2020
Christmas
Cookbook
Welcome Christmas
ELVES LETTER
Hello everyone,
We all have been very busy this last weeks, trying to get all work done before
Christmas (imagine getting all the presents made in a factory with billions of
workers in the middle of a global pandemic, phew!). Still, we want to thank all
of you for embarking on this super special quest with us.
Thank you all for sharing and participating in the Jingle Bell event 2020! And
to aid you all on your mission to deliver a wonderful Christmas and magical
Year’s End festivities, we gathered together the very best (and well-guarded)
recipes from our most reputable cooking elves. Hope you like it!
Feel free to share it and gift it to your family and friends!
A special thank you to our cooking and wine connoisseur elves:
Maria Ramalho
Ana Martins
Sónia Filipe
Vanessa Sequeira
Patrícia Santos (@wabisabi.soul)
Jair Rodrigues (@wineful.pt)
This year has been a challenge to all us… but with every hardship we will get
stronger.
Season’s greetings and warmest wishes for a wonderful Holiday.
Yours truly,
The Christmas Elfs
Welcome Christmas
APPLE PIE
By Maria Ramalho
Preparation: 10+30 minutes
Portions: 4
INGREDIENTS
2 Pippin Apples (maçã reineta) or Softer
Apples
1 Apple of Another Type
100g of Oat Flakes;
Cinnamon
Honey
Olive Oil Wine Suggestion:
Pequenos Rebentos Ancestral Pet Nat
PREPARATION 2019 (Price: 15.90€)
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. 5.Put the homogeneous mass in the pie
pan.
2. Peel the two Pippin apples and dice
them. Cook them in the microwave until 6. Peel the other apple, cut it in half
they become pureed. moons and lay it over the homogeneous
mass in a circle.
3. Mix the oats with the puree, until you
have a homogeneous mass. 7. Sprinkle it with cinnamon and honey
and bake the pie for about 30 minutes,
4.Brush a round pie pan with a little olive until is golden.
oil and line it with parchment paper.
8. Enjoy the sweet and heathy apple pie!
Welcome Christmas
FRAGRANT TRAIL MIX
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 20 minutes
Portions: 6
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of plain popped popcorn
2 cups of mixed raw nuts of choice
(cashew, almond, walnut, peanuts,…)
Handful of dried cranberries (you can use
raisins too)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Few drops of vanilla essence
2 teaspoons honey, agave or maple syrup
½ teaspoon coconut or other vegetable oil qs
PREPARATION
1. Add the oil to a frying pan until
melted (if applicable).
2. Add the nuts, spices, salt, vanilla and 5.If you don't plan to eat it right away,
sweetner. store in a closed jar, once it's cooled to
keep fresh. It keeps for about a week or
3. Let it toast slighly and become fragant. more (the popcorns get a little softer,
Mix frequently. though).
4. Remove from heat and mix in the
popcorns immediatly. If needed, add a
little more spices and sweetner to taste.
To finish add the cranberries.
Welcome Christmas
CHOCOLATE SALAMI
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 20 minutes + 6h in fridge
Portions: 12
INGREDIENTS
150g butter
25ml rum (or aguardente)
150g sugar
1 egg
125g chocolate powder
200g bolacha Maria (type of Portuguese
biscuits)
Wine Suggestion:
PREPARATION NIEPOORT THE SENIOR
TAWNY (Price 13€)
1. Beat the egg with the sugar until
creamy.
2. Add the melted butter, chocolate
powder and the rum and mix until
combined.
5.Store in the fridge for 6h or overnight.
3. Break the biscuits into small rough After that time, you can remove the foil
pieces and incorporate slowly with the and serve.
chocolate mixture.
4. Spread a sheet of foil and add the
mixture to the middle of it. Wrap and
compact it, shapping it in the form of a
big sausage.
W elcome Christmas
FRIED SHRIMP WITH MUSTARD,
GARLIC AND LEMON SAUCE
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 25 minutes
Portions: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1kg of uncooked shrimp
1 lemon
4 cloves of garlic
100g of butter
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
Red pepper flakes qs
Salt qs
Fresh coriander or parsley
Wine Suggestion:
PREPARATION
Soalheiro Alvarinho 2019
(Price 9€)
1. Melt the butter on a frying pan or
wok.
2. Mix in the diced and peeled cloves of
garlic, mustard, sweet paprika, lemon
juice and red pepper flakes.
Note: Instead of fried, try grilling or
3. Let it cook for 1 or 2 min until the
bake some prawns sliced lengthwise
flavors are well incorporated.
(without separating them) seasoned with
salt and them pour the sauce over the
4. Add the shrimp, salt, parsley or
coriander and fry it until cooked (turns top. Yummy!
orange). Serve with a slice of bread to dip
in the sauce latter. Enjoy!
