2021 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Plans/Menus

[GinnyPNW]

DH & MIL have requested Sauerbraten for Christmas Eve dinner. I gave them a few choices and they chose pickled pot roast! So, yesterday I found the roast I wanted at QFC. And, they were having a BOGO sale! I found 2 roasts just under 4 pounds each. One will go into the pickling brine today, The other, I'm going to make a new batch of burrito meat for the freezer.

Along with the Sauerbraten, we'll have Rotkohl (red cabbage) -- both are Jeff Smith recipes. I'll make a salad too, bread of some kind or two. And, I'm thinking Sous Vide Fingerling Potatoes, as that it super easy. Although, if I'm feeling energetic, maybe I'll make potato pancakes instead...to be served with apple sauce and sour cream, of course.

I still want to make some kind of wreath looking appetizer. But, it needs to be on a smaller side, as there will be just the 3 of us. For dessert, either Swedish Cream (a Timberline Lodge recipe) or Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake, since I can make one of those the day before. Not sure if I'll ask DH and/or MIL to make that choice!

So...MIL is ailing. Seems to be a reaction to her flu shot or something. I think I'll cut the menu back. The roast is still pickling, so I'll be cooking that. I made the cabbage yesterday, with the plans to make dessert today. I may or may not do that. DH isn't a dessert fan. We will take a plate to MIL, but she'll not come to our house.

The weather report now says snow for Saturday and Sunday. We had plans to have friends over on Sunday. If there is snow, it won't be good for travelling and they live about 1.5 hours away with GOOD weather. And, they bring their Corgis too. Probably not going to be a good day for a visit. Sigh.

I was planning to make Albondigas for Sunday. I may still do that, but more of it will go into the freezer for another day.

So...plans change. Better safe, as they say?

 

[GilliAnne]

Sorry to be coming late to this thread and this will be more about what we had at Christmas time than what we're planning - it'll probably be much the same next year. Hubby is in a care home at present, following a hospital stay, our first year without him over Christmas.

We kept things simple with leg of lamb for Christmas dinner with root veg in various forms and steamed greens and Brussel sprouts, boiled potatoes and roast potatoes, not forgetting gravy and mint sauce. Dessert was a choice between Christmas pudding, mince pie/s ice cream and custard. One family member doesn't like roast lamb but does like lamb grill steaks so he had those. We ate in the kitchen and my eldest (son) heloed me with the whole process.

Boxing Day we had lamb curry with mint sauce added - not so good for me due to there being too much salt in the mint sauce, but it was a one off, so I just enjoyed it. Anyone know of a low salt mint sauce or would I have to make my own? I doubt if I would have time for that.

 

[dragnlaw]

Hi GilliAnne,
I've never made mint sauce I've only used store bought. I have looked it up on many occasions though. I'm surprised when you say it was too salty. I've never seen salt added to any of the recipes. I just now did a quick double check.

Could there have been another flavour profile that made you think 'salty'?

 

[GilliAnne]

I usually check the nutritional values on the jar, Dragnlaw. One jar we have in this house says there is 1.2g salt in the jar per 100g. In another one it's 3.27g. Do they not put salt in mint sauce in your part of the world?

Gillian

 

[taxlady]

GilliAnne, I have never heard of salt in mint sauce. You could make your own at the end of summer, early autumn. It's basically apple jelly with mint flavour. I made it and it was lovely. The recipe I used, from Joy of Cooking, said to bruise some mint leaves and swish them around in the hot apple juice that will turn into jelly. Then take them out. That's what I did and it was minty, but not overwhelmingly so. It wasn't even a little bit green. The recipe said to add green food colouring if you want it to be green.

I suppose you could do that with a commercially bought apple jelly. Heat it up to liquid and swish some bruised mint leaves around in the hot jelly. Then, let it cool off and turn back into jelly. I don't know for sure it would work, but I think it would be worth a try with a small amount.

 

[dragnlaw]

There are two type of Mint Sauce. Jelly and a liquid.

