Festive Menu Planning 2023 Version

[dk168]

What are you planning to have this year?

I love cooking and love to push the boat out for the two big days.

After ruining a goose in 2021 and disaster result with attempting to cook a ham in Coke last year, I decided to trim down this year.

Instead of having 2 different roasts/joints and have lots of leftovers for the freezer, I am only having one and it will be pork as I have not had roast pork for a very long time.

Here is my menus for the two big days.

25 December:

The usual nibbles when I get up and have Bucks Fizz:
- Prawns with Marie Rose sauce topped with lumpfish roes.
- Gravlax with a dill sauce topped with flying fish roes.

Drink with the meal: Cider.
Starter - Smoked duck breasts (attempting this the first time in my Cobb BBQ) with red current jelly and some salad leaves.
Main - Chinese Roast Pork with a sweet and sour sauce made with cider and Calvados (garlicky oyster sauce as a back up).
Sides - plain boiled rice and blanched iceberg lettuce with oyster sauce.
Dessert - Pistachio cream filled profiteroles, chocolate fudge sauce, a drizzle of double cream, topped with ground toasted Pistachio and sesame seeds.
To follow - Cheeses such as Époisses (my favourite) and a blue cheese of some sort, with celery sticks and some Quince jelly or chutney, with a glass of spiced rum.

26 December:

Usual Bucks Fizz and nibbles.

Drink with the meal: Cider.
Starter - Same as 25 December.
Main - Sticky crispy pork belly bites in either bao buns (or duck pancakes as back up) with shredded spring onion, cucumber and rocket.
Desserts - Same as 25 December.
To follow - Cheeses same as 25 December.

I have already made my Festive Goodies, and have kept some for myself: Chinese 5-spiece roasted nuts and seeds, mini cheese muffins, Pistachio and Parmesan savoury biscuits, and Tahini cookies.

I have already bought some items, such as the fish roes and quince and red current jellies, and shall start the rest of food shopping and prep W/B 18 December.

Happy Holidays everyone!

DK

 

[Austina]

All sounds lovely @dk168

I’m having Christmas off, I’ve no idea what I’ll be having, but it’ll be prepped and cooked by someone else, and I won’t have any clearing up to do either. I’ll be on a Caribbean cruise enjoying the sunshine and being waited on hand and foot

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

What are you planning to have this year?

I love cooking and love to push the boat out for the two big days.

After ruining a goose in 2021 and disaster result with attempting to cook a ham in Coke last year, I decided to trim down this year.

Instead of having 2 different roasts/joints and have lots of leftovers for the freezer, I am only having one and it will be pork as I have not had roast pork for a very long time.

Here is my menus for the two big days.

25 December:

The usual nibbles when I get up and have Bucks Fizz:
- Prawns with Marie Rose sauce topped with lumpfish roes.
- Gravlax with a dill sauce topped with flying fish roes.

Drink with the meal: Cider.
Starter - Smoked duck breasts (attempting this the first time in my Cobb BBQ) with red current jelly and some salad leaves.
Main - Chinese Roast Pork with a sweet and sour sauce made with cider and Calvados (garlicky oyster sauce as a back up).
Sides - plain boiled rice and blanched iceberg lettuce with oyster sauce.
Dessert - Pistachio cream filled profiteroles, chocolate fudge sauce, a drizzle of double cream, topped with ground toasted Pistachio and sesame seeds.
To follow - Cheeses such as Époisses (my favourite) and a blue cheese of some sort, with celery sticks and some Quince jelly or chutney, with a glass of spiced rum.

26 December:

Usual Bucks Fizz and nibbles.

Drink with the meal: Cider.
Starter - Same as 25 December.
Main - Sticky crispy pork belly bites in either bao buns (or duck pancakes as back up) with shredded spring onion, cucumber and rocket.
Desserts - Same as 25 December.
To follow - Cheeses same as 25 December.

I have already made my Festive Goodies, and have kept some for myself: Chinese 5-spiece roasted nuts and seeds, mini cheese muffins, Pistachio and Parmesan savoury biscuits, and Tahini cookies.

I have already bought some items, such as the fish roes and quince and red current jellies, and shall start the rest of food shopping and prep W/B 18 December.

Happy Holidays everyone!

DK

yummmmmmmmmy

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

note to self
must make cheesecake today (i'll freeze it)

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

This is always a fun thread. This year I will be doing less. Same steak takeout CE but now will cater CD as well. I am not a great fan of turkey and had ham at TG so will go to a fav place for their turkey meal, as my family loves turkey.

I think I'll make pastry and a chunky tourtiere and some butter tarts. And corn meal souflee. My shortbread cookies were lousy last year so not wasting my time and ingredients on what is a very simple cookie. Cookies are aggravating!!! LOL

cheers--Sharon

 

[dk168]

I only made one type of cookies, a vegan and gluten free one with Tahini and sesame seeds. Probably over-cooked some of them, however, they still tasted OK!

DK

 

[Piper70]

I had to look up Bucks Fizz! We call them mimosas. I like to use grapefruit juice and homemade rosemary simple syrup with champagne.
Our big party is on the 23rd. Now that both sons are married, it’s easier to have it early so everyone can see them. We will start with bacon onion Gruyère tartlets and red and green crudités with roasted red pepper dip. I’m making creamed spinach stuffed meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, broccoli with a mustard cheese streusel and salad for dinner. I have a difficult family: shellfish allergy, vegetarian, lactose intolerance and a garlic/onion intolerance. I make the same cookies every year: jam thumbprints, lacy almond cookies, chocolate chip meringues, double chocolate snowballs, peanut butter kiss cookies.
Christmas Day will be something easy made ahead of time so we can watch the Eagles game.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Oh and the home made "nuts and bolts" from the "Best of Bridge" cookbooks. It is food after all! (add fresh nuts)

cheers--Sharon

 

[dk168]

Christmas morning is going to be different, as I have volunteered to cook breakfast at the homeless and vulnerable people shelter.

I thought I was not going to do it after falling out with 2 other cooks who insisted on cooking sausages. However, they had gone quiet after the shift leader told them the guests would prefer bacon and fried egg for non-meat eaters, and no sausages!

DK

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i have a piece of pork in the freezer i got two weeks ago
must remember to defrost it
Gary makes really great BBQ pork but if he's not feeling up to it i can at least bung it in the oven and it will still be good
im thinking a cold breakfast, crackers and cheese ,pickles etc ham, fresh fruit, some sort of alchoholic smoothy
still thinking allowed

there will be new potatoes

.....must make cheesecake