I am a thirty year old Christmas virgin.

betterlife

suzy_g wrote: »

HI I haven't much time this year as I am working all of Christmas eve, I wanted to know as I like my roasted spuds, do they taste as good if I par boil and roast ??

ive never cooked roast potatoes without par boiling them?
par boil for 10-20mins (depending on potato variety) drain, toss in olive oil, or meat juices and bake on tray in hot oven, turn every 20 mins yum yum xx

Orangezorki

Posting here mainly out of empathy as I've never had to 'do' Christmas, and can imagine how daunting the prospect is. What I thought might be helpful is to start building a list of items that you can be cheap with. I am far from moneysaving in most of my spending, but when Christmas comes round the shops capitalise on our fear that if we don't buy organically farmed unicorn pate and use a solid gold cruet set we have failed our friends and family.

I'll try starting:

1. Christmas pudding - not only very quick to nuke in the microwave, but genuinely tastes better when you avoid super special ones with exotic nuts and fruit.

2. Crackers - face it, the hat will be paper, the jokes rubbish and the gifts thrown away.

3. Fresh veg - Frozen peas, sprouts and even potatoes are just as good and much cheaper. I'd avoid frozen carrots though as they turn into a soggy mess.

David

LittleMrsThrifty

suzy_g wrote: »

HI I haven't much time this year as I am working all of Christmas eve, I wanted to know as I like my roasted spuds, do they taste as good if I par boil and roast ??

Roast potatoes are my speciality so finally I can offer advice!

I par boil for 10-15 minutes (be careful not to over par boil or they will break), drain then put them back in the pan (although not on the hob), sprinkle on some flour then give them a shake about to rough them up a bit. This increases the surface area of the potato and the flour makes them extra crispy.

I have a tray of hot oil ready which I put the potatoes in so they sizzle and then turn the potatoes in the oil so that they are fully coated. Salt and pepper - then in to a hot oven. They take around 45 minutes to go super crispy.

suzy_g

Sorry I do always par boil mine as well what I meant was to par boil ,roast then freeze them sorry.

gloriouslyhappy

Found this on the Food Network:

10 Things You Should Know Before Cooking Your First Ever Christmas Dinner

http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/article/things-you-should-know-about-cooking-your-first-ever-christmas-dinner.html

In charge of cooking Christmas dinner this year? If it's your first time, you've come to the right place. Here are our top tips for laying on the most delicious Christmas lunch without falling apart before the turkey has even gone into the oven.

1. Make a Plan

Print a timetable, spreadsheet or simply write yourself a checklist. Note down all the ingredients you’ll need for certain steps (including timings) and prepare as much as you can in advance. There’s nothing more useful than having everything planned out before you start.

Find out if people have dietary requirements too because there’s nothing worse than having an unexpected vegetarian turn up at your meaty feast.

As long as you stick to your timings, you’ll avoid any little mistakes. If disaster strikes at any point, keep calm and erm… carry on.

2. Stock Up on Foil

Make sure you have food storage essentials at the ready. Keep foil, cling film and plastic containers with lids in the house. They will come in handy when you're packing up leftovers or making doggy bags for your guests to take home.

3. Clear Out Your Fridge

Before going shopping, clear out your fridge and freezer, making room for your Christmas food haul. It'll be much easier to organise your ingredients for the festive period.

4. Prep Dinner on Christmas Eve

Things like cranberry sauce, stuffing and chilled desserts can all be made the night before.

Parboiling potatoes, parsnips and sprouts are also things you can do on Christmas Eve. They might seem like quick and easy jobs to leave for Christmas morning but honestly, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of time in peeling and chopping by doing it in advance.

Remember to set the table on Christmas Eve, laying out things like condiments to save any last-minute running around. Decide on a seating plan if you’re having one.

5. Plan Breakfast on Christmas Eve

Put together something special for breakfast. You can make the dough for these Pecan and Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls on Christmas Eve. Bake them in the morning for an indulgent breakfast.

