Delicious Christmas lunch, but easy?

[mani]

I'm going away right up until Christmas eve, and don't want to be doing a lot of shopping while I'm away, or risk things being unavailable the day before.
I'm only away for five days, so figure I can get in a whole lot of stuff before I go.

I need to feed two others and, unlike me, they're not food intolerant or particularly fussy, so I'd like it to be all about them (one is coming about 1500 miles and is 80 years old).

I figure dessert is easy.. plum pudding, a rather lovely fluffy brandy sauce I always make, icecream and berries. Cream I can buy with a long use-by before I go, icecream is fine, as it the plum pud, and I'll use frozen berries or pick them up on the way home. Things like chocolates etc are easy.

It's more starters and a main course.

Could the good people of TCS offer me suggestions? They can be out of left field.. it's very hot here at Christmas, so sometimes we have salmon, salads etc. and there's quite a bit of 'prawns on the barbie' but that doesn't work for me as I don't have one.
And many are traditional.

Anything you suggest would be gratefully accepted!

 

[Norachan]

If you're going to do salads anyway how about salad spring rolls? I made these earlier this year.

Fresh Vegan Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

You could put prawns in them or do a vegan alternative with deep fried tofu instead. I made the dip with peanut butter and bought a sweet chili sauce to go with them. The trick to getting pretty harumaki is to slice the vegetables thinly and don't have them too long. You want to be able to bunch them up so they fit into the middle of the rice paper. then you have a generous bit to fold over at each end.

The mint and basil go really well with the veges in this.

 

[mani]

I wasn't thinking of salads Norachan ... just saying a lot of people do here, in the hot weather. However, the peanut sauce recipe is able to be stored for a week, so if I had the goodies, this might be a good starter... I'd certainly love it.

 

[AbbysMom]

Maybe a Mediterranean platter to start? Hummus, Feta, olives, etc? I think most of that could be bought ahead of time. Lasagna? What meats would you have available to you that you could get the day before?

 

[mani]

AbbysMom I'd thought I could get a frozen leg of lamb, or chook or whatever, or is that not the 'done thing'? (spot the vegetarian )

 

[AbbysMom]

You can, but would the leg of lamb have enough time to defrost?

 

[DreamerRose]

What about a shrimp salad (using frozen shrimp) and sliced avocado on the side?

 

[mani]

You can, but would the leg of lamb have enough time to defrost?

You see this is where my extreme lack of meat knowledge is a problem..
But it doesn't have to be a huge leg (three people) and I could defrost the night before?

What about a shrimp salad (using frozen shrimp) and sliced avocado on the side?

I think shrimp are prawns? One person would love them, but two of us have shellfish allergies.

 

[DreamerRose]

Shrimp are little prawns. They are out if you have allergies. But you could substitute chicken, cooked ahead, diced, frozen, and thawed the day of.

I think any leg of lamb would be too much for three people. Lamb chops would be better, two per person, but you would have to order them here in the States. I don't know if they are readily available in Australia, but with your sheep raising history, they might be.

 

[mani]

I think any leg of lamb would be too much for three people. Lamb chops would be better, two per person, but you would have to order them here in the States. I don't know if they are readily available in Australia, but with your sheep raising history, they might be.

I'm laughing as I was brought up on lamb chops with three veg They're often eaten here and are always in the supermarket.
I'm unsure about the leg of lamb thing.. they do come quite small, and they're the gift that keeps on giving.. all the leftover bits for sandwiches and salads for a couple of days afterwards.

It also doesn't have to be a 'leg', but any of the lamb roasts available. Since I started this one of my students has suggested lamb shoulder, pre-cooked in gravy, then wrapped in alfoil and frozen. All it needs then is a defrost and gentle heat. She'll send me the recipe.

 

[denice]

I don't know why lamb never caught on here. I have only had it once in my life and I am 63. When we think of Shepherd's Pie here it is made with ground beef. I remember when Gordon Ramsey did his restaurant makeover show here that would drive him nuts, he would say that is cottage pie not shepherd's pie.

I have seen them do double rack of lamb on cooking shows. It seems quick, fairly easy and it is a showy main dish.

 

[catapault]

Let's back up.
First, do you want something hot that you will cook that day?
Or, second, do you want something pre-cooked that will be reheated?
Or, third option, do you want something cold?

Since the weather is hot and dessert is the plum pudding etc I think option 3 might be easier. Gives you more time to enjoy the company of your far-traveling, elderly friends too.

A composed salad with assorted red and green vegetables - be sure they are holiday season colorful. Choose among oven roasted beets, chilled. Radicchio. Sweet red peppers. Good, tender lettuce. Asparagus, cooked and chilled. Broccoli, ditto. That takes care of your side dish.

I'd go for a cold main dish too. If the weather is hot the last thing you want is to heat up the house with a roast in the oven. If you can get salmon, either steaks or a fillet - pull out of freezer when you get home in the evening. Place on aluminum sheet to defrost more quickly. Cook in the morning. Refrigerate to chill. Make a green mayonnaise to accompany it. (pinkish red salmon, green mayonnaise - Christmas colors again)

Then splash out on the dessert.

 

[mani]

I'm coming around to the cold idea too, C catapault . That looks rather good.

 

[DreamerRose]

I'm laughing as I was brought up on lamb chops with three veg They're often eaten here and are always in the supermarket.
I'm unsure about the leg of lamb thing.. they do come quite small, and they're the gift that keeps on giving.. all the leftover bits for sandwiches and salads for a couple of days afterwards.

I'm not surprised about the lamb chops after I thought about it for a minute. As Denice said though, it's not very popular in the States, but not unheard of. I've only eaten lamb once in my life too, and the leg was huge, the size of a half ham. They served it with mint jelly. Never understood that. Actually, once I got over eating something I had never eaten before, it was quite good.

 

[Winchester]

When my GF was alive, she and her husband would come down for a Christmas brunch. If it wasn't actually Christmas Day, it was sometime during the holidays, when the four of us could be together for a while. I would serve quiches, fruit salad, usually a bit of ham, mimosas, and homemade yeast rolls with an assortment of preserves. Dessert was always an assortment of Christmas cookies with coffee or hot chocolate with marshmallows. I'd light the candles on the table and we had a nice time. A bit of relaxation in the midst of all the holiday madness..And it's all done ahead of time, so last minute rush.

 

[mani]

Sounds lovely Winchester .

 

[neely]

Being vegetarian myself I find casseroles are an easy all inclusive dish. There are so many recipes to choose from plus you can add whatever ingredients you like. You can make the casserole ahead of time and reheat.

 

[amysuen]

When my GF was alive, she and her husband would come down for a Christmas brunch. If it wasn't actually Christmas Day, it was sometime during the holidays, when the four of us could be together for a while. I would serve quiches, fruit salad, usually a bit of ham, mimosas, and homemade yeast rolls with an assortment of preserves. Dessert was always an assortment of Christmas cookies with coffee or hot chocolate with marshmallows. I'd light the candles on the table and we had a nice time. A bit of relaxation in the midst of all the holiday madness..And it's all done ahead of time, so last minute rush.

We do Christmas brunch with my parents: a crock pot breakfast casserole with hash browns, sausage, cheese and eggs, fresh fruit, juice, wine, coffee, and Christmas cookies. My parents always bring fruit cake and German stollen. The casserole takes 4 hours to cook in the crock pot but our kids are still young enough to get up early for presents so we have time to do the casserole before going to church. By the time we get home and everything else is ready the crock pot is done too.