Tag Archive for: Christmas

Christmas Roast Tips - Dominique Rizzo

5 Top Budget-Friendly Christmas Roast Tips – Christmas on a Budget

5 Top Budget-Friendly Christmas Roast Tips – Christmas on a Budget

Roasts can be the star or centerpiece of the Christmas table. Aside from fresh seafood, it can also be one of the more expensive elements to a Christmas Feast. This is a follow-up post to  Christmas on a Budget, where I shared 3 top tips to get more from your meals this Christmas.

Here are my 5 Top Budget-Friendly Christmas Roast Tips:

Best buys for beef roasts are rolled rib, rib eye or round and if you are a BBQ fan then a brisket is great for that slow tender pull apart BBQ beef smothered in a smokey homemade marinade. Many less tender cuts of beef are tenderised further when cooking if you use the BBQ  rotisserie.

Dress up the humble and old favourite roast chicken with some wonderful Christmas stuffings using, combinations such as apples, cranberries, sage, apricot, and pistachios or parmesan prosciutto and parsley. If you are buying your chicken from the butcher you could ask them to bone out the chicken, pick up some netting from the butcher and stuff the chicken yourself again the yield will be greater as you can then easily slice the chicken, minimal wastage and also is great cold the next day on sandwiches or with salads.

Instead of the Christmas turkey, purchase turkey breasts with the skin on, they can weigh in at 1-2kg per breast. A couple of these which is enough to feed a family of up to 12 as part of a banquet.

Pork roasts are a winner especially if you get the crackling right and the best cuts for a great pork roast is the pork loin you can also use the leg, shoulder or the belly, make sure that your butcher leaves the skin on and get them to score it for you as well. A 1kg portion will take about 60 minutes.

I love duck but it can be expensive and if you don’t know how to cook it properly it can sometimes come out a little tough, so the cheats and cheap way of a little duck with dinner is to either create a wonderful salad with duck legs or breast which you can now buy cooked and packaged in the supermarket, couscous, a couple of fresh figs, peaches, pears or fresh dates sliced, shallots, wild rocket and a wonderful orange dressing, or duck goes great with noodles, with some sliced bok choy, shredded green pawpaw and a simple Asian dressing. Heat the duck in the oven and serve it sliced with your favourite roast vegetables and a wonderful cherry sauce. You can also pick up the wonderful Peking duck in Chinatown, also a great place to shop for cheap Asian greens, herbs, and sauces.

Christmas on a Budget

Christmas on a Budget – 3 Top Tips to make your meals go further

Christmas on a Budget – 3 Top Tips to make your meals go further

Christmas time can be a tough time for people on a limited budget, there are presents to buy and a Christmas feast to be had! Whether you are hosting a meal at your home or taking a plate to family or a friend’s house,  Christmas on a Budget will help your dollar go a little further this Christmas.

Here are 3 Top Tips to make your meals go further:

  1. One rule that I have which I stick to that keeps the costs down at the Christmas table is to have smaller amounts of the specialty items, and add to the table a selection of wonderful salads, sides and vegetable dishes.
  2. Accompany your roasts with spiced baked fruits, summer vegetable salads and introduce some grains like couscous, cracked wheat, barley and into your salads to add a substantial element. You can spark up your salads and vegetables with nuts, fresh herbs, dressings, cheeses, and freshly baked garlic tossed croutons for a crunch.
  3. Savoury tarts, quiches, and savoury slices are great and inexpensive and can be teamed up with just about any ingredient, homemade relishes, chutneys and sauces are a great way to use up some of the bargain fruit and vegetables you find at the markets and you can double them up as Christmas gifts.

 

Christmas on a Budget - Dominique Rizzo

 

Go to Christmas meals on a budget for more hints on getting the most out of your Christmas roasts, Backyard Christmas BBQ, and Succulent Summer Seafood.

If you would like a little recipe inspiration, then you will love my Free Ebook . Perfect for festive new year cooking. It is free when you subscribe.

SUBSCRIBE NOW!