We are snowed in again so I am making the most of it and cracking on with preparations for the Christmas Dinner. My MIL phoned this morning - worried that she wont be able to get here if the snow continues as it is - but we reassured her she will definately get here as Jon will collect her in the pick up. There should be 8 for dinner - My SIL, her partner, the 3 nephews, MIL, Jon and myself. I must admit I love preparing in advance as on the day itself, once the meal is served the family clear up and there is a constant supply of nephews to help out. I will designate jobs - important ones like making sure everybody has drinks nd the likes!
This is the menu
* denotes this dish is prepared and in the freezer!
Tropical Fruit Salad in something alcoholic
Turkey
Roast leg of lamb
Roast beef
(all of the above will have cooked through the night in the aga)
Home Roast Parsnips & Potatoes*
Mashed champ potatoes (with cream & spring onion)
Vegetable Bake*
Green veg (brussels *, cabbage & brocolli)
Peas *
Yorkshire Puddings
Gravy
Chipolata Sausages/bacon rolls
Stuffing Balls*
Desert..
Vanilla Scones, *Fruit, Clotted Cream with Cointreau
Raspberry Trifle
The vegetable bake is my own recipe heavily influenced by M&S. Here is how I make it:-
Half a white cabbage - chopped and lightly steamed.
1 large onion - chopped and lightly steamed.
4 large potatoes partly cooked
2 Big hand fulls of green beans chopped
4 carrots cooked and chopped
3 tomatoes finely chopped
1 cooked cauliflower finely chopped
Stir all together and add 3 beaten eggs, half a pint of milk and grated cheese and season to tastle.
Place in a casserole dish and cook - you will thank me for this recipe it is awesome.
The picture is of the stuffing balls now in the freezer. I like to keep things simple and used a packet of paxo sage and onion stuffing to which I added some seasoning I was given at the Great Yorkshire Pie Show in October. Not sure what it is but it was to add to sausagemeat to add flavour - so I have now added it to the stuffing mix together with plenty of cooked onions. I tasted a sample and it certainly had a kick to it!
For desert I am trying something different - the vanilla scones, made with yoghurt are absolutely delicious. I know I have gone on before about them here but the taste is just out of this world. I will serve them on a large platter with lots of clotted cream and a variety of fruit. The cream with contreau again is awesome. I did make some up with this cream and orange curd - awesome!
I only need to get the odd thing in which I will do locally. I didn't dare order any shopping on-line as the deliveries have been cancelled due to the bad weather!
