Christmas Menu and Recipes

24 Dec Christmas Eve Dinner

Menu :-
1) Spaghetti Bolognese (for Asean sweet and sour tastebud) (Tray 1& 2)
2) Roast Chicken Wings
3) Roast Turkey
4) Stuffing -
5) Pumpkin Soup
6) Roast Lamb (Tray 3)
7) Pork Spring Rolls  (Tenom Ready-Made) Plate
8) Green Salad

9) Mashed Potatoes

10) Pasta Salad - made early morning
11) Pork Dumplings - Andrew
12) Salad - Lee Lee
13) Chicken Salad - Aisha
14) Potatoes Gratis - Amelia

8) Zucchini Slices  Plate
9) Mexican Salsa (Cilantro leaves) coriander seeds

12) Mac n Cheese n Bacons

Display

Display Island :-
1) Roast Turkey
2) Stuffing -
3) Pumpkin Soup
4) Potatoes Gratin
5) Mashed Potatoes

1) Spaghetti Bolognese (for Asean sweet and sour tastebud) (Tray 1& 2)

2) Roast Chicken Wings

3) Roast Lamb (Tray 3) 

4) Pork Spring Rolls  (Tenom Ready-Made) Plate
5) Green Salad

6) Pasta Salad - made early morning

7) Pork Dumplings - Andrew
8) Salad - Lee Lee
9) Chicken Salad - Aisha

Take Spring Rolls Out
Take out Turkey Bones
Check out Freezer - for Bacons

10:30 am -
Preparation for Turkey
Make Stuffing

11:30 am -
Start Roasting Turkey
Making Mulled Wine
Zucchini Slices
Mac n Cheese
Mexican Salsa ?
Ice for Chilling Beer
Tables Setup (decision), check on plates
Check Plates enough for 50 ?

Find out Christmas Table Clothes !!

Make Candied Peanuts

Appertizers :-
1) Tuna Pastries ?
2) Fried Seafood Platter by Susan

Desserts :-
1) Minced Pies - make on 23 Dec
2) Prune Cake
3) Fruit Cake
4) Cookies

Drinks :-
1) Mulled Wine
2) Iced Lemon Tea
3) Roselle Kifer
4) Beer

Turkey Porridge for Supper

Guests List :-
1) Heng-Tai Family - 20
2) Worship Team - 12
3) Susan Bong - 5
4) Katherine, Gem - 2
5) Amelia - 5
6) Annie - 5

Total :- 50

25 Dec Christmas Day Lunch

Stress-free version !

Menu :-
1) Spaghetti Bolognese
2) Roast Chicken Wings (if has left over)
3) Roast Turkey
4) Roast Lamb (Tray 3) 
5) Zucchini Slices  Plate
6) Mexican Salsa (Cilantro leaves) coriander seeds
7) Green Salad

8) Mashed Potatoes or Roast Potatoes and Vegetables
9) Mac n Cheese n Bacons

10) Pasta Salad

11) Pizzas

Roast Char Siew Sauce

Char Siew Roast Pork or Chicken is definitely one of the best loved meat of my family. BBQ-charred on the outside, honey sweet and juicy from inside, this is one of the best meals one can have with hot rice or noodles.

There are many versions of the marinating sauce from 3-ingredients to very complicated combination, all are said to be mouth-watering recipes. I have tried them all. True, you could cook the meat to tender with 3 ingredients of soy sauce, sugar and garlic but it will be a simple taste. If you like a lingering flavour in your mouth, a bit like melt in your mouth sensation, the sauce is good withe rice, then you just have to have more ingredients.

Here are some recipes that I have read and tried, copied from cooking classes, book and internet :-

Char Siew Roast Pork

Recipe 1

1 Kg Pork
120 gm Sugar
100 ml Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
5 Tbsp Rice Wine
1/2 tsp Five Spice Powder
1 Tbsp Garlic Chopped
1 Tbsp Fermented Bean Curd
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Maltose Sugar
1 Tbsp Water

Marinate for overnight in fridge
Roast 220 C for 15 mins, turn 5 mins
Brush Maltose liquid 230 C 5 mins - Repeat 2-3 times until slightly charred.

Comment :- A bit more work

Recipe 2

1 Kg of Pork
2 pcs Fermented Bean Curd
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tsp Five Spice Powder
1/4 tsp White Pepper
100 gm Sugar
5 Tbsp Rice Wine

1) Mix or marinate overnight or warm up sauce & marinate
200 C 15 mins and turn a few tines.

