CHRISTMAS MEAL IDEAS THIS YEAR

[reinhard1]

this year i'm making a traditional meal. rouladen, krout/bacon/ and home made potatoe dumplings. the recipes can be found on the following pages of this forum:

Real dumplings and kraut with bacon on "Hey Reinhard1 a ? for you" thread on page 8.

Rouladen on the " Reinhard, do you have a rouladen recipe/advice" thread on page 13.

probably have some hard rolls and some kind of a pie also. so what are your traditional meals or plans for a Christmas meal [main course, side dishes, and deserts ect} good luck.

[Harmonica Bear]

What kind of wine should I bring?

[fishinchicks]

We'll be hosting both sides of the family at different times Christmas week this year. Hubby's side will probably be cider-brined turkey with stuffing and other traditional sides or Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and other traditional sides.

When my family is here, we'll have marinated chicken wings (super good), and a variety of appetizers and Christmas baking. There will be pickled herring, cheese ball and crackers, various cheeses and sliced meats amongst the other goodies.

[deerminator]

Sounds wonderful! We'll have the traditional swedish meatballs with real mashed potatoes and gravy along, plenty of lutefisk with clarified butter, and homemade rolls and lefse on Christmas Eve at the Scandanavian in-laws. Plus all sorts of cookies for dessert when opening presents. I've learned to love that meal - even the lutefisk! Seriously, I'd be disappointed if my mother-in-law changed it up.

Christmas Day, we'll have the traditional turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. Not really a big fan of that set-up these days, especially when ice cold after sitting out for awhile before everyone gets to the table. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the meal and the company, especially when there are many less fortunate - just can't stand cold food, especially potatoes!

[delcecchi]

invest in one of those warming trays. Or pick up a chafing dish, they only cost like 30 bucks.

[reinhard1]

i think that cider brined mix i have used for trout. is that the one with apple cider, brown sugar and salt? cant remember the measurments right now, but i think i have it written down somewhere. trout were great. how about that chicken wing recipe please. thanks. good luck.

[deerminator]

invest in one of those warming trays. Or pick up a chafing dish, they only cost like 30 bucks.

When we host Christmas day, or any meal, I tightly wrap everything with foil and remove just before the meal begins to keep piping hot. But when a guest somewhere else, I'm not going to complain. I'll save that for the Internet. In all seriousness, I feel fortunate to have a meal and good company, so it's a relatively small concern in the grand scheme of things!

This is the first year we're not hosting some sort of Christmas dinner in a long time so I'm already planning new year's and some informal dinner invites before then. Look forward to reading what everyone's having!

[fishinchicks]

Here are my recipes for Marinated Chicken Wings and the Cheese ball. I have a 5 gallon drink cooler dedicated to brining and marinating, which makes this super easy. The marinade recipe works really good with pork chops as well. We soak them overnight, then grill them.

Marinated Chicken Wings

2 cups soy sauce

2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup oil

2 teaspoons ginger

2 teaspoons garlic salt

3-4 pounds chicken wings, tips removed and discarded

Combine first seven ingredients. Place wings in sauce and let

stand for several hours or overnight. Place on foil lined cookie

sheet or jelly-roll pan and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

Wings will be golden brown and slightly "chewy-crisp".

Makes 6-8 servings (unless my family is over in which

case it makes 2-4 servings)

Cheese Ball

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons pimento & olives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped onion

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

Dash salt and cayenne pepper

Mix the above ingredients together and roll in chopped pecans if desired.

[fishinchicks]

Cider Brined Turkey (from the November 2004 Cooking Light magazine)

Brine:

8 cups apple cider

2/3 cup kosher salt

2/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

1 tablespoon whole allspice, coarsely crushed

8 (1/8-inch-thick) slices peeled fresh ginger

6 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

1 (12-pound) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed

2 oranges, quartered

6 cups ice

Remaining ingredients:

4 garlic cloves

4 sage leaves

4 thyme sprigs

4 parsley sprigs

1 onion, quartered

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

Preparation

To prepare brine, combine first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until sugar and salt dissolve. Cool completely.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for Savory Herb Gravy. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Stuff body cavity with orange quarters. Place a turkey-sized oven bag inside a second bag to form a double thickness. Place bags in a large stockpot. Place turkey inside inner bag. Add cider mixture and ice. Secure bags with several twist ties. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 500º.

Remove turkey from bags, and discard brine, orange quarters, and bags. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Place garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, onion, and broth in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place roasting rack in pan. Arrange turkey, breast side down, on roasting rack. Brush turkey back with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 500º for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350º.

Remove turkey from oven. Carefully turn turkey over (breast side up) using tongs. Brush turkey breast with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 170º (make sure not to touch bone). (Shield the turkey with foil if it browns too quickly.) Remove turkey from oven; let stand 20 minutes. Reserve pan drippings for Savory Herb Gravy. Discard skin before serving; serve with gravy.