Welcome Christmas
TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 30 min
Portions: 8
INGREDIENTS
2 bananas
2 kiwis
1 mango
½ pineapple
1 papaya
1 big juicy orange
Brown sugar, if necessary
Wine Suggestion:
PREPARATION Moscatel Roxo Horácio
Simões DOC (Price 15€)
1. Peel and slice the fruit into bite
size pieces, except the orange. Add to a
serving bowl.
2. Add the juice of the orange and mix.
If the orange is too bitter, you can add a
little of brown sugar to balance it
out.
Welcome Christmas
DATES WITH BACON
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 5 min
Portions: 8
INGREDIENTS
8 big dates
8 slices of bacon
8 toothpicks
PREPARATION
1. Wrap each date in one slice of bacon
and secure with the toothpick.
2. Cook in the microwave for a few
seconds until the bacon is cooked.
W elcome Christmas
HEALTHY HOT CHOCOLATE
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 5 min
Portions: 2
INGREDIENTS
500ml coconut milk
1 ½ teaspoon of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of agave syrup or honey
¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
¼ teaspoon of turmeric
¼ teaspoon of coconut oil
Cinnamon stick
Pinch of ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon of 100% peanut butter
Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
Pinch of anise seeds (optional)
Raw cocoa nibs or other sprinkles for
topping 3. Sprinkle with raw cocoa nibs and cocoa
Cocoa powder for topping powder. Drink!
PREPARATION Notes:
1. you can use any type of milk of
your choice. If you want more froth and
creaminess use almond milk, soy milk, a
1. Add all ingredients, except the mix of almond milk and canned coconut
toppings, to a pan on medium heat. milk or even full fat cow milk.
Whisk and once it's start to boil
remove from heat. 2. If you want to intensify the taste,
add the other spices suggested or even
2. Pour the hot chocolate into a mug and other ones you like. For a nutty taste,
use a handheld milk frother (option) to add a little of 100% peanut butter as
get a creamy texture. suggested.
W elcome Christmas
ROASTED LAMB AND POTATOS
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 15min +
8h marinade + 4h oven
Portions: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
1 lamb leg or shoulder
1 whole head of garlic
2 tablespoons of sweet paprika
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of herbs de Provence
300ml of a good red wine
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for the potatoes: 2. Start prepping the meat by peeling and
Approx. 1,2Kg of potatoes dicing the head of garlic. Then add to a bowl
2 cloves of garlic and mix in the sweet paprika, olive oil, herbs
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika the Provence, the bay leaves broke into
1 teaspoon of herbs de Provence rough pieces and a generous amount of salt
Olive oil and pepper. Combine well until you get a
Salt and pepper to taste paste.
3. Spread the scrub on the lamb, making
PREPARATION
sure all the meat (top and bottom) is covered
with a generous amount of seasoning. Splash
with the red wine and drizzle a little olive oil.
Cover the tray well with foil and leave it over
night.
1. The day before, remove the excess fat
from the meat (leave some) and prepare 4. In the morning, about 4h before
it for roast with a few cuts (usually serving, pre-heat the oven to around 140ºC
the butcher does it). Add to a big oven and then add the lamb still covered
tray with enough space to add the in foil. Cook for about 2-3h covered. Check it
potatoes later. from time to time and turn it twice, during
this time. You can lower the heat if necessary
to 100ºC. If the gravy starts to burn, add a
splash of water to the tray. After this time,
uncover, turn the heat up to 180ºC and start
prepping the potatoes.
W elcome Christmas
ROASTED LAMB AND POTATOS
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 15 min +
8h marinade + 4h oven
Portions: 6-8
5. Peel the potatoes and cut into
quarters (if medium sized). Note: If you have
small potatoes, you can leave
them unpeeled (like in the picture), but the
consistency will be different, and
they won’t absorb the gravy so well. Add to a
bowl.
6. For the seasoning, mix in the diced
cloves of garlic, sweet paprika, herbs de
Provence, salt and pepper to taste
and a drizzle of olive oil. Combine until all
potatoes are covered. Note: the
gravy from the lamb in the tray is already
salted, so don’t add too much salt
Wine Suggestion:
here. Marquês de Marialva
Grande Reserva tinto 2013
7. After removing the foil from the lamb,
add the potatoes to the same tray and cook
(Price 16€)
for about 1h at 180ºC. Turn the meat
and the potatoes twice, during this time,
involving with the gravy. If
necessary, use a spoon to pour the gravy over
the lamb and potatoes. You are
done when the potatoes and lamb are
cooked through and have a slightly golden
color.
8. Serve it directly in the tray or
transfer it to a serving dish, placing the
potatoes around it. The gravy can be
served separately on a gravy cup or pitcher.
