Hi everyone, I hope you are keeping warm. I am kind of stuck for ideas as I have lost my cooking mojo.

The urchins have reminded me that it is mid winter next week, and we should have a feast. I was reading Cheese Lovers nibble posting for ideas, but they seem a little grown up for my crowd. 8 Urchins aged between 10 and 14, and 10 adults. I was thinking about doing a roast, as I haven't done one in a while.
The urchins will try something new, and aren't afraid of spicy or ethnic.
Any suggestions for warming food, other than sausage rolls and little red sausages - already suggested by the youngest! is most welcome.

Have fun.

A big pile of chicken nibbles could form part of the feast. Bake with lemon halves (squeeze a bit of juice over before baking), bay leaves, ground black pepper and sea salt flakes.

Cheap and finger lickin' good!

Regards,

Barbara Anne



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2016 07:51AM by Barbara Anne.

What about something in a crockpot (slow cooker) that everyone can help themselves from? It needs no attention while it's cooking, leaving you free to do other things. In fact, if you also have a rice cooker, you could do a large family-sized curry (butter chicken?) in the crockpot and make a big pot of rice in the rice cooker.

As an alternative to the curry, it could be a tasty beef casserole (using cross-cut blade steak) in the slow cooker with well seasoned (and spiced) buckwheat (kasha) in the rice cooker.

Hi Ruth,
I've made this roast lamb shoulder several times and so has my daughter and it is delish! And I haven't cooked it for 8 hours as it says - I've found 3 - 4 hours is plenty. I don't think the pic does it justice as it looks dry, but mine has been anything but.
I've served it with roast veggies, and also with fattoush and couscous. And it's not too much work.
And after an interval, what about Nigella's completely decadent caramel croissant pudding? You could do parts of that ahead and put it together at the end, and again not too much work. I know what it's like to have the cooking mojo vanish and have found that doing things ahead of time helps me a bit.

[www.sbs.com.au]

We had a party recently, and just bought a scotch fillet and some ?turkey ?chicken (can't remember now), good bakery breads, and lots of condiments/cheeses/caramelised onions etc (was a great way to use up all those jars from the back of the fridge). People made their own gourmet sandwiches and it was a great hit!
We had birthday cake to follow as well.

What about this roast beef recipe from Helen's Foodlovers' Recipes. I haven't made it, but it sure sounds nice and I've printed a copy of it. [www.foodlovers.co.nz]
Regards,
Dawn.

My sister Vanessa made Popcorn chicken recently on the TV show Whanau Living - I thought it was a really good idea for kids

Party Popcorn Chicken

Heres the link for the video and recipe
Popcorn chicken

Party Popcorn Chicken
By Vanessa Opera
Serves 4 • Prep 30-minutes • Cook 30-minutes

INGREDIENTS:
500 grams Chicken Thighs (boneless) cut into chunks
50 grams Salted Pop Corn (popped)
2 Tablespoon Cajun Spice Mix (OR lemon pepper, vegetable seasoning, garlic salt)
50 grams Plain Flour
85 grams Breadcrumbs
1 Egg
Oil for frying

METHOD:
In a food processor blitz the popcorn, cajun spice and breadcrumbs. In a plastic
container (with a lid) add the flour. Add the chicken, replace the lid and shake till
the chicken is coated. Add the beaten egg and shake again till the chicken is coated.
Lastly add the popcorn, cajun spice and breadcrumb mix and coat the chicken. Heat
oil (medium temperature) in a frying pan and cook the chicken in batches and drain
on paper towels. Serve popcorn chicken and baked vege bites with either peas, beans
or edamame beans and a dipping sauce.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2016 05:53AM by IngridO.

OH Thank you everyone. Fantastic suggestions and ideas! Several of them catch my fancy... I will get my eldest, 13, to look over them too, and he can help me make whatever he decides on. I am sure it will be great feast, just have to get my act together, and have some more mulled wine.

Thanks everyone. Have fun!

They are great ideas.

I love the idea of a roast....

My kids love chicken nibbles, spring rolls, garlic bread......Samosas too.

Hi all do you slow roast the lamb with a lid on the roasting dish or not?

Hi Sumar - the recipe says to completely enclose the lamb shoulder in foil but I've found that to be a bit messy, so I put foil over the roasting dish and then put the lid on.