2016 Homemade Christmas Meal

Roasted Black Pepper Chicken, Baked Creamy Penne with Honey Baked Ham & Mushroom Soup

Roasted Black Pepper Chicken

Ingredient

• One 1.5kg chicken, trimmed & butterflied
• 1 small grated onion
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 sticks celery, cut into 3 sections

Method

1. Combine grated onion with all the seasonings. Pat chicken dry with kitchen paper. Spread the marinade all over chicken. Cling wrap and chill overnight. 
2. On the next day, bring the marinated chicken to room temperature before baking.
3. Place celery sticks on a baking pan, place the butterflied chicken over the celery sticks. Drizzle some olive oil over the chicken.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 220 deg cel for 60mins until crisp and golden brown. 
5. Remove chicken from oven and lightly cover with foil to rest. 
6. To serve, carefully transfer chicken onto a serving platter. Strain the gravy in the baking pan into a clean bowl. Serve along with pan grilled potatoes and varieties of baked vegetables.

Pan-grilled Potatoes

Ingredient

• 1 kg baby potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tsp Italian mixed herbs
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Peel and cut potato into halves. Slice into 3 sections if its too huge.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in potatoes and cook for about 10 mins until tender. Drain away water.
3. Melt butter in a large pan. Arrange potatoes in one layer onto the pan. Sprinkle mixed herbs, salt & pepper over the potatoes. Pan fry till bottom is golden brown. Gently flip the potatoes and fry till the other side is browned. 
4. Remove from heat and transfer the potatoes onto a serving dish. 

Baked Creamy Penne with Honey Baked Ham
Ingredient

• 500gm Penne
• 200gm honey baked ham, sliced into small pieces
• 500ml fresh milk
• 3 tbsp self-raising flour
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 can cream of chicken
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Italian mixed herbs
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt & black pepper to taste

toppings : 1 cup panko bread crumbs mix with 3/4 cup cheddar cheese

Method

1. Cook the Penne according to package. Drain away water and mix in honey baked ham. Transfer the Penne into a large baking dish. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and flor until well combine. Turn on heat and cook over medium low heat. 
3. Add in mayonnaise, cream chicken soup and stirring constantly, cook for about 4 mins until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat. Stir in mixed herbs, dijon mustard, cheese, paprika, salt and black pepper. 
4. Pour the cream cheese sauce mixture over cooked Penne. Mix in gently to coat evenly the Penne. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top. 
5. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 25 mins.

Thanks to Auric Pacific for the invitation to attend the McCormick cooking demo at Tott @ Dunearn! 

The cooking demo was demonstrated by Chef Lisa Leong. We enjoyed her lively, joyful and informative session on how to prepare a complete Christmas menu!! We were shown on the preparation of Spiced Honey Baked Ham, Grill Mates Roast Pot Beef, Baked Pasta & Ham, Steamed Christmas Pudding and Cinnamon Spiced Fruit Punch, all using he McCormick range of herbs and spices. What a delicious feast! 

My kids simply loved the baked pasta at the cooking demo, therefore today I've replicated this dish at home and again they enjoyed it to bits! ^0^ The above recipes are references from Chef Lisa Leong with some minor adjustments by me  to suit our taste. 

Oh yes, besides featuring the herbs and spices during the workshop, I've also discovered a range of new products launched by McCormick, natural food extracts!! Below is the whole range of natural food extract which are currently only available at Tott. I've bought a few flavours which I love most, hope I could try them out soon!