W elcome Christmas
CARROT CAKE W/ CHOCOLATE
ICING
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 50 min
Portions: 12
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for the cake:
4 eggs
4 big or 5 medium carrots
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Ingredients for the icing:
200g chocolate powder
100g of butter
6 tablespoons milk
Wine Suggestion:
PREPARATION Vallado 10 anos Port (Price
17.50€)
1. Add all the ingredients, apart from
flour and baking powder, to the
blender or kitchen robot and grind
for 1 or 2min, until a creamy
consistency is achieved.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the icing: melt the
2. Note: if you use a kitchen robot you can butter in a pan and then add the chocolate
probably do this step and even bake the cake powder and milk. Keep mixing and remove
there. Just make sure to follow the from heat when it starts bubbling and has a
manufacturer instructions. silky texture.
3. Grease a round 25cm baking tin with
butter and add a round disc of baking paper 5. After the cake has cooled, spread the icing
to the bottom. Add the cake mix and bake over and around it. Enjoy!
until golden, when a toothpick inserted
comes clean (around 40min).
Welcome Christmas
TIGELADA
By Ana Martins
Preparation: 1h
Portions: 8-12
INGREDIENTS
0.5L milk
6 eggs
3 lemon peels
1 cinammon stick
250g sugar
90g flour
Pinch of salt
Vegetable oil qs
Wine Suggestion:
PREPARATION Quinta da Alorna Abafado
5 years (Price 8€)
1. Heat the milk on the stove with the
lemon peels, cinammon stick and pinch of
salt.
2. In a bowl, mix flour and sugar.
6. Add the mixture to the pre-heated clay
3. Separetly, beat the eggs, being careful dish and bake it for around 35/40min, until
to not add to much air. Add to the flour golden and a little firm in the middle (like a
and sugar and mix until well combined. pudding).
7. Allow it to cool down completely.
4.Grease a 20cm clay baking dish with oil
Enjoy!
and add it to the oven to heat (around
180ºC).
Note: it’s custom to bake this recipe in
a traditional clay dish, but you can use other
5. Remove the lemon peels and cinnamon type of baking dish like Pyrex.
stick from the milk and add it slowly to Don’t forget however to give some space on
the egg mixture. Remove the excess of top (+-4cm) to allow for expansion.
froth with a spatula.
W elcom
SONHOS
e Christmas
By Sónia Filipe
Preparation: 60 min
Portions: 6
INGREDIENTS
2 dl water
75 g butter
2 lemon peel
1 coffee spoon of salt
200 g flour
5 eggs M
100 g sugar
Cinamon qb
PREPARATION
4.Beat the eggs in a bowl.
5. Start beating the dough, gradually adding
the eggs without stopping. The dough should
1.In a pan, boil the water with the butter
have a homogeneous consistency and a
cutted into cubes, the lemon peel and
creamy appearance.
salt.
6.In a frying pan, heat the oil for frying. Soak
2.Remove the pan from the heat and add two tablespoons in the hot oil and form small
the flour, stirring vigorously until it forms balls of dough.
homogeneous mixture.
4.When the dough sinks let it brown on both
3.The dough should form a ball at the tip sides. Cooking is slow.
of the spoon and take the preparation
again over low heat to dry slightly. Let it 5.Drain on absorbent paper and serve
cool in a bowl. sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
W elcome Christmas
RICE PUDDING FOR DUMMIES
By Vanessa Sequeira
Preparation: 30 min
Portions: 6
INGREDIENTS
½L of water;
150g rice type: “Carolino”;
180g of sugar;
1L of milk;
1 pack of “El Mandarin” rice pudding;
3 Lemon peels and cinamon qb
PREPARATION 4.Add the reserved milk to the mix, cook
over low heat for 5 more minutes.
5. Remove the 3 lemon peels and it's finished.
1.In a pan, boil the water and the rice and Chef tip: sprinkle with cinnamon, when cold.
cook over low heat until all the water
disappears,
2.In a container, use a little portion of the
milk and dissolve with the powder sachet
“El Mandarin”, and reserve.
3.In another pan, dissolve the sugar with
the milk, add 3 lemon peels and a little
of cinnamon. Cook for 5/7 minutes. After
that, add the rice and cook for 5 more
minutes until it boils.
Wine Suggestion:
Moscatel Quinta do Piloto
Superior 2012 (Price 11€)
W elcome Christm
CARROT BLONDIES
as
By Patrícia Santos
Preparation: 45 min
Portions: 6
INGREDIENTS
6 Spoons of Honey / Agave Soup
250g Carrot
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
100g of Serraceno Wheat Flour Wine Suggestion:
50g Oatmeal
Quinta do Noval LBV
1 teaspoon of yeast
Unfiltered 2013 (Price 19€)
Icing:
100g Chocolate 70%
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
PREPARATION V. Beat the egg whites.
VI. Add the egg whites interspersed with the
sifted flour and finally the yeast - slowly
wrapping.
