The Christmas countdown is on - meaning it's the season of sharing platters and pre-dinner nibbles.

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 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 chili

2 bay leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

300 ml cider vinegar

250 ml water

1/4 cup sugar

Sterilized jar and lid

Firstly prepare the vegetables for pickling. Clean all the vegetables and cut in 1/2 or 1/4 or finely slice. Try 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)

To sterilize your jars and lids -

Start by washing the jars and lids in soapy water and rinse well with hot water. Place the jars onto a tray open side up and then into a cold oven and turn onto 100*c. Once the oven reaches 100*c, leave in the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove jars from the oven to allow to cool slightly before use.

For the lids, simply place them into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to the boil and heat the lids for 10 minutes before draining and using.

Sticky Onion jam

Cook time: 30 minutes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2 cups

3 red onions, finely sliced length ways

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

4 tbsp brown sugar

Pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan. Cook on a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Stirring every couple 5 minutes.’

Roasted beetroot hummus

Cook time: 45 minutes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Serves: 6-8

2 cups chickpeas, soaked over night in water

2 whole beetroot

1 tbsp cooking oil

2 tbsp tahini

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp curry 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.

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