Christmas Dinner

[Arete]

Bangs shoe on desk:  It's a week before Christmas and no one put up a Christmas Dinner thread.  I'll start.  It's pretty disgraceful to count on me to get something done.

 

So, we are a group of families that get together at 1 designated family's house for Christmas dinner.  We start Christmas Eve and eat into the early hours of Christmas Day.  Hosting family does the meat, the rest of us bring other parts of the meal.

Appetizers:  pickled octopus, fried squid, fried cod balls.

Main:  beef or pork roast, whatever the host family decides

Primary Sides:  roasted potatoes, carrots, and beets, and wild rice

Other:  eggplant, lamb, and béchamel casserole (moussaka )

Additional Sides:  baked feta cheese with olive oil and oregano, steamed green beans with lemon and garlic, pickled veggies of whatever type the various gardens yielded that summer.

Salad:  shredded cabbage with lemon vinaigrette and pomegranate seeds.  Shredded carrot with balsamic, feta crumbles, and mint.

Dessert:  fried donuts done at the time, fried, flat dough done in rose shapes and drizzled with honey orange syrup and nuts, baklava, brownies

After dinner must have:  fruit, usually citrus, peel and share across family.  Teas like mint, bee balm, chamomile 

Other: liquors made by various family members, like limoncello, peach, cherry, raki.  Wine at the table.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

I don't know yet but I'm going to be following this thread because I need suggestions.

Is the citrus peel and share a cultural tradition?  That's sounds nice and I've never heard of it before.

[Arete]

The peel and share part is the cultural tradition.  You always have fruit after a meal for your "digestion".  At festive meals, you peel and share fruit with other people at the dinner as part of the goodwill.  Citrus at Christmas because it's what's in season.   You hull strawberries at Easter, prep melon during summer festivals, peel apples in the fall. 

[AlysonRR]

I'll join in.

On Christmas Eve we're having:

• Tunbrod and lefse
• Pickle plate:
• • pickled herring
  • olives
  • cornichons
  • quick sweet pickled cucumber and onion, Swedish style
• Fried oysters
• Spinach salad
• Blackberry pie

On Christmas morning we're having

• Swedish pancakes with powdered sugar, lemon, lingonberry sauce, syrup, whatever :-)
• link sausages

On Christmas Day we're having

• Bacon-wrapped stuffed dates
• Cheese and salami plate, with leftover pickle plate items
• Roasted goose with sauce
• Stuffing
• Curried sweet potatoes
• Roasted potatoes
• Creamed onions
• Cranberry sauce
• Mushrooms stuffed with smoked oysters and pine nut couscous (particularly for the pescatarian among us)
• Pumpkin pie
• Pecan tart
• Christmas pudding

On Boxing Day we're having

• Monkey bread or cinnamon rolls for breakfast
• Sandwiches with leftovers for lunch
• Scallion crepes and moo shu goose (or duck, depending on leftovers)
• Cabbage, carrots, mushrooms
• Leftover pie and pudding

[Arete]

@AlysonRR, what is tunbrod and lefse?  The rest of that menu sounds delicious!

[Bethella]

2 hours ago, AreteJo said:

@AlysonRR, what is tunbrod and lefse?  The rest of that menu sounds delicious!

They're both types of flat bread, tunbrod is Swedish, lefse is Norwegian.

[EmCatlyn]

Christmas Eve at my house, 8 people--maybe 9.

Appetizer plate  of cheese, olives, mussels, Spanish potato omelette squares. Crackers.

• Pineapple and avocado salad and/or
• green salad
• roast pork marinated for 24 hours in citrus, garlic, oregano, cumin etc..
• black beans 
• Long-grain white rice
• fried sweet plantains
• yuca in citrus olive oil and onion dressing
• french style green beans tossed on the skillet with garlic and olive oil
• parker house rolls and European style butter

Dessert platters of cookies, dried fruit and nut balls, meringues, turron (Spanish nougat), rum cake. (The turron is the only thing not home made.). Dried figs, stuffed dates, grapes.  

We will have a good red wine and some sweet cider with the meal.  Afterwards tea or eggnog or port with the dessert, which is left on the table while we open presents and people return to it as they wish.   The evening ends with some of us going to church, the rest to their homes.

