Let’s be honest: the food is better than the presents.  Even if you are the one doing all the cooking and navigating allergy restrictions in the family!

I want to take the stress and headache away from you and share these wonderful recipes that I often make myself and will be featuring on my Christmas table this year (and previous years)!

As with all the recipes I share, these have been highly vetted to pass my strict criteria, so that each dish is:

✓ Easy to follow
✓ Quick to make
✓ Have minimal ingredients and processes
✓ Tastes absolutely amazing (and looks impressive)
✓ Dairy and gluten-free (these also happen to be mostly nut and egg-free too)!

I’ve compiled everything you need from festive fruit plates to dips, delicious sides, like asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, show-stopping mains (crispy pork crackling, whole salmon, turkey and glazed ham) and of course yummy fuss-free desserts.  There’s something, if not everything for the whole family.

Nobody needs to miss out or stress out this Christmas. So let’s get started…

STARTERS & DIPS

There are so many simple starters and dips that are dairy and gluten-free. Here are just a few ideas which I serve with homemade seed crackers or store-bought tortilla chips. The Christmas fruit plates are a quick win; they look so festive on the table and the kids love them.

POTATOES, SIDES & SALADS

While all these salads look impressive, they’re simple to make with minimal ingredients and fuss.  You won’t miss the cheese either (because let’s face it, that’s what most salads require to make them tasty). However, thanks to the simple dressings and the insane flavour of bacon and prosciutto nobody has to miss out on tantalising their taste buds.

Note: For the ‘lentil, pomegranate & Swiss chard salad’ I use 2 tins of lentils and omit the goat’s cheese. You can replace it with avocado or crunchy bacon bits (but it’s not necessary).

MAINS

When it comes mains I’ll always have the traditional ham on the table as glazing it is so easy to do and it’s a real crowd pleaser. Plus the leftovers are awesome. I also pair this with another main meal like turkey or a bakes salmon or even crispy pork belly. So see what you fancy from this list of favourites and adapt them to meet your allergy needs.

DESSERTS & SWEET TREATS

Depending on what you’re after I’ve shared some small treat options and also a show stopping Christmas chocolate cake which you can decorate with mistletoe, edible flowers and all sorts of fruit to make it look really festive. Children and adults love these desserts! They not only taste amazing, they’re really nourishing too, so enjoy and have fun.