair that with a few roasted vegetables, perhaps some peppers and aubergines. There you have a delicious meal with a bit of a seasonal twist. If you’re in the southern hemisphere where it’s warmer during this time of year, that can be a nice balancing effort.
Asian-Inspired Duck
Duck makes a wonderful alternative to turkey, but it still gives you a nice bird to celebrate. A Chinese-style roasted duck needs almost no real preparation outside of marinating it in sauce (yes, pre-purchased does count), and it delivers maximum flavor. If you leave the top exposed it’ll crisp the skin and keep the meat tender.
It goes beautifully with sticky or wild rice and simple stir-fried greens, seasoned to your liking and perhaps with a knob of butter on top. Sweet hoisin sauce can be layered on the side (or gentle spooned as a line on the plate to make it look refined). Here you have all the comforts of a festive meal but it’s a little different and a touch more zesty. It’s great fun to prepare and a nice treat you may not have often.
Cozy Vegetarian Comfort Pie
A delicious pie can be great, because you get to eat some now and store it for the rest of your festive season. A mushroom and chestnut pie can be nice at this time of year, as it brings all the comfort of traditional Christmas food without the fuss of cooking meat. Though of course, vegan substitutes for some of the crust-making is important.
On top of that, honey-roasted carrots and crispy roast potatoes is a nice way to keep some Christmas spirit alive but all in one roasting tray, limiting the washing up, which is a gift in itself.
With this advice, we hope you have a lovely festive season, and perhaps enjoy a nice alternative to the holiday meal!
