From appetizers to main courses! Easy yet stylish Christmas recipes

For special occasions like Christmas, you want to make something different and more special than your usual meals. However, many people find it difficult to try elaborate dishes or time-consuming menus. So, this time we'll introduce some easy recipes and ideas that will liven up any party, from appetizers to main courses!

Recommended Christmas appetizer platter

Since Christmas only comes once a year, you'll want to focus on the appetizers. If you're planning on having meat as your main course, we recommend a dish that uses lots of vegetables for the appetizer. Here we'll introduce three simple, yet beautifully presented and stylish recipes, so please give them a try.

Shrimp cocktail salad (serves 4)

Toss 12 peeled boiled shrimp with 1/4 diced avocado and 4 quartered cherry tomatoes with 1 tbs of your favorite dressing, then serve in a cocktail glass or small plate, garnish with 8 olives on picks and herbs, and you're done.

Celery and Cream Cheese Boats (Serves 4)

Cut the stalks of celery (1-2 stalks) into 4cm lengths and cut them into 8 even slices.
Next, fill the wells with a mixture of room temperature cream cheese (50g), salt (1/8 tsp), and lemon juice (1 tsp).
Finely dice a few apples with the skin on, and garnish with a few crushed walnuts and crushed boiled egg yolks. Garnish with dill or other herbs to add a vibrant touch.

Onion Gratin Soup

Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 thinly sliced onion to a saucepan and sauté over medium heat.
Once the onions are soft, add water (500cc) and consomme (1 cube) and season with salt and pepper.
Place melting cheese on a thinly sliced baguette, bake in the toaster until the cheese is melted, and then float it on top of a bowl of soup.
Finally, garnish with parsley and it's done.

Taco party for Christmas, just like hand-rolled sushi!

In addition to the taco meat we will introduce this time, it would also be fun to have everyone make their own tacos by sandwiching roast beef or chicken with vegetables and topping them with salsa sauce and cheese, just like hand-rolled sushi.
You can make your own tortillas, but they're easily available at import food stores (including The Meat Guy, of course).
Instead of tomatoes, we also recommend making fruit salsa using strawberries and thawed frozen mango!

<Ingredients> For 4 people: 8 to 12 tortillas

<Taco meat ingredients>: ・Ground beef: 300g
・Onion: 1
・Garlic: 1 clove
・Ketchup: 3 tbs
・Worcestershire sauce: 2 tbs
・Consommé: 1 tsp
・Nutmeg and black pepper: a little
・Olive oil: 1 tbs

<Salsa ingredients>: ・Tomato: 1
・Diced red onion for salad: 2 tbs
・Diced garlic: a little
・Salt: 2 pinches
・Black pepper: a little
・Tabasco: as you like

<Others>: Shredded cheese, avocado, lettuce, etc. (as needed)

<How to make>

1. First, make the taco meat. Add olive oil and chopped garlic to a frying pan and fry over medium heat.
Once the garlic has lightly browned, add the chopped onion and minced meat and continue to stir fry.
Once the color of the beef has changed, add the remaining seasonings and cook until the moisture has evaporated.

2. Next, make the salsa. Mix the tomatoes cut into 1cm cubes and the other ingredients in a bowl.

3. Dice or slice the avocado and sprinkle lemon juice on it to prevent discoloration. Tear the lettuce into palm-sized pieces and place the shredded cheese in a bowl.

4. Place lettuce, avocado, taco meat, salsa, and shredded cheese into the tortilla as desired and enjoy!

Stylish and digestion-friendly desserts

Christmas dinner is a feast of delicious food. In consideration of the state of your digestion system over the New Year holidays, why not try a homemade Christmas dessert that will help with digestion instead of buying a store-bought cake?
The enzymes contained in pineapple and kiwi fruit have the ability to break down meat proteins, so we recommend eating raw fruit.

Pineapple-shaped fruit boat

Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, leaving the leaves on, and use a knife to make a square cut at a slight angle about 1.5 cm into the inside of the skin.
To remove the fruit from the bottom, insert a knife horizontally from both sides of the pineapple.
Remove the core and cut into bite-sized pieces. Arrange the cut kiwi, strawberries, mango, grapes, oranges, etc. in the pineapple bowl and you're done!

Two-color kiwi agar jelly

Put water (400cc) and powdered agar (4g) into a pot, boil, and simmer for about 2 minutes to dissolve the agar.
Next, add sugar (70g) and pour half of the mixture into two heat-resistant containers. Prepare one large green kiwifruit and one large yellow kiwifruit, peel and grate them, then add them to the heat-resistant container containing the agar liquid and mix well. After allowing to cool, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour to set.
Remove the jelly to a cutting board, cut it into squares and arrange on plates.

Creating the right atmosphere is also important when preparing food for an event. Considering table coordination and accessories like tablecloths and mini Christmas trees will make the event feel even more special. Of course, don't forget to bring gifts, and make it a memorable day!

Products used in this recipe

Flour tortilla 8 inches (approximately 20cm diameter)
The Meat Guy Grass-Fed Beef Mince
Frozen diced avocado
5 kinds of frozen tropical fruit mix
Meat Guy Original Taco & Chili Spice
Ultimate Beef Tortilla & Guacamole Value Set