Christmas Meal...?

[HumbleHomeCook]

There will just be six of us this year and it'll be more of a late lunch/early dinner.

I'm thinking about shaking up tradition and going "event regional" with Israeli/Mediterranean Middle Eastern dishes and flavors. Note, I didn't say authentic.

These are flavors my wife is still testing out so I need to keep that in mind but I've already bought a lamb roast. She loves lamb chops so this will be a next step and the kids like it so we're good there. I'm not going to do a huge spread with gillion dishes but have a some ideas for some grain/rice dishes, roasted veggies, maybe a salad or two. Put out some dried fruits and nuts, maybe make hummus.

Any ideas or suggestions?

What are you folks planning?

 

[boomchakabowwow]

i am not cooking this year.

Christmas Eve, we are going to a local famous Peking Duck place. on the way home, i am grabbing a Take and Bake deep dish pizza to finish cooking on Christmas day. plus a kller bottle of wine.

done.

 

[WildBoar]

I made a lasagna one year with Mediterranean/ middle eastern flavors. Used mainly ground lamb for the meat, and heavily seasoned it with suitable spices Did a béchamel sauce with a little tomato sauce mixed in. Don't remember how I handles the ricotta and melting cheeses (used a bit of Feta, taking it towards Greece, but I don't remember what else).

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

UPDATE: So I was holding off on telling the wife my plan. Even though she's liked lamb the couple times I've made it for her, as I said, she's still testing out Middle Eastern flavors and I didn't want her to have a mental bias/concern right up front. To complicate things, my wife will eat damn near any raw vegetable you put in front of her, but cooked, well then we get more selective. Progress has been made but it's still a thing.

But, we just discussed it and she's quite open to it and actually excited.

I also have a daughter with very real digestive issues that I have to keep in mind but she too is excited. My oldest daughter loves the idea as she wants to talk to my granddaughter about the flavors and why we're trying them. They love to cook and explore.

So now, I just gotta figure out two or three good dishes that I think will be a good fit.

I have little experience with these flavors so I'm both excited and nervous.

 

[Jovidah]

IMO most important part is that while great food is important, you still want to actually be able to focus on the people and not stand in the kitchen all evening focusing on food. So I always go for stuff that I already know and tried before (do it in a test-run a week before if need be), try to limit the amount of elements per course, and try to do as many things I can prep (a day) ahead. That way on the day itself you're not stressing or having to do a million things.
So this year among other things I'll be throwing in some bird leg confit, a venison wellington, and some lime tart. But all 3 of those I can prep in the days before and all I'll have to do on the day itself is throw it in the oven and slice.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

IMO most important part is that while great food is important, you still want to actually be able to focus on the people and not stand in the kitchen all evening focusing on food. So I always go for stuff that I already know and tried before (do it in a test-run a week before if need be), try to limit the amount of elements per course, and try to do as many things I can prep (a day) ahead. That way on the day itself you're not stressing or having to do a million things.
So this year among other things I'll be throwing in some bird leg confit, a venison wellington, and some lime tart. But all 3 of those I can prep in the days before and all I'll have to do on the day itself is throw it in the oven and slice.

Agree one hundred percent. Even though that was already forefront n my mind, I still got that very lecture from the wife last night.

That's the big reason I went lamb roast instead of chops. Can just do it's thing. I'm probably going to do up some lentils the day before so I just need to warm them up. Some veggies can roast with the lamb. So a dish or two that my granddaughter can help with and we'll be good.

 

[jaydee]

Although not really middle eastern this Ottolenghi dish "Mejadra" could fit the lamb and flavours you´re looking for.
Ottolenghi´s Mejadra
A really good and not too complicated and fragrant rice&lentil dish.
I often use fried onions from the supermarket ;-)

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Although not really middle eastern this Ottolenghi dish "Mejadra" could fit the lamb and flavours you´re looking for.
Ottolenghi´s Mejadra
A really good and not too complicated and fragrant rice&lentil dish.
I often use fried onions from the supermarket ;-)

Thank you and it's already on my short list.

I have his "Jerusalem" cookbook I've got a couple dishes marked in that as well.

 

[boomchakabowwow]

UPDATE: So I was holding off on telling the wife my plan. Even though she's liked lamb the couple times I've made it for her, as I said, she's still testing out Middle Eastern flavors and I didn't want her to have a mental bias/concern right up front. To complicate things, my wife will eat damn near any raw vegetable you put in front of her, but cooked, well then we get more selective. Progress has been made but it's still a thing.

