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Summer Christmas lunch menu

Sanet

We will host 2 Christmas lunches this year - one in early December with friends and one on Christmas day with family. Both lunches will consist of relatively large groups of people. We've done this before, so, it is not a new experience, but I was wondering what everyone else in the Southern Hemisphere normally cooks. We sometimes cook more traditional food, but it can easily feel too hot for that and I feel like something fresh, light and easy this year.

Any suggestions?

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15 replies

Latest reply was from Deborah

Hil

(website)

Veteran

We normally do a traditional lunch, but we do the turkey/gammon on the Weber and eat outside. This year, we will be by the sea and I think we may do something less traditional. My sister in Perth often does a prawn bbq.

anne

Veteran

I quite enjoy the traditional hot roast, and often get to eat it at my inlaws (though sometimes they'll do cold turkey and cold ham)
My family however tends to go middle-eastern (not that we are in that ethnic group) - we'll have marinated feta,spicy meatballs, cold chicken, salads etc. Once we had bbq fish (a treat as fish cutlets are expensive)

Both families go for cold desserts - lemon meringue pie, a special icecream cake, pavlova and fruit have been some we have done.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

We do a full seafood spread. Oysters, prawns, crays & a berry pudding & pav for dessert.

Sanet

I quite like all the seafood suggestions.

Middle Eastern sounds like fun and it will be something we haven't done before. I'm sure we can do that for friends, but there are a number of very fussy eaters in the family - they won't appreciate it.

Anne - do you know of a good website where I can get some Middle Eastern recipes?

anne

Veteran

Not really Sanet - it is my mum who cooks it!!

minimalist

Veteran

Sanet,
http://almostturkish.blogspot.com/p/about.html
has many recipes adapted by a Turkish woman living in the U.S., where she can't find all the original ingredients.

What do the fussy eaters in your family object to, or prefer?

Lucy

Veteran

I'd totally do seafood, but no-one else in "the family" likes it!

I cater for anywhere from 12 to 26.

So I do roast pork in the weber (mmm, once a year crackling!), and then I put a marinated turkey breast in too. I do roast potato, sweet potato and pumpkin (just simple, in olive oil) in the oven, mainly because we have aircon, and so we can handle the heat, and really, everyone loves them. I then do a range of salads. If I'm lucky someone might bring a salad too.

A few years ago I stopped doing the hot pudding, though I do love it myself. But it was just so hot! So now I do two desserts and I switch them up each year. Last year I did a chocolate trifle, and a raspberry cheesecake. This year, I'm thinking a chocolate, raspberry and mascapone pavlova - made it recently and it was awesome (and gluten free for the coeliac in the family). I figure I have six weeks to figure out the other dessert!

bj1111

Veteran

Homemade ice creams in unusual flavors. I go to davidlebovitz.com for ideas.

Carla

Veteran

We will be knee deep in snow, so a hot kitchen isn't a problem. Still, we bar-b-que through the winter. A big pork loin is yummy, and goes with the family's favourite salad of greens, mandarin oranges, pomegranate, celery, and red onion tossed with a light, plain vinegrette. Raspberry and peach trifle made with angel food cake instead of pound cake is our family signature desert. After DH and DS each brought one to their respective pot lucks, it has become an annual requirement!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

We usually have one of two things at Xmas time when we are at home in Seattle:

Indonesian Rijstafel
Cape Malay spread of turkey bobootie (I don't eat mammals), pilaf, atchar and roasted butternut

When we lived in Cape Town my Mama made roast chicken with veggies and mash - or we had Indonesian Rijstafel. Greg's Capetonian household usually did a seafood special.

Spicy food is very good in hot and cold weather. It always hits our spots.

As for the sweet stuff that is served during Xmas Eve, Day and Boxing Day.....well....that might deserve a separate thread. My favourite part of holiday food is hands down the sweets.

anne

Veteran

Just had to do a bit of googling to understand Angie's post!

My understanding is that BBQ is not the same in Australia and America. We bbq on the top of a grill or hotplate over a fire (often a gas one these days). People cook steak, sausages, shops and more recently kebabs. (and maybe onions eggs or vegies) My impression is that in America it is more likely to be bigger cuts cooked slowly, like joints or ribs. People do cook things in Webers, like Lucy mentioned, but they wouldn't really say it is a BBQ.

Hil

(website)

Veteran

Anne - in South Africa, we do what is called a Braai - generally over coals or a wood fire. We also do the gas bbq thing but a braai here is like a national pass time and treasure.

Sharon

Veteran

Christmas lunch is always seafood in our house. I usually have a side of salmon, and a few kilos of prawns and some oysters. I bake a ham the night before and serve it cold. And I have a roast chook and roast potatoes to keep the husband happy. Then I make a bunch of different salads to serve with the meat/fish.

Dessert is also cold. Lemon meringue pie is hubby's favourite and of course there are always mangoes and cherries at Christmas time, which are a treat just on their own.

Sanet

Thank you all for chiming in.

Despite having loads of cook books we have nothing that covers Middle Eastern or Indonesian Rijstafel or anything that is really a bit more "exotic". I think we need to rectify this. I know one can find a lot online, but to me a book is still first prize.

Angie - I recently ate bobotie at a restaurant and they swopped the raisins for cranberries. I thought that was a wonderful and modern touch and I think I prefer the taste.

Bj1111 - DH is a mean ice-cream maker. I will definitely go and look for ideas on that website.

Deborah

Veteran

Interesting and informative thread Im in Aus and we do very similar to what Sharon has explained.