I'm really tired of the ham & turkey thing. I;ve been doing it at my place for 25 years (and i;m not 50 yet!) and I've had enough of suiting everyone else so I thought we'd do a BBQ. Any other ideas gratefully received too. What about desert. Much as I love Pav, fruit salad, choccy log and cheesecake - it's all so boring.
shellz213,
Oct 7, 7:16pm
Here's a dessert idea which I'm going to do this year which is a dessert platter with home made mini cream puffs, chocolate brownie, truffles, mini lemon and lime tarts or mini lemon meringue tarts, cherries and strawberries (choc dipped or plain).
evorotorua,
Oct 7, 7:33pm
We have had many years with a BBQ for Christmas lunch. Much easier to organise too. Will have to think about what we normally serve.stuffed mushrooms, BBQ asparagus, haloumi on the BBQ is lovely. Desserts are like the post above. Lots of little bite sized things. It's a great way to get others to chip in with the food plates too. Anything goes. Good on you for doing it at your place for that long.would you consider NOT doing it and putting your feet up for a change!
buzzy110,
Oct 7, 7:38pm
Dessert. I usually now just make a Lemon and Lime Tart - Jamie Oliver. This tangy tart teams up well with strawberry fans and whipped cream and I add a mint leaf for decoration. I have long ago decided that having more than one dessert for Xmas is pointless and one beautifully presented desert is much nicer.
Not a bbq idea but what about raw oysters in the half shell to start. I order a few dozen small oysters from Clevedon Oysters every year and serve them on a platter of crushed ice with lemon wedges and a pepper grinder on the side. Simple, elegant and totally decadent.
Not a bbq idea again but I now do a cheese platter with a few wonderful cheeses, fresh fruit and chocolates. Serve this BEFORE dessert, not after. It doesn't have to be very big because only small amounts are eaten and dessert is coming up next anyway.
From my own experience, I have found that the huge, traditional Xmas meal is not actually enjoyable. We stick to several courses with small servings of wonderfully cooked and presented food. This means we can have expensive food but as there is not a whole lot, it doesn't cost anymore than the traditional meals I have suffered through as a child, as an invited guest and as the host myself.
Good on you for wanting to get away from all of that. You have my support and good luck. It is wonderful not to have to spend days eating leftovers as well.
carter19,
Oct 7, 7:40pm
I would love to avoid it, however, Mum doesn't want to and really is a bit past it and my sister and mother in law (both single) travel a long way so that they wont be alone at Xmas. I just can't be mean and say no but this year I did say it;'s definately dinner not lunch as it sems to take up the whole day. If we had a restaurant that was open and affordable we'd go but very few options in a small town.
carter19,
Oct 7, 7:43pm
BUzzy and evorotorua, you have given me some good ideas. I will go away and hunt for finger fooody small bits. Excellent idea
lodgelocum,
Oct 7, 7:58pm
Scallops wrapped with bacon are nice on the BBQ.
davidt4,
Oct 7, 9:05pm
Do you like Middle Eastern food!A Middle Eastern feast is easy - butterflied leg/s of lamb marinated and cooked on the barbecue, a selection of salads, some flatbread, a beautiful rice pudding flavoured with orange-flower water or a flourless orange and almond cake.Everything can be made ahead other than the lamb, and that doesn't need much attention.
A cheaper alternative to the legs of lamb is lamb koftes made with minced lamb.
schnauzer11,
Oct 7, 11:17pm
BBQ a whole salmon.Stuff and wrap with fresh herbs and lemon slices,tightly wrap in foil,then BBQ long and low.Serve with a sour-cream dressing.Lay it out on a big platter for people to help themselves.
I am doing a terrine this year because I can make it a day or so before. We are open seven days from middle of November up until Christmas Eve, so I wanted to do something simple.
beaker59,
Oct 8, 3:08am
The tradition in our family is a large shoulder of pork cooked over charcoal on my Weber BBQ takes about 4 hours served with lots of salads (everyone brings one) and plenty of apple sauce (I also roast a chook as we have some new members to the family who avoid pork for religious reasons).
elliehen,
Oct 8, 4:37am
Picnic on the beach :)
gaspodetwd,
Oct 8, 4:54am
Whole fillet of beef. Garlic prawns to start. Rotisserie a whole lamb leg! We have done all those with gourmet sausages. Bacon wrapped asparagus.
Dessert! fresh fruit flan, trifle, strawberry and white chocolate cake.
fisher,
Oct 9, 4:59am
Sauce for .Garlic prawns.Mussels in shell. Melted butter. very fine chopped garlic. fresh basil. fine chopped parsley. and a pinch or two of peri peri. all mixed well. Whole gutted , gilled and de-finned snapper wrapped in foil. make slits in outer skin and fill with dill fern, rock salt and ground pepper . fill gut with lemon slices and Parsley . add lemon slices. dill . slivers of butter and a drizzle of white wine to the parcel.BBQ 12 mins each side.
craig04,
Oct 9, 10:39pm
Last year my Dad mad these delicious kebabs for Xmas lunch - they had prawns, banana and pineapple and he pasted them with orange juice and oil and BBQ'd them. They were absolutely delicious!
bk02,
Oct 9, 10:40pm
Loving the ideas everyone.We are hosting christmas this year and have decided to take everyone (the whole 22 of us!) camping and to do a christmas bbq lunch.How do you make your beetroot salad fisher!
elliehen,
Oct 9, 10:49pm
Here are two saved from past posts and also one from Aunt Daisy.
fisher might come back with his.he does a tasty roast beetroot.
AUNT DAISY'S BEETROOT CHUTNEY Three pounds beetroot, 1 1/2 lb apples, 2 onions, 1 pint vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, juice of 1 lemon, 3/4 lb sugar. Boil the beetroot until tender; cut into cubes when cold. Cut onions and apples small and boil with the vinegar, sugar etc. Add the prepared beetroot and boil another 1/4 hour.
leebee35,
Oct 10, 1:25am
One year we had the three P's Pullet (make sure you use your french accent) Prawns Paua and lots of bubbles. most relaxing Christmas lunch ever!
bk02,
Oct 10, 1:43am
yum! Sounds good elliehen
chooky,
Oct 10, 2:49am
Sheltz213, I'm with you. I do desserts platters too. Last year it was mini boniffee pies, cheesecakes, choc strawberries, christmas mince pies, marshmellows and chocolates, and a fruit platter. Most of it made in mini muffin trays, you can do quite abit before christmas day.
pastelled,
Oct 10, 3:25am
great thread i am jotting down ideas as we speak as i to am hosting xmas bbq lunch this year!
fisher,
Oct 10, 4:59am
Sauce for .Garlic prawns.Mussels in shell. Melted butter. very fine chopped garlic. fresh basil. fine chopped parsley. and a pinch or two of peri peri. all mixed well. Whole gutted , gilled and de-finned snapper wrapped in foil. make slits in outer skin and fill with dill fern, rock salt and ground pepper . fill gut with lemon slices and Parsley . add lemon slices. dill . slivers of butter and a drizzle of white wine to the parcel.BBQ 12 mins each side. Can have this earlier .as an entre as these are not all that filling. Couple of chickens with the cans stuffed up their "bottoms" .green salad.potato salad.beetroot salad. few roasty veges on the BBBQ.
leogal1,
Oct 10, 5:24am
Inspired by the dessert platter - am goin to give this a try this Christmas. :)
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