Christmas dinner starters, new ideas please?!
Christmas dinner starters, new ideas please?
Every year at christmas I prepare a typical turkey roast, but for starters I do something different every year. I'm now running out of ideas - what's new out there traditional or new cuisine?
Answers:
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
It doesn't have to be "new" every year! What ever everyone really likes, make that! It will be come a new tradition!
Maybe try just salad, or a friut cup or something.
Crab dip with whole wheat crackers and deviled eggs. That's why my mother fixes.
ok ...at my companies party this year I'm making my famous (or infamous) buffalo wings...atsa hot tamale!...
Breaded protobello mushrooms stuffed with mozarella cheese. i am not gay Yummy!!!!
smoked salmon, lobster, roast figs, chestnut and apple soup if your in england nigella lawson is doing a christmas recipies prog soon look out for it and get some ideas
Wow, you're dedicated doing a starter as well as full turkey roast!
How about something really easy for you and nice a light like a mozzarella, tomato and parma ham salad - you could even arrange it on a big plate so everyone can serve themselves. Decorate with fresh basil leaves and drizzle with pesto and olive oil. Yummy!
We usually start with stuffed mushrooms, stuffed peppers, fruit tray, celery and cream cheese, cheese and cracker tray, and some chips/dip and mixed nuts.
When i lived in a shared house we would each make one of the courses for our christmas dinner.
I used to always get the starter, the most popular one that i did was a selection of decent pate with ciabatta crispbreads.
we just have crackers and a cheeseball and about 104 bottles of beer!after the uncles and aunts get blasted we eat what ever they brought! works every year!what a bunch of drunks!! yu oughta see them at New Years!!!!police usually break up the gathering at about 10:30 pm!!
I've got a coupla ideas:
1. Chopped up some tomatoes into small cubes (discard the gooey bits in the middle). Add chopped onions and parsley. Mix with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with slices of toasted french bread.
2. wrap some dried prunes using streaky bacon and roast until cooked.
Both are easy to make and equally delicious, and will go nicely together.
Keep it traditional Ange!
We do the same,even though we live in Dortmund Germany now...
Ps Happy Christmas
Ditch the turkey and expand your horizons! Do a standing crown roast of pork, a beef tenderloin, or even a pork tenderloin. Then you can really expand what you serve as an appetizer.
Soups: French Onion, *Homemade* Cream of Anything, Chicken Tortilla, Clam Chowder
Salads: Nice baby greens w/ oranges and almonds, Steamed Half of Artichoke w/ Drawn butter
Other: Shrimp Cocktail, Seafood Bisque, small hot appetizers, cheese and crackers w/ grapes
lobster rolls or crabmeat.
make chicken roast
cut some cheddar cheese into squares, then get some cocktail sticks and pickled silverskin onions.
Make little skewered kebab type things with the cheese and pickles.
Or why not try some fresh prawns, in a Marie Rose sauce. Serve them in sundae glasses, on a bed of chopped lettuce.
a good chocolate selection box
We have either, home made pate or potted shrimp served with melba toast.
Pate
8oz chicken livers.
small onion
1 garlic clove
4oz butter
some herbs thyme is good or mixed dried herbs.
1 tbs brandy
Salt and pepper
Put 1 oz of butter in frying pan and fry the onion until soft add the livers, garlic, herbs and salt and pepper until just cooked add. Allow to cool a bit, put in blender with the rest of the butter add brandy and whizz till smooth. Pour into bowl and chill. This also freezes very well so can be made in advance
Potted Shrimp or Prawns
Melt some butter (enough to cover the shrimp) in a pan add cooked shrimp, a grating of nutmeg or some mace with salt and pepper to taste. Coat the shrimp with this and then put into small pots.
Pumpkin soup with a few roasted pumpkin seeds on top.
I've done well with a large platter of fresh mozzarella balls, avocado slices, diced tomatoes, italian olives, marinated mushrooms and flavored bagel chips, all drizzled with olive oil and freshly grated parmesean cheese.
If it's a soup you're looking for, I have a great recipe for cheesy beer soup that's always a hit.
I would serve something light so folks don't fill up on bread, etc -- and still have room for your beautiful dinner.