Christmas Morning is waffles for husband, daughter and me.   Choice of syrup or warm raspberries, lots of whipped cream, maybe bacon if wanted.

Christmas Day lunch/dinner is at step-daughter's house about an hour away,  We will be bringing Honey Baked Ham, creamed potatoes (home made)  and dessert-- mostly what was left from the previous night.  SD will have a couple of sides and a couple of salads.  There will be 5 or 6 of us at most.  After the meal we will probably watch a movie on TV or play a board game or both. 

We will have left overs almost until New Years.  

[ALM7]

7 hours ago, AreteJo said:

Appetizers:  pickled octopus, fried squid, fried cod balls.

Main:  beef or pork roast, whatever the host family decides

Primary Sides:  roasted potatoes, carrots, and beets, and wild rice

Other:  eggplant, lamb, and béchamel casserole (moussaka )

Additional Sides:  baked feta cheese with olive oil and oregano, steamed green beans with lemon and garlic, pickled veggies of whatever type the various gardens yielded that summer.

Salad:  shredded cabbage with lemon vinaigrette and pomegranate seeds.  Shredded carrot with balsamic, feta crumbles, and mint.

Dessert:  fried donuts done at the time, fried, flat dough done in rose shapes and drizzled with honey orange syrup and nuts, baklava, brownies

After dinner must have:  fruit, usually citrus, peel and share across family.  Teas like mint, bee balm, chamomile 

Other: liquors made by various family members, like limoncello, peach, cherry, raki.  Wine at the table.

Well damn, now I'm having a hard time getting into my turkey/ham, dressing, and the other standards .  Lol, your menu puts mine to shame! [Will have visions of AreteJo's meal as I chomp on my turkey leg].

[Arete]

@ALM7, put down your full menu.    Pickled octopus and pork are as traditional for us as turkey, ham, and dressing is for you.  Admittedly beef is not, but part of living in a melting pot is that you get to experience and take on ideas from other cultures. It's all good, so let's list it all!

[louisa05]

8 hours ago, ALM7 said:

Well damn, now I'm having a hard time getting into my turkey/ham, dressing, and the other standards .  Lol, your menu puts mine to shame! [Will have visions of AreteJo's meal as I chomp on my turkey leg].

We decided to nix the big traditional dinner for this first year without my dad. None of us are in the mood yet. I am making a loaf of bread and a pot of chili. My mom is making a pot of chicken noodle soup and bringing a pie. We might have some cold veggies, but we might not. 

Feel better? 

That is my house for Christmas day. 

At my in-laws on Christmas Eve, there will be a pot of really awful oyster stew (they think I hate oyster stew...it is actually just that I hate theirs; they can't cook); a small thing of chicken noodle soup which will have been bought pre-made in a bucket at Costco and a random dessert bought frozen from Costco. My sister-in-law will add some very expensive gourmet appetizer to that. Last year it was dried out bread (from a very special very exclusive--or so she claimed--bakery) to dip in overpriced olive oil. I will, likely, not be allowed to contribute anything to this meal as my contributions, I have been told by sister-in-law, "disrupt the integrity of the family meal". And no, I don't know what that means. 

[Arete]

@louisa05, I think it is lovely you are having homemade soup and homemade chili and getting together at Christmas.   It'll be you, the hubby and your Mom, getting together with all your memories.   That is nothing to knock.

The first Christmas after my dad died I went to the family meal, but I had nothing in me.   My aunt kept me from a nervous breakdown by letting me know the master bedroom was mine to lie down in all night if wanted.    I took her up on her offer.

Don't you dare feel bad for scaling down Christmas.   Healing takes time, and cannot be forced.  Peace be with you.

 

 

[louisa05]

23 minutes ago, AreteJo said:

@louisa05, I think it is lovely you are having homemade soup and homemade chili and getting together at Christmas.   It'll be you, the hubby and your Mom, getting together with all your memories.   That is nothing to knock.

The first Christmas after my dad died I went to the family meal, but I had nothing in me.   My aunt kept me from a nervous breakdown by letting me know the master bedroom was mine to lie down in all night if wanted.    I took her up on her offer.

Don't you dare feel bad for scaling down Christmas.   Healing takes time, and cannot be forced.  Peace be with you.

