Christmas Food Plans

[Blondiejude]

I was confined to the house today so made two foil trays of sausage, sage, onion and bread stuffing and froze them just too cook on the day.
Starters mr has opted for some sort of ham terrine, I’ve made one before years ago but wondered if anyone had a t&t recipe for a simple one? I’m guessing I can’t make that ahead and freeze and all the recipes I have involve braising pig cheeks or what not for hours.

[bramblerose]

I've done this before and it's lovely.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/foo ... as-recipe/

[Demelza]

I need to start planning this as there will now be 11 at ours for Christmas dinner. My daughter is veggie so I was going to do a nut roast but one of the other guests has a severe nut allergy so I need to think of something else. Any suggestions for a special veggie main that doesn't contain nuts very gratefully received!

[Ella77]

This is delicious, Demelza. You can make the filling in advance and freeze it.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... eks-recipe

[Demelza]

Thank you Ella, they look lovely! I'll send her the recipe and see what she thinks (will make extra so I can have some too!)

[Blondiejude]

Ooo sorry Bramble I missed that, thankyou that looks lovely (and a lot easier then cooking a whole ham first and making gelatine!)

[Little My]

What about a mushroom pate, LM? Or is that akin to roasted peppers for non meat-eaters?

I do a stuffing which is just breadcrumbs, sauteed onions, sage, salt and pepper and water which could work.

Sorry I took ages to respond!

I love mushrooms, so that is a great suggestion, thank you. Pate is something I will miss, so I quite fancy trying this. I shall look for a good recipe.

[Squirrel]

My brother is coming on Boxing Day! This is unprecedented , you could knock me down with a feather! His girlfriend (who I’ve never met) doesn’t eat pork so naturally all I can think of are things involving ham, bacon, sausages , etc .

When I’ve recovered from shock I will read the thread .

[Little My]

That's lovely, Squirrel.

[Squirrel]

It is! I’ve got to try not to be too keen :pokerface:.

[Estrella]

That’s great, Squizz. Don’t do what my mum did which was to have a mind fart and serve pork Normandie to her nephew and his Muslim wife!

I’ve done my shopping now. We are having ham, turkey breast with bacon and stuffing, glazed carrots, cauliflower cheese and roast potatoes (and J will eat ham with festive mac and cheese as he does every year )

I’m mostly excited as we are having a pavlova platter much like this for afterwards.

[viggy]

Pavlova platter

[Estrella]

I’m so excited! I bought mangoes, nectarines, strawberries, raspberries, cherries and blueberries for it today!

[Kenickie]

Very Aussie. ;)

I think Mac and cheese is actually a good Christmas addition!

[Cerise]

Woah! That platter!

[Pippedydeadeye]

That platter’s potentially the first Australian thing I can truly get on board with.

[bramblerose]

I saw something the other day that said Pav platters were the next big thing!

I'd eat that

[Estrella]

I have fully been influenced by the social media (marketing) posts this week. Otherwise I would have just made a regular one. We’ve got space for a few more if you hop on a plane now!

[Mountain Goat]

That pav platter! I'm not a pudding person but I always have room in my life for a pavlova.

I'm almost decided. There'll only be four of us and frankly I could serve up a ready meal and they'd barely notice, so I'm dialling it down a bit this year. For pudding I've ordered a (bought!) chocolate and orange Yule log and have made Nigella's bitter orange ice cream and some Christmas pudding vodka to go with it ( not least because I know that at least one person will just have the vodka and there's no point putting myself out).

Canapes with presents and champagne in the living room in place of a formal starter (one Asian cured salmon on rye crackers with wasabi cream and finger lime, one home smoked salmon on blinis with sesame, yuzu mayo and coriander, though I'm vacillating on detail and whether I need a third). All of this can be prepped and ready to go and not clog up kitchen space.

Trad main ( pampered chicken rather than turkey) with all the obvious ( chipolatas, two stuffings, roast potatoes) and sprouts with miso butter, cavolo Nero and sprouting broc with lemon and garlic, glazed carrots, celeriac puree with thyme and truffle, cauliflower with sage brown butter, gravy. All subject to change, just typing this it's now apparent the cauli and sprouts dishes are too similar. Also one guest would like Yorkshires but I only have a tiny top oven ( main oven is broken) so I don't think I can without the potatoes getting cold or uncrispy ( or burnt). Thinking about it though.

[Kenickie]

That does not sound very dialled down. ;)