Onion soup - I serve the soup in the onions
Crab Stuffed mushrooms
Mini quiches
Cucumber rounds stuffed with salmon mousse
Crudites & dip - spinach, artichoke, etc.
I know I said no bread, but remembered these are nice appys:
http://www.cumberlink.com/taste_of_home/...
CAESAR SALAD IN CROUTON CUPS
CRISCO Butter Flavor No-Stick Cooking
Spray
12 slices white bread
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
4 cups romaine lettuce, finely sliced into 1/8-inch strips
2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus additional for garnish
Caesar Salad dressing, to taste
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray. Trim crusts off bread; spray both sides of bread with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic salt, thyme rosemary and cracked black pepper. Lightly sprinkle mixture over both sides of bread. Use a rolling pin to slightly flatten bread and embed the spice mixture. Press each slice into a muffin cup. Allowing edges to hang over cup. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and cool. Toss lettuce and green onions with dressing. Spoon salad into muffin cups. Garnish with cheese and additional green onion slices. Serve immediately.
Yield: 12 appetizers
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Mini Wonton Quiches
Serving Size : 24
4 eggs
1 ounce finely chopped lean cooked ham, (about 3 tbl)
2 tablespoons chopped green onions with tops
2 tablespoons chopped sweet red pepper
1 tablespoon flour
Cooking spray
24 (3 1/4 x 3-inch) wonton wrappers
Sweet and sour sauce, optional
Hot mustard, optional
In medium bowl, beat together eggs, ham, onions, pepper and flour until well blended. Set aside. Evenly coat 24 miniature muffin cups (1 3/4 x 3/4-inch) with spray. Gently press 1 wrapper into each cup, allowing ends to extend above edges of cup. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon egg mixture into each wrapper-lined cup.
Bake in preheated 350F oven until knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with sauce and/or mustard, if desired.
I was in Urugay earlier in the year - they do a drink that is basically roe wine with melon in it - you have that before a meal.
Filo pastry is always good - make little parcels -fill with brie and mango chutney or riccota cheese.
Home made pate
veg soup - served inside a crusty roll
This is easy and delicious.
A alarge plate of salad - soft leaves - lamb's lettuce perhaps. Tear strips of smoked salmon over the salad bed.
Mix up some creme fraiche with the juice of 2 limes - then drizzle over the salmon and lettuce leaves. Serve with champagne.
Takes minutes - but is the best appetiser I've ever had on Christmas day.
Italian stuffed mushrooms
Pineapple wrapped with bacon
Shrimp cheese ball served with crackers
Check out this link for some excellent recipe suggestions:
http://www.gourmet-food-revolution.com/c...
veg
Pot Roast. Get one of the plastic roasting bags.fill with three paper packet of dry gravy mix. put in the roast. add to bag: onions, entire stalk of celery chopped up. potato's and carrots. add two cups of water to bag. put in a deep pan after you tie the bag. and bake in oven. make on top of stove some dressing/stuffing as a side dish with either salad or fried corn. fried corn can be lightly fried with red bell peppers and promise butter with salt and pepper. Enjoy. The pot roast will be so tender.
I always think that the key to a good Xmas dinner start is that it can be prepped in advance - no point adding more cooking and timing to work out!!!
Pate - make your own smoked mackeral pate with brandy, double cream, butter, orange rind and juice, or meat pate (I made a delicious one last year which needed cooking and sitting in the fridge for a week) or buy from the shops, take out of packet and add a glug of brandy, some fresh thyme, black pepper, butter and double cream.
Fish platter - fruit de mar! Platter of seafood, everyine gets to dip in and its a nice sociable starter! buy whatever you can get locally (Im in Hastings so this is a nice easy one for me!) Serve with good bread, lemon mayo and planty of lemon and lime wedges.
Soup - I always find these too filling, but it is easy to make a good homemade soup and all you have to do is heat up.
antipasti - platter of cooked meats, olives, mozerella cheese, melon, marinated veggies etc.
Serve all with good bread (I like melba toast but I always end up running around in a panic trying to make it at the last minute!)
Good luck!
king prawn risotto with rocket garnish - obviously a tasting size portion but it gets your appetite going! yummy.