• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • recipes
    • baking
    • mid-week meals
    • time-worn tucker
    • entertaining
    • kid-friendly feeds
  • Latest Posts
  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Shop
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • My account

Cooker and a Looker - Australian Home Cooking

  • Home
  • recipes
    • baking
    • mid-week meals
    • time-worn tucker
    • entertaining
    • kid-friendly feeds
  • Latest Posts
  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Shop
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • My account
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Latest Post
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Work with me
  • About Me
    • Email
  • ×

    Home » recipes » entertaining

    By Amanda Smyth 11 Comments

    Cooker and a Looker's Keeping Christmas Merry Menu

    Share3
    Pin2
    5 Shares

    My childhood memories of Christmas are wonderful - Santa, toys and family.  As I got older, though, I realised that Mum spend an inordinate amount of time in the kitchen.  Sweating. Perspiring.

    So when I was handed the Christmas reigns last year, I decided to make an abrupt departure from traditional  fare and the Keeping Christmas Merry Menu was born.

    The ideas behind it are:

    • little tastes of food - a kind of Christmas tapas menu.
    • lots of little jobs that can be delegated - I've found there's always lots of willing helpers around, but unless I'm organised I can't really make the best use of them.
    • cooking on the BBQ and using the smoker.  Because I can't stand the heat in the kitchen - boomtish!

      Salt and Pepper Prawns with Lemongrass Mayonnaise.  BBQ these bad boys!

    The great news?  It worked!  Everyone was happy to do a little job and I didn't spend the day sweating it out in the kitchen and missing out on the frivolity!

    So for your Christmas cooking pleasure I give you the Keeping Christmas Merry Menu.....

    Christmas Eve

    Whole snapper flavoured with Asian aromatics and baked in a banana leaf.  (Baked on the barbie.)

    Sides: Bok choy with oyster sauce and fried crispy garlic & rice.

    Christmas Day

    Oysters served a few ways: natural, Japanese, kilpatrick, thai with mango & pomegranate or grilled with garlic crumbs.

    Salt and pepper prawns with Lemon grass Mayonnaise.

    Asparagus wrapped in pancetta.

    Barbequed Haloumi

    Smoked salmon with salade folle.

    Peachester Gold ham - you can order this directly from the Barry Family Butchers.  Ask for Nathan - he's gorgeous!

    Cold cooked prawns.

     Raspberry, Mang0 and Macadamia Vacherin.
    Raspberry, Mango and Macadamia Vacherin - our new Christmas tradition. It's so refreshing!

    Keen for a tasty Christmas that's fun for everyone?

    I'll be sharing all the recipes you need over the next few weeks.  Subscribe by email and they'll be delivered neatly to your inbox.

    In the meantime, have you got any Christmas tips?   How do you stay organised?

    Share3
    Pin2
    5 Shares
    « Farewelling Fr Stan
    be wise »

    NEVER MISS A RECIPE!

    Sign up and be the first to receive new recipes straight from my oven to your inbox.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. lyndal says

      November 27, 2012 at 9:11 pm

      so, you know I'm totally coming to yours now, right? x

      Reply
      • cookerandalooker says

        November 29, 2012 at 6:45 am

        I'll set an extra place! x

        Reply
    2. EssentiallyJess says

      November 28, 2012 at 8:30 pm

      Oh Nice!
      Our family likes to be traditional, and I'm not a huge eater so not really fussed either way. So long as their is garlic bread and chocolate trifle, I'm happy! 🙂

      Reply
      • cookerandalooker says

        November 29, 2012 at 6:44 am

        You're a better woman than me Jess - I wouldn't be cooking a roast in the NT heat! x

        Reply
    3. Becci Sundberg says

      November 30, 2012 at 10:22 am

      What an awesome Christmas Lunch!
      We do a very simple lunch. Everyone brings something. We sit down about October and start planning. Usually it's a Chicken salad platter, sliced cold ham and turkey roll. Plus either a potato bake or potato salad, watermelon salad and a rice salad. Trifle and fresh fruit salad and pavlova (nests this year) for dessert.
      We don't have a huge amount of people to feed though. Just us 5, plus my mum, sister, step son and his girlfriend this year. If there are more people then we add in a couple of extra salads and add a bit of extra meat.
      We also have lots of basic nibbles and some traditional family fave baked goods, like apricot balls, crown mint slice and hedghog.

      Thanks for visiting my blog 🙂

      Reply
    4. Alicia says

      December 10, 2012 at 11:08 am

      Your christmas fare sounds wonderful. That dessert looks bloody beautiful!! I'd be gatecrashing just for a slice of that!!

      Reply
      • cookerandalooker says

        December 10, 2012 at 12:25 pm

        Alicia, the vacherin is a beauty. The mango and raspberry are so fresh - it's a great way to finish Christmas lunch without wishing you'd worn elastic waisted pants!

        Reply
    5. jackwafabwa says

      December 10, 2012 at 6:53 pm

      Oh yes I'll be back for several of these recipes. Yum yum!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Cooker and a Looker: five ways with oysters says:
      at

      [...] week I brought you the Cooker and a Looker Keeping Christmas Merry Menu plan.  In the (terrifyingly few) weeks left until Christmas I’ll be bringing you easy [...]

      Reply
    2. Cooker and a Looker: salt & pepper prawns with lemongrass mayonnaise says:
      at

      [...] Here’s the second recipe instalment for Cooker and a Looker’s Keeping Christmas Merry Menu. [...]

      Reply
    3. Cooker and a Looker: banana leaf baked snapper says:
      at

      [...] for another Keeping Christmas Merry Menu recipe.  This time, my suggestion for Christmas Eve dinner – banana leaf baked snapper, with [...]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • find new recipes
    • buy the book
    • download free printables

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About Me
    • Latest Post
    • Shop

    Copyright © 2021 Cooker and a Looker

     

    Loading Comments...