Roast Chicken with Herbed Yam Stuffing with Sorrel Raisin Sauce - Succulent roasted chicken with white-yam stuffing and sorrel sauce.

Fiery Stovetop Chicken with Multi-coloured Sweet Peppers - Jamaican Scotch bonnet pepper create a distinctive flavour blended with sweet peppers.

Pineapple Curried Chicken - the blend of curry and pineapple, now in season, creates an exotic dish, reminiscent of the South Seas. Many varieties of curry are available, some strong and flavourful, others less pungent.

Honey-glazed Pork Loin - honey enhances the flavour and brings a rich colour to the pork loin.

Festive Pork Stew - a delectable hearty stew that perfectly combines onions, scallion and cumin with pork.

Baked Ham with June Plum Glaze - for some families, baked ham is must. Using June plums in season, create a glaze that enhances sugar-cured ham.

Molasses-Marinated Pot Roast of Beef - relive the old-fashioned pot roast with carrots, cho choes and potatoes.

Gingered Scallion Beef - strips of choice beef marinated in scallion and local spices in ginger wine.

Flambe Peppered Steak - create the excitement by flambeing sirloin with brandy at the table

Beef Ball Casserole - beef balls served in a casserole drizzled with beer and beef broth to bring out the full flavour of the beef.

Shepherd's Pie with a difference - spicy ground beef alternated with layers of sweet potato.

Steamed Fillet of Fish with White Wine Sauce - your favourite fillet of fish is gently simmered in stock to retain its delicious flavour and makes this a welcomed dish for non-meat eaters.

Escoveitched Fish with Onion, Carrot and Cho Cho Fixings - this is a truly Jamaican dish drizzled with escoveitch sauce steeped with pimentos.

Pasta Shells in Herbed Tomato Sauce - fresh tomatoes combined with herbs.

Gungo Carrot Rice and Peas - slivers of locally grown carrot mixed into a steaming pot of rice and peas.

Sweet Potato or Yam Salad - sweet potato or yam is combined with red peas, string beans and corn topped with chopped peanuts.

Carrot Eggnog - adding carrot juice to the traditional classic eggnog provides added nutrition and variation in taste. You still have to give it some oomph with a dash of rum.

Christmas Cake or Pudding - a sweet ending that is enjoyed by most family members. It is even more delectable when served with butter brandy sauce or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Use fresh herbs to create a difference with your dishes. You can experiment with mint, basil, thyme, sage and watercress.

Dried herbs and spices are used to season food and to enhance the flavour of foods. Herbs and spices should not overwhelm the natural flavours of a dish. Choices include black and white pepper, curry powder, paprika, cinnamon and allspice.

Over the holidays, plan to use a variety of vegetables, including unusual choices like eggplant, zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower.

Prepare once and eat several times. Cook batches of food for the four-day holiday period and store these properly to prevent food poisoning when eaten again.

Use leftovers to create dishes that will be enjoyed by all.

After Christmas Day feast, Boxing Day breakfast can be a combination of ham and fluffy scrambled eggs served with toast and muffins, with lots of freshly squeezed orange juice, Blue Mountain coffee and local herbal teas. Liver and bananas can take on an oriental twist with pak choi and corn added to the dish.

Christmas dinner can be an interesting array of dishes suited to your budget. You will want to create that wow effect with meals that you serve to family and friends over the holidays. Simply think outside the box and creatively use locally grown foods from your backyard or purchased from the market. Eat, drink and be merry and share some food with the less fortunate.

Heather Little-White, PhD, is a nutrition and lifestyle consultant in the Corporate Area. Email comments to editor@gleanerjm.com or fax 922-6223.

Shaunette Jones, Staff Reporter

If you plan to bake for the holidays, you should have already purchased all or most of the essential ingredients. As for your meat, fish or poultry, marinades should have been made, ready and waiting for use.

Here are some tips that will have you cooking like a pro and keep your family and friends coming back for more.

Purchase your chicken, beef, ham or fish before or on the 'sell-by' date printed on the package label.

Choose steaks, roasts and pot roasts that are firm to the touch, not soft.

Select beef with bright, cherry-red colour. Grey or brown blotches might signify staleness.

Choose packages that are cold, tightly wrapped, with no tears or punctures. Be sure the packages do not contain excessive liquid, an indication of temperature abuse, excessive storage time or lack of full vacuum.

Select meat last when buying to ensure meat stays as cold as possible until you get home.

Ensure you have enough freezer room to store your meats.

Keep raw poultry in refrigerator. Cook within one to two days, or freeze it.

Keep fish in refrigerator. Fish can be seasoned and then frozen.

Preparation

Always marinate meat in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.

Marinating for over 24 hours can give your meats a mushy texture.

Marinate in a plastic bag or non-reactive container.

Never save or reuse marinade.

To ensure your cake comes out according to plan, ensure you have all the necessary ingredients. Check and double-check your list of ingredients before actual baking starts.

Basic ingredients for a Christmas cake are all-purpose flour (used with baking powder) or baking flour, brown sugar, salt (optional), fruits, wine (cake or prune), butter, eggs, browning, spices (almond, mixed spice, vanilla), rum (optional).

Ideally, fruits are soaked a year or six months prior to baking, but can be prepared a week before the big day. Ingredients, especially flour and spices, that have been sitting on your shelves for long periods should not be used. You will get the most out of your cake if you use fresh ingredients.

When purchasing baking tins, ensure they are aluminium, non-stick and not too thin, which may cause your cake to burn. Baking tins come in different shapes and sizes, but the most popular cake tins are round, with eight or nine inches in diameter and one and a half to two inches deep.

Wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water before and after handling meat.

Keep raw meat and meat juices from coming into contact with other foods during preparation.

Wash all utensils, cutting surfaces and counters with hot, soapy water after contact with raw meat.

Keep carving boards separate from other cutting boards.

Clean mixers, wash baking tins and spoons, etc., before baking starts.

Wash all cake utensils thoroughly to avoid being overrun by ants and roaches.

aboutbeef.com

www.foodnetwork.com

www.meatnplace.net/buying.html

www.real-restaurant-recipes.com/cake-pans.html