6. Save as Much Oven Space as You Can

Oven space is a precious commodity on Christmas day. For the best part of the morning, your turkey will be in there taking up all the space.

Save yourself any hassle by serving up no-bake starters like this Prawn Cocktail and Antipasti Platter and chilled desserts like Tiramisu and No-Cook Cheesecake.

If you really want to serve baked starters and have a well-equipped kitchen, you can go one step further and cook your turkey in an electric oven. Our recipe for Whole Turkey in an Electric Roaster Oven will serve you well.

7. You Don’t Need to Cook a Whole Turkey

If you have a smaller number of mouths to feed, simply buy turkey breast or crown (two breasts together which usually feeds around 8-10 people). Here are some of our favourite turkey breast recipes: Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast, Roasted Turkey Breast with Peach and Rosemary Glaze, or Turkey Roulade with Cranberry-Apricot Stuffing.

8. It's The Little Things That Count

Warm your plates. It makes all the difference and will show your guests you’ve taken that extra care. All you need to do is stack your plates on top of each other 4-5 at a time, place a mug half-filled with water on top and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Take them out using oven gloves because burnt fingers are nobody’s favourite.

9. Rope in Help

Don't be afraid to ask for help with washing dishes after dinner. You've just cooked a whole Christmas meal! It's the least they can do. Besides, Christmas is about sharing the love and that includes the washing up.

10. Keep It Simple!

Finally, don’t feel like you have to put 15 different dishes on the table. You’ll get yourself into a flap and end up rushing things. It’s better to pick five or six favourites and do them well.

**

A lot of it's already been covered, lots of great advice on this forum - thank you, Merry Christmas and Happy cooking everyone!

Gloria x

gloriouslyhappy

Also from food Network:

16 Christmas Microwave Tips That Really Work

http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/article/christmas-microwave-tips-really-work.html

We’re not ones to be snooty about recognising our microwaves are one of the handiest tools in the kitchen. Especially at Christmas. From a festive Cranberry Sponge Pudding, to cooking chestnuts and making breadcrumbs for bread sauce, these are the Christmas tips and tricks you might not have known you could use your microwave for.

1. Christmas Breakfast


This Microwave Potato-and-Chorizo Scramble takes just 10 minutes to cook and will serve four easily. Loaded with Spanish chorizo, goat’s cheese, potatoes, spring onions and herbs, this makes for the perfect festive breakfast.

2. Part-Cook Potatoes


By partially cooking your potatoes the night before in a microwave steam bag, you’re cutting out all that time on the day. Yes, parboiling is great but why boil all that water for your spuds when peeling, slicing and popping into a microwave-safe bag with a splash of water is all you need.

Generally, four large potatoes will take 10 minutes to part cook on full power. The next day, roast as you would normally and they’ll be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

3. Quickest-Ever Homemade Cranberry Sauce


Combine 350g fresh or frozen cranberries in a large, microwave-safe bowl along with 250g sugar, orange zest and 150ml cranberry juice. Cover with a microwave-safe lid and zap on full power for five minutes. Carefully remove the lid and stir.

Replace the lid and cook for a further five minutes until thick and delicious. If it’s still watery, microwave at two minute intervals until it reaches your desired consistency.

4. Bring Spices to Life


Got some old cloves that need some life putting back into them for your Christmas Ham? All you need to do is grab them from the back of the cupboard, place them on a microwave-safe plate and zap on medium power for 30 seconds. This will help release all the essential oil goodness from your spices so when it comes to using them, they’ll be as good as new, if not better.

This works for all whole spices. Pre-ground spices take only around 15 seconds.

5. Make Awesome Breadcrumbs


Using fresh bread for bread sauce is a bad idea so if you had to run out at the last minute to buy a loaf, you’ll want to ‘stale’ it up. This is probably one of the only times in the year you’ll hear us saying that! Simply cut the crusts off your fresh loaf, cut your bread into cubes and arrange them on a microwave-safe plate. Ensure they aren’t touching each other – you want a single layer.

