How to make a cheap Christmas meal?
Ne nous le cachons pas, les dépenses reliées aux festivités de Christmas peuvent dégarnir un portefeuille dans un temps record. Aussi, peut-être certains d’entre vous se demandent-ils s’il n’y aurait pas une solution pour recevoir et faire plaisir à moindres frais?
Suggestion of a menu for an economical meal (4 people)
Starters: Ready-made puff pastry provides an almost inexhaustible source of creativity for creating elegant starters. For example:
Sweet and savory puff pastry
You will need 1 roll of puff pastry, 1 Chavroux-type goat cheese, 4 teaspoons of honey, 1 egg yolk, a few cherry tomatoes, 1 mixed salad, 1 handful of chopped walnuts and a drizzle of raspberry vinaigrette. Preheat the oven to 220°C and meanwhile, cut the puff pastry into 4 equal parts. Form triangles then divide the cheese into 4 pieces. Place a piece of goat cheese in the center of each half of the triangle. Spread honey on each piece and fold the triangle. Brush the surface with the previously beaten egg yolk. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve on a green salad garnished with cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and serve.
Main course: Salmon and spinach pie
Ingredients : 2 rolls of puff pastry, 1 kilo of defrosted spinach, 500 grams of salmon or trout fillet, 1 egg yolk, a little dill, homemade béchamel sauce, a little milk, salt and pepper.
Preparation : prepare a béchamel sauce and add the spinach (thawed and drained). Set aside and let it cool. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread a roll of dough over the entire surface. In the center, pour the béchamel-spinach mixture and arrange the fish fillets on top. Close the edges of the dough perfectly to form an elongated rectangle and brown the surface with beaten egg yolk. Make a few cuts on the top of the dough. Bake until golden brown and add a little dill when serving. Serve with mushroom and parsley pilaf rice.
Accompanying wine: a Coteaux Varois (Red, Provence)
Dessert :
Nothing is more decorative than dessert verrines. Divide each verrine into three layers: cooked (cooled) fruit at the bottom, then chopped nuts, followed by a final layer of whipped cream. Garnish with a cherry and a square of dark chocolate. For verrines with a taller neck, repeat the process to obtain 6 layers.