 

 

Thank you. My brother and my nephew will be here as well. It is at my house because we all feel like just doing something different will be a bit easier. We won't all be looking at dad's empty place all day that way. Next year, we'll go back to mom's house like our whole lives. 

[Lynn18]

Being Italian you would think I'd be doing the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, but no. I'm originally from Tucson AZ and we do:

1. Tamales
2. Beans
3. Guacamole
4. Cheese/rotel dip - chips
5. Lots of cerveza!

Christmas morning is coffee (lots of black coffee), savory monkey bread with eggs/bacon/cheese/tomatoes and mimosas.

Christmas dinner is:

1. Spiral cut ham with a sweet glaze
2. Roasted potato medley (white/sweet/yams with red onions, garlic and lots of black pepper).
3. Baked fruit compote (granny smiths/pears/cranberries)

I haven't decided about dessert, probably just cookies.

[ShepherdontheRock]

Christmas dinner so far:

1. Leg of Lamb
2. Yorkshire puddings
3. Gravy
4. Mint Sauce
5. Potatoes (Roast potatoes and super unhealthy mashed potatoes(includes cream and melted brie cheese)
6. Various roasted root vegetables (glazed carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes)
7. Baked crispy kale
8. Peas
9. Also thinking of making a super simple green salad

Also thinking of some hors d'oevres

1. Smoked salmon or gravlax in some form
2. Fancy cheese should be involved (mature cheddar, goat cheese, etc) with fig butter, etc
3. Roasted garlic pate
4. Other kinds of dip

And for dessert:

1. Sweet potato pie
2. Caramelized Cardamom Apple Pie
3. Pavlova (if I feel like it)
4. Christmas Cookies
5. Fruit
6. Ice Cream
7. Whipped Cream
8. Chocolate of some kind should be involved

Also we're going to do Christmas brunch, I think:

1. I want to make eggs benedict, but maybe hollandaise won't work out
2. We're definitely making waffles (or pancakes)
3. Apple sauce
4. I've just realized I also want mimosas

 

[SledCat]

All of these menus sound lovely. The Yorkshire Puddings have a special place in my heart. My Nanna made a wonderful roast, with crackling and Yorkshire Puddings (though, not for Christmas back in Australia: too hot ).

I am still struggling with the menu this year. I would like to do something fish based for a main course, but have some vegan friends as well.

[ILoveJellybeans]

A tradition in our family is to have Chinese food on Christmas Eve. For Christmas dinner we are having ham, stuffing, mashed potato and sprouts.

I am also making a huge supply of buffet food for everyone to just grab when they want, as its less effort and I always make enough to feed a small army. Also except for Christmas dinner itself, I am switching to paper plates because I cant be bothered washing up.

[ALM7]

7 hours ago, louisa05 said:

We decided to nix the big traditional dinner for this first year without my dad. None of us are in the mood yet.  

That is my house for Christmas day. 

At my in-laws on Christmas Eve, there will be a pot of really awful oyster stew (they think I hate oyster stew...it is actually just that I hate theirs; they can't cook);  

My sister-in-law will add some very expensive gourmet appetizer to that. Last year it was dried out bread (from a very special very exclusive--or so she claimed--bakery) to dip in overpriced olive oil.

I will, likely, not be allowed to contribute anything to this meal as my contributions, I have been told by sister-in-law, "disrupt the integrity of the family meal". And no, I don't know what that means. 

Louisa05, I'm so sorry your Dad has passed, I wish you and your family well this holiday season.

Oyster stew: That's an awkward situation, lol, knowing if you dared offer suggestions, they may never let you forget it!   So, best to go with the "I hate oyster stew defense."

The sister-in-law gourmet appetizer: This reminds me of the notorious "fruit cake dilemma". No doubt there are some fantastic home-made fruit cakes out there. Over years my Great-grandmother perfected it. However; as usual, my family lost the recipe! But, they insisted on figuring it out, the results were dismal, to say the least.

Integrity of the family meal: Well, I'm on team Louisa! I think one year, go for it, just throw them in a tizzy! Prepare dishes your way, and bring them to the gathering. Announce that all that feel defiant, and choose to risk the integrity of the meal, may partake! Now that would be a holiday meal that may go down in history lol.

