Ho ho ho!

Start planning Christmas dinner with our top chef Carlota Bonder and her delicious Christmas recipes to make this year extra yummy!

For those who don’t know Carlota Bonder yet, she is an ex su-chef of Jamie Oliver, Alberto Chicote, one of the Spain’s best Michelin Star chefs and a recent contestant of a Top Chef, a Spanish television show based on the American format of the same name, what is a cooking competition that features chefs competing for the title of best chef in the country. 

We have you covered with Carlota’s recipes for elegant holiday appetizers, Christmas dinner, and delicious desserts. Get your guest excited with the interesting appetizers, feature festive seasonal ingredients in side dishes, experiment with a traditional Christmas dessert and keep the guests mingling with a glass of a special holiday drink recipe! 

Find here a collection of delicious holiday recipes, get inspired to create a menu for Christmas dinner, and serve the perfect Christmas mulled wine! Ready to take a look?

 

 

1. Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce and Walnuts 

 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cranberry sauce
• 1 16-ounce brie round
• Zest of one orange
• 2/3 cup walnut pieces
• Crackers for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Remove the top of the rind from the cheese using a serrated knife, and discard the rind. Place the cheese, cut side up on an oven safe plate or bowl. Just make sure to use a larger plate or a bowl so your cheese doesn’t start oozing off the plate like mine is in the above photo. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and top with the cranberry sauce. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is soft and warm. Sprinkle the top with orange zest and walnuts.
4. Serve immediately with crackers.

 

 

2. Foie with Hierbas from Ibiza

 

Ingredients

• 1 freshly deveined duck liver
• 1gr sugar
• 4gr salt,touch of fresh pepper
• 7ml of licorice of herbs from ibiza

Instructions

1. We mix all the ingredients, do a roll with  the plastic wrap and press all the ingredients, leave it in the fridge 24hrs.
2. Cook this mass inn a water bath with the plastic wrap and put in a plastic bag (zip zip bag) – the water have to cover the liver and the temperature have to be 75 degrees and 15 min .
3. Once is done we need to cool the foie down with ice and serve! (for a best result cool down at least 3hrs)

Carlota’s  tip:

Accompany  with some fig confiture and add some crunchy salt!

 

 

 

1. Juicy Roast Turkey Breast

 

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in turkey breast half, about 2½ pounds, with skin on
• 1-2 tablespoons butter
• ½ lemon
• ½ head of garlic, crushed with paper on
• 1 cup white wine
• 4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
• kosher salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse and pat dry the turkey breast. With your fingers, carefully separate skin from the turkey meat and spread half of the butter under the skin.
2. Spread the rest of the butter on top of the skin. Place turkey breast in a roasting pan and season with kosher salt and pepper. Pour wine over breast, then squeeze juice from the lemon over the breast and then add to pan with the garlic.
3. Top the breast with thyme sprigs.
4. Roast turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast reaches 140 degrees, or for about 30-35 minutes. Remove from pan and cover and rest for at least 15 minutes and then slice turkey as needed.

 

2. Cranberry Pecan Crusted Salmon

 

Ingredients

• ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp parsley
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter
• 2 salmon fillets [approx 4-6 ounces each] fresh or thawed if frozen
• ¼ cup cranberry sauce
• serve atop 2-4 cups fresh baby spinach or with your favorite veggie side

CITRUS VINAIGRETTE:

• 2 TBSP light olive oil or grape seed oil
• 1 clove of garlic, smashed and minced [1/4 tsp]
• 1 TBSP fresh lime juice
• 1 TBSP orange juice
• a pinch of salt
• a dash of black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine pecans, panko, salt, and parsley in a small bowl.
3. Melt butter and pour over pecan mixture, tossing to coat.
4. Pat salmon dry and spread with cranberry sauce, about 2 TBSP per filet, then top with pecan topping.
5. Bake 10-15 minutes, until salmon is tender and flakes easily with a fork. The general rule of thumb is 10 minutes of cook time per inch of thickness, which should help you adjust times based on the cut used.
6. After removing the skin, plate the steamy salmon atop the fresh baby spinach as a salad, or gently wilt spinach in a skillet with a little butter and a pinch of salt. I typically go the salad route for salmon lunches and the wilted, cooked route with the spinach when serving salmon up for dinner. Choose your favorite method!
7. Enjoy!

