If you're in need of some last minute ideas for side dishes this Christmas, then look no further. These three recipes are simple to make, packed full of nutritious, colourful fresh produce, and will be sure to brighten up your dinner table. The great thing about these recipes is that they can be made a few days in advance, frozen and reheated on the day. This is particularly appealing if you don't want to waste half of Christmas day cooking! There is a lot of flexibility with the three dishes. For the mulled red cabbage, you can use green cabbage instead, or you can replace the pears with apples. For the roasted root vegetables, you can add or subtract vegetables based on what you have available at home. For the Brussels sprouts in peanut sauce, you can use sunflower or pumpkin seeds if you have a peanut allergy, or leave it out altogether. I hope you enjoy these recipes and give them a try, even beyond the holiday season. Have a wonderful Christmas and I'll catch you in the new year! Keep up with more bonus recipe ideas over on Instagram or Facebook. 1. Mulled Red Cabbage and Pears Serves 8 Ingredients - 1 large red cabbage , quartered, cored and thinly sliced - 1 large red onion , sliced - 250ml red wine - 1 large cinnamon stick - 5 cloves - 2 star anise - 5 cardamom pods - fresh ginger - 2 tbsp soft brown sugar - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar - 3 large pears, diced - fresh coriander Method Place all the ingredients (except the pears) in a large pot and cook, covered, for one hour on low heat. Add the pears and cook for another hour and a half until the cabbage is very soft. Serve warm with some fresh coriander scattered over the top. 2. Nutmeg Roasted Root Vegetables Serves 4 Ingredients - 3 large carrots, cut into batons - 1 large parsnip, cut into batons - 200g new potatoes, halved - 8 whole garlic cloves - 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs - 1 tsp nutmeg - 2 tbsp vegetable oil - 1/4 tsp salt - fresh parsley Method Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the cut vegetables on a lined baking tray and add the mixed herbs, nutmeg, oil and salt. Toss until the veg is well coated. Roast for 45-50 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Serve hot with fresh parsley to garnish. 3. Brussels Sprouts in Chilli Peanut Sauce Serves 4 Ingredients - 500g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved - 1 tin plum tomatoes - 1 large red onion, roughly chopped - 1 scotch bonnet chilli - 125g roasted peanuts (plus extra for garnish) - 1 tsp curry powder - 1 tsp dried mixed herbs - 1 tsp smoked paprika - 1 tsp chilli powder - 1/2 tsp salt - fresh coriander Method Place the plum tomatoes, red onion, chilli and roasted peanuts in a food blender and blend until you have a thick puree. Pour into a saucepan, add the curry powder. mixed herbs, paprika, chilli powder and salt. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts have softened. Serve warm with some fresh coriander and extra roasted peanuts on top to garnish.