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Canapes for your New Year’s Cocktail Party
Canapes – a delightful treat to the eyes and taste buds

Canapes are small, prepared finger foods, usually eaten in a single bite. They are often delightfully decorative hors d’oeuvres, giving them a special culinary status. These canapes can find some good space on your new year’s eve cocktail party. New years canapés should ben fun and carb heavy too soak up the booze!

Find a range of Canapes Recipes on Recipebridge, sure to delight your guests this new years eve party. Some of our favorite picks are
Share your canapes recipes with us!

As always, we love to hear from you. Post recipes or comments of your canapes’ culinary journey on our Facebook page or Tweet us!
December 29, 2011
Martini – Shaken or Stirred

The Martini – quintessential James Bond cocktail!

James Bond’s “Martini – shaken, not stirred” is probably the most famous character catch phrase. However, other than the 007 style, there are stacks of other types of martinis that require a lot of alcohol, creativity and an open mind to make some of the best mixtures ever.

The martini actually was named after the Californian city of Martinez in the late 1880s which at that time these strong cocktails were made of gin and vermouth. Nowadays, some martinis are made with gin and others made with vodka. The iconic cone shaped martini glass which the drink is served in has been especially designed to stop the ingredients from going flat or separating. Olives are often placed in the drink to add a more unique flavour to both the drink and to the olive itself.

Here are a few of our picks:

Cranberry Martini

Riberry Martini

Chocolate Chili Martini

Breakfast Martini

Ice Blue Martini

Greaves Ginger Rhubarb Martini

How do you like your Martini?

Post your favorite martini recipes on our Facebook page or Tweet us!

Find more Martini recipes on Recipebridge.

December 28, 2011
Tilapia Cooked 6 Ways
Tilapia the great tasting and versatile fish

Tilapia is a great eating fish, with is its firm texture and mild seafood flavour makes it ideal for a variety of cooking methods. Try cooking pan-fried, broiled, baked, or braised, tilapia readily absorbs the robust flavor of spicy marinades, creamy sauces, and subtle seasonings.

Not many people know that Tilapia go by many names, infact its more of a common name for a few hundred species. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats and in recent times farmed through aquaculture.

On RecipeBridge we’ve got lots of Tilapia Recipes. However like we’ve said, Tilapia is such a versatile fish we thought we’d show you different ways to cook this well-known fresh water fish.

Ways to Cook Tilapia
What are other cooking methods can you recommend for Tilapia ?
December 27, 2011
Christmas Leftovers for the Boxing Day

The Boxing Day Celebrations

It’s almost like there are not enough celebrations going on with Christmas, that Boxing day was added to the list of holidays. Falling on the very next week day after Christmas, Boxing day is a federal holiday in many countries, and celebrated all over Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. There are many stories about it’s origin, but nowadays this day has become part of celebrations of being with the family, and continue on the Christmas feasting.

Here are some ideas to recreate your Christmas leftovers into scrumptious Boxing day dishes.

Ham Frittata

Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce

Christmas Pudding Sundae

Christmas Pudding Truffles

Tuna Wraps

Seafood Pasta

What do you do on Boxing Day?

Are you chilling this Boxing day or continuing to party from Christmas? Post your Boxing day doings on our Facebook page or Tweet us!

Find more Boxing Day recipe ideas on Recipebridge.

December 25, 2011
Last Minute Festive Christmas Dishes

Christmas Dishes for Merry Xmas Everything…

Christmas is so synonymouus with white, green and red, that a combination of these colors lend that extra festive touch to the Christmas dishes! If you are running late on your Christmas preparations, we have some quick festive recipes here, sure to be a show stopper to your Christmas meal. Don’t forget to set a festive table with seasonal flowers, poinsettas and candles for that extra touch of festivity and elegance. We picked some festive and colorful dishes sure to lend a festive touch to your Christmas meals.

Pepper Jelly Canapes

These ultra-simple, elegant canapes can serve as snack or appetizer!

Pepper Jelly Canapes

Strawberry Cream Cups

Be sure to toast the nuts in this recipe for some extra crunch and intense flavor. Arrange in individual parfait cups or bowls, or as a single large dish.

Strawberry Cream Cups

Caprese Salad

The classic elegance of buffalo mozzarella, basil and tomatoes truly capture the Christmas season colors!