As a kid I liked the jelly. Still do (on occasion). But now my preference is the liquid sauce.

I get the Cross & Blackwell brand, listed ingredients are:

Malt Vinegar (contains gluten {who knew?}), Sugar, Water, White Vinegar, Mint Leaves (Egyptian).

 

[taxlady]

There are two type of Mint Sauce. Jelly and a liquid.

As a kid I liked the jelly. Still do (on occasion). But now my preference is the liquid sauce.

I get the Cross & Blackwell brand, listed ingredients are:

Malt Vinegar (contains gluten {who knew?}), Sugar, Water, White Vinegar, Mint Leaves (Egyptian).

I was conflating the two. I've never actually tried mint sauce. Now it makes sense that there would be salt.

Since malt vinegar is made from malted grain, usually wheat or barley, it's not really that surprising that there could be gluten in it, like most beer.

 

[dragnlaw]

I was conflating the two. I've never actually tried mint sauce. Now it makes sense that there would be salt.

Since malt vinegar is made from malted grain, usually wheat or barley, it's not really that surprising that there could be gluten in it, like most beer.

Why does it now make sense to you?

 

[Andy M.]

It seems like every time the topic of roast lamb comes up, mint sauce/jelly is the first thing mentioned.

I grew up eating lots of lamb. I've never had mint sauce with lamb. Do you all always have mint sauce with lamb?

 

[msmofet]

It seems like every time the topic of roast lamb comes up, mint sauce/jelly is the first thing mentioned.
I grew up eating lots of lamb. I've never had mint sauce with lamb. Do you all always have mint sauce with lamb?

+1 Ditto. Never had mint jelly with lamb.

 

[dragnlaw]

Growing up the two styles were always on the table.

But now, less likely. Depends if I remember to put on the table! LOL

 

[Just Cooking]

I grew up eating lamb, in many configurations, not all wonderful, IMO. Lamb was standard fare, in my grandparents home.

I seem to recall having mint sauce/jelly available, at a couple of higher end dinners. I did/do not care for it.

I don't eat lamb as often as I would like to, partially because I can no longer cook as I did for so many years.

Jeannie is very happy when we do have it.

Ross

 

[GotGarlic]

It seems like every time the topic of roast lamb comes up, mint sauce/jelly is the first thing mentioned.

I grew up eating lots of lamb. I've never had mint sauce with lamb. Do you all always have mint sauce with lamb?

I believe having mint jelly with lamb is an English tradition. You were raised with the Mediterranean/Eastern European tradition which often includes some type of yogurt sauce, sometimes with mint in it.

 

[taxlady]

Why does it now make sense to you?

Because, most sauces served with meat have salt in them. To me, mint jelly is not a sauce.

 

[dragnlaw]

LOL, got me on that one taxy! If it's not a sauce, what would you call it?

 

[Andy M.]

IMO, what started out as mint sauce became mint jelly because it was more convenient to buy a jar of mint jelly and just put it into a pretty dish than to make an actual mint sauce.

 

[taxlady]

LOL, got me on that one taxy! If it's not a sauce, what would you call it?

Accompaniment, garnish, jelly, condiment

 

[dragnlaw]

Andy, they don't really taste the same... yes, it is mint, but the jelly is SWEET like a breakfast jam/jelly. So of course, kids will go for that!

Where as the mint sauce is more of mint vinegar? Very dark colour, you actually get some of the leaves out of the bottle when you shake it... uhhh, I'm not doing well describing this!

 

[Andy M.]

Mint sauce is basically mint, vinegar and sugar. I wouldn't expect it to taste like mint jelly at all. I think the jelly was just a substitution of convenience.

 

[taxlady]

Mint sauce is basically mint, vinegar and sugar. I wouldn't expect it to taste like mint jelly at all. I think the jelly was just a substitution of convenience.

A strong part of that convenience is that it's something you can make at home, which is shelf-stable. Home canning of jams and jellies isn't something new. It will even keep for a while in the pantry after it is opened. Mint sauce, on the other hand, will probably go off in less time, even in the fridge.