A Primal Christmas Dinner

Let's talk about primal fare for Christmas entertaining, or dinner on the big day, etc.

We always host. Mostly because I don't like running around on Christmas day, combined with the fact that I want to be able to make (ahem...control ) the food and offerings right down to the wine pairing. I also like to spend my day in a calm, less-chaotic environment and, well, that is the epitome of our home.

We typically do not serve the traditional Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy type dinner. Most people have already had, or will have, a few versions of this at other homes over the holidays. We try to serve up something original and really well done. This year the hubby is making two main meats - corned beef and a brisket. We are going to shop this weekend for the piece of meat. And then the prep begins. He says it takes a few weeks for the corned beef to "do its thing".

I love to bake so I'll be doing dessert - something gluten-free for sure (as I do not tolerate wheat - discovered this when I went primal and all the symptoms left), and mostly lower carb. I will also do sides. Not sure what they will be yet.

Appetizer is surely going to be a charcuterie platter with artisanal meats and cheeses and some pickled items like olives, pickles, and nuts, etc.

So....what are you making or have made in the past. I would love some ideas!

We do our really big Christmas dinner on Christmas eve with DH's fam. DH requested we do it here this year. In the past he didn't want that large gather here so he and I have been home by ourselves. That was hard since we were used to being with eveyone.

That said, SIL's will be bringing all the food. They won't let me cook do to hosting and DH's condition and my work connected to it. Traditionally we have ham loaf and tons of sides. Mashed pots, coleslaw, green beans and i can't even think of everything. I'm sure I'll be able to eek out a mostly primal meal from all the offerings.

Christmas Day I've done all kinds of things. It will be the kids and my MIL and not sure about my folks, that depend on my brother. However, when copying pages from my MDA journal today I realized we had fish last year. Not sure what this year will be, we haven't talked about it yet.

Grok on

As the boys get married and our family expands, we have found that Christmas brunch works well. I make an egg and meat casserole and a French bread casserole (I'm the only one GF) the night before and pop them in the oven an hour before we are to eat. Others bring fruit, chicken salad, rolls, and stuff to make mimosas and Bloody Mary's. Makes for a fairly stress free day.

One Thanksgiving a few years ago, we had quail instead of turkey. That was memorable--instead of one giant bird, there were lots of little ones. The quail were delicious, though they reminded me of that infamous dinner scene in Eraserhead.

The smaller birds soaked up the flavor of the herbs and seasonings much better than turkey. Personally I don't like turkey at all, as most of it is not particularly flavorful muscle meat which you can't eat in any appreciable quantity without liberal heapings of gravy or cranberry sauce.

Duck is still my favorite poultry though, being the fattiest. Though I've never had goose or guinea fowl, so can't compare.

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RedComet wrote: I don't mind eating some bread, drinking some beer or indulging in a sweet dessert with the rest of my family because it's a shared experience I value. These days only come a few times a year, after all.

The short version: I'll probably let it all hang out and eat poorly. Consider it my 20%.

Way to go, RedComet.

I find if I don't say anything no one notices what I eat or don't eat anyway.

I often find that Christmas Dinner is close to primal and anything unprimal is always delicious and worth spending my 20% on for sure. We usually do combined family meal and rotate the hosting.  It is at my Mum's this year.  She is almost 80, so my dd will stay and help her host.

We usually sit down together in advance to plan a complete menu.  This year is looking to be a little more piecemeal in that regard. If this weather keeps up Christmas Day will be scorching but that won't stop us doing a hot meal as well as salads etc.

So far my sister is planning roast lamb with mint pesto and another sauce I can't quite remember, perhaps a red wine gravy?  I am very happy with my assignment of roast chickens with pork mince and craisin stuffing balls.
There will be new potato salad and perhaps prawns dressed with lime mayonnaise.  

That's as far as we've got so far...Our magazine of choice didn't offer many vegetable recipes and most of the desserts didn't appeal.  i think we will put the younger generation on that task, we have some keen carboholics among them who should come up trumps.

Annieh wrote:

RedComet wrote: I don't mind eating some bread, drinking some beer or indulging in a sweet dessert with the rest of my family because it's a shared experience I value. These days only come a few times a year, after all.

The short version: I'll probably let it all hang out and eat poorly. Consider it my 20%.

Way to go, RedComet.

Second that. My daughters, and one in particular, eat pretty damned healthy, so that's real helpful. I use holidays, work (OK, volunteer) related moments, other times to indulge. Things I would never fix or eat at home because I would lose control. By doing non-primal here and there I don't feel deprived or have unrequited cravings.

RedComet wrote:

Nightly Orange wrote:The quail were delicious, though they reminded me of that infamous dinner scene in Eraserhead.

LOL. I know the one.

My wife, 4 kids and I do a large meal at our place on Christmas Eve, and then my extended family gets together on Christmas Day. My wife and kids ordinarily eat reasonably well, but aren't fully paleo. My extended family are diehard SAD eaters. I'll be honest, after a few years of trying to find "healthy" ways to enjoy the holidays and foregoing delicious and fun meals with my family, I've given up trying to behave on the holidays. Trying to stick to a diet that no one else cares about, on holidays that have so much to do with food, really erodes my enjoyment. At my house, we usually do a roasted meat of some kind or order a Honeybaked Ham (the ingredients in them aren't paleo in the least, but they are delicious), along with the usual sides. The holidays are days when I'm willing to be lax and just eat whatever. I don't mind eating some bread, drinking some beer or indulging in a sweet dessert with the rest of my family because it's a shared experience I value. These days only come a few times a year, after all.

The short version: I'll probably let it all hang out and eat poorly. Consider it my 20%. If anything, it'll be a good reminder of why I went paleo in the first place haha.

I agree. I will also indulge in some non-primal offerings over the holidays. But the one thing I always maintain is my gluten-free status. I will not eat wheat. It just makes me feel terrible. I try to be as primal as possible at home because it saves me for all the other places I have to go to or attend during the holidays where it will be very, very far from primal.

Our menu is almost nailed down.  It is basically hot meats, cold salads, and sweet desserts:

Platter of tasty nibbles

Baked Salmon
Roast Chickens
Pork Mince and Craisin Stuffing Balls
Roast Lamb with mint pesto and gravy

New potato salad
Couscous and Eggplant salad
Courgette and Asparagus vege dish
Greek Salad (Cucumber/tomato/black olives/dressing)
Strawberry, Rocket and Spinach Christmas salad

Key Lime Pie
Chocolate Brownie
Blueberries and Icecream