I don't know about you, but at this time of year - Christmas and the 'silly season' as I write this - I need all the help I can get. I draw a blank when people 'drop in for drinks' for instance, scrabbling for what to serve that's enough but not too much to go with a beer or a glass of wine? I want something that's quick, delicious and healthy. I also want something that not everyone has seen, something (maybe) that they can imagine that I have oh so cleverly whipped up in an idle moment or two before they arrive.

Enter Lotus and Ming. When they contacted me asking if they could share some of their goodies with me, I was delighted to assist them. When they arrived, cosseted in a chilled box, I was even more impressed when I saw their smart packaging. Here we had dim sum and spring  rolls and other delights that were presented like good chocolates.  

From sesame barramundi spring rolls to mini BBQ pork buns, Lotus and Ming offer an incredible range of gourmet Asian food that is amazingly, mostly 98 percent fat-free. Hosting a Christmas party means providing great food, and it can be a challenging task trying to find something unique that won’t take five days to prepare!

Lotus and Ming's gourmet modifications of classic Asian recipes has yielded a range of delicious dumplings, spring rolls and sauces, many of which are guilt free! Best of all these dainties are ready to serve your guests straight from the freezer which definitely takes away the stress of entertaining, and they should love the eastern twist on holiday cuisine.

There's quite a range: shiitake and leek spring rolls, seafood har gow dumplings or coconut chicken sugar cane skewers, chilli chicken dumplings, peking duck and apple wontons, bbq pork and plum spring rolls and a long list of others. They even have a range of seafood - delicate crumbed baby whiting, oven-ready in 15 minutes was what I tried - as well as salt and pepper prawns and squid. Yumm!

"All of Lotus and Ming's gourmet Asian foods maintain their incredible taste and quality fresh from the freezer, ready to be enjoyed at any Christmas function, from work Christmas parties to a sit down Christmas dinner," I am told. "These delicious foods are also easy to find, Lotus and Ming is now widely distributed to over 400 clients throughout Australia, so it's easy to stock up on these amazing meals ready for the holiday season." Check the website for stockists.