Goooo team Louisa! 

PS... I'm still learning how to do separate quote boxes...I'm headed to the new member practice area. This is my first community board type experience, I'm still learning the ropes.

 

[Arete]

1 hour ago, SledCat said:

 

I am still struggling with the menu this year. I would like to do something fish based for a main course, but have some vegan friends as well.

If you go with fish I would go with a whole roasted salmon or a whole side of salmon.   Easy to cook and pleases a crowd.  Vegan festive entrée is tough.   Root vegetable couscous is always a possibility.  Separately roast root veggies like potato, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, beet, celeriac, etc.   When completely cooled cube the veggies.    Mix cubes together.  Prepare couscous using the measurements it comes with.   Use a good quality veggie cube or veggie bullion cooked with a touch of dry white wine.     Use the broth you've made with the bullion and wine to make couscous.    Set couscous on platter, make a well, and put cubed roasted veggies you briefly warmed in oven or microwave.      Serve remaining veggies on side.

Any other ideas for an FJer who needs festive vegan entrees?

[SledCat]

2 hours ago, AreteJo said:

If you go with fish I would go with a whole roasted salmon or a whole side of salmon.   Easy to cook and pleases a crowd.  Vegan festive entrée is tough.   Root vegetable couscous is always a possibility.  Separately roast root veggies like potato, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, beet, celeriac, etc.   When completely cooled cube the veggies.    Mix cubes together.  Prepare couscous using the measurements it comes with.   Use a good quality veggie cube or veggie bullion cooked with a touch of dry white wine.     Use the broth you've made with the bullion and wine to make couscous.    Set couscous on platter, make a well, and put cubed roasted veggies you briefly warmed in oven or microwave.      Serve remaining veggies on side.

Any other ideas for an FJer who needs festive vegan entrees?

Yes, I love the idea of a whole roasted fish/salmon. I usually only cook for a small number of people, so I am a bit scared.. but also excited, as I enter a new cooking frontier.  The vegan couscous is a terrific idea. I was already thinking of doing roasted root veggies in olive oil, with rosemary/fresh herbs.  I could easily throw couscous (or another grain) into my rice cooker.

[Arete]

couscous takes 5 minutes.  Heat the liquid to boiling, shut off and pour over couscous.  Cover couscous and lift cover in 5 minutes to fluff with fork.  There is no flame under the couscous, you can make it in a bowl with a cover.   For a more protein packed dish, make quinoa in your rice cooker, using your veggie consommé with a touch of wine for any liquid called for.

[Arete]

Ugh, sorry about the italics above.  Still haven't figured out how to change over when it happens on my phone.

[AlysonRR]

On 12/19/2015 at 10:20 PM, Bethella said:

They're both types of flat bread, tunbrod is Swedish, lefse is Norwegian.

What Bethella said.

Tunbrod are thicker, usually made with rye flour.

Lefse are made with mashed potato in the dough, but are very thin.

[CTRLZero]

We are doing something a little different for our meal this Christmas.  My mother-in-law broke her arm, and I know she is tired of having other people cut up her food for her while she recovers her strength.  So, I am preparing some easy-to-eat dishes that she can feed herself one-handed and also go back for seconds without (much) assistance:

sweet and sour meatballs (pineapple/cranberry sauce) over rice

chopped salad with dressing mixed in

lime yogurt pie

We will round it out with a few other items, make everything look festive, and enjoy each other's company by toasting with sparkling cider.  

[Kailash]

I still haven't decided what to make for Christmas dinner. It will just be my husband, daughter and me. I'm thinking of roasting a whole chicken, doing mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing. And rolls. Some veggie, maybe green beans. Probably corn too. I wish I could find one really knockout side dish recipe that isn't too difficult but is still absolutely delicious. I'm still looking. I want to buy everything I'll need today though so I'm running out of time.

[princessmahina]

Vegan holiday food ideas galore: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/tag/holidays

The author has a recipe somewhere on her site for a baked tofu she usually makes for her family at the holidays. It looks fairly simple, if you're looking for something low maintenance. 

I'll personally be making the seitan stuffed with mushrooms, dried cranberries, and walnuts. It's delish