An unusual Christmas lunch

A question about : An unusual Christmas lunch

My OH and I have decided to do our first Christmas together at his house, along with him, me and my son, there will be his parents and his sister and her OH.

Situation is this... He (and his family natch) are Jewish, I'm not. His sisters OH isn't either. His dad (but not him) eats kosher, his mum and sister are vegetarian and his BIL isn't keen on spicy stuff.

I have always cooked a normal turkey with bacon on top and the usual sausages & bacon combo.

I've asked if we need to get a kosher turkey - if so, (as I've never tried kosher meat before) how do I cook it? :confused: I'm imaginging that it is dry, but I could be wrong - turkey is a dry enough meat - which is why I put the bacon on! I usually do a prawn cocktail for starters as well - so that's out of the window!

Also I have the two veggies to consider as well - what should I do for them? His mum said to just give her vegetables - but I can't do that!!!

So any ideas for a kosher(ish)/vegetarian christmas dinner (i'm still going to do my bacon and sausages though!) - starter, main & dessert if poss!

Thanks

Best answers:

• Hiya
  I'll move your post across to our board which is dedicated to all things Christmassy.
  Good luck
• The only thing I can offer you help with is the Kosher Turkey I'm afraid... It will be no dryer than a normal turkey infact alot of people say Halal and Kosher chickens/turkey is better tasting than 'normal' poultry
  You'd cook it exactly the same way as you'd cook any other turkey
  Certainly sounds like you've a job on your hands pleasing everyone, I don;t envy you I'm afraid...
  Good luck and I'm sure you'll have lots of ideas from the more advanced than me OSers!
• thanks for moving to the christmassey board - I didn't even think to post it there lol! Went straight to the OS board as it's where I seem to find myself the most.
  That's good news about the kosher turkey, as I was worried about the dryness of it - will just slap a load of butter on it just in case!
  I know I've got a job on my hands - worried already! Coupled with it being the first time I've entertained his parents as well! So I need for it to go off all okay!
  Just bought some vegetarian mincemeat to do pies with, and also some chestnuts to add to the sprouts. Can tick those off my list of christmassy things!
  Had a look in tescos for veggie alternatives and nothing looks apetising
• You can buy a quorn roast that you just bung in the oven, and then slice and serve like normal meat. We've had it a few times and thought it was nice (we also do quorn sausages and bacon lol).
• er - NO BUTTER ON THE TURKEY! That's mixing milk and meat which is definitely NOT kosher. Olive oil would be a nicer alternative than kosher margarine, in my opinion. For veggies I suggest getting a few more chestnuts and making a kind of vegetable wellington - chopped mushrooms, chestnuts, peppers, onions, parsnips, carrots etc., fry them all gently in oil until they're a bit soft, wrap them in pastry, bake in oven. I'm sure there'll be a suitable recipe, maybe on the Old Style board somewhere. You could even cook the vegetable mixture without the pastry but with a crumble topping (kosher margarine again) and serve as a side dish with the turkey. If you want a fishy starter, what about smoked salmon?
• of course - see what happens when you get a catholic girl and a jewish guy together?? I forget all this kosher meat/milk stuff! TBH though I don't think his dad is *that* kosher, in the sense that he'll happily eat non-kosher if we go to a restaurant. And he'll have butter on a bagel with smoked salmon - but then I think milk/fish combo is fine isn't it? All too confusing! My OH is about as kosher as bacon, but I respect that his parents are (to a degree). (that they're to a degree kosher, not that I respect them to a degree!!!)
  Chrimbo dinner this year is going to be a challenge to say the least!
• wot about a bbq?
  certainly different.... ask people to bring what they would like to eat
• If you are doing bacon and pork sausages then dont cook them near the turkey and serve them separately too. Pgs meats a no no.
  use kosher margerine (tomor?) or olive/vegetable oil
  and good luck ( ask your OH what he would have had for dinner at home?)
  pudds
• I know not to cook the pork sausages near the turkey, so wn't be doing that.
  As for oh, he said in the past they just have turkey, but I guess without the usual pork product trimmings!! He can't remember what his mum and sister have - nut roast he reckons!