Christmas Eve Menu 2011

For Swedes what we eat during holidays is important and tradition to us. Christmas eve dinners usually consists of at least three courses.

The staple of the first course is pickled herring. The herring can be pickles and flavored many different ways - but it does include pickled herring. Appetizer is not really the right word for it, since one can eat as much as you want (but remember to leave room for the main course and desert + cookies and candy with coffee).

In our home the main course always included ham, meatballs and baby hot dogs. When my parents came to visit once Christmas, my mom cut up regular hot dogs since we can't find the mini version here. It is not the same - I would rather just skip it.

Since I have my hands full with working full time and two small children, this years Christmas eve dinner will include many things that are prepared by someone else. I'm so glad I made my "Christmas Eve Menu" post last yer so I can work from that to simplify this years menu.

For desert it is tradition to have Christmas porridge, and later you eat cookies and candy with coffee or maybe some glogg.

Starter

• Pickled herring - 4 kinds, just because there was a sale at IKEA (buy two get two free).
• Lox - I use with lox instead of salt cured salmon since it is easier to get a hold of
• Dill sauce and lemon
• Pumpernickel bread - I can get this in the international section of my Kroger.
• Fresh baked white bread (I am not baking it).
• Hard boiled eggs.

Main course

• Ham - this year I am getting a Honey Baked Ham. I might try and put some traditional mustard "glaze" on it but am going to wait until I can taste it to see if it will work well together.
• Meatballs I will have to make these myself. I bought some at IKEA but don't have enough left for a crowd. 
• Pickled red cabbage - I can get this at Kroger too.
• Pickled cucumbers - my grandmas recipe and only because LL loves them almost as much as meatballs.
• Kale - we don't like to much creamy stuff in our family so I make this with vegetable stock instead of cream.
• Janssons frestelse - best way to explain this is potatoes au gratin with anchovies. I use anchovie paste, instead or regular anchovies.
• Hard boiled eggs.

Desert
I will ask one of the guests to bring desert this year. I have tried to make Swedish Christmas porridge in the past, but I can't get it to taste right.

Don't forget snaps!!