I. Grind the carrot and reserve;
VII. Pour the dough into a rectangular shape
and bake at 180º celsius for 25-30 minutes.
II. Separate the yolks from the whites -
reserve the yolks in a container that VIII. Allow the base to cool.
supports the entire cake dough.
IX. Melt the Chocolate with the coconut oil
III. Add the honey / agave to the egg in a double boiler.
yolks and beat with an electric mixer
until you have small bubbles. X. Cover with the melted chocolate and take
it to the refrigerator to solidify.
IV. Add the carrot and the previously
melted coconut oil to the yolk XI. After solidifying cut into squares and serve
preparation and mix well. with strawberries or raspberry. <3
W elcome Christmas
TOFU AND VEGETABLE CURRY
By Patrícia Santos
Preparation: 45 min
Portions: 6
INGREDIENTS
4 garlics cloves
1 red onion
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can of coconut milk
150ml of tomato pulp
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 teaspoons of turmeric
q.b. Black pepper
2 Tablespoons of Curry
250g of Tofu
1 small courgette Wine Suggestion:
1 Carrot
q.b. salt Talha Pezgada Branco 2018
(price 17.50€)
PREPARATION
1. Place the olive oil, garlic and onion in a
pan and sauté.
2. Add the tomato pulp and wrap in the
sauté. 5. Cut the carrot and courgette into little
pieces and add to the preparation.
3. Pour the coconut milk and mix it well.
6. Finally, add the tofu in cubes and cook
4. Place the cinnamon stick, cloves, covered until the vegetables are cooked.
turmeric, black pepper, curry and salt.
W elcome Christmas
TOFU WITH CORN BREAD
By Patrícia Santos
Preparation: 45 min
Portions: 6
INGREDIENTS
250g of Tofu
1/2 medium onion
Garlic Paste q.s.
4 Hands Full of Spinach
1 Average Slice of Corn Bread
Olive oil q.s.
Salt q.s.
Ginger powder (optional)
Provence herbs (optional) Wine Suggestion:
PREPARATION Adega Mayor SERCIAL
2017 (price 9€)
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. In a pyrex dish, place the onion cut
into slices and cover with oil.
3. Place the spinach on top and season
with a little garlic paste and a pinch of 6. In a processor, place the slice of bread in
pieces, a little oil and the herbs provence -
salt, wrap everything very well.
chop everything.
4. Cut the tofu into slices and spread
7. Place the chopped bread on top of the
each slice with garlic paste; arrange the
tofu to form the crust.
slices on top of the spinach in the pyrex.
8. Place in the oven until the spinach is
5. Place a little salt and ginger over the cooked and to add the finishing touch put
slices to taste. the grill option to toast the bread!
W elcom
ALETRIA
e Christmas
By Patrícia Santos
Preparation: 25 min
Portions: 3-5
INGREDIENTS
225g Water
310g+25g Vegetable Drink
5 Tablespoon Agave
1 Cinnamon Stick
1/2 Lemon Peel (only the yellow part)
1 Pinch of Salt
100g Vermicelli (Aletria)
2 Egg Yolks
Cinnamon to Sprinkle
PREPARATION
Wine Suggestion:
Quinta da Alorna Abafado
1. Place water, 310g of vegetable drink, 5 years (Price 8€)
agave, pinch of salt, cinnamon stick and
lemon peel in a pan. Let it cook for about
10 minutes, always stirring.
2. Then add the vermicelli, slightly broken
and let it simmer (10 or 15 minutes) - stir
only if necessary so as not to catch.
4. Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon
3. Dissolve the egg yolks in 25g of warm peel. Arrange the vermicelli on a platter and
vegetable drink. Pour the beaten egg sprinkle with cinnamon.
yolks into the mixture, stirring constantly,
so that the egg yolks do not cook. Wrap Note: depending on the brand and quality of
the whole mixture for 3 minutes. the Vermicelli (Aletria), the cooking time may
change.
W elcome
RABANADAS
Christmas
By Patrícia Santos
Preparation: 25 min
Portions: 10 units
INGREDIENTS
1 Sliced Bread (preferably with 2 days)
1L Vegetable Drink
3 Eggs
1/2 Lemon Peel (only the yellow part)
2 Cinnamon Stick
3 Tablespoons Agave
Cinnamon
PREPARATION
Wine Suggestion:
Espumante Murganheira
1. In a container, place warm vegetable Super Reserva Meio Seco
drink, cinnamon sticks and lemon peels. (Price 11€)
Dip the slices of bread so that they are
completely covered and let them soak for
15 minutes.
2. Pre-heat the oven at 180 ° Celsius
5. Pass the slices through the beaten egg and
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with place on the tray. Bake until golden.
the agave and the cinnamon.
6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper. cinnamon and agave.
