What’s best on TV this Christmas?

Tags

banter, Barry Gibb, BBC1, BBC2, Bee Gee, BFG, big friendly giant, Boxing Day, Carey Mulligan, celebration, champagne, Channel 4, Channel 5, charming, Chi energy, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, classic, classic animation, crooner from Vancouver, cute, December, dinner, eat, Emmerdale, enjoy, Far From the Madding Crowd, fizzy, fun, Gary, happiness, Jack Black, jokes, Katherine Jenkins, Kung Fu Panda, Mark and Howard, martial arts, Mary Berry, Michael Buble, Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show, mince pies, mobile phones, multiple channels, orphan, party, Penguins of Madagascar, period drama, PJs, popcorn, premiere, presents, red button, remote control, Roald Dahl, roasties, snacks, soaps, social media feeds, Special, Stephen Spielberg, Take That, Take That: We’ve Come A Long Way, talented superstar, The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davie, The Snowman and The Snowdog, Thomas Hardy, tunes, turkey, TV, white Christmas, YouTube videos

Yes, we might all have mobile phones, YouTube videos and social media feeds to keep our eyes busy, but nothing says Christmas quite like curling up on the sofa with your nearest and dearest and watching some great TV.

With multiple channels and endless choice, it is hard to know where to start, but to help bring clarity, and even prevent some remote-control controversy, we have had a look at what’s on, when, so all you have to do is decide what snacks to eat and which PJs to wear.

If we don’t have a white Christmas you can get a fix of the white stuff with the Penguins of Madagascar. Tune into BBC 1 on Saturday 22 December from 1.40pm and these cute little birds will bring happiness into any home!

If it’s a classic you are after, they don’t come much better than Far From the Madding Crowd which is on BBC 2 at 10pm on Sunday 23rd December. The period drama, which stars Carey Mulligan, is an adaptation of the beloved Thomas Hardy novel and it is a real treat for English lit and history lovers everywhere.

If you have a soft spot for the crooner from Vancouver, you do not want to miss the Michael Buble special that is being shown on Channel 5 at 9.30pm on Christmas Eve. Pour the champagne, warm the mince pies and as you wrap those last few presents, find out all there is to know about this charming, talented superstar, oh and listen to some of his tunes too!

Christmas Day isn’t Christmas Day unless you watch The Snowman. As the dinner cooks, why not catch the classic animation on Channel 4 at 12.40pm and while the roasties crisp, you can follow it with The Snowman and The Snowdog.

Thank goodness for the red button, because Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show is on at the same time as Emmerdale and Mary Berry on December Day. Tune into BBC1 at 6.45 and as your turkey goes down you can enjoy, fun, jokes, banter and a side of singing from Katherine Jenkins.

Boxing Day brings soaps galore, The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies as well as sports on Sky, but it’s the premiere of the BFG that we will be tuning into. Stephen Spielberg has gone all out to bring this Roald Dahl book to life in the most magical way. The story of how a big friendly giant strikes up a friendship with an orphan might seem a little far-fetched, but if this film doesn’t make you smile, we don’t know what will. The show kicks off at 5.40pm on BBC1 and we strongly suggest a bowl of popcorn and a glass of something fizzy to get the party started.

We do not advocate fighting one little bit, but we do suggest turning to BBC1 at 4.30pm on Thursday 27th so you can watch Kung Fu Panda. Chi energy, martial arts and pandas as you have never seen them before, will come alive in front of your eyes, and so you know, the voice you are trying to identify in the background, is Jack Black.

We could go on and on, but before we go, we want to make sure you know about the Take That are coming to a screen near you on December 28 at 7pm. BBC 1 will show Take That: We’ve Come A Long Way which is a celebration of the iconic boy band who have been in the business for 30 years. Gary, Mark and Howard are joined by Robbie as they look back at an astonishing three decade career, oh and watch out for Bee Gee, Barry Gibb, too. Do. Not. Miss. It.

We think our work is done here, so all that is left to say is have a very happy Christmas.

Team Pure Beauty

Three ways with turkey

Tags

bird, Boxing Day, breadcrumbs, buffet, casserole, chopped tomatoes, cloves of garlic, copped and diced, curry paste, egg whites, film, fizz, garlic, glass of white wine, mango chutney, mayo, mixed herbs, naan bread, new potatoes, olive oil, one pot wonder, onion, peeled and crushed, rice, root vegetables, round patties, salt and pepper, seasoning, strong plain flour, sweet potato, turkey, turkey burgers, Turkey curry, two thick slices of bread, water, Worcestershire sauce, wrapping paper

The crackers have been pulled, the hats have been worn, the fizz has been drunk and the wrapping paper is in the recycling box.

What’s left of Christmas is a lot of memories, a few sore heads, some great photos and of course, turkey.

Rather than throwing your bird out with the bottles and soggy sprouts, we have put together three easy to cook, delicious recipes that will have you realising that turkey isn’t just for Christmas after all!

First of all, on Christmas day don’t let the meat sit around all day uncovered, put it in the fridge once cool and eat within two days of cooking. We would suggest putting wrapped meat on the middle shelf away from raw meat and fish. You can freeze meat and if you do so wrap it carefully, ideally in a sealed container, and date it.

Once you are feeling hungry again and are ready to cook, turkey burgers are a good place to start. You will need to mince your turkey for this recipe, but we promise that the effort is so worth it. For around ten burgers, you will need:

• 1.5kg minced turkey
• 30g breadcrumbs, we like fresh ones
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 organic egg whites, lightly beaten
• A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• Salt and pepper to season

To serve

• Burger buns
• Sliced beef tomatoes
• Cheese
• Ketchup and relish

Mince the turkey then place into a large bow. Mix the mix with the breadcrumbs, onion, egg whites and parsley and season with the garlic, salt and pepper. Form the dough into round patties then either grill or cook over a medium in a frying pan. Once well cooked, put into buns, garnish and enjoy.

A winter winner is a casserole and turkey is perfect for this one pot wonder.

You will need:

• Your leftover turkey, chopped and diced
• A selection of root vegetables, copped and diced
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs
• 2 tablespoons of strong plain flour
• 500 ml of stock – vegetable or chicken
• A splash of Worcestershire sauce
• Dumplings – frozen, pre-made are pretty good

Fry the onion until they softens in a deep pan, then stir in the herbs, flour, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Boil the veg and then add these and the turkey and stir well so all the flour is dispersed. Cover the pot and gently simmer for around 30 minutes until the turkey is piping hot. Enjoy with sweet potatoes or jackets and a glass of white wine.

Turkey curry tastes great and can be welcome addition to any Boxing Day buffet or New Year celebration if you froze your meat.

You will need

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 large, red onion
• 1 green pepper, diced and deseeded
• 2 tablespoons of curry paste – choose the strength that is right for you and your guests
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 150ml of water
• Leftover turkey, chopped
• Cooked, new potatoes, peeled and diced
• I packet of coriander, we like fresh
• Rice, naan bread and mango chutney to serve

With your ingredients prepared, heat the oil in a pan over a high heat. Cook the onion and pepper until starting they are softening and turning light brown. Slowly stir in the curry paste and garlic and cook for another five minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and the water, bring to the boil and allow to bubble for ten minutes. Next turn the heat down, stir in the turkey and potatoes and cook for another five minutes adding more seasoning as needed.

Scatter with coriander, serve and make sure you have a glass of water ready.

Of course, you could just put the meat between two thick slices of bread, add mayo and enjoy in front of a good film and the fire.

Team Pure Beauty