Caprese Salad

Chocolate Swirl Rocky Road

Though an anytime-recipe, this again lends a festive touch to your meal, or use for your holiday cookie exchange.

Chocolate Swirl Rocky Road

Cherry Ham

Put on a show when you ignite the brandy glaze on any cured ham.

Cherry Ham

Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes

Here’s another classic simple saute that is suitable for your special meal.

Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes

Christmas Tree Cookie Balls

Fun and frolic of the holiday season is so well captured by these cute cookie balls!

Christmas Tree Cookie Balls

Creole Cream Cheese

Serve the chilled creole cream cheese in bowls alongside a sugar bowl and a small pitcher of half-and-half. Fresh fruit such as strawberries or blueberries may be added as well.

Creole Cream Cheese

What are your favorite Christmas dishes?

Find more Festive Christmas recipes on Recipebridge. As always, we love to hear from you. Post recipes of your Christmas dishes on our Facebook page or Tweet us!

December 24, 2011
Festive Christmas Brunch Ideas

Hosting a Christmas brunch

If the traditional Christmas roast turkey dinner isn’t enough to tantalise your taste buds on Christmas Day, then why not try the ever growing tradition of hosting a Christmas brunch? The Christmas brunch is not only a tradition in many cultures, it is also becoming a popular way of spending time with your loved ones during the festive period too and is a time where a wide variety of foods are served.

Our managing director Benjamin Christie does a family brunch on Christmas day. Here are some of his favourite recipes for Christmas brunch.

Eggs Benedict

Two halves of an English muffin topped with hollandaise sauce, a poached egg and pieces of ham or bacon. Even though this dish can get a little soppy, it is the perfect savoury course for a Christmas brunch with the family.

Eggs benedict

Salmon Gravlax

Fresh salmon which is seasoned and cured with salt, pepper, sugar, alcohol and dill is what we call ‘gravlax’. This cured fish is ideal for a light and sophisticated Christmas brunch time snack when served with rye bread and a wedge of lemon.

Salmon Gravlax

Berry Smoothies

There are many, many different varieties of berry smoothie so it is best to have a wide range of fruits available for your guests to select at the Christmas brunch meal. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, a banana and some milk and yoghurt are ideal in making a triple berry smoothie and are ideal for those who are trying to ‘save themselves’ for the Christmas dinner later on!

Berry Smoothies

Hash Browns

Often found on a plate next to bacon and eggs, hash browns are a great accompaniment to many other dishes too. This fried potato cake is served hot and is very easily made using grated potato, onion, egg, and oil.

Hash Browns

Chicken Sausages

Well, chicken sausages are pretty much what you would think – sausages made out of chicken. With the chicken and other ingredients blended together, they can be easily made into the usual sausage shape and then coated in breadcrumbs. They can be fried until they turn a beautiful golden brown colour and will perfectly compliment your eggs Benedict or hash browns that are already sitting on your plate!

Chicken Sausages

Champagne Cocktails

At what other time of year can you drink champagne at 10.30am and not get funny looks? Christmas is all about the indulgence, and a champagne cocktail is the perfect way to accompany your Christmas brunch. There are many varieties of champagne cocktail so you might want to try a few before you decide what you like, or even experiment on the day (!) just make sure you’re sober enough to be able to operate the oven for the turkey later on…

Champagne

So, if you have never had a Christmas brunch with friends or family before, why not give it a go?

Find more Christmas brunch recipe ideas on Recipebridge. Tell us about your Christmas traditions – we’d love to hear about them. Post your Christmas brunch recipes on our Facebook page or Tweet us!

December 22, 2011
Christmas Cake

The history behind Christmas cake

In 14^th century England, cakes were hard to come by, mainly for their rich ingredients which the poor could not afford, but also because heated ovens were only a possession of the very wealthy. Christmas cake was not invented until two traditional Christmas dishes came together – cake and surprisingly enough, porridge. By the 16^th century the two types of Christmas meal combined and plum porridge and plum cake came together to make what we know now as the Christmas cake.

The traditional plum cake which the Christmas cake originated from, became famous during the 16^th century and more ingredients were added such as eggs and butter which makes it closer to the ingredients we know to go into cakes today. Boiled fruits (mainly plums) were added into the mix and this is where the plum cake began. It was mainly the wealthy that could enjoy the rich fruits and spices that went into the cake’s ingredients – after all they were the only ones that had an oven to bake them in!

