Tuesday 24 December 2013

Fun Christmas Food: pizza, snowman sushi, crackers and pita breads

The panforte is in the oven.  (A new recipe this year that I will share later.)  Sylvia is refusing to sleep.  I still have to wrap presents and tidy the house.  Meanwhile I am taking a little break to tell you about the fun I have had with my food this Christmas.

Take lunches for instance.  They are usually rushed.  But can still be fun.  The top photo is the snowman sushi we made at lunchtime yesterday. Capsicum and cherry tomato hat, spring onion scarf, carrot nose (of course) and nori eyes and mouth.  Plus a few toothpicks to keep him up.

This lunch was a few weeks back.  A rice cracker with cranberry eyes, cherry tomato nose, pretzel antlers and a few little BBQ Shape christmas tree crackers. 

Last night I made Christmas tree pizza.  It seemed an early way to do dinner after a day of rushing about the shops and working on the gingerbread tree.  I used my fast track pizza base , some pizza sauce from the freezer, a packet of grated cheese and some little cookie cutters to make some shapes.

The pizza looked better when uncooked and the bottom looked a little like Jabba the Hut.  No matter.  It tasted delicious.  It was fun.  That is what matters!

After dinner we went for a drive to look at local Christmas lights.  I have never done this before.  (Unless you count getting lost in search of the lights on the Boulevard in Ivanhoe.)  Sylvia, rugged up in dressing gown) thought it magical.  We loved Santa in the VW combie van above.

Today I have worked on the gingerbread house, made nut roast and cranberry nut rolls.  For dinner I used some pesto (recipe below) and cream cheese mixed up, chopped capsicum (leftover from pizza), sourdough flatbreads and pretzels to make flatbread Christmas trees.  (My pesto was a little strong but worked with the cream cheese and capsicum.  For a vegan variation I suggest using tofu instead of cream cheese.)

I will leave you with a chaotic picture of my kitchen table including a sneak peak of the gingerbread house.  I still need to fix the eaves.  So far no collapse.  (The house I mean, not me!)

I hope you are having a relaxed and happy Christmas eve and wish you the best for Christmas Day tomorrow.

As the pesto Christmas trees use both an idea that I bookmarked and a recipe for vegan pesto that I bookmarked, I am sending these to Jac for Bookmarked Recipes.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago:
Christmas Eve and Festive Mushroom Pie
Two years ago: Christmas Eve reflections and a chestnut soup
Three years ago: Nut roast parcels and potato snowmen
Four years ago: Christmas Eve Pasta
Five years ago: Christmas Eve Pasta
Six years ago: Christmas dinner for two

Vegan Pesto
Adapted from Food 52 (by Gena of Choosing Raw)

1 cup (mostly packed) basil leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp nooch (3 was too much)
1/2 tsp salt (less?)
1/3 cup walnuts
1 clove garlic
6 tbsp olive oil

Blend and check seasoning.

On the Stereo:
A Christmas Ceilidh with Francis Hogarty Band and Friends

12 comments:

  1. The snowman sushi and Christmas tree pizza are adorable!!

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  2. Busy Bee, that's going to be my new nickname for you:) Just look at the amazing food creations you have been making! Love that Christmas Tree Pizza!!!

    Thank you so much for sharing, Johanna. Wishing You and Your Family a Blessed and Joyous Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!!! Enjoy each and every cherished moment:) Louise

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  3. Merry Christmas to you, E and Sylvia, dear Johanna! xo

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  4. I absolutely love your Xmas food ideas! Especially the sushi snowman, my Sylvia would love that. Merry Xmas!

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  5. Love the sushi rice snowmen and that Christmas tree pizza is fantastic! The grated cheese and colourful veg make it look so impressive, really like a tree with pine needles.
    Have a wonderful day

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  6. Love the way you've bothered to decorate the dishes! Especially the snowman sushi!

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  7. Merry Christmas Johanna! I hope you and your family had a marvellous day. Love all the cute festive themed food.

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  8. Christmas tree pizza and snowmen sushi are excellent ideas! Happy Christmas Johanna, to you and your family - I hope you had a lovey day :-)

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  9. Thanks everyone for your kind christmas wishes - much appreciated

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  10. Cooper would love these trees! Can I ask what nooch is?

    Anyway, thanks for submitting them to Bookmarked Recipes, the roundup is up and the new challenge open. It took me a while to get around to putting it up what with all my giveaways. Back to normal now thankfully.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jac - Nooch is a nickname for nutritional yeast flakes - sorry to be obtuse - must have typed this out in a hurry :-)

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  11. My goodness, I love all of your Christmas dishes - snowman sushi (haha) reindeer antlers (cuuuute), Christmas tree pizza (amaaaaazing), flatbread Xmas trees (too awesome...making me hungry now...!) and what a lovely post…I’m feeling Christmasy now! Hope you had a fantastic holidays and wishing you a happy and healthy 2014!

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