What starter are you doing?

[Stompythedinosaur]

I need ideas!

We have 6 people coming, one is veggie and one has a very restricted diet due to Crohns Disease, meaning they can't have sugar or most veg. In previous years I have done grilled goat's cheese salad and baked camembert, but neither was well recieved. I'd happily do a meat and veggie option if they aren't too time consuming.

Help!

Worcester sauce is a problem fit the vegetarian guest highland.

Canapés here this year but in previous years we’ve done:

Broccoli and Stilton soup
Prawn cocktail
Open mushroom ravioli
Salmon terrine
Baked mushrooms
Goats cheese & beetroot salad
Roast vegetable tartlets

PurpleDaisies damn I forgot about the contents of Worcester sauce! I wonder if there is a veggie equivalent, I'm not veggie so never looked for one. Maybe someone else will know? Could always use it as a garnish and not add it to the veggie bowl?

Some hot and cold canapés will be going out an hour before the meal, with champagne / cocktails.
No starter.

Beetroot dauphinoise with a grilled goats cheese topping and soup.

Thank you so much for the ideas!

I'm warming to the idea of prawn cocktail, I like that it doesn't take oven space and apparently dmil likes it. I can probably do an alternative for the veggie.

I love the sound of grilled aubergine with honey and chilli AlecOrAlonzo do you have a recipe I could steal?

We have prawns and smoked salmon, and egg mayonnaise on platters that can be passed round, with dishes of Marie Rose sauce ( M and S is fab) it can be prepared the day before, everyone loves it, and there'd be a riot if I didn't make it!

Hendersons relish is the usual veggie substitute for Worcester sauce. I've never tried it in a bloody Mary though.

Soup

Salmon and king prawns

Pate with salad

@Stompythedinosaur

Cut the aubergine into thickish rounds (say thickness of your finger), lay them out on a lined baking sheet and brush generously with olive oil, season lightly and cook at 160fan for 20 min or so. As soon as they are out of the oven tip them into a bowl and dress with the juice of a lemon, a couple of teaspoons of honey, a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil, a very finely chopped red chilli and some chopped fresh thyme. Check the seasoning and lay them on a platter. Could sprinkle with pomegranate seeds to make them look nice and festive. Eat with nice bread and maybe a bit of rocket. They can be made the day before if you need as long as they come to room temperature before serving. Reckon on 1/3-1/2 an aub per person depending on size.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3198/spicy-roasted-parsnip-soup

This spicy roast parsnip soup is ace, it's Christmassy, it's veggie and you can make it in advance and reheat.

Always goes down a treat.

DP and DS have pate
Me and SIL have prawn cocktail,
No one else eats starters,

You can chargrill the aubergine for the salad @AlecOrAlonzo suggests - thinly slice it and chargrill it (if you have a chargrill pan, of course) - works nicely with courgette too.

You don't want to be grilling when you've got a Xmas dinner on the go!

Pre-prepared starters only in this house

Roquefort, pear and walnut salad with vinegrette dressing. Quite light as Christmas lunch is heavy.

@shpoot - you are quite right about grilling things whilst trying to cook Christmas dinner - I should have said I'd grill the aubergines and courgettes the day before, and serve chilled - sorry!

Smoked salmon and prawns with horseradish dressing from the BBC Good Food website. It’s really lovely and has been approved without fail at Christmas!

I think if you do a starter it has to be something that requires no/minimal hob or oven space.

You could heat soup and then keep it hot in a slow cooker?

I'd personally do mushroom pate and crusty bread with a slightly dressed salad.

Thanks for all the advice!

I think you’re really lovely to be so considerate, especially regarding the guest with Crohn’s.

We have melon as its a palette cleanser fr the main event

MerryBear that is kind of you, but the guest with Crohns is my dp, so it would be more than a little heartless if I didn't cater for him!

I make these. Super yum! www.bbc.com/food/recipes/mackerelontoastwiths_90005

Remove the fish for the veggie or replace with some sort of mild cheese?

Ketchup nooooooo, tomato purée!

Do mulled cider and cava count