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Mike van de Elzen: Christmas platters for the holiday season

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Sun, 30 Nov 2025, 12:20pm

Mike van de Elzen: Christmas platters for the holiday season

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Sun, 30 Nov 2025, 12:20pm

Chili pickled vegetables 

Cook time: 5 minutes 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

Serves: 12 

 

Pickled vegetables can include:  

Carrots, fennel, baby beetroot, radish, red onions, cucumbers or red cabbage  

 

1 tbsp fennel seeds 

1 tbsp coriander seeds  

2 fresh chili, sliced  

2 bay leaves  

1 tsp mustard seeds  

300 ml cider vinegar  

250 ml water  

1/4 cup sugar  

1/2 tsp salt  

Jar and lid 

Firstly prepare the vegetables for pickling. Clean all the vegetables and cut in 1/2 or 1/4 or finely slice. Trying to make all the vegetable pieces roughly the same size.  

To make your pickle mixture, start by toasting your seeds in a pan until fragrant. Place the rest of the pickling mixture ingredients into a pot, adding seeds once toasted and heat until boiling. 

Remove the pickling mixture from the heat and carefully pour the hot mixture over the top of the vegetables and seal with a lid. (If pickling cucumbers or finely sliced veg allow mixture to cool first) 

 

Roasted beetroot & cummin hummus 

Cook time: 45 minutes 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

Serves: 6-8 

 

2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight in water  

2 whole beetroot  

1 tbsp cooking oil  

2 tbsp tahini  

1 tsp baking powder  

11 tsp cummin powder  

Sea salt 

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180*c  

Individually wrap the beetroot in tin-foil, drizzle over a little oil and sprinkle over a touch of salt before wrapping.  

Place into the oven and cook for 30 minutes before testing. Test by inserting a small knife to see if the beetroot is cooked. Once cooked allow to cool before removing skin.  

While the beetroot is cooking, place the soaked chickpeas into a large pot, cover with cold water and add a touch of salt and the baking powder. Bring to the boil and cook until tender. Once cooked drain.  

Place the beetroot into a food processor and biltz until smooth. Add the chickpeas and biltz until smooth. Add the tahini, curry powder and seasalt to finish. 

 

Yoghurt flatbreads w coriander butter 

Cook time: 2 minutes 

Prep time: 10 

Serves: 6-8 

 

Flat breads  

350g bread flour  

2 tsp baking powder  

350g natural yoghurt  

1 tsp salt  

 

Coriander butter  

200 gm unsalted-butter  

1 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped  

1/2 tsp sea salt  

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 

 

For the flat breads  

Combine all the bread ingredients together in a bowl and mix with a spoon, then use your hands to pat and bring everything together.  

Dust a clean work surface with flour, tip out the dough. Knead for a minute or so just to pull everything together, before leaving while you make the coriander butter.  

For the butter, Add to the butter and mix in the rest of the ingredients.  

Re-dust a clean surface with flour, divide the dough into small balls.  

Flatten with your hands, then using a rolling pin roll roughly 3mm thick. Either place dough into a griddle pan on a high heat or onto a tray in a very hot oven.  

As soon as they are coloured remove and brush with a coriander butter and cut into random pieces. 

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