[reinhard1]

everyone in our family loves wings so i realy appreciate you taking the time for those two recipes. thank you. good luck.

[fishinchicks]

I am with deerminator on hating cold food - especially potatoes! You would have hated Thanksgiving at my sister's house. Everything was cold by the time we all sat down to eat. They keep their house at 65 degrees, so it wasn't only the food that was cold and icky.

[pushbutton]

Often if hosting X-mas will often serve up a huge family style mediterranean sheiks plate consisting of: stuffed grape leaves, humus, baba ganoush, falafel, pita, lamb, chicken, and beef shawarma, rice, tabouli, cucumber sauce, and hot sauce. First time Nieces and nephews often look confused and mildly disappointed, but after letting them know that this is what Jesus ate, they are a little more willing to try it

[reinhard1]

when it's time to eat regardless of the occasion i turn into a drill seargant at times rounding people up. i love to cook and when it ready it's ready!!!!!! also if Jesus eats it i'm game on that greek food . i'm the only one in the house that likes lamb. good luck.

[nofishfisherman]

My brother in law is a chef out in Portland OR and he's coming in for Christmas again this year. All I need to do is hand him the keys to the kitchen and give him directions to the grocery store.

The most work I need to do is occasionally he'll send a request ahead of time if there is a meat that he wants that needs to be obtained ahead of time. Then I'll need to go out and get it. I've heard he's thinking of making a christmas goose this year.

[reinhard1]

that is something i haven't had in years. i absolutly love a domestic goose or duck. if somewhere down the line you can "steal" a recipe from the chef please let us know. my mom used to make them and ducks with simple spices. just kept the birds in a rack so the juices dripped down. consider yourself blessed to have a chef right there for these special meals. on a side note: i find myself in your avatar every time i look at it. good luck.

[Snowking]

for Christmas eve we just do appetizers which will include sylta, Swedish meatball, chicken wings, my moms olive dip , cookies and whatever else we can think of.

[4WheelinMama]

On Christmas eve we like to have stuffed venison loin and on Christmas day we like to change it up, so I'm thinking either spaghetti with homemade sauce or ham and potatoes. Not sure though seeing how my daughter may be getting her tonsils out on the 22nd. She does like the idea of having ice cream as her dinner.

[nofishfisherman]

that is something i haven't had in years. i absolutly love a domestic goose or duck. if somewhere down the line you can "steal" a recipe from the chef please let us know. my mom used to make them and ducks with simple spices. just kept the birds in a rack so the juices dripped down. consider yourself blessed to have a chef right there for these special meals. on a side note: i find myself in your avatar every time i look at it. good luck.

I'll see if I can glean any recipes from him. I've never seen him look at one though. He usually just looks in the cabinets and sees what we have and puts together this amazing creation. If he does a goose for us this year I'm for sure going to take notes as I'd like to have that recipe as well.

[reinhard1]

SWEET AND SPICY GLAZE

for those of you who may do a ham and want a glaze idea:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup golden raisins

1 can [8 1/2 ounces] sliced peaches in heavy syrup, drained, chopped, syrup reserved

1 tbls cornstarch

1/4 cup orange juice

1 can [8 1/4 ounces] crushed pineapple in syrup, undrained

1 tbls grated orange peel

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed red peper flakes

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

combine brown sugar, vinegar, raisins and peach syrup in medium saucepan. bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to low and simmer 8 to 10 minutes. in small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in orange juice; add to brown sugar mixture. add remaining ingredients; mix well. cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. remove from heat. good luck.

[Dark Cloud]

Christmas Eve meal is my favorite of the year!!!

We always went to my grandparents on my dads side for a big polish catholic meatless meal.

The meal consisted of(all homemade) wild mushroom and barley soup, mac n cheese two ways - with and without tomatos in it, fried walleyes, perogis, and a poached type whitefish...

We still keep the meatless theme but I go a little crazy...

We make the mac n cheese, walleyes, perogis, and soup but I also add in sweent n sour shrimp, scallops two ways - both pan seared and I finish one with a red pepper cream sauce and one with light lemon butter pepper type sauce, also a simple rice and veggie dish, and some crab leggs. Oh and usually some mussels steamed in white wine, butter, and some herbs...

Christmas day is just a lay around and relax day with no special meal. This year i'll probably do a small prime rib roast though...

[reinhard1]

you know it's hard for me to go one day without some kind of meat. however with that menu it would be easy to take. you reminded me of scallops and i haven't had them for awhile. here at Sams they sell those big tasty morsles along with large frozen shrimp at a good price. maby not for christmas but new years sounds good. good luck.