OT: What will you be preparing for your holiday meal? - YouLookFab Forum

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OT: What will you be preparing for your holiday meal?

Debora

Veteran

Looking for inspiration here!

I still haven't decided on a menu yet for our Christmas dinner. We will be having seafood on Christmas Eve. Possibly copying a friend and making Cornish hens for New Year's Eve.

What are you having for your holiday meals?

General

31 replies

Latest reply was from Barbara

LeahJanes

We are doing Christmas Day with a few friends. It's my first Christmas in a new country so I am trying to make a really big effort with the food.

Glazed whole leg of ham - My Grandmothers recipe for the glaze, studded with cloves - it isn't Christmas without this dish gracing my table and the aroma of it cooking just brings back so many childhood memories.
Balsamic pickled onions - To go with the ham! I gently pickle them myself.
Slow roasted goose with sage - Goose is a favourite meat. It's so rich and sticky and gamey. Served with cranberry & port sauce.
Asparagus florentine - Asparagus with hollandaise and cayenne pepper, browned under the broiler.
Dauphinoise potatoes - A classic
Finnish cabbage casserole - I spent lots of time with a Finnish family at Christmas when I was younger so this is a traditional Christmas staple for me.

Plum pudding with brandy custard - Must be flambeed to the table with the lights turned down for maximum effect!

New Years Eve, we have been invited to a dinner party by some hardcore foodie types so I am expecting something spectacular. I am going to bring some dark chocolate salted caramels as my contribution.

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

We have reservations at Delmonicos Steakhouse on the Las Vegas Strip for Christmas Eve. Christmas brunch will be at the Bellagio Buffet.

Did I mention I am going to be in LAS VEGAS for Christmas?! We leave tomorrow, woohoo!

LeahJanes

Weeew! Las Vegas for Christmas - what a good idea. I am so doing that next year.

Debora

Veteran

Wow, Leah! Your meal sounds amazing! Maybe I should just come to your house.

Kristen, that's fabulous! Have a wonderful time!

MsMary

Veteran

Kristen, that sounds like a blast!

It's just going to be DH and me and my parents, and for the past few years we've foregone the big home-cooked meal (for which we go all out on Thanksgiving) in favor or takeout Chinese from our favorite local place, plus all the Christmas cookies and candy we can eat, and all the champagne we can drink!

Beth

Veteran

Kristen, have fun in Las Vegas:)

Deb, for Christmas dinner we're having roast duck and ham, scalloped oysters, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, green beans and curried fruit.

Dessert is pecan pie, rum cake and a flourless chocolate cake with a raspberry glaze.

For you southern YLFers, don't forget your blackeyed peas for New Years:)

Debora

Veteran

MaryK, I like the "all the champagne we can drink part"!

Beth, sounds delicious! I'm so glad you mentioned the curried fruit. I have a recipe for a hot curried fruit dish that I had forgotten all about. It goes great with ham or pork. My mom is visiting and I think she would love it.

Beth

Veteran

Yay! And Mary has the right idea...a trip to the liquor store is essential. DH just made his run yesterday:)

LeahJanes

I am going to investigate this "curried fruit" dish. Is it a regional thing?

cloud9

Veteran

i'm still contemplating now that I have a Christmas & new years potluck to prepare. Anyone has suggestions for a good vegetarian dish? Curried fruit sounds interesting...

Kari

Veteran

I don't know what the whole family will be having, but I am definitely making pie. I tried out both apple and pecan pie recipes on my coworkers today and they loved them!

taylor

Veteran

Oh, Kristen, soooo jealous!! Have a blast!!

I am preparing Prime Rib, Spaghetti, and meat balls, Large green Salad with all the goodies, garlic bread, mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms. Pies for desert. It is the only time of year I cook

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

oooh some delicious sounding goodies here!!

The girls and I have spent this morning making all our *treat* food - White Christmas, Jelly, Ice Cream, biscuits, and fruit cake - all made with their allergies in mind.

Then my organic fruit & vegie delivery arrived, so I think we are set!

On Christmas Eve, we are doing a Roast Chicken and Vegies, followed by ice cream, jelly, and whatever other treats we want.

And then on Christmas Day, we'll be eating leftovers - I refuse to cook a full meal in the heat we have here (usually - its going to be wet this year so not as hot at least!), so I prefer to do a big cookup the day before.