The Christmas pudding is a traditional Christmas cake which is popular in many countries across the world and is famous for its rich flavours, and moist, gooey texture. There are many recipes with traditional ingredients that go into this gorgeously festive dessert are dried fruits, spices, seasonal zests and nuts. The ingredient that a lot of people like to use a LOT of is the rum or brandy – depending on how boozy you want your pudding of course!

Newer takes on the traditional Christmas cake

For newer takes on the recipe, cooks have experimented with the shapes of the Christmas cake – after all, who says it needs to be a small dome? Make it into a rectangle if you want a Christmas cake that’s easier to slice, or maybe even create a giant star shape if you want to continue the festive theme.

Different sauces and icings can totally transform the taste of a traditional Christmas cake, so if you want to try something new, you could try it with brandy sauce, orange sauce or maybe even lashings of melted toffee for an extra sweet sensation.

A gingerbread Christmas pudding can be the perfect alternative taste that you have been searching for, and the cinnamon, ginger and other additional spices will truly give you the great taste of Christmas. Find this and other recipes for Christmas cake on Recipebridge.

So let us know what you do to make your Christmas cake special, whether it is the way you bake it or the shape that you bake it in that keeps your family happy, we want to know about it. Feel free to share your tips and Christmas cake recipes on our Facebook page or Tweet us.

December 21, 2011
Aussie Seafood Christmas Lunch

The summery Christmas lunch in Australia

As a lot of areas of the world associate Christmas with being wrapped up in reindeer jumpers, sipping eggnog and roasting chestnuts on a cosy fire, it is easy to forget that over in Australia, it is summer at Christmas time!

During these summer months, turkey and ham are rarely served, and the folks down under have begun to serve more food appropriate to the overwhelming heat. After all – who wants to be eating warming food when you’re already warm?

Although the stereotypical Aussie Christmas lunch suggests that they throw a ‘shrimp on the barbie’, other seafood are the culinary dishes of choice such as prawns, Balmain bugs (a species of lobster), Moreton Bay bugs (a variety of slipper lobster), lobsters, smoked salmon plus much more.

The seafood platter (found on Recipebridge) is the perfect way to enjoy your Christmas lunch as an Aussie – or indeed anyone who is residing in a hot country over the festive period. The Australian Seafood Platter is amazingly colourful and also packed full of an abundance of flavours and textures.

The platter can be adjusted to suit your preferences, but overall includes about 6 different types of seafood including lobsters, oysters, king prawns, and smoked salmon. For additional flavours, French dressing, a wedge of lemon, parsley, a white onion and an avocado are also thrown into the mix.

The indulgent yet light seafood recipes for Christmas lunch

When the weather outside is hot, the last thing you want to do is eat until you can’t move. This is why a seafood themed Christmas lunch is such a popular idea in Australia. For a light option that will make your Christmas lunch special, you could also try the Seafood Linguini with Tomato Pesto. Find this and more such recipes on Recipebridge.

Although the Aussies may avoid what others know as the traditional Christmas lunch, the folks down under still enjoy their own take on the boozy Christmas cake for dessert. Fruity mince pies may also feature as well as fruity pavlovas, chocolate logs, trifles, various ice creams – basically anything which is even a little indulgent!

Seafood is the most popular dish of choice for Christmas lunch at this time of year more than any other, and the food stores all over Australia are always in high demand when it comes to seafood sales. No matter where you are in the world, you should definitely try a seafood platter as an alternative to your traditional Christmas lunch at some point in your life – the flavours will tantalise your taste buds and you will love the variety of textures you can get from just one dish. You can find a plethora of holiday seafood recipes on Recipebridge for your Christmas lunch.

Tell us about some of your favourite Christmas lunch recipes by visiting our Facebook page or Tweet us!

December 20, 2011
Eggnog Recipes for Xmas Day

Eggnog – the quintessential Christmas beverage

Originally, eggnog was a European festive drink that was brought over to America by the original settlers who had been putting milk and punch together for years. Back when it was first being consumed, the drink was held in a wooden cup called a ‘noggin’. The egg drink was then mixed and served in the noggin, which is where the name ‘eggnog’ came from.

The reason for its festive uses at Christmas is for quite simply the fact that its main ingredients provide a very ‘Christmassy’ and warming taste – especially when served hot! As it has been around for so long, it is the quintessential Christmas beverage that is designed to warm you up on those cold winter’s days.