Microwave on full power for a minute and a half, then remove from the microwave and allow to cool completely. Transfer the bread to a food processor and blend until they’re as fine as you want. Et voila, perfect fresh breadcrumbs!

6. Cook Chestnuts


Chestnuts roasting on an open fire are so overrated. For the busy cook, chestnuts can take only three minutes in the microwave. All you need to do is pierce every chestnut all the way through with a sharp knife (we don’t want any to explode), put them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a microwave-proof food cover.

Cook on a high heat for three minutes and then allow to cool for another five minutes. Because of the steam they let out, the shells will be slightly soft so you can peel them easily too.

7. Soften Up Brown Sugar


Brown sugar brings sweetness to Christmas in the form of gingerbread men (and women!), ginger cake, Christmas cake and heaps more. So when you reach into the cupboard to pull out the bag and it’s full of hard sugar crystals what do you do?

Pop the sugar into a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a wet piece of kitchen paper and microwave on high power for 20-30 seconds. Give it a stir and your brown sugar will be ready to use in all your festive cakes and bakes.

8. Make a Quick Herb Butter


Make a speedy herb butter to make your guests feel like you spend hours mulling over the cooking. If your butter is solid from the fridge, remove the wrapper, place it on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on the defrost setting, checking every 10 seconds to see if it’s soft enough.

Once you’re there, mix in some herbs (we love garlic and chive, rosemary and lemon zest and parsley and black pepper), transfer to a sheet of aluminium foil or cling film, roll into a tight sausage, pulling the ends tight and chill in the fridge. This is perfect served on toasted ciabatta as a Christmas starter.

9. Whip Up a Christmas Cranberry Steamed Pudding


This Christmas Cranberry Steamed Pudding can be cooked in 10-minutes flat. Follow the recipe and then !!!!! holes in the cling film covering the filled microwave-safe pudding basin. Cook on high power for ten minutes and cover with your amazing microwaved cranberry sauce.

10. Prepare Brandy Butter


Forgotten about leaving the butter out again? Follow the same steps above to soften up your butter, beat in an equal amount of icing sugar and then add a splash of brandy. A touch of water will loosen it up slightly. Chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

11. Get More Squeeze Out Of Lemons and Limes

Zap a whole lemon or lime on high power for 20-30 seconds to make it super juicy and easy to squeeze. This will also bring out the essential oils in the skin, making the zest wonderfully aromatic and perfect for adding to mulled wine and cider.
12. Dry Herbs and Citrus Peels


This works perfectly with robust herbs like oregano, rosemary and thyme, or any citrus peel. Simply wash your herbs or peels, then dry in between pieces of kitchen paper to remove all moisture.

Place them on a microwavable plate and cook on high power in bursts of 30 seconds, turning after each session until they're completely dry – this usually takes about five 30 second sessions. It will also make your kitchen smell glorious and Christmassy. Store in airtight jars or containers.

13. Make Caramel Sauce for Your Pudding


Knock up the world’s quickest caramel sauce using a few handfuls of soft caramels. All you need to do is unwrap them all and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a splash of milk and microwave on medium power for one or two minutes, stirring at 30 second intervals until silky smooth.

Pour over your Christmas pudding, ice cream or sticky toffee pudding.

14. Microwaved Creamed Spinach


An easy side for your festive meal is this delicious Creamed Spinach made with Parmesan and nutmeg. Top with fried onions and lemon zest.

15. A Quick Way of Cooking Perfect Asparagus


Cook asparagus for last-minute starter. All you need to do is wash the asparagus, remove any woody ends and place in a single layer in a microwave-safe plate with a splash of water. Cover with microwave-safe lid. Cook for 1 1/2-2 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp.