And I do have a couple of bottles of wine in the fridge ready to go

Maya

Veteran

I am not in charge of the dinner menu, but I know for dessert we are having Mexican spiced chocolate lava cakes and vanilla ice cream.

Dusty

(website)

We're doing a laid back Christmas this year (the next few days won't be so laid back, but Christmas Day should be) since we'll likely be taking turns going to visit SIL and the new baby in the hospital. I'm making an asiago pear pork roast, salad, broccoli (in some form) and some kind of potato (not mashed, but I'm not 100% settled on what I'm doing). I'm not completely set on the menu - I'm kind of putting that off until I have the school Christmas party done.

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

Like MaryK, we go all out for T-day, so pamper ourselves on Xmas with Chinese and a movie. DH and I do not have family in the state so we get together with friends. It is now the tradition in our little group. Shanghai Garden in the I-District for Seattlites. Fresh shaved barley noodles, mmm.....

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

I'm working right up and including Christmas eve so no big preparations for me. My family are driving down to visit (arrving christmas morning hopefully) so I've booked us in for lunch at the espy hotel - a popular beachside pub/hotel owned by bikies. Should be interesting!!!

Sharon

Veteran

I have a big group of family members arriving, so lots of cooking for me!
Glazed ham
Roast turkey with pork and sage stuffing
Beef fillet with Parmesan cream
Salt-baked salmon
Roast potatoes
Tomato salad with pesto dressing
Rocket, carrot and feta salad
Peas and broad beans with olive oil and mint

Lemon meringue pie
Mango tiramisu
Marzipan and sultana cake

I have made myself a little timetable to get everything done and I'm off to the markets in the morning.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Katiepea

(website)

Veteran

Goodness Sharon, can my family tag along for lunch as well? That spread looks delicious! I hope you have some elves to help you prepare it all...

My new oven is thankfully being installed tomorrow, just in the nick of time! Due to the uncertainty of the "cooking situation" until a couple of hours ago, we still haven't had a chance to absolutely determine what we should prepare for Xmas lunch.

At this stage, I am thinking of making my hubby his favourite nut roast (as he is vegetarian). The children have requested turkey which I'm happy to attempt baking, although I feel a slight sense of trepidation as I've not only never cooked turkey before, but it will also be roasted in a brand new oven. (As a plus - at least it works!!) I think we'll have the usual roast vegies as a side.

The great thing about Christmas Day is that this year (at last!) it is just going to be us, so there is no pressure for everything to be perfect. If the turkey is a little dry, or the vegies a tad more golden (or soggy) than desired, my gorgeous family will all be forgiving!

For dessert we shall go absolutely all out and eat red and green jelly with ice-cream. I know - you are all SO jealous, aren't you?!

(I think I'll also prepare a yummy looking biscuit yule log that I've been itching to make for quite some time and looks ridiculously easy. That is MY kind of dessert!)

Thanks for whetting my appetite and helping me get into the Christmas spirit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*Merry Christmas everyone!*~*~*~~*~

Queen Mum

Veteran

Taylor... prime rib and spaghetti? that is an interesting combination... is there a tradition behind this?

I'm in charge of the green vegetable. I could make it really easy on myself and just do a big pot of green beans, but I think I may try to find a really good asparagus recipe and give it a whirl. I had the best asparagus ever at a restaurant in San Francisco so I'm wondering if I can recreate it. It is hard though, because we will be spending the week at my mom's and Christmas Day at my sister's (with 20+ people) so i'ts not like I can cook at my own house and take it over hot. And the kitchen at her house is going to be chaos central. Maybe I should stick with the green beans.....

anne

Veteran

Our Christmas meal will actually be on boxing day and will be at my house. We are having this. All cold.
* in front of what I am providing

turkey breast roll
*ham (already cooked) Had to get DH to buy this since I have never bought one and got too nervous about it
green salad
* potato salad
roast pumpkin salad

fruit
*pavlova with lemon butter, cream (and possibly raspberries) I was going to make Nigella's lemon meringue cake, but have decided against it after trialling it earlier this week

MNsara

Veteran

We've been stuck in a Christmas Eve meal rut for years and I'm mixing it up this year (my privilege as we are hosting it AGAIN at our house!)

