PUtting on a "spread" on a budget

Jennie_2

Thanks again folks for your input. I think your combined efforts might just have saved the day!

meritaten - No, I'm not Norwegian, but my husband is. I can make some Norwegian food but the party food is at an altogether all singing and dancing different level. I can't compete so I would rather blend my ideas (by that I mean my lovely MSE friends' ideas) with the Norwegian spread.

kittycat204 - Some fab ideas!! Do you have a recipe for the red pepper and tomato cous cous and the beetroot and walnut salad?

carefullycautious - Your rice dish sounds lovely. Do you have a recipe? I too wish you were nearby, I would love the help!

gibson123 - A dressed salmon is a fab idea and that's now officially on the list - thank you!

unixgirl/meritaten - I wish I could get a cheat's caramel sauce but I have scoured the shops in vain. I am used to making my caramel the old fashioned way (in the tin in simmering water) but that failed miserably. I then tried to salvage the caramel by putting it on the stove top but it just didn't thicken. I am going to try simply stove top from the outset and see if it works.

nuatha - Sorry for being a bit random. You can see how I got myself in this pickle in the first place! Muddled menopausal brain = mouth spouting nonsense! Thanks for the additional recipes. I am going to try your pastry today if I can get hold of white fat. My mum always made pastry with Trex.

Thanks again everyone for your input. If I cook it all there is enough for the family plus all of you! If I receive a windfall before the 16th I will fly you all over to join us!

Uniscots97

Jennie, what about this to make caramel?


http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramel_sauce/

might make things a little easier.

Jennie_2

unixgirluk wrote: »

Jennie, what about this to make caramel?


http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramel_sauce/

might make things a little easier.

That looks brilliant! Thank you! Banoffee is my best dessert so to be able to make it again would be fab. Oooh thanks unixgirluk! :j

zippychick

we do have a christmas buffet thread and the christmas mega index
which has every christmas food thread linked to that I know about!

Ill merge this later on

Zip

kittycat204

Jennie wrote: »

kittycat204 - Some fab ideas!! Do you have a recipe for the red pepper and tomato cous cous and the beetroot and walnut salad?

For the Cous cous, I just roast some peppers and toms with a drizzle of olive oil, this concentrates the flavour. Then I make the cous cous with hot stock as per the packet. I take all the skin off the toms and peppers and just stir through. Sorry it's not more scientific.

Beet and walnut salad no recipe at all, I just usually grab one offline.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Cheeses.


Cooked meats/salami/sausages/little patties of mince & onion



Tiny pieces of bread for open sandwiches.



Potato salad.


Beetroot salad.


Pickles.


Eggs.



Cucumber slices topped with a dab of herring in sour cream?


Prawn salad.


Leaf salads, tomatoes, etc.



Various fruit.


A couple of different types of cake.

gibson123

it must be catching, when I went out for drinks for friends, I found myself offering to cater for 18 people on New years Day, traditional scots steak pie, but who can be pestered making beef stew and pastry on New Years Day

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

gibson123 wrote: »

it must be catching, when I went out for drinks for friends, I found myself offering to cater for 18 people on New years Day, traditional scots steak pie, but who can be pestered making beef stew and pastry on New Years Day

Stick the meat onto cook on 30th.

When it's cooled overnight in the fridge, bung it in a large baking tin and top with Jus-Rol puff pastry sheets. Bung it back into the fridge. Cook accompaniments such as veg, put into fridge.

Stick pie in oven on 1st, everyone gets pie crust and meat, microwave veg. All done with minimal hassle.


Or cook it now and stick into freezer until required.

gibson123

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Stick the meat onto cook on 30th.

When it's cooled overnight in the fridge, bung it in a large baking tin and top with Jus-Rol puff pastry sheets. Bung it back into the fridge. Cook accompaniments such as veg, put into fridge.

Stick pie in oven on 1st, everyone gets pie crust and meat, microwave veg. All done with minimal hassle.


Or cook it now and stick into freezer until required.

Thank you for this, unfortunately I am rather famed for my steak pie, and I have a reputation to maintain, I would never live it down if my pie was found wanting in any way. There is actually rather a lot of competition when it comes to Steak Pie and Clootie Dumpling in Scotland. :p Whilst your method is my preference, I could never get away with previously frozen pie or bought pastry, the knifes would be out and not just to cut the pie. :eek: My sister once put sausages in her pie, her reputation is in ruins! ;)

heavenleigh

gibson123 wrote: »

Thank you for this, unfortunately I am rather famed for my steak pie, and I have a reputation to maintain, I would never live it down if my pie was found wanting in any way. There is actually rather a lot of competition when it comes to Steak Pie and Clootie Dumpling in Scotland. :p Whilst your method is my preference, I could never get away with previously frozen pie or bought pastry, the knifes would be out and not just to cut the pie. :eek: My sister once put sausages in her pie, her reputation is in ruins! ;)

Lol as Scottish born and bred I understand! Moved away 30 years ago when i was only 3 (for my dad and the pits), but years and years of holiday visits to grandparents and friends.....i've never tasted a steak pie like back home, any time any relative visits now we have lists for steak pies and lorne sausage, propper black pudding and red kola!
If you're going to make it do it properly Me i just talked myself into catering for 16 on christmas day, god help me!