So somehow it’s Christmas in a few days. I really don’t
understand where this year has gone, it feels like last Christmas was just a
few months ago. But it’s upon us again, and I’m really behind in my menu
planning! This year Christmas lunch will be at our place, with our little
family of four plus my mum and two sisters. A nice, intimate gathering you
would think would be really simple to manage in terms of dietary requirements.
But, as well as the Stuntman and I being dairy and soy free, one sister, Aunty
G, is vegetarian, and the other, Aunty A, is Muslim so can only eat
Halal-certified meat (and certainly no ham or pork). Aunty A’s OK with seafood,
but D is not a fan. He’s from the UK and is something of a traditionalist, so
will need a hot-meat-and-roast-veg-with-gravy kind of offering, with a Yorkshire
pudding earning extra brownie points. (Actual brownies would earn even more
brownie points, but I’m not going that far). Little Miss still only eats white
food (and sweets of course). Mum, bless her, eats anything.
At the moment I’m thinking an all-day series of
tasting plates might work best – not everyone will be able to enjoy every dish,
but there’ll be enough for everyone over the course of the day. I’ll keep most
things dairy- and soy-free just to be safe (and so I can enjoy the leftovers!)
My menu so far looks like this:
- Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto
- Smoked salmon with coriander aioli on dairy-free zucchini fritters
- Pigs in kilts – this is a ‘traditional’ Scottish canapĂ© featuring a piece of bacon wrapped around a chipolata sausage. Seriously. I could only find beef chipolatas though, so these will technically be cows in kilts. (The English call them pigs in blankets)
- Grilled eggplant and capsicum with olive oil and garlic
- Cold ham off the bone
- Coleslaw – red cabbage, white cabbage, carrot and homemade mayo
- Roast pumpkin and quinoa salad.
*Rest Break*
- Roast turkey (I'm doing a hindquarter - I couldn't find a rolled turkey roast that didn't contain soy protein or milk solids)
- Vegetarian nut roast (shop-bought, for Aunties)
- Dairy-free, vegetarian pistachio and cranberry stuffing balls (cooked separate to the turkey so OK for vegetarians)
- Roast veg – potatoes, sweet potato, carrots, parsnips
- Green veg – broccoli, peas, green beans
- Gravy (vegetarian)
- Yorkshire puddings (especially for D – these won’t be dairy free)
*Rest Break II (possibly including a nap)
- Individual pavlovas with a choice of toppings
- Whipped cream
- Coconut yoghurt
- Fruit – passionfruit, mixed berries, mango, kiwi
- Berry compote
- Paleo Christmas chocolate cupcakes with dairy free peppermint chocolate ganache and almond milk custard.
Boris the Bellini should make short work of most of it – he’ll
help with the aioli, mayo, zucchini fritters, gravy, stuffing balls, Yorkshire pudding,
pavlovas, whipped cream, coconut yoghurt and the berry compote. I might even
bake some fresh bread if I have time.
Too much??
I’m really trying to get into the Christmas spirit now –
tomorrow is my last day at work, so tomorrow night is time for drinking wine,
wrapping presents and cranking some Christmas carols! This will be our first
Christmas where Little Miss actually has an idea about what’s going on, so I’m
really looking forward to watching her opening her presents and enjoying the
day (and having a melt-down or two no doubt). The Stuntman will still be more
interested in the wrapping paper I think.
Happy Christmas to you all, I hope you enjoy this special
time of year with your families and loved ones. Don’t let being dairy- and soy-free cramp your Christmas style, there are ways to make pretty much anything
DF/SF.
Is there a special Christmas dish that you really miss? Let
me know and I’ll try and find a safe version for you!