Usually it's been prime rib AND roast crown of pork and sometimes a turkey thrown as well. Then my brother and SIL don't eat beef, pork, potatoes, wheat and a host of other things, so we have enough food and variety to feed a small town. . .

This year my daughter is dating a chef and I've happily turned the menu over to him - he's thinking a potato au gratin dish, salmon, and either a pork tenderloin roast or steaklets.

I'm thinking whatever he is willing to prepare is wonderful, just give me the grocery list and I'll have it ready and waiting for him

Tricia

Veteran

Mmm, I want Leah's dinner.

We'll be at my in-laws for Christmas and I don't have super high expectations for the food; holiday meals are appallingly casual at their house (like, everyone takes their plate and wanders off to different parts of the house to eat in front of the TV or wherever) and MIL, much as I love her, is no cook. But everything will be fine and we'll be with people we love, so I don't care.

We don't usually do anything for New Year's, so we tend to make a fancier dinner for ourselves. I don't know what we'll do this year but last year we did grilled steaks with blue cheese crumbled on top, barley pilaf, and sauteed green beans.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Oh wow! I'm impressed with the chefs around here. Fabulous

We are going out on Xmas Eve (Japanese) and I'll make an Indonesian Buffet called "Riijstafel" for Xmas Day and Boxing Day. About 6 to 8 very spicy dishes. Topping it off with South African Melk Tert for desert.

taylor

Veteran

Yes, QM, I prepare one Italian dish every holiday. You are right and very perceptive...it is a tradition

Debora

Veteran

Wow, I am impressed, too, with all the gourmet chefs here. I wish I had time to respond individually to all of you. Everything sounds soooo good. My mom and I will be heading out to the grocery store in an hour to stock up and DD arrives this afternoon. Can't wait! We are trying to decide now between ham or a beef tenderloin. Maybe both?

Taylor, my mom will be making her famous spaghetti sauce and meatballs while she is here - a real treat! We were planning to take her out to celebrate her 80th birthday on the 26th, but we are expecting a big snow storm now. I may have her cooking her own birthday dinner. What a selfish daughter I am!

Leah, I'm not sure if curried fruit is a regional thing. I was given the recipe 15 years ago when I lived in Germany by a woman from Maryland. Maybe Beth will chime in.

Beth, I'm not a true Southerner but one of these years I'll have to make black-eyed peas.

Sara, your own personal chef for Christmas! Lucky!

Katiepea, good luck with the new oven!

Angie, be sure to tell us all about your big night out. You will have all eyes on you in your ball gown.

Oh, and I forgot to mention -DH will be making us breakfast burritos with egg, bacon, cheese and potatoes on Christmas morning. I don't remember how that tradition got started, maybe during the years we spent in San Antonio, but we look forward to it every year now.

Mum is waiting -gotta go!

Steph

Veteran

My parents are our Christmas chefs (which is good, since I don't cook). Since we're Greek, we have a lot of Greek food on our table. This year I know we will have:
Dolmades (stuffed grape vine leaves)
Spanakopita (spinach pie)
Tiropites (cheese pies in filo dough)
Roasted potatoes
Stuffing (which isn't actually stuffed into anything, it's a standalone dish)
For the meat-eaters, there will be filet mingon, my mom's signature deep-fried meatballs, and I think maybe some kind of pork. For me, my mom makes me special vegetarian food. This year, I think I'm getting lentil soup, gigantes (a Greek dish of large white beans in a red sauce), and baked ziti. Everyone can eat my dishes, of course.

For dessert we will probably have some kind of pie and I know there will be Cheryl's cookies (which, if you ever want to buy cookies for someone, are fantastic). What's insane is that we are having a small Christmas this year, so all of this food is for six adults and two toddlers!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I'm preparing to have someone else take care of it!
Honestly, I hadn't given it any thought until now. My plan was to spend Christmas Day at the amusement park, but now that I realized they are close I am having to come up with a whole new plan. One of our friends invited us to spend the day with them, so I have to see what she wants me to bring- besides booze!

Barbara

Veteran

I'm preparing Ina Garten's Pastitsio, which is like a Greek lasagna. I was watching her show last week and it looked so delicious, I decided to make it for my Christmas Day meal. I'm also making her Arugula, Watermelon and Feta Salad. And my MIL's pound cake for dessert.

YUM!

LOL Khris, about the booze!

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