The only down fall is. Some people take beautiful well thought out dishes and others throw a few nuts choc and fruit on a platter, and to me that is hardly a meal. It is usually the same ones that take the easy way out but first to tuck into the real food. I have seen this so often.
lythande1,
Sep 5, 8:58pm
I wouldn't worry about that. it's not a competition, just a get together. Make something you are comfortable making, the men at least will appreciate some good food, and not fancy pants pretty but not substantial.
daarhn,
Sep 5, 9:01pm
Oh My. prepare to duck. bahahaha
blueviking,
Sep 6, 3:52pm
Here's my favorite salad. Strawberry ,Asparagus & Avocado Salad. Equal amouts of all 3. Blanch the asparagus and I cut into 3's. Use an avocado that is just going soft, peel,quarter and dice.(dip in lemon juice to stop from going brown) Remove the green hulls from the strawberries and 1/2 or 1/4 them depending on size. Pile on a serving plate and drizzle this dressing over. Dressing: 1/4 cup avocado oil, 1 lge clove garlic crushed, 3 tblsps lemon juice, freshly ground salt & pepper to taste, handful of freshly chopped basil. Whisk together. I never ate avo's until I made this salad. Now it's a staple summer salad
lilyfield,
Sep 7, 12:11am
Bring a georgeous bottle to deca t into.
wendalls,
Sep 7, 8:07am
I agree! I shall prepare to duck as well daarhn. If they are good cooks and have put effort in they may well feel like this. How about a different spud dish? Pick out 8 even sized medium roasting potatoes. Dig out a hole on top. Cut the bottoms so they sit flat. Get small sprigs of rosemary and wrap in a tiny rasher of pancetta and poke in hole on the top. Pastry brush with butter. Pre bake them and then finish them at the venue. Although some may think new potatoes is the only way to have them at this time of year. You could take both. Actually you could put your own in the ground now and grow them!
dabo,
Dec 7, 5:08pm
oh dear - help please I am SO not good at this. I need help with what to make for a de luxe pot luck Christmas meal (can be any part of a main course or dessert (no nibbles or starters) I have to be able to prepare it the night before and it must look amazing - all the other guests are keen cooks (I'm the dud!) so looking amazing but not too hard. Needs to serve about 8. Share your secret never fail look fantastic recipes please pretty please.
gilligee,
Dec 7, 6:03pm
The December issue of NZ House and Garden have lots of good suggestions.
valentino,
Dec 7, 6:31pm
Can you get some idea as to what the others are doing, try and find out then let us know. A number of various dishes comes to mind but nice to know that someone else is not doing it.
For a start and something different but very nice is this;
Salmon and soba noodle salad
Ingredients 3 (180g each) salmon fillets, skin removed 200g snow peas, trimmed, sliced diagonally 250g soba noodles 4 green/spring onions, thinly sliced 60g baby spinach leaves, trimmed ( I normally use a bag full - about 120grams 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 teaspoon salt-reduced soy sauce Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Place a large sheet of baking paper on a large, flat baking tray. Place all the fillets in the centre of baking paper. Fold paper to enclose salmon and tuck in edges. Bake for 5 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add snow peas and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a sieve. Refresh under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Place in a large bowl. Return water to the boil. Add noodles and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Rinse under warm water. Add to snow peas. Open paper parcels. Flake salmon into large chunks. Add to noodles with green/spring onion and spinach. Combine canola oil, vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce in a screw-top jar. Secure lid and shake well. Drizzle over salad. Toss to combine. Serve and very nice when cold.
Editing to add that those wee baby tomatoes would add that nice Christmas colour touch by simply place them around the edge of the dish.
toadfish,
Dec 7, 6:36pm
I make this more of a "deluxe" dish by buying mixed nuts so there is Macadamia, Brazil, Hazelnuts, Almonds, Cashews etc instead of plain peanuts with some sprinkled on top for a garnish - trust me everyone will rave about it & and its good for any vegetarians
Toadfishes Brown Rice Salad
1 cup brown rice 1 3/4 cup water 1/4 cup soya sauce (light if available) 1/2 onion finely chopped
Cook the rice in the water & when cooked & still hot add the soya sauce and finely chopped onions let cool (a couple of hours preferably overnight)
Add the following ~ 1 red pepper chopped 2 Spring Onions 1/2 cup roasted peanuts chopped ( I leave them whole) 1/2 cup each of roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and sultanas.
Dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp grated lemon rind 1 clove garlic crushed 1 tsp fresh ginger 1 tsp honey or Sugar
Mix and pour over salad. Mix well. I have the dressing in a jar, the nuts etc in a bag and the rice in the fridge and just mix together last minute.
PS - I often leave the capsicum and spring onion out if I want to make it at short notice and have not been to the vegie shop, as the rest of ingreidiants are pantry ones that I alwayshave plenty on hand.
toadfish,
Dec 7, 6:42pm
PS - Make sure you have an attractive dish or platter to serve it in as that's a big part of your presentation - I have been known to take it in a snaplock bag in a chilly bag then place it in the platter when I arrive and sprinkle with the garnishing nuts if I have had to travel a long distance. (I once took it from Auckland to a Wedding in Whitianga which was the following day) travelled in the chilly bag then into the motel fridge. looked fab as the large platter it eventually went into was stunning and the nuts fresh on top
dabo,
Dec 7, 8:21pm
Thanks so far! The hostess has said she just wants absolute pot-luck so isn't allocating main or dessert etc. I like both the above ideas as they are both almost 'meals on their own' so it won't matter what else is there.
punkinthefirst,
Dec 8, 1:11am
A beautiful fruit and nut and cheese platter. Cut the fruits into suitable sizes, sprinkle any that are likely to brown with lemon juice, and pack them into bags or containers and keep cool til you arrive, Suggestions. fresh grapes, pineapple, mango, cherries, apricots, kiwifruit, strawberries, oranges, mandarins, raspberries and boysenberries. They're all in season at the moment, and luxe enough o be a gourmet offering if presented nicely . A couple of big pieces of popular cheeses and a selection of nuts from the pick and mix area of your supermarket would complete the platter.
sticky232,
Dec 8, 1:43am
I took a plate of Strawberries with grapes and small diamond shapes of fudge and some afterdinner mints mixed on the plate as well arranged neatly
bev00,
Dec 8, 5:02am
lovely deluxe ideas
duckmoon,
Dec 9, 12:14am
offer to bring the booze (since every one else is a chef)
sarahb5,
Dec 9, 1:22am
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chocolate-pistachio-fudge-96 - this is incredibly easy and totally delicious - it can also be made ahead of time and frozen. I add cranberries for an extra Christmas touch - serve on a platter with strawberries, grapes, fresh dates .
awoftam,
Dec 9, 1:36am
Salmon Gravadlax - easy and can't go wrong. Looks amazing and no one else will do it (I am picking). Can also be eaten as a starter or with a main. Just takes some planning.Tons of recipes on the net but here's Jamie's for you:
Id do a fresh fruit salad in a lovely bowl. Fresh pineapple, strawberrys, water melon, rock melon, dewberry melon all cut up, I make melon balls with the melons, also add grapes and rasberrys and a big tin of cut up peaches including the juice. The reason for the tinned peaches is the juice is needed. Maybe some madarins too. mmm and it will go with most deserts, could also take a bowl of whipped cream as well.
sarahb5,
Dec 9, 2:34am
I loathe tinned peaches - too slimy - but tinned tropical fruit or something exotic like lychees are good or you can add ginger ale or sparkling grape juice instead but with melon, pineapple, etc. you wouldn't need much. Could try msking an ice bowl to serve it in.
rarogal,
Dec 9, 3:05pm
Sounds great, and I've also taken a fresh fruit salad in a watermelon basket. Cut zig zag through the middle, scoop out flesh with a melon ball scoop and use in salad. I use pineapple juice in mine, gives it a tang.
sampa,
Nov 7, 9:41am
You probably won't get any complaints if you put together a seafood platter utilizing a selection of the large variety of already prepared (smoked, marinated or cooked) available . You could do a shop the day before if it's for on Christmas day itself and pick up some pretty garnishes at the same time - fancy or gem lettuce, cherry tomatoes, curly parsley, celery etc and lots of lemons. maybe a couple of nice seafood sauce/s to add in small bowls.
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