Personally, I like Recipe 2, somehow after the soft boiling of the sauce, the fragrance is well mixed and stronger, marinating them in strong zip lock bags and put in the fridge. It can be stored for a few times and the taste is even better. The wine makes the meat a lot nicer.

I have made 3 portions of Recipe 2 and soak them with 2 Kg of pork and found that I could add more meat and the good thing, the sauce can be used for a second batch as they are thick and store in the fridge.

Christmas Songs for the soul

Christmas 2017 Parties Planning

The year was 2017, well, it was the peak of my hospitality "Career" as I would do with my maid, home-cooked menu for major festive events. The following menu listing were for a crowd of 40-50 pax. I am glad I penned these down and saved it for future reading. 

This year now is 2023, we just been through 3 years of pandemic of COVID-19, we do not like huge crowd of gathering, my current maid does not cook that much, and I am feeling overwhelmed by the idea of whole-day-cooking (sometimes for 2 days). But I still love large batch cooking because my basic family will be 18-20 pax. 

A note to my past-self :-

Doria, you are incredible because you dared to try out new dishes and you are bored with same dishes. But sometimes, no cooking is the new cooking, just empty the wallet and called in catering! 

~ written on 15 November 2023 (2 days before my 57th birthday and 3 days to my mother in law, Teresa Wah's 80th Birthday).

22 Dec Winter Festival Dinner

Pot Bless Menu :-
1) Hainanese Chicken
2) Vegetarian Glass Noodles
3) * Roast Char Siew - marinate 20 Dec
4) Pork Knuckle Eggs
5) * Pizzas ordered
6) * Green Salad
7) Stir Fried Vegetables
9) Taufu with minced meat
10) Steam Fish
7) Pork Spring Rolls
8) * Try Chickpea Dip with Raw Vegetables

1) Kifer Drinks
2) Lemon Tea
3) Tong Yuan in Gula Melaka (pre  made)

Guests List :-
1) Heng Family - 17 (minus 8)
2) Tai Family - 13
3) Uncle George Family - 3
Total : 36

24 Dec Christmas Eve Dinner

Menu :-
1) Spaghetti Bolognese (2 pots)
2) Roast Chicken Wings - 6 Kg
3) Roast Turkey
4) Stuffing -
5) Pumpkin Soup
6) Roast Lamb ?
7) Pork Spring Rolls  Roast Char Siew Platter
8) Roast Vegetables Salad (New) Roast on 23 Dec
9) Chickpea Dip and Raw Vegetables Platter
10) Mexican Salsa (Cilantro leaves) coriander seeds
11) Green Salad

12) Mashed Potatoes

13) Mac n Cheese n Bacons make cheese sauce on 23 Dec
14) Pasta Salad - made early morning
15) Quiches Zuchinni - Grate Cheese on 23 Dec

Make Candied Peanuts
Check Plates enough for 50 ?

Appertizers :-
1) Tuna Pastries
2) Fried Seafood Platter by Susan

Desserts :-
1) Minced Pies - make on 23 Dec
2) Prune Cake
3) Fruit Cake
4) Cookies
6) Tiramisu

Drinks :-
1) Mulled Wine
2) Iced Lemon Tea
3) Kifer
4) Beer

Turkey Porridge for Supper

Guests List :-
1) Heng-Tai Family - 20
2) Worship Team - 12
3) Susan Bong - 5
4) Katherine, Gem - 2
5) Amelia - 5
6) Annie - 5

Total :- 50

20 Dec Wed
- Buy all vegetables for the cooking to start cutting
- Buy Green Apples, herbs
- Roast Candied Peanuts
- Bake Prune & Date Cakes (frist round - 3 portions?)
- Soak Fruits for Minced Pie & Fruit Cakes
- Sort out recipes folders and things to do
- Make all the contacts and check on dates


21 Dec Thu
- Cutting and dicing vegetables (23 Dec)
- Marinate Char Siew for 22 Dec
- Bake Fruit Cakes & Date Cakes

22 Dec Fri
- Roast Char Siew
- Bake Fruits, Prune, Date Cakes
- Make Pastries for Minced Pies
- Make Tong Yuan & Gula Melaka Soup

23 Dec Sat
- Marinate Char Siew
- Make Minced Pies
- Prepare Stuffing
- Make Cheese Sauce


Resources :-