This is a great way to get the kids to eat healthy snacks over Christmas.

Santa Board Ingredients
Serves 10

The Santa Board is easy to build. You will need the following ingredients:
   450g plain hummus
    a few large pitted black olives, divided
    30 cherry tomatoes, divided
    3 large red  peppers, cut into strips, reserving ½ top of a pepper
    225g  fresh mini mozzarella balls, drained and patted dry
    340g cauliflower florets
    18 crackers
    340g broccoli florets

Instructions
 
You will need a 20×13-inch board with a lip, or a platter to make the Santa Board.
    Evenly spread the hummus onto a round white plate with a lip around the edge. Place the plate in the center of a large wood board or platter.
    Press 2 large black olives for Santa’s eyes, a cherry tomato for his nose, and the ½ top of a bell pepper for his smile onto the hummus.
    Layer the red bell pepper strips, starting from the top of the plate up to the top-right corner of the board to look like Santa’s hat.
    Add a line of mini mozzarella balls to the top edge of the plate and a small pile of mini mozzarella balls to decorate the top of Santa’s hat.
    Arrange the cauliflower for Santa’s beard, mustache, and eyebrows.
    Place the remaining black olives, except for one, at the bottom of the board, around the cauliflower beard to look like Santa’s belt. Stack 3 club crackers at the very bottom center of the board with the remaining large black olive cut in half and the halves pressed together in the center of the top cracker to look like Santa’s belt buckle.
    Divide the remaining cherry tomatoes on either side of Santa’s cauliflower beard, filling in from the olives up to the middle of the board.
    Add the broccoli to the top left of the board and fan the club crackers along the right sight of the board.
    Serve!

Notes
The Santa Board can be made several hours in advance before serving, just wait to add the crackers. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge.

Created this for a party last night. It went down a treat with all of the guests.

Christmas Antipasto Platter

Serves 8 people

Ingredients

•     225g of smoked cheddar cheese or any cheese of your choice, cut   into slices and then triangles
  
•     225g sliced salami
•     500g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half if on the larger side
•     500g container of marinated olives, green or black or a combination
•     500g fresh mozzarella balls
•     225g of Baby or Sliced Roasted Red Peppers
•     225g of olive tapenade
•     Crackers or crostini for serving
•     Fresh rosemary for garnish
•     Pomegranate seeds for garnish
•     1 yellow pepper, cut into a star shape for the top of the tree

Instructions

1. Cut a strip of off the flat side of the pepper. Use a star shaped cooking cutter to cut the pepper, or you can use a knife and cut it out by hand.
   
2. Assemble the ingredients into a triangle shape, like a Christmas tree and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.
3. Serve with crostini, gherkins and crackers of your choice.

I think we all need cheering up at the moment. I made this the other day and it was unbelievably delicious. Try it ....you will love it.

Ingredients

      1 3/4 Cups Plain White Flour, 225 grams
    1 3/4 Cups Sugar, 350 grams
    3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder, 67 grams
    1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
    1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
    1/2 teaspoon Salt
    2 Eggs
    1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence, 5 mls
    1/2 Cup Oil (I use Canola), 125 mls
    1 Cup Milk, 250 mls
    1 Cup Boiling Water, 250 mls

Basic Chocolate Icing

    1 1/2 Cups Icing Sugar, 202 grams
    1 1/2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder, 9 grams
    1 teaspoon Butter, melted, 5 mls
    1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence, 5 mls
    1-3 Tablespoons Water, 15-45mls

Method

• Preheat oven to 160C (320F)
• Prepare a 25 x 25 cake tin, spray well with cooking spray or line.
• In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well until fully combined.
• Add to this the eggs, vanilla, oil and milk and blend well.
• Finally add the boiling water and carefully stir until completely blended together.
• Pour into your prepared cake tin and bake for 35-45 minutes (all tin sizes differ so check often after 30 minutes)
• Icing
•     In a medium sized bowl combine the icing sugar and cocoa powder and mix well.
•     Add to this the melted butter and vanilla essence and stir well
•     Add water a little at a time until you have your desired consistency
•     Spread generously over the cake, allow to set, slice and serve!
•     Store in an airtight container.

Don't you sometimes just fancy a tasty veggie pasta dish for supper? This recipe is fabulously easy and quick to make and really goes down a treat. To make it vegan just substitute breadcrumbs for the Parmesan.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small sweet potato (about 200g), peeled and cut into half inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste
200ml vegetable stock
100g frozen chopped spinach
50g frozen peas
10 green olives stuffed with red pepper, sliced
140g dried penne pasta
A handful of Parmesan or breadcrumbs to finish
Method
1) Using a large frying pan (that has a lid) heat the oil over a high heat. Add the chopped onion and sweet potato saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
2)  Add the  garlic and chilli, turn the heat down to med/low and continue stirring all of the ingredients for a further 2 to 3 minutes.
3) Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
4) Add the vegetable stock, turn up the heat and bring back to the boil.
5) Put the lid on the pan and turn down the heat so that the sauce is simmering slowly. Cook for 15 minutes.
6) Then add the spinach, peas and olives and simmer for a further 10 minutes with the lid on.
7) In the meantime bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the dried pasta. Cook for whatever time the cooking instructions recommend.
7) Drain off the pasta and pour it into an ovenproof casserole dish. Pour in the sauce and mix everything together well. Check for seasoning.
8) Sprinkle the top of the pasta with either the parmesan or breadcrumbs.
9) Put onto the middle shelf of a preheated oven at 220ºC.
10) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, keeping an eye on it, until the top is golden brown.
11) Serve and enjoy!