The key ingredients that go into an eggnog recipe are eggs, sugar, and milk. A vanilla pod can be added to give the flavour more depth, and certain spirits are always used, although the quantities themselves vary from recipe to recipe.

Brandy, rum and whiskey are some of the most popular tipples to go into a traditional eggnog recipe, although it usually is just one of these at a time! George Washington, America’s first president, famously loved the drink and even concocted his own version that used three different types of liqueurs at once; rum, sherry and whiskey! To add a little extra flavour to the glass of eggnog, a few fresh cherries can be scattered into the bottom of each glass that you serve and then sprinkled with cocoa powder.

Flavourful and versatile eggnog recipes

The rich flavours of eggnog can be a little too much for some people, so if you want to try your eggnog in moderation or in a different form then try looking at the array of recipes for eggnog desserts, pies and punches on Recipebridge. The iced eggnog cookies are a firm favourite of mine and are a great way to get the eggnog taste involved in your Christmas holidays without being overwhelmed by it. They are so easy to make and are great to share with friends and family as you open your Christmas presents.

If you are looking for a more sophisticated dessert, then why not try the Eggnog Tiramisu? It’s great for coffee lovers and offers just the right amount of eggnog flavouring to give it a bit of a boozy kick.

If the ‘boozy kick’ sounds like your perfect festive treat, then you will love the Eggnog Martini. It’s the cheat’s way of making eggnog, but that’s why we love it! All you need is vodka, eggnog, frangleico, crushed ice and a little nutmeg. The concoction can easily be shaken together in a cocktail mixer and then all you have to do is serve.

Coffees, hot chocolate, trifles, cheesecakes, cocktails and French toast all have eggnog varieties which make them ideal for consumption before, during and after Christmas. So don’t hesitate – start experimenting with your eggnog recipes – you will fall in love with the stuff. Feel free to Facebook or Tweet us about your favourite eggnog concoctions as well!

December 19, 2011
Christmas Roast Turkey

Traditions around the Christmas roast turkey

Amazingly, Turkey’s have been around for over 10 million years and were originally from Mexico. Although the eating of the turkey was made famous at Christmas by King Edward II in England, it was not until the 1950s that it became more affordable to the average person. Nowadays, the Christmas roast turkey is a major part of the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.

In many places around the world, the consumption of a Christmas roast turkey is found to be the social norm. However, before Kind Edward II and Henry VIII first eating it during the festive period, people in England would eat a boar’s head or a goose. 1526 was the original year that the birds came to England, and they soon became popular with the upper classes because of their beautifully juicy texture.

In Victorian England (when England was ruled by Queen Victoria), other meats such as roast beef, rabbit and goose were eaten by the working classes, whilst the poultry (chicken and turkey) were only affordable to the wealthier classes. Before this time, the richer people in England would dine on swan, pheasant, and peacocks on Christmas Day.

One of the main traditions surrounding the Christmas roast turkey is the pulling of the ‘wishbone’. When the turkey has been roast and carved, the Y shaped bone can then be removed from the turkey and then pulled apart by two people. The person who gets the biggest half then can make a wish!

Using the Christmas roast turkey in leftovers

Alongside the Christmas roast turkey there are traditional side dishes that accompany it including roast potatoes, parsnips, stuffing, sprouts, pigs in blankets and gravy. The key to cooking the turkey to perfection is calculating the weight of the meat and then adjusting the length of oven time accordingly. You can find many such recipes on Recipebridge.

Getting your Christmas roast turkey cooked to perfection is one thing, but it is an entirely different thing to think up ways to use the turkey in the days following Christmas. A lot of the time, people make turkey and stuffing sandwiches on Boxing Day, but if you have so much left over, there are plenty of options for what to do with it.

An After-Christmas Turkey Potpie is a massive hit with families all over the globe. It not only means that you can use up your leftover Christmas roast turkey, but you can also put your leftover veggies to good use too!

Similarly, a Day After Christmas Turkey Wellington also is a great way to use up all your leftovers and is the perfect meal to serve all your Boxing Day dinner guests who you didn’t manage to see the day before. The only problem with eating so much turkey is that by New Years Eve, most people will be sick of the sight of our Christmas roast turkey and will have overindulged so much that they just long to eat a green leaf salad.

Find recipes for Christmas roast turkey and side dish recipes on Recipebridge.

December 18, 2011