“Christmas time is like throwing a hand grenade into your house. Before Christmas you've been celebrating and been going out a little bit more and you have a bit of that brain fog. And then you have maybe people coming to stay with you for Christmas - it isn't always the easiest time for people.”
But Eunice Power, chef, broadcaster, entrepreneur tells Jonathan Healy on the latest episode of That Gut Feeling that you can enjoy Christmas and make the most of it whilst staying healthy, especially in relation to your gut.
Eunice talks about the importance of list-making and if you thought cooking for a family of five or more is bad, she explains how her team once cooked for over 2,200 people in the 3Arena in Dublin before.
She’s also a fan of keeping things traditional and seasonal when it comes to the food but she says keeping it light is the key.
“I remember years ago you'd have the turkey sandwiches and you'd have the turkey curry and then you'd boil up the whole turkey and you'd make the turnip soup. But there are much lighter things to do and also don't buy a huge turkey when you're ordering your turkey, make sure it's big enough just for your house.”
Eunice’s turkey biriyani recipe is one that is sure to go down well and we’ve included her recipe below so make sure to give it a go!
That Gut Feeling is sponsored by Alflorex and Zenflore and produced by Healy Communications and LastCast Media.com.
Eunice Power’s Turkey Biriyani with Greek yoghurt sauce
‘This is a brilliant way of using up the last of the turkey. Strip the carcass of meat and chop into chunks. I have mentioned 400g of Turkey on my list of ingredients, but honestly I never weigh it. If you have some fresh mint and coriander it will really help to lift the dish flavourwise.’
50g butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
I large onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves
2 green chillies (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
400g cooked turkey – cut into chunks
200g Basmati Rice
3 Tbsp of Flaked almonds toasted
100g Raisins soaked in cold water
650ml hot chicken stock
Handful of coriander
Pomegranate seeds
To serve
200g Thick Greek yoghurt
1 heaped teaspoon of mint sauce or better still fresh mint if you have some
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat.
Stir in the onions and garlic and cook until soft, add the cumin and turmeric and cook for a minute, then stir in the turkey, rice, raisins, almonds and chillies if using. Cook for a minute. Pour over enough stock to cover the rice by 1cm.
Cover with a moistened circle of greaseproof paper – this keeps in the steam and cooks the rice perfectly.
Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, uncovered for 5 minutes.
Garnish with a big handful of fresh coriander and pomegranate seeds, if you have some.
Meanwhile mix the Greek Yoghurt and mint sauce or fresh mint if you have it.
Serve the Biryani with a large dollop of Greek yoghurt.
