this was o and m's first christmas. this was also the first christmas that m cooked a full roast lunch. there was roast chicken with sage and onion stuffing, thyme and bay leaves. for veg there was red cabbage braised with a combination of tart and bright citrusy notes of orange, lemon and red wine vinegar and the slightly piney crushed juniper berry, roasted parsnips and potatoes and boiled carrots and florets of broccoli. there was also cranberry and apple sauce.
the slater recipes were taken from two different cookbooks. the red cabbage from his kitchen diaries which my mum sent to me earlier this year and the roast from real cooking which o got bought for me i love slater's recipes. they are easy to follow and bring together very simple flavours. plus there isn't too much fuss. for dessert we decided to go for a pear upside down cake. i paired it with a dark chocolate sauce to make it richer and more festive.