Carlota’s tip:

Use skin-on salmon for easy serving and simply remove just before plating by inserting a knife or a thin spatula between the salmon and the skin. You can use fresh from the market salmon or frozen salmon, defrosted in the refrigerator overnight [It takes around 12 hours to defrost two portions].

 

 

3. Crispy Potato Roast

 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 – 12 russet potatoes, peeled
• Kosher salt
• 1 small onion or 4 shallots, peeled and sliced very thin
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 – 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• About 3 ounces pancetta, cubed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the oil and melted butter in a small dish. Set aside.
3. Brush a round baking dish (around 9 – 10 inches) with a little of the butter and oil mixture.
4. Slice the potatoes as thin as possible crosswise.  Arrange potatoes vertically in the baking dish.  Wedge onion or shallot slices throughout potato slices – in about 3 or 4 sections of each potato.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper flakes (use some black pepper if not using red pepper flakes).  Brush with the remaining butter and oil mixture.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes uncovered.  If you find at anytime throughout baking that the potatoes are too dry, a little of the olive oil/butter from the bottom of the baking dish can be brushed on the slices.  Also, a butter knife can be used to separate some of the slices if there are some sticking together too much.
6. While potatoes are baking, brown the pancetta in a small pan. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Set aside.
7. Remove potatoes from oven.
8. Add pancetta by scattering around throughout the potatoes.  Lay the thyme sprigs on top of potatoes.
9. Bake for an additional 35 minutes.  Remove from oven.
10. Sprinkle on a little more kosher salt.  Serve immediately.  Sour cream is a great accompaniment to the potatoes.

 

 

 

1. Peanut Butter Fudge

 

Ingredients

• 
3 cups Sugar
• 
1 can Evaporated Milk
• 
1/3 cup Corn Syrup
• 
1 stick Butter
• 
8 oz Peanut Butter
• 
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Mix Sugar, Corn Syrup and Evaporated milk in large pan and cook over medium heat.
2. Sir occasionally.
3. Mixture will begin boiling. If it boils too close to top reduce heat slightly.
4. Continue cooking until mixture reaches soft ball stage (235-245 degrees). You can test for this by seeing the syrup forms a ball while in the cold water, but flattens once removed from the water.
5. When it reaches this stage, remove from heat.
6. Take butter and grease inside of glass baking dish.
7. Add remainder of butter and vanilla extract and stir until butter is melted and incorporated.
8. Add peanut butter and continue stirring until mixture start to lose its’ sheen.
9. Then pour into buttered baking dish and allow to cool.

 

 

2. No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

Ingredients

Crust:

• 30 Graham Crackers
• 
5 tbsp melted Butter
• 
2 tbsp Sugar

Filling:

• 
16 oz softened Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 15 oz Pumpkin Puree
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 
16 ounce Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions

1. 
Crush graham crackers if food processor.
2. Add melted butter and sugar and pulse to incorporate.
3. Press mixture into bottom an partially up the sides of a springform pan.
4. 
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm.
5. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, brown sugar and sugar until creamy.
 Add in pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin spice. Beat until fully blended.
6. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
7. 
Fold pumpkin mixture into whipped cream.
8. Spread evenly into crust.
9. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving.

Carlota’s tip:

Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired or some soft cream, I love this cake!

 

 

 

Mulled Wine

 

 Ingredients

• 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1/4 cup brandy (optional)
• 1/4 cup honey or sugar
• 8 whole cloves
•  2 cinnamon sticks
•  2 star anise

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for at least 15 minutes.
3. Strain, and serve warm.
4. You can also place the oranges, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise in a cheesecloth. Then simply strain and pull out the bundle when ready.