Christmas starters

[mumontherun14]

Hi I've just found out I'm hosting this year. No problem I've done it many times before and usually order food from m&s & Sainsbury's. But Looking for some new ideas for starters for a change. Usually I do homemade lentil soup then pate with salad. Was looking for a change from the pate. Got 2 teens & my elderly dad plus me & DH & possibly the inlaws as well. Anybody got any really tasty ideas for starters with not too much prep time? Thanks xxx

@mumontherun14 thank you!

I do small Yorkshire puddings filled with apple-jerk pork belly and some carrots/parsnip from the pork roasting tray

Canapés and champagne. Always includes something with smoked salmon for my dad as smoked salmon and brown bread was the traditional starter when they used to host.

Retro style prawn cocktail it’s the law!

Have to say we're in the no starter camp. Would rather add extra Yorkshire's to the main than have a starter. We have a lovely prawn / seafood dinner the night before with salad and crusty white bread.

@mumontherun14 thank you for posting your lentil soup recipe can I just ask :
What colour lentils
What size half a bag
How much liquid with the stock cubes
Do you have to blend the soup at all

As I’m sure you can guess I’ve never made lentil soup 😂

@Nearlyadoctor ha ha no problem it's honestly really easy. Red lentils 1/2 a 500g bag , about 2 pints of water and add more if needed. No blending if you grate the carrots & parsnips then you don't need to xxx

Fab thanks! @mumontherun14

Ahh Lentil Soup Wars .

I do potato (chunks)and onion (diced) in the pan with some oil till soft and the potatoes are part opaque .
Chunks of carrot
Chunks of turnip

Cook over a low heat till the carrot /turnip just carmelises. (Or they can all be roasted together )

Add lentils (red ones)
Couple of those stock pot things (the oval sqidgey ones)
Boiling water to just cover

Simmer till soft .
DH and DD like it chunky , I like it done with the blender
Bit of salt and pepper

Same as pp’s: retro prawn cocktail.
We have it every. single. year.

Prawn cocktail. Obviously

Another prawn cocktail house here.

We tend to throw a pack (or 2 if we didn't get much when visiting others) of M&S nibbly things into the oven while we organise the roast, get the fire lit and open the drinks.

Then we eat those nibbly bits (and maybe a bowl of crisps) with a drink while opening presents and making occasional forays into the kitchen to "check on the roast" (aka refill the wine glass!).

There might be a 15 minute interlude where gravy is made, peas are boiled and dishes removed from the oven (and serving things/plates put into the turned-off oven to heat up). Then 10 more minutes sitting to let everything cool enough to eat/dishes heat up.

Main course served, and cleared.

Might get to cheese then, or later.
Might get to dessert - or not until tomorrow.

Baked mushrooms filled with bacon and stilton

I had some carrots and potatoes that needed used up, and some frozen roasted onions , so I made lentil soup today .

'Tis delish , but way too rich for a Christmas Day starter .

Goes off to look at the Nigella squash soup recipe , she puts blue cheese drizzle on it, that might be a bridge too far !

We have an open plan kitchen/ dining room, so I’m putting out antipasti in the front room to keep the fuckers out the way while I cook.
We like very full plate of Xmas dinner here, plus I do a few different desserts, so couldn’t manage a proper starter.

Used to do starters - but it was just too much food. We do a cooked breakfast /brunch at about 11am, canapes at 2pm and Lunch at about 4.30.

When I did, I tended to do cold starters because the oven was full of roasties!

Game terrine with homemade chutney
Lobster with iceberg lettuce and lime mayo
Homemade mackerel pate with sourdough "melba" toast
Smoked salmon mousse with prawns
Crab stuffed avocado
Hot smoked salmon with chive pancake