Making christmas dinner

[Harold_Shand]

So for those of you with the dubious honour of being a kitchen slave for the day, what have you got planned?

I've got 4 adults and 2 kids with me not eating meat. I was thinking of getting some Turkey breasts instead of the usual bird, bacon, roast veg, normal veg, yorkshires but really for me it is all about eating many, many roast spuds. I'll do some veg sausages and maybe quorn roast for me.

I'm not too sure on what to do for starter. Have to have christmas pud and cream but am also a fan of Mackies ice cream. Going for a Tiramisu as an alternative.

Twiglets (it's the law, my hands are tied), honey roast peanuts, pretzels, celebrations, nuts... more ideas on the all-important eating for the sake of eating nibbles?

Turkey sandwiches, gammon sandwiches... pickles, decent cheese and crackers.

Beer - some of the little french supermarket stubbies, these seem to go really well for day-time drinking. 8 cans of Super Tennants. 2 bottles red wine, 2 bottles dry white , Vodka, cheap version of Baileys, Desarano, Brandy, Advocat

What you saying BCF?
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[Skudd]

Puff.
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[Ariel Badger]

Try ASDA or Morison' own brand chicken style pieces in the veggie freezers. Better than Quorn IMHO.
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[The Shaggy D.A.]

I'd happily just have a pile of roast spuds, Yorkshire pudding and pigs in blankets swimming in gravy. Maybe some sprouts, too. Sod the starter, that just takes up room that can be filled with the aforementioned.
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[Tonka]

I prefer goose to turkey, but if I'm right I think you can buy a crown which is just the breast section, so that it can be carved if you wish to do the man of the house tribal thang!! We're having duck this year, as I thought it'd make a nice change and then there's turkey for Boxing Day instead when there are more of us about. Loads and loads of lovely veggies and spuds here too, as I love bubble and squeak with cold meats and pickles - om nom nom!!

As for starters I'm not a fan, as they kill my appetite for the main dinner and I love all the pudding and brandy butter anyway. You could go for a pate and toast or smoked salmon if you really felt the need. There is always homemade soup but I find that more of a meal in it's own right.

How about a hedgehog of pineapple and cheese nibbles to go all retro? Obviously the kids won't get the joke!! I like those salt and vinegar chipsticks too and then there are the essential hula hoops to stick on fingers!!

As for drinks there are some really nice sparkly wines about at the moment and they are all on offer in the supermarkets. Even the 'real' champagnes are significantly cheaper this year!
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[Clanger]

I'm not exactly sure where I will be for the actual day...so not entirely sure what I will be eating. I can pretty much guarantee it will be meat-free though, as I won't be involved in the cooking myself.
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[lostboy]

I'm at the future mum in laws but not cooking at all so dinner will be the highlight of the day after opening prezzies of course, then everyone pretty much does there own thing so hoping for a good book or the earth to swallow me whichever comes first.
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[MattHirst]

[Alexio]

I'm spending christmas with my brother this year. Between us, we are capable of cooking up the most amazing Christmas meal any of you could dream of.

However this year we will mostly be focusing on an xbox 360, whiskey, vodka, beer, cider and lots and lots of frozen food from the super market. Merry Christmas everyone, I know mine at least is going to be a good one
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[hellkat]

I might not be able to get away with NOT making a pavlova this year. Managed to get away with it for several years now ... last year I made cheesecake from scratch, crikey it were well delicious. And I think I did trifles as well.

But as they are used to me making pavlova, and I haven't for a while ... I suppose I should I just hate having to go to Sainsburys and search for passionfruit on Xmas Eve ... bloik, nightmare!

Shanduccio: get some olives and some feta cheese chunks, chop em up for pre-dinner nibbles. Add some capers and some sun dried tomatoes if you like. But for god sake, don't buy them pre-mixed. Buy them separate from the deli, and then you can munch on them while you are cooking as well.

And chop up a bit of ciabatta to mix in with the oil: bread salad, yum.
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[hellkat]

My personal favourite "only for the cook" pre-dinner Christmas nibble is cashew nuts.

I hide the bag between the toaster and the box of herbs and spices so nobody else can find it
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[kawashima]

I wanna eat Christmas pudding someday. I couldn't buy it in February. Looks like a chocolate cake.
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[Ste]

If I had any say in it then Christmas would be postponed for a few days.

That way, people who wanted to buy Christmas crap could do so at a fraction of the price and people who don't want to buy Christmas crap could just get drunk on both Christmas days.

[hellkat]

[sk8wheeler]

Having roast boar for xmas this year, as i got sick to death of mistiming the turkey. I'm not really feeling christmassy yet, perhaps it'll kick in when i actually start my xmas shopping.

[hellkat]

Its not often I agree with Ste
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[The Artist]

Goose, crispy roasties, lots of gravy, stuffing

beer, southern comfort,

stuffing

Bed

Wake up, same thing again

[lostboy]

[The Artist]

Yh. Last years new years eve was awesome.

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Anyone got any sensible (i.e No saying stuff like..Eat some proper food you veggie poofter..etc ) tips on how to cook a quorn roast yet maintain some moisture in the things. I endup having to drown mine in gravy. (yes its humane drowning)

Ta


Pat
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[Tonka]

The difficulty with the 'veggie roast' in my experience is that it's virtually impossible to get nice and crispy without it getting dried out - strictly either or. They seem to dry out really swiftly if not wrapped tightly in foil and it does depend on what you have in them - mushrooms and peppers seem to hold a lot more moisture and don't seem to dry too quickly.

I guess it's going to be the normal boring advice that you wrap tightly in tin foil and then unwrap for just the last half hour's cooking time and hope that it crisps up a bit. Take care not to overcook by forgetting about it!! I suppose taking it out to 'rest' is a little pointless but if you do take it out of the oven early, wrap back up tightly it may keep the moisture in.
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[stinkwheel]

The trick is to get as much of it prepared in advance as possible, then it's just a case of getting stuff hot again on the day.

Par-boil your tatties and veg so they just need bringing up to the boil again. Get the starter mostly plated up and stored somewhere out of the way. Have the bird ready in the roasting tin with trimmings applied.

Do it right and you can sit on your backside watching the Flash Gordon waiting for the bird to be ready. When it's done, you just bang your pans on to boil as it's resting, slap the roast tatties in the oven to crisp up and make the gravy while the meat is resting.

Most sauces can be made the day before and heated up. More complex ones can be partially made up then put aside so you just need to do the final bit on the day.

Buy a meat thermometer for the bird. Really hard to fuck it up then.

On the day you just want to be putting pots and pans of stuff on the stove, not pissing around chopping, slicing and preparing.
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[mooserx]

I have no intention of venturing anywhere neare the kitchen on christmas day, thats a womans place.