8 Fabulous Festive Recipes

It’s been a little while since I last shared recipes here on the blog, so I thought it was high time to remedy that! With the festive season approaching, I’ve pulled together a collection of nourishing, celebratory dishes that are perfect for sharing… or sneaking a cheeky portion before anyone else notices. From a naturally sweet Christmas cake to a vibrant wild rice stuffing, these recipes are all about enjoying the flavours of the season while keeping things wholesome and festive. Enjoy!

Chestnut, Cranberry & Wild Rice Stuffing

Serves: 6 | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 1 hour

This vibrant, gluten-free stuffing works beautifully alongside roast meat or even as a standalone festive dish. Nutty wild rice, sweet cranberries, and earthy chestnuts make it both satisfying and celebratory.

Key Facts: Gluten Free | High Protein | Low Carb | Festive Recipe

Ingredients

• 250 g wild rice
  
• 650 ml chicken or vegetable broth
  
• 3 celery sticks
  
• 2 onions
  
• 2 parsnips
  
• 250 g butternut squash
  
• ½ bunch each fresh thyme, rosemary & sage
  
• 1 large bunch fresh parsley
  
• 300 g cooked chestnuts
  
• 200 g fresh cranberries
  
• 1 large orange
  
• ½ cup ground almonds
  
• Freshly grated nutmeg
  
  

Preparation

1. Cook rice in broth 30–35 minutes until tender.
   
2. Chop veg; steam sauté with herbs, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup water, salt & pepper for 15 minutes.
   
3. Add cranberries 5 minutes, cool, remove stalks.
   
4. Combine rice with orange juice & zest, chestnuts, parsley. Mix with veg, transfer to baking dish.
   
5. Sprinkle almonds, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg. Bake 30–35 minutes at 200 °C or use as turkey stuffing.
   
   

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Dill Gravadlax

Serves: 4 | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 48 hours (curing)

Super simple, lightly cured salmon that’s elegant enough for New Year’s Eve, yet quick and easy to prep. High in protein and omega-3, it’s a light festive treat or lunch.

Key Facts: Light Meal | High Protein & Omega-3 | Great Lunch or Appetiser | Super Easy

Ingredients

• 2 × 750 g salmon fillets, skin-on
  
• 1 large bunch dill, roughly chopped
  
• 100 g coarse sea salt
  
• 75 g caster sugar
  
• 2 tbsp crushed peppercorns
  
  

Preparation

1. Place one fillet skin-side down on parchment.
   
2. Mix dill, salt, sugar, and pepper; spread over salmon. Top with second fillet.
   
3. Wrap tightly, weigh down, refrigerate 48 hours, flipping every 12–14 hours.
   
4. Remove, pat dry, slice thinly. Serve on toast, boiled potatoes, or with vegetables.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts & Pomegranate

Serves: 4 | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 27 minutes

In my family, there’s a bit of a divide when it comes to sulphurous vegetables. Some of us are cabbage champions, while others merely tolerate them. Roasting Brussels sprouts gives them a caramelised edge that even the hesitant eaters can’t resist. Add toasted hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds, and suddenly they’re the star of the table.

Key Facts: Super Simple | Delicious & Nutritious | Family Friendly | 5 Ingredients or Less

Ingredients

• 500 g Brussels sprouts
  
• 1 large pomegranate
  
• 150 g hazelnuts
  
• Coconut oil
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 190 °C. Rub a thin layer of coconut oil over a baking tray and sprinkle with black pepper.
   
2. Toast hazelnuts on a separate tray for 5 minutes until aromatic and golden. Cool, then roughly chop.
   
3. Trim sprouts, halve lengthways, cut-side down on tray.
   
4. Roast 15 minutes, shake, then roast another 5–7 minutes until tender and crisp.
   
5. Toss sprouts with pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
   
   

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Mushroom Gravy

Serves: 4–6 | Prep: 15 minutes (+ overnight refrigeration) | Cook: 2 hours 15 minutes

This glorious flour-free gravy is rich, luxurious and naturally thickened by organic mushrooms and collagen-rich homemade chicken broth. Deep umami layers build slowly, creating a sauce that tastes like it simmered all day. It freezes beautifully too, making it a perfect prep-ahead addition to roast chicken, veggies or festive meals.

Key Facts: Gluten Free | Supports Connective Tissue Health | Family Friendly | Prep Ahead – Freezer Friendly

Ingredients

For the Stock:

• 1 litre water
  
• 1 chicken carcass (use code NATNOURISH for 10% off at Swaledale butchers)
  
• 1 onion
  
• 3 celery sticks
  
• 1 carrot
  
• A few sprigs dried or fresh thyme, rosemary or oregano
  
• A splash of apple cider vinegar
  
• 2 potatoes
  
  

For the Finished Gravy:

• 250 g organic mushrooms
  
• 1 Kallo organic mushroom stock cube (optional)
  
  

Preparation

1. Place the water, chicken carcass and apple cider vinegar into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then add all vegetables except the potatoes. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours.
   