But, we just discussed it and she's quite open to it and actually excited.

I also have a daughter with very real digestive issues that I have to keep in mind but she too is excited. My oldest daughter loves the idea as she wants to talk to my granddaughter about the flavors and why we're trying them. They love to cook and explore.

So now, I just gotta figure out two or three good dishes that I think will be a good fit.

I have little experience with these flavors so I'm both excited and nervous.

no pressure there!! hhahah...

you and i were separated at birth. i agonize over party meals. i put way too much pressure on myself. i can read it in your post. hahah.

 

[boomchakabowwow]

to add:

i have resorted to doing braised dishes for groups. i can do it the night before, and chill it down for safe storage. the next day, all i do is pull off the fat-cap to lean it all up, and reheat it for the official dinner. i would argue it is better the next day anyways. leaner for sure, cleaner tasting with the fat removed...and gently warmed it gets like really tender.

then all i have to do is do veg and toss a loaf of sourdough into the empty oven..

as a home cook, i am not great at timing a roast to be ready when it's time to eat. hahah

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Lamb is dry brining in the fridge.

Cooked up this spicy lentil and rice concoction that I can just warm up tomorrow. Just kinda winged it but turned out good. Red chili (maybe California?), cumin, smoked paprika, sumac, fenugreek, white pepper, turmeric, etc.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Well the kids just left and I couldn't be happier. The food was a hit! The lamb turned out so good!!!

I studded (pierced) it with garlic cloves and rosemary leaves:

It was a touch to the rare side near the bone but my oldest daughter and SIL were the happier for it.

I had an almond, parsley, rosemary, thyme pesto and garlic yogurt for sauces on the side.


Spicy lentils, rice and mixed vegetables:

Roast butternut squash and cauliflower with cumin and sumac (they'd already had at the cauliflower):

I was really happy with this next one. Many years ago I made mushrooms stuffed with green apples, onions, and sausage. My youngest daughter loved them and asks for them every year. I didn't make them last year and she was bummed. I knew I was gonna be busy this year and even with all the prep ahead I did, I knew my hands would be hurting and I wasn't going to want to do anything remotely meticulous. So, trying to keep to the theme...

Ground pork with cumin, coriander, and white pepper with sautéed mushrooms, onions and apple and pearl couscous cooked in a vegetable broth:

She devoured it and took a tub home!

I had nuts and dried fruit and humus and naan and olives and it all just turned out great!

I was so nervous leading up to it but couldn't be happier with the results.

Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[ian]

Looks awesome. Well done!

 

[mengwong]

Have you ever made so much stuffing it filled every rack in the oven? And then watched it sit out untouched, beyond a tentative first scoop? Maybe every buffet has one unlucky dish that nobody wants. Or maybe it just couldn’t compete with the mashed potatoes.

 

[WildBoar]

Have you ever made so much stuffing it filled every rack in the oven? And then watched it sit out untouched, beyond a tentative first scoop? Maybe every buffet has one unlucky dish that nobody wants. Or maybe it just couldn’t compete with the mashed potatoes.

When that happens, if I/ we think it's good, it gets bagged and goes into the freezer so we can enjoy it the throughout the year.

 

[boomchakabowwow]

Zero stress. Deep dish pizza.

Haha. Glass oF Pinot

 

[Jovidah]

I'm not really into taking pictures so you'll have to take my word for it, but I arguably had the most relaxing 5 course meal I ever did in my life.
Menu was hollowed out roasted zuchinni with some filling of red bell pepper, apple, pomegranate seeds, spinach, marinated guinea fowl and feta... then spanish stile gambas al ajillo with bruscettas with roasted bell pepper and basil, confit pheasant legs with caramellized pears and pedro ximenez/thyme sauce, venison wellington with pumpkin puree and some vegetable sides, and to finish it off some tropical fiesta with lime tart, mango panna cotta and coconut ice cream.

Planned ahead, so most of the work was done the day before. Admittedly the day before was exhausting and a bit too much work for my taste...
But on the day itself all we really had to do was cut some veggies, do some ovenwork and set some things in motion. Almost got stressed that we were forgetting something because there was so little to do...

I can also definitly recommend making more but simpler courses; it really simplifies things because each course individually is very little work; there's simply less components to manage, the quantities are much easier to juggle, and it's easier to make a menu where everyone gets something they like, without having to make 3 alternatives at every course.