If there's one thing better than gifts at Christmas, it's the festive feasting.
From turkey and ham, to pork, macaroni pie and festive rice, there's plenty to look forward to on a traditional Trinidadian Christmas table.
But what if you decided to shake things up and do away with tradition this Christmas?
6 Christmas dinner ideas with a difference
It might seem beyond impossible to tear yourself away from your sorrel, pastelles, sweet bread and Ponche De Crème.
But we're here to tell you there is another way that can be even more delicious!
So here are our six Christmas dinner ideas with a difference.
Recipes
Christmas curry
This dish definitely isn't traditionally festive.
But let's face it, curry tastes good at any time of year!
Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 medium cauliflower
- groundnut oil
- 15cm piece of ginger
- 9 cloves of garlic
- 20 finger aubergines
- 3 medium onions
- 2-3 fresh green chillies
- 1 kg ripe tomatoes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 150 g cashews
- 100 g coconut shavings
- 1 pomegranate
Spice blend:
- 1 teaspoon cardamom pods
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 3 dried Kashmiri red chillies
- 7 cloves
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Indian tempeh:
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 small handful of fresh curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
Cook time: 2 hours 20 mins
Serves: 6
Pizza Casserole
There's absolutely nothing traditional or festive about pizza - and that's why we love this idea.
Pizza casserole is pasta tossed with pizza sauce, sausage, mushrooms, and peppers (or whatever your favourite toppings are), layered with mozzarella cheese, and baked in a casserole dish.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for pan
- 12 oz. cavatappi pasta
- 2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 c.)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 (8-oz.) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 green bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped into 1/2" pieces
- 3 c. shredded mozzarella, divided
- 1/3 c. sliced pepperoni (about 2 oz.)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13"-by-9" glass baking dish with oil
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat
- Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes (pasta should still be slightly undercooked in the center)
- Drain pasta; set aside
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil
- Add sausage and cook, breaking into bite-size pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes
- Transfer sausage to a medium bowl, leaving as much fat in skillet as possible
- In same skillet over medium heat, combine mushrooms and 1 tablespoon oil; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes
- Transfer mushrooms to bowl with sausage
- In same skillet over medium heat, cook onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 4 to 5 minutes
- Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt
- Remove 2 cups sauce and reserve
- Fold bell peppers and cooked sausage, mushrooms, and reserved pasta into remaining sauce
- Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more
- Pour half of pasta mixture into prepared casserole dish
- Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and top with remaining pasta mixture
- Pour reserved 2 cups sauce over
- Cover pan with foil and bake until hot and bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes
- Remove foil, top with remaining 2 cups mozzarella, then pepperoni, and continue to bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browned, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Prep: 20 mins
Cook time: 1 hr 20 mins
Serves: 6 - 8
Slow-cooked ham
We hear you asking what's unique about ham at Christmas.
And you're right. But have you ever tried slow-cooked ham?
One taste of this and we guarantee it'll be a festive family favourite for years to come.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup Coca-Cola No Sugar, divided
- 1 fully cooked boneless ham (5 to 6 pounds), cut in half.
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, horseradish and 2 tablespoons Coca-Cola No Sugar
- Rub over ham
- Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; add remaining Coca-Cola No Sugar to slow cooker
- Cover and cook on low until a thermometer reads 140°, approx 6-8 hours.
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 6 hours
Serves: 20 servings
Coca-Cola No Sugar Cake
If you want a Christmas dinner menu item that is sure to get everyone talking, then you need to try this!
Everyone deserves to satisfy their sweet tooth at Christmas, so why not really mix things up with this delicious cake and its special ingredient - Coca-Cola No Sugar.
It's easy to prep, takes only 25 minutes to bake, and serves 15. So, plenty for all the family.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 can (12 ounces) Coca-Cola No Sugar
- 1 cup butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup baking cocoa
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 can (12 ounces) Coca-Cola No Sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup baking cocoa
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Prep time: 25 mins
Bake time: 25 mins
Serves: 15
Vegetable Lasagna
Christmas is traditionally quite a meat feast. And we're not saying you have to become vegetarian or vegan.
But mixing it up with something meatless could be a welcome change for the Holidays.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- kosher salt
- Pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 container low-sodium 1-percent cottage cheese
- 1 package frozen broccoli florets
- 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan
- 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 3 oz. part-skim mozzarella
- 2 c. baby spinach
- 2 c. low-sodium marinara sauce
- 6 no-boil lasagna noodles
Directions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat
- Add the onion, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 8 to 10 minutes
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute; stir in the parsley
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, purée the cottage cheese and broccoli until smooth; transfer to a bowl
- Mix in the onion mixture, Parmesan, lemon zest, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, then fold in the spinach and basil (if using)
- Spread 1/2 cup marinara on the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish
- Top with 2 noodles and spread one-third of the remaining marinara (about 1/2 cup) over the top
- Dollop with half the broccoli mixture
- Top with 2 noodles, half the remaining marinara and then the remaining broccoli mixture
- Top with the remaining noodles and marinara, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella
- Cover tightly with nonstick foil and bake for 20 minutes
- Uncover and bake until the noodles are tender, and the top is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes
- Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Prep time: 40 mins
Cooking time: 35 mins
Serves: 6
Coca-Cola No Sugar Hot Wings
We always like to throw in a wild card, so how about these Coca-Cola No Sugar Hot Wings?
These scream 'laid-back Christmas', and we're here for it!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings
- 1 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
- 1 can (12 ounces) Coca-Cola No Sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Blue cheese salad dressing
Directions
- Cut chicken wings into three sections; discard wing tip sections. In a small bowl, combine hot sauce, cola, soy sauce, cayenne and pepper
- Prepare grill for indirect heat, using a drip pan
- Grill chicken wings, covered, over indirect medium heat on an oiled rack for 10 minutes
- Grill 30-40 minutes longer, turning occasionally and basting frequently with sauce until wings are nicely glazed
- Serve with salad dressing.
Prep time: 15 mins
Grill: 40 min
Serves: 30 wings