2. Add the chopped potatoes and cook for 30 minutes.
   
3. Allow to cool. Remove bones, then strain the vegetables from the broth. Refrigerate overnight and skim off the fat layer the next day.
   
4. Chop the mushrooms and brown them in a pan (no oil needed - they’ll release their own liquid). Blend the mushrooms with the prepared broth until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding the mushroom stock cube if desired.
5. Serve warm over roast chicken, vegetables or fried kale.

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Festive Fruit Cake

Serves: 10–12 | Prep: 30 minutes (+ 10 minutes infusing) | Cook: 3 hours 15 minutes

This is my version of a Christmas cake, moist, spiced, and beautifully festive. By infusing the fruit with apple juice and natural spices, you don’t need added sugar or butter, making it both indulgent and nourishing.

Key Facts: Delightfully Festive | Gluten, Grain & Dairy Free | Vegan | Super Delicious

Ingredients

• 200 ml walnut oil
  
• 500 ml fresh apple or pear juice
  
• 300 g soft eating dates
  
• 350 g raisins
  
• 200 g sultanas
  
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  
• 300 g ground almonds
  
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  
• Zest of 1 orange
  
• 100 g walnuts, roughly chopped
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
• ½ thumb-sized piece root ginger, peeled & roughly sliced
  
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 160 °C (140 °C fan).
   
2. Warm juice and walnut oil, add cinnamon and ginger, cover and infuse 10 minutes.
   
3. Chop dates if needed. Add dates, sultanas, raisins to juice mixture, simmer 6–8 minutes.
   
4. Transfer to a large bowl, sprinkle in bicarbonate of soda, cool 10 minutes.
   
5. Fold in remaining ingredients (walnuts last). Transfer to a lined 20x9 cm cake tin.
   
6. Cover with parchment, secure with string or foil, bake 3 hours, testing with skewer after 2½ hours.
   
7. Cool, decorate as desired.
   
   

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Cocktail Christmas Cookies

Makes: 6–8 cookies | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Every year I make a version of these festive cookies. They’re incredibly simple, universally loved, and still manage to be rich in protein and healthy fats rather than being a total sugar bomb. Perfect for gifting, nibbling or serving alongside holiday cocktails.

Key Facts: High in Protein | Rich in Healthy Fats | Low in Sugar | Festive Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond or sunflower seed butter
  
• ¼ cup Campari
  
• 1 tablespoon Vermouth
  
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
  
• ¼ cup honey
  
• 1.5 cups ground almonds
  
• 2 tablespoons protein powder or chestnut flour
  
• 1 egg
  
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  
• ½ cup maple, ginger & orange nuts & seeds (from Boundless)
  
• 35 g Ombar chocolate
  
  

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C.
   
2. Whisk the Campari, Vermouth, egg and honey together, then blend into the nut or seed butter.
   
3. Add the orange zest and fold through the dry ingredients.
   
4. Roll tablespoon-sized portions into balls and arrange on a lined baking tray with space between them.
   
5. Bake for 8–10 minutes in the centre of the oven.
   
6. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack.
   
7. Melt the chocolate, drizzle over the cookies and sprinkle with the extra nuts and seeds.
8. Use within 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Cacao Chestnut Pudding

Serves: 4 | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Healthy, high-protein, high-fibre and richly chocolatey, this pudding is designed to satisfy cravings while keeping blood sugar and energy levels beautifully stable. With protein, fibre and 100% unroasted cacao, it’s nutrient-dense, satiating and seriously delicious.

Key Facts: High in Protein | High in Fibre | Blood Sugar Balancing | Nutrient Dense

Ingredients

• 50 g chia seeds
• 1 serving protein powder
• 100 ml orange juice
• 1 heaped cup yoghurt
• 1 heaped teaspoon cacao
• 100 g chestnuts
• 50 g chocolate

Preparation

1. Add all ingredients except the chocolate to a blender and blitz until smooth.
2. Decant into your chosen containers. Melt the chocolate, spoon over the puddings, swirl to level, add any decoration and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3. Use within 4 days.

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Mince Pies

Serves: 12 | Prep: 15 minutes (+ 30 minutes chilling) | Cook: 10 minutes

These are my homemade, naturally sweetened mince pies — gluten and dairy free, yet bursting with spice and festive flavour. Perfect for a tea-time treat or a sweet nibble after Christmas dinner.

Key Facts: Low Sugar | Gluten Free | Dairy Free | Freezer Friendly

Ingredients

• 170 g ground almonds
  
• 105 g tapioca/cassava flour
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• 2 tbsp honey (or orange juice for sugar-free option)
  
• 120 g melted coconut oil
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 cup homemade mincemeat
  
  

Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients except mincemeat in a food processor until smooth. Chill 30 minutes.
   
2. Preheat oven to 175 °C.
   
3. Pinch off ½ tbsp pieces of dough, form bottoms (~2 mm thick), add 1 tsp mincemeat, top with lids.
   
4. Bake 8–10 minutes, cool on wire rack. Serve or freeze.
   

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Happy cooking!

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