16. Make Peanut Butter Fudge


Alton Brown’s recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge uses just four ingredients and takes four minutes to cook in the microwave. Simply microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes.

Add vanilla and icing sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Pour into a buttered 20 by 20cm pan lined with waxed paper. Place a second piece of waxed paper on the surface of the fudge and refrigerate until cool.

Cut into 3-cm pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.


Sanjana Modha

catkins

Me and OH cook Christmas dinner for 14 (6 veggies). We cook at my sister's house and although she has a double oven it is still tricky trying to fit everything in.


She cooks the turkey and beef (me and OH are veggie) the night before as there would never be enough room in the oven for those. Obviously I don't eat the meat but others have always said it is nice and moist so there doesn't seem to be a problem with cooking it in advance. It is served cold.


I peel the sprouts, carrots, parsnips and potatoes the day before and leave them in water in the fridge. It can take ages peeling enough for 14 people so prefer to do it before the day. I par boil the potatoes on Christmas morning, usually in a pressure cooker but using it just as a large saucepan as it is easier than lots of saucepans or doing them in batches.


I use a steamer for the sprouts, carrots and peas and put the sprouts in the bottom tier, the carrots in the middle and the peas in the top. Bear in mind it takes far far longer to steam such a large amount of veg than it would normally take for a meal for 2 or 4. I find using a steamer means you don't have to keep watching saucepans so they don't boil over and it frees up room on the hob. We have a homemade Christmas pud which has to steam for a couple of hours so that has to have one ring.


Then I just treat it as an ordinary roast with potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, stuffing and sausage meat all cooked in the ovens. Again bear in mind because of the amounts they take longer to cook. My roast potatoes usually take about 45 minutes but because there are so many plus 30 Yorkshires they can take an hour and a half if not longer. I find the juggling in the ovens the most difficult thing as we also have to fit in whatever the veggie option is (this year it will be vegetable strudel) and try not to keep opening the oven doors because of the yorkies!


We used to let people serve themselves but found it took so long that food was cold - me and OH don't eat gravy so would end up eating a cold dinner. Now we ask if people want turkey and beef, plate those then add the potatoes and Yorkshires and veg which we know everyone wants and ask about stuffing, sausage meat, bread sauce etc


After something like 10 years we have just about got it down to a fine art but even if everything isn't perfect the meal is always enjoyable because all my family are together. Some years the parsnips have been overdone and some years they have been only just cooked (for some reason they are the thing we struggle with even though we always have roast parsnips with our roast dinners) but it hasn't spoilt anyone's enjoyment of the day

TooTempted

Nothing to add to the mountain of helpful tips already posted, just a suggestion for future years. As my husband often worked on Christmas Day when our children were small, we started having Christmas Dinner in the evening on Christmas Eve. It takes away the rush of trying to cook a large meal for lunch time, the grandparents would see the children putting their stockings and mince pies out for santa , and carrots for the reindeer etc. Christmas day meals are very relaxed , cold meats ,salads , pommes dauphinoise etc and lots of time to play with the children, no stress about timing if you have unexpected visitors If you are really organised you may not end up like me , wrapping stocking fillers at 3 am! Our children are now grown up and although my husband no longer works on Christmas Day , they still like to have the main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve.

jinny

My ex husbands Grandmother was German they celebrated Christmas eve as the main event. Christmas day was a bit like our boxing day it was frowned apon to go out on Christmas eve.

alixandrea

betterlife wrote: »

ive never cooked roast potatoes without par boiling them?
par boil for 10-20mins (depending on potato variety) drain, toss in olive oil, or meat juices and bake on tray in hot oven, turn every 20 mins yum yum xx

How long do they take if you par-boil them first? I've never par-boiled, and usually my roast spuds take anywhere between 45mins and 1hr 15mins depending on how small I cut them. Is par-boiling better?

Thanks :-)

Alixandrea