I love Christmas Eve supper - probably my best bit of Christmas. All the family gathered, the pressies wrapped, no more shopping possible, time to relax & start to enjoy the holiday. But what to eat????????????
I need a veggie starter & a sort of celebration fishy dish, something we can all serve ourselves to & not salmon cos we have gravalax for breakfast on Christmas Day. Any ideas?
PS have already decided on tirimisu for pud.
Love this sort of question Mm! A sort of 'help yourself' informal meal with lively flavours, where people can pick and choose until the pud arrives? And I guess not too much work for you?
Starters: artfully arranged antipasti - olives, artichokes, sundried toms, mushrooms, and aubergines preserved in oil, mozzerella dusted with dried oregano, good fresh bread - all bought from a good Italian deli. Or bruschetta if you still have tomatoes left ::)
Fishy dish: a glamorous paella served at the table, adjusting the amount of rice/fish/peppers to suit tums and appetites ::)
What time's dinner? ;) ;D
Or a luxurious fish pie with white fish, smoked fish and prawns. It can even be made ahead and reheated so that you can be ready.
I have already made a shepherdess pie for our christmas eve supper and frozen it. We have a veggie in the house and I just wanted us to all eat the same. My lot all love it thank goodness and as a bonus it is a weight watchers recipe! Full of beans and lentils, very satisfying and just as good as a shepherd's pie.
;D
I am with tullipa on this, it needs to be something banged in the oven and forgotten...less stress! I have done chilli in the past, made a day before (it always tastes better the day after!) and it is fuss free!
;)
Fish? Coulibiac!!
Some really good ideas here thanks - I am veering towards a fish pie variation cos I often make pealla & we are having seafood on the 27th.
Coulibiac!!
Wassat Tim?
Fish with rice en croute to you and me ;)
Could even be done with kedgeree ::)
A party dish!
Had a lovely side of peat smoked seatrout from the Hebridean Smokehouse (which I've also visited) last year. They post if frozen & the peat smoke makes it a bit different...
http://www.hebrideansmokehouse.com/
All these ideas sound great, they are making me feel really hungry.
Please can you post your shepherdess pie Tulippa?
Thanks in anticipation... :P
Flossie, this is just a quick visit as I must feed my family, but I promise to let you have it soon.
T.
Thanks :)
Flossie, sorry for keeping you waiting!
Shepherdess Pie
Serves 4
2 teaspoons sunflower oil
1 leek finely chopped
1 small courgette diced
1 carrot diced
1 garlic clove crushed
4 oz mushrooms sliced
2oz red lentils
2oz green lentils
7oz can chopped tomatoes
¾ pint water
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1½ tablespoons brown sauce
7oz can baked beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping:
2lb potatoes
5-6 tablespoons skimmed milk
1oz low-fat vegetarian cheddar cheese grated
Heat the oil and gently fry the leek, courgette, carrot, garlic and mushrooms for 10minutes, covered until soft.
Add the lentils, tomatoes, water and herbs and bring the mixture to the boil. Then reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and the mixture is thick. Stir in the brown sauce and baked beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender. Drain and mash with the milk and seasoning.
Remove the bay leaf from the lentil mixture and spoon into a large ovenproof dish. Pile the potato on top and fork over. Sprinkle over the grated cheese.
Bake in the oven Gas mark 6/200°C for 15-20 minutes or until the potato is crispy. Serve immediately.
Calories per serving: 435
Points per serving: 5
Taken from WeightWatchers Vegetarian Cooking by Jo Middleditch.
Hope you enjoy it, it is a good winter comfort food. I have just looked at the weather forecast for us and it is going to be a very cold week. If we weren't having it on Christmas Eve I would definitely be making it during the week!
My OH wouldn't eat it if he knew it had baked beans or brown sauce in - I keep telling him they are dried beans and he enjoys it!
T.
Oooooh, this looks lovely! Just right for Friday night me thinks, when we've all finished work and have arrived home ready for the holidays! Thanks!!
Thanks so much Tulippa - I love things like this. It will be lovely to have after a long walk
It's Christmas Eve! Time for the hostess to have a party with the guests & get out of the kitchen 8)....I'd go for bought hors'doevres stuff + stuff to empty out of tins or jars & the only cooking involved is some prior heating in the oven where necessary.
We've got a nice family fish pie main course recipe. I've got the dishes to make individual pies, which always look special & give hassle-free servings, but can easily be done in large containers..
Basically, cook any variety(ies) of white fish in stock made of water/white wine/finely chopped celery, parsley, shallot, carrot, mushroom stalks, seasoned with green peppercorns, salt, bay or curry leaves & anything else that rocks your boat (so to speak :)) Strain, reserving liquid.
Fish will get placed in the bottom of dishes along with bought cooked prawns mixed in.
Make a thick mushroom sauce using milk+saved liquor. Add grated cheddar or parmesan. Season & cover the fish.
Top all with potatoes well-mashed with butter, seasoned, into which have been added some saved chopped prawns, parsley + cheddar or parmesan.
Fork tats into attractive shapes. Sprinkle with paprika
Bake, medium oven, til top browned and crusty.
1,000000000000000 cals of course, but heck! you can diet on Christmas Day ;D ;D ;D
And you can make it NOW and freeze it. Only needs thawing before re-heating 8)
A great idea - will put this on the list too - thanks Alishka
Flossie I can't eat fish............. :'( :'( :'( :'( so our easy do it yourself Christmas meal is fondue, a cheese one and a meat one, with veges and bread to dip in to the cheese, and selection of dips to dip the steak in!
You could always do a mixed fish/seafood fondue, dipping them into a court boullion stocky thing, then have appropriate dips.
I serve it with a green salad too.
We find it is huge amounts of fun, and not too much washing up, and the guests cook it themselves! ;)
Debs, that is a BRILL idea. Fondues are great fun - and also satisfy my criteria that the cook shouldn't be in the kitchen but out there being jolly with the rest ;D
Have any of you tried a Raclette? Similar system but a little more versatile. Would be interested to know.
http://www.cafe-raclette.com/Category.asp?Category=Cat2
Lish the youngest is more excited about the Christmas Eve meal than the Chrissy Day one!
MB, always fancied having a go at that.....maybe on a cold January night! ;)
Thanks for the shepherdess pie Tulippa - it was delicious
Made double quantities and have frozen some :P
Bless you, I am really glad you enjoyed it, your seed swapping lunch sounded good too!
Happy New Year!
T.