Delicious, nutritious, affordable Christmas kai thanks to The Daily Menu and PAK’nSAVE
It’s been a challenging year for many New Zealanders, and Christmas is often a stressful season for those juggling a tight budget.
This festive season PAK’nSAVE has partnered with Kathrine Lynch, founder of The Daily Menu, to create an affordable Christmas menu with all the trimmings — all you need to do is make a plan and stick to it!
PAK’nSAVE has a fantastic range of quality fresh fruit and veges, meat and seafood, all at low prices, as well as some delicious, nutritious, and easy Christmas recipes. Everything they do, they do to save their customers money, which is why they’re committed to making this festive season a savey one.
Kathrine says, “My mission is to help families who’ve had a stressful year financially and to help them create a delicious, affordable and easy Christmas menu that won’t break the bank.”
The former physical education teacher and mum-of-three rose to fame in 2017 when she famously cooked 62 meals for $100, before going on to create her popular subscription-based meal-planning business, helping families throughout New Zealand create nutritious, low-cost meals.
‘Feeding the whanau, not the fridge’, is Kathrine’s motto for Christmas this year. It’s all about preparing just the right amount of food to ensure an enjoyable Christmas day, without worrying about whether or not you’ll have a mountain of leftovers. Kathrine suggests planning your Christmas menu now, and shopping mindfully at PAK’nSAVE for seasonal produce, fresh meat and seafood, and products on special.
Meat will always be the most expensive part of the meal — particularly lamb, turkey and ham — but if you’re determined to do a traditional dish like Pineapple Glazed Ham, Kathrine suggests choosing a modest size.
“Choose one expensive cut of meat as the centrepiece, then look to add on those cheaper cuts of meat so you have a little extra,” she says.
Those looking to feed a larger crowd could opt for pork roast or pork belly, options that are likely to cost less than a ham yet will still feel special. Chicken breast is another great alternative. Kathrine’s Cranberry and Orange Rolled Chicken is an impressive and beautifully presented dish that elevates a cut of meat.
“Look for it on special and pop it into the freezer to stock up for Christmas,” she suggests.
Each of Kathrine’s Christmas recipes have been designed to take simple meals to the next level, while making sure you won’t go over budget or spend too long in the kitchen on what should be a day spending quality time with family and friends.
“That’s important to me with my own children — that they don’t just see Mum and Dad in the kitchen all day cooking.”
Kathrine also suggests planning your sides and salads using seasonal produce to create delightfully Christmassy dishes, such as her Tomato and Cucumber Salad. Getting creative with the presentation is another great way to take a dish from every day to gourmet. Kathrine’s Beetroot, Feta and Candied Walnut Salad can use tinned beetroot from PAK’nSAVE to save you having to roast your own, or you could add seeds, dried fruit or nuts to salads of your choosing. Garlic, Butter and Rosemary Potato Skewers makes for a fun serving idea too.
Mini Pavlovas are Kathrine’s creative take on the traditional pavlova that invites the kids to get involved — they can be made the day before.
“I’ve got three children and it saves any arguments,” Kathrine laughs. “They can decorate them as they want and can add all sorts of toppings. We always go for whipped cream, chocolate and some fresh berries, but you can pick and choose. It looks really nice on a big platter with the Lemon Cheesecake Bites, another easy recipe that can be made the day before. Preparing some of the meal the day before takes some of the stress out of trying to whip everything up in one day.”
Her biggest tip for ensuring a delicious and affordable Christmas meal? It’s all in the planning. Once you have your shopping list sorted, don’t be tempted to deviate from it, and if you’re on a tight budget, jump online to PAK’nSAVE and price out the ingredients first.
“Don’t just turn up to PAK’nSAVE on Christmas Eve with no plan!” she says. “If you figure out exactly what you’re going to cook and write a timeline of what can be made in advance, there’s no stress or rush on Christmas Day.”
Find Kathrine’s delicious Christmas menu for less at paknsave.co.nz/recipes/eat-well-for-less-summer/christmas