xmas dinner starters?

[justgaveup]

am sure this has been done before, but what are you making/having for starter on xmas day?

I wanted to do something not too filling that doesn't involve prawns!

Smoked salmon blinis.
More like canapes I guess, but find getting the kids to sit down for starter, main and dessert a bit of a drag, so we go for a canape style starter instead.

And olives - yummy!

tuna mousse with salmon

Ah, mine is baked advocado stuff with crab....it's got egg white and something else in it to fluff and slightly crisp up....

here, I think

cava and selection box

thanks everyone but these are a bit too fishy for us...we only really stretch to smoked salmon...any non fishy numbers?

I'm having similar issues trying to decide what to have! Thinking pate and some small toast triangles - feeling a general lack of inspiration...

DH is wanting to do canapes, mainly oatcake and pate type things.

I decided to make carrot soup instead nad it will just be a small bowl each, so not too filling.

We're having egg in tomatoes. (Well SIL is doing a choice of that or pate and I'll go for the pate!)

I think it's a scooped out tomato with an egg cracked in and a bit of cream, garlic and parmesan, baked in the oven.

WHAT about a simple pate, toast and onion marmalade?

Wilted winter green salad

Canape type starters are good.

We mix shredded smoked salmon with creme fraiche, very finely chopped chives, a tiny dopr of lemon juice and black pepper and then pile it up on warm blinis. hmmmm.

Yes, blinies best of all.With Champers as you glide about.

We are having this served on a bed of lettuce, spring onions, cucumber and vine cherry tomatoes.

Oh and I use a marie rose type dressing on it:

I use 2 big heaped spoonfuls of mayonnaise, 2 big heaped spoonfuls of natural yoghurt, with 1 heaped spoonful of ketchup, then add 1 spoon full of brandy, a spoon full of lemon juice, zest of 1/2 a lemon, 2 good pinches of paprika, 2 good pinches of ginger, 1 crushed clove of garlic. Season with pepper. Good on prawns, crab and lobster.

galettes with pears and white stilton

galettes (these arent traditional btw, i have no idea why we call them this - shortcrust pastry rounds,
saute sliced pears in butter
slap on top with cubed white stilton (or any blue cheese, have done this with roqueforte)
bit of pepper, some rosemary
put in oven, remove when pastry browning and cheese melted
look better if they are made a bit freeform so wine is started before we make them
eat, with some side salad if you must
I suspect these will be eaten in thekitchen fresh from oven
yay for smallscale family christmas

Next door had sliced duck with mixed salad and orange segments dressed in an orange and balsamic vinaigrette.

Before we have had:

Salmon fishcakes with salad
Goat's cheese tart
Pate on toast with chutney
Quails eggs with salad
Honey roasted duck salad with plum compote