As I am chatting with friends and family about food, I am hearing loud and clear that people are really wanting ideas for Christmas and entertaining that require minimal effort.

‘Recipes’ that read more like a list of nice ingredients that when put together with minimal process, taste great.

This Christmas themed salad is just so pretty with it’s red, green and white colours, but more importantly, when you take a mouthful of the fresh greens, soft beetroot and cheese, crunchy pomegranate seeds and then get a burst of fresh mint, you will be reminded again that sometimes cooking is indeed pairing the right ingredients together, with minimal fuss. The ingredients themselves are the hero, and not the process.

For those who haven’t seen or eaten Labneh before, it’s a cheese made from strained yoghurt and is often used in Middle Eastern cooking. You can easily make your own, but for ease this time of year, you can buy it in the supermarket. It makes a beautiful dip with raw veggies and crackers too.

If you prefer, you can use a creamy goats cheese or Persian feta instead. I do think a creamy cheese and not hard one, is best in this recipe.

And lastly, one of the ways you can be kind to yourself in the kitchen this time of year is to stock up on some different and beautiful store-bought dressings. At the drop of a hat you can make any salad at the last minute and take it to ‘a whole other level’ when you dress it with something gorgeous.

This Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar has been a favourite in our house for a few years now. I have to hide it at the back of the cupboard otherwise one of my sons, who has a sweet tooth, will drink it straight from the bottle! It’s generally found in Deli’s and Gourmet Food stores and can be pricey. For Christmas time, I think it’s worth spending a little extra for something special though.

Be warned – it’s quite sweet so you don’t need a lot, but it is the finishing touch a salad like this needs.