Fed up of cooking the same old meal year after year? Need some inspiration on how to inject life, color, and taste into sorry sprouts? Look no further here are five easy alternative dishes to choose from. They are guaranteed to brighten up your festive table, satisfy hungry elves and starving snowmen as well as leaving nothing but a few Christmas crumbs on the plate!

Veggie Tarte Tatin

Sweet, spiced shallots, layers of butter puff pastry and a honey-coated glaze. Who said vegetable dishes lacked flavor? This beautiful Tarte Tatin is a fantastic main that’s veggie friendly and a great alternative to the go-to veggie recipes of pie, or the ever present nut roast. It serves around six people, depending on the size of your cake tin, and takes around thirty-five minutes to cook, before inverting and can be served either hot or cold with a fresh, zingy green, Waldorf or avocado salad with wedges of lemon. For extra texture add a few chopped nuts, obviously make sure there’s no one with a nut allergy dining first, raisins or even pumpkin seeds.

Roast Beef 

We all love roast beef, it truly is one of those British fine foods that we can’t get enough of, but the true magic lies in how to transform it from a Sunday staple into a Christmas spectacular? First of all look for a quality beef joints, by specialist butchers and don’t think about scrimping when it comes to cost, a well-cooked piece of beef with see you through Christmas lunch in style as well as providing some truly scrumptious Boxing Day sandwiches! Why not try beef with a Christmassy port wine gravy, tender fruity and moist it’ll taste fantastic having been infused with thick double cream. Serve it with a medley of Mediterranean vegetables and patatas bravas, fried potatoes, for a new take on an old favoruite! 

Salmon En Croute

Smoked salmon canapes are often standard party fare at Christmas but why not take it up a gear with individual salmon en croutes? Look for wild Norwegian salmon, or failing that fresh Scottish salmon is perfectly fine. Remove any bones from the salmon before cooking, mix the lemon zest, basil, dill, butter and salt and pepper to make the herby filling. Then sandwich the filling between two salmon halves, cook and serve with hollandaise sauce, broccoli, and new potatoes. 

Peking Duck

Enjoy a taste of the orient this holiday season by serving Asian inspired Peking duck. Simply roast the bird for 45 minutes, not including drying time, and mix honey, soy sauce, five spice, and brown sugar together to create a fruity marinade. This recipe is ideal for smaller gatherings as once the bird has been through the drying and cooking process then the fun can begin. Grab your ready made pancakes, prawn crackers, shredded cucumber and spring onions, pop them all on individual plates in the middle on a lazy susan, or a moving turntable and let everyone help themselves. Why not continue your Asian-inspired Christmas menu by making chocolate, raspberry and vanilla fortune cookies for dessert?