I'm stuck....christmas eve dinner and day starter.

[IliveonCoffee]

Okay. Very first world problem. Yes, I put waaaaaayy too much thought into food for special occasions. I know there are only 2 of us and it's really not worth it. But I really do enjoy having an opportunity for nice food...and put far too much effort into each festive meal (if only I put this much thought into cooking the rest of year). Anyway

I don't know what to do for Christmas Eve dinner. Something fairly easy, as a) I'm working (from home) till 16.00 and b) I'll have Christmas Day prep. I did think a charcuterie (sp?) and cheese board might be nice, but worried it would a) cost a small fortune for a good selection..and I'll be asked where a (cooked) dinner is?

But that's not the big issue...we can always order takeaway, or cook whatever. I have a nice evening planned anyway so....

Christmas dinner itself, sorted...I have my recipes all ready! Pudding...I'm a secret pyromaniac so naturally I'm setting fire to a pudding 2/3 hours after dinner.

But a starter. I'm stuck. For two...previously I did a baked camembert but it really was a bit much. I don't really have the capacity to cook something fiddly (in time or space). And I am not making soup. Aside from prawn cocktail or pate....I'm stuck.

What's everyone else having...

Crudités, crisps and M&S dip selection!

We're having homemade mushroom pate and melba toast. Bit retro but what about melon and Parma ham?

We (me and 16yo DD) usually have a baked camembert for Christmas eve with grapes,celery, soft breadsticks etc.

This year though, we're going to have a substantial brunch and a festive afternoon tea,and just snacky bits in the evening.

Christmas day starter...you've just reminded me of my favorite which I haven't done for a while. Line a small ramekin per person with smoked salmon and fill with a mixture of cream cheese, prawns, finely chopped apple and celery. Fold the excess salmon over and when ready to serve tip out onto a plate with some salad leaves lemon wedges and buttered brown bread

We usually have smoked salmon blinis with sour cream and caviar.

Christmas Eve I’m making Melty Mushroom Stilton Wellington. I’m using shop bought pastry and will make it the day before. Shop bought mash plus gravy and token veg.

Not decided on a starter yet but previously I’ve done cranberry and goats cheese parcels. Use shop bought filo with a blob of cranberry sauce and a blob of boats cheese. Scrunch it up and bake in the oven for 15 mins. It’s lighter than baked Camembert but really tasty and easy!

Christmas Eve we are having party food. All things that can just get put in the oven.

Christmas Day starters are choice of

Salmon mousse
Prawn cocktail
Pate
Melon

Melon is a lovely light starter. Melon and prawns are really nice together too, in a large gin glass or something!

No, you're not stuck. Deep breath and remind yourself you have a whole week to figure this out, OP. You can do it!

I haven't done my food shop order for my delivery that's booked on Sunday yet! Plenty of time tomorrow.

Cocktails and canapés for Xmas Eve (followed by s’mores made over the fire pit outside of it’s not raining).

Xmas dinner starter - Posh Heston pate from Waitrose on brioche toast

@splann I like those parcels, they seem they'd be just the thing to whip in as the turkey comes out to rest. And cheese is never a bad idea.

@MintyCedric the salmon ramekins I think are close second.

Certainly, I need to work out timings and things and work out what fits best. My oven barely gets a rest on xmas day!

Party food tends to be Boxing day as that tends to be when we have family over.

@GintyMcGinty I am almost certainly going to level up to choice of starters one day. At present however it's just me and dp, and he.is.banned. from the kitchen on Christmas Day, so if he wanted a different starter he'd have to make in the living room. Not that he can cook. I'm sure once I have a house-full and invite parents...

I think Christmas starters need to be really light, maybe a pear, Stilton and walnut salad.

If we were having a starter before The Meal (we're not, we get full enough as it is), I think I'd probably make some smoked mackerel paté and serve it on two tiny rounds of melba toast. The pate is really easy (and very rich) - just mix and mash equal amounts (roughly a tablespoon) of Philadephia and softened butter with a couple of smoked mackerel fillets, a teaspoon or so of horseradish sauce, some ground black pepper, and a generous squeeze of lemon. You can do it by hand, or in a food processor if you want it to be really smooth. Serve with a slice/wedge of lemon on the side, garnish with parsley.

Griddled scallops with crispy pancetta and pea puree. Quick and easy.

How about smoked mackerel pate? Whizz up smoked mackerel, half a lemon juice, cream cheese, season. quick and easy.

sorry @Inextremis didn't see your post!

Cadburys selection box. Starter of champions.

We always have christmas ham, chips and peas on Christmas eve. We never have a starter on Christmas Dinner. I can't face that as well as a big roast dinner and heavy pudding. We have nibbles with champagne while we open presents.

@Splann

Christmas Eve I’m making Melty Mushroom Stilton Wellington. I’m using shop bought pastry and will make it the day before. Shop bought mash plus gravy and token veg.

Not decided on a starter yet but previously I’ve done cranberry and goats cheese parcels. Use shop bought filo with a blob of cranberry sauce and a blob of boats cheese. Scrunch it up and bake in the oven for 15 mins. It’s lighter than baked Camembert but really tasty and easy!

@Splann would you mind posting or linking the recipe for the Melty Mushroom Stilton Wellington thing? Thank you

@Snooks1971 it’s this one. I might add some chestnuts in too.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/melty-mushroom-wellingtons

Scallops, pea purée, pancetta, black pudding and cranberry.

We’re having a sushi platter on Christmas Eve.

We’re not having a starter for Christmas Day but if we did, it would probably be melon wrapped in prosciutto with a drizzle of pesto.

If live a charcuterie and nice bread and salad fjr Christmas Eve. If you want to make it special look at Instagram- apparently making beautiful wreath type presentations is the thing! You just want something easy.
I'm skipping a starter this Christmas- I love the main so much I don't want to fill up on anything else. If I had guests I'd do a soup or fresh crabmeat mixed with a bit of mayo, spoon on to endive leaves and sprinkle with paprika. Light and tasty.

I'm working on Christmas Eve so dinner will be quick, I make Jamie Oliver pizza dough fairly regularly and freeze the extra so have plenty of homemade pizza bases which just need defrosted. We don't usually have starters on Christmas day, prosecco with brunch then straight to main late afternoon. Cheeseboard for us and desserts for DCs later. If i was going the starter route, mabe pear and stilton salad or goats cheese filo parcels.

Cheese features very heavily

Christmas Eve is home-made gravad lax with melba toast and a winter salad.
Don't do a traditional turkey, as I cannot stand it, so we have goose, red cabbage and German potato dumplings for lunch on Christmas day. I do a light mousse with a herby green sauce as a starter and clementines in lemon grass syrup for pudding.

We’re having this:
www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/quick-and-easy/grilled-peaches-with-burrata/