eBusiness Weekly
With the festive season around the corner, braving the shopping malls and planning your festive dinner can be quite the exercise.
We thought we would help relieve some of that stress by putting together a comprehensive list of our favourite foods for you to plan your festive shopping.
Sweet potatoes
Mashed potatoes are great and all, but mashed sweet potatoes? That is my carb choice, every time.
They have got the creamy goodness of the traditional mash, with about a hundred times more flavour and nutrition.
Add a little rosemary and sprinkle the whole shebang with roasted pecans and watch everyone head back for seconds.
Oil
You cannot get very far in the kitchen without cooking oil, so do a final audit before you make your last trip to the shops.
You may want to stock up on different varieties – including extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over salads or making salad dressings, peanut, or sesame oil for Asian salad dressings, vegetable oil for roasting and frying, and maybe even some duck fat for roast potatoes if you are feeling indulgent.
Seafood
The festive season is the holiday season in South Africa, meaning that seafood is an ever-popular festive dish, especially in coastal towns where fresh fish is available daily.
Dishes such as crayfish tail, mussels, prawns, and line-fish are typically served as starters before the hearty meat dishes.
When it comes to prawns, you could serve them as a starter in the form of a prawn cocktail or maybe even garlic and spice them for a simple side accompaniment.
Mimosas
Mimosas are not just for Sunday brunch. They are also the perfect way to kick off Christmas morning. Just combine champagne and orange juice for a traditional mimosa, or give it a festive twist by mixing champagne with a bit of cranberry juice.
Brussels sprouts
This polarising vegetable is a key part of a festive dinner. Even though many people dislike Brussels sprouts (they can have a slightly bitter taste), they can always be found on the table during the festive time! They are normally served steamed or fried up with bacon.
Pecan pie
Although pecans are packed with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, pecan pie is a minefield of sugar and calories.
According to health experts, a typical slice of pecan pie has 464 calories, and that is because it is usually made with lots of corn syrup, butter, and sugar.
Nibble on a bowl of mixed nuts instead. If you cannot resist the pie, choose pumpkin or opt for a very small slice, and do not eat the crust.
Spaghetti and macaroni pasta
Pasta is another dry good and a great pantry staple. You can buy these in bulk and have a full stash of different kinds of pasta as needed.
Does your family have to have spaghetti? Is macaroni salad a must-dish on the dinner table?
Dried pasta keeps well if kept away from moisture and insects, so these make prime ingredients to stock up on.
Tacos
Tacos are a great dish to serve to your guests during the day or night. They are tasty, easy to prepare and encourage your guests to get their hands dirty and tuck in, making it a really social meal to enjoy.
The taco recipe below is tasty, easy to make, and can be made with relatively affordable ingredients, which makes it perfect for feeding the whole family. — IOL Food
