The FastDay Forum

With all that happened this year, there won't be "proper" Holidays for me. Either way, I will be alone so what's the point really ? However I am trying to find something maybe a bit festive, to change of the every day meals, but I would say on the cheap side of things and I am looking for ideas.....

Also I found a recipe to make a lemon lime marmalade, which is one of my favourite jam/preserves (we can't find proper ones over here) what do you think of that recipe ?
http://www.daringgourmet.com/2015/07/13/homemade-lemon-lime-marmalade/
Thanks !

[Tracieknits]

so I googled "Recettes Noel en seul" and found this article. No recipes, but some good ideas:

http://www.coupdepouce.com/vacances-fet ... te/a/18744

I think if I were going to spend christmas alone, I would do something decadent. I loved the suggestion of chocolate mousse for breakfast! I actually have the recipe for one serving: melt 35g dark chocolate and stir while it cools a bit. Once it's no longer hot, add in one egg yolk, and, optional, a pinch of vanilla sugar. Mix well. In another bowl, whip the remaining egg white with a small pinch of salt and (optional) a small spoon of caster sugar (fine sugar). Whip until stiff peaks form. Once the white is whipped, scoop a spoonful into the chocolate and mix well to loosen up the chocolate. Once the chocolate is loose, gently fold the chocolate into the remaining egg white. I don't know why, but it is important to put this dreamy concoction in the fridge for at least an hour -- better is two or three hours. It does improve with a bit of time to sit in the fridge.

I love your recipe, I will definitely give it a try. I am thinking crumbling some speculoos on top to give some texture. Oh and I will do a kind of brunch. Maybe not decadent but something outside the box. I love the idea of toasted croissant with scrambled eggs and smoked trout (I don't like smoked salmon) on top. There is also an endives salad with nuts and Roquefort on top and for drink, vodka as I can't stand white wines of any kind. so my poison for Christmas eve and new year's eve is bison grass vodka that chilled in the freezer a few hours. One glass goes a long way and it's a festive drink for me, far more that champagne.

I will need some more recipe for that brunch. A quiche maybe ? I will probably fast the 24th and 31st so I have special soups recipes in mind (with scallops and shrimps)

There is also that pot de creme I do every year and which is soooo good. It's basically a ganache put in expresso cups, very rich but incredible.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.fr/2011/02/valentines-day-chocolate-mocha-pot-de.html

And, of course, there will be the famous yearly Toblerone. That's a tradition that never gets old

[Tracieknits]

Oh wow that does look good and simple!

You need a festive veggie or two in there. Can you get some brussels sprouts? I like to cut them in half, toss them in a bit of vegetable oil with salt and pepper and then roast them in a hot oven 425F/220C until they are starting to get brown, but are still tender-crisp. I like to roast way too many, because I love them as leftovers.

I like to make a veggie hash in the morning. I always start with 1 onion medium to large onion per person, and then I'll throw in whatever else I have on hand. I often use a small amount of starch, like 100g per person of potato or sweet potato, cut in small dice so it cooks reasonably fast. I cook the potatoes and onions for a while, maybe 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's really starting to brown and get crisp and golden. Then I add veggies. Yesterday I added leftover leeks and cabbage. I always have sliced bell peppers in the freezer in three colors. I try to add something green, maybe leftover brussels sprouts or broccoli or spinach or kale. When it's cooked to my liking, I plate it and then top it with two eggs per person - poached, sunny side up or over easy.

@Tracieknits There are some fresh brussels sprouts but the fresh ones are only in big bags (2 kgs) and I don't care for the tinned or the frozen one. They don't taste the same at all. I will look for some later this month. I also will look for fresh chestnuts. Maybe they could be roasted together with some bacon on top ?

Your hash sounds wonderful and it would go great with the croissant/scrambled eggs/smoked trout.

I was also thinking making some puffed pastry appetizers, comté and rosemary straws (you just brush on egg in a puff pastry, sprinkle comté or whatever cheese you like with rosemary on top, cut and twist stripes and put in a hot oven (375°F) for about 15 minutes) and pesto palmiers (brush pesto rosso on a puff pastry, add some ham, chopped sun dried tomatoes, cheese, roll the pastry tightly and freeze for 30 minutes to set. Then cook in a hot oven for about 15 minutes, until lightly brown and cooked). The great thing about that is they're so easy, tasty and can be cooked in advance and easily frozen.

@Manderley @Tracieknits you've certainly got me thinking. Eggnog is now on the menu for when I visit Mum at new year, it's decades since I have made it, so it'll be a nice change. Mum was a fantastic cook and these days she gets so much enjoyment when I visit and we cook together, a very special time. As she loves chocolate I thought I'd try this http://www.divinechocolate.com/uk/recipes/desserts/salted-dark-chocolate-and-orange-mousse With a four day menu to plan there is plenty opportunity.
I'm looking forward to a relatively quiet and chilled Xmas ......

I found this roasted cauliflower with broccoli sauce to road test, not necessarily for Xmas http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/the-best-cauliflower-broccoli-cheese/#xOLGrkpTrUZIzhe3.97

@Lizbean The mousse looks just wondeful. I love the combination orange/chocolate, very christmassy as a flavour
I am making some truffles and maybe some fudge if I find a recipe I like. There only be a kind of festive meals under 500 cals for the 24th and 31st as I plan to fast these days.

I love the cauliflower & broccoli cheese. Being a cauli freak with some in, at least, twice meals a week, it lost a festive flavour ages ago

I found my old eggnogg recipe. I forgot how rich it is..... Fortunately it's only once a year !

Another recipe to add : I was looking for a kind of festive tea recipe and I found this one

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/230400/hot-spiced-tea-for-the-holidays/

The quest continues..... I don't like the Holidays and I know it will be a depressing time however I love to cook and get excited by the search of ideas for a decadent meal.

So here's what I was thinking. As a dessert, imagine a chocolate ganache as a base, a nice soft cake in the middle (and that can be a simple sponge cake, and a mascarpone raspberry cream on top or ganache/cream and brownie crumbled on top . I am also a baked alaska fan but I don't have enough space in my freezer, so.....

Also, some stuffed mussels could be nice and a slow roasted duck leg