Christmas Day Menu

Lentil Soup
Serves 4

• 500g lentils
• 1 large onion
• 4-6 carrots
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 pints of chicken/vegetable stock
• Salt and black pepper

Rinse the lentils very well in cold water. Peel and roughly chop the carrots and onion.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the chopped onion until soft. Add the carrots and lentils; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock in and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer gently for about 25 minutes, or until the carrots are cooked.

Allow the soup to cool down for 15 minutes, then puree in a blender until a slightly coarse texture with a few chunks of carrot is still visible. Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve with fresh bread or rolls and butter, and season with some salt and plenty of black pepper.

Roast Turkey
Serves 10

• 1 whole turkey (6kg)
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• 125g butter
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 onion, halved
• Sea salt and black ground pepper

Preheat oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7. Remove the giblets from the turkey. Rinse the turkey with cold water and pat dry.

Place the onion, lemon and butter into the neck cavity. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan; brush with the sunflower oil and season well with salt and pepper. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminium foil.

Cook the turkey in the preheated oven, basting occasionally with the juices, for 3½ - 4 hours, until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the leg is pierced with a sharp knife. Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Gingerbread Boys and Girls
Makes 2½ dozen

• ⅓ cup shortening
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups dark molasses
• ⅔ cup cold water
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp crushed cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 egg yolks
• Food colouring
• ½ tsp water
• Raisins, candied cherries to decorate

Mix shortening, brown sugar, and molasses thoroughly. Stir in the water gradually. Blend flour, soda, salt, and spices; stir into molasses mixture. Chill for about 1 hour. Roll the dough about ¼ inch thick. Cut with boy and girl cookie cutters.

Make egg yolk paint by blending egg yolks and ½ teaspoon water. Divide the yolk among a couple of small bowls, and add the food colouring to each cup for desired colour. Paint the clothes and decorations on the cookies as required. Carefully transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet. Add raisins into the dough for eyes, nose and mouth. Use bits of candied cherries for coat buttons.

Bake at 175ºC/350ºF for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool slightly, and then carefully remove from the baking sheet.