Tuesday 26 February 2013

A Few Tips For Hosting A Stress Free Dinner Party

It's been all about the Oscars for the past few days; best dressed, worst gaffs (I don't think Jennifer Lawrence's fall was that bad), the winners and those who were snubbed.  I don't have Sky so was unable to watch the show as it happened but caught up with Breakfast Television the next morning, drinking my coffee while the A listers were partying at Vanity Fair - after all these years of travelling and living abroad, time zones still fascinate me - and I'm not the only one, my grandma still asks "what time is it there?" whenever we speak on the phone.


 The topic I've noticed most on all the chat shows is dinner parties; what should you make, who should you invite, and how expensive they can be.  I absolutely love dinners parties; it's a great way to get your favourite people together in a comfortable setting and I think it's far cheaper than going out.  I recently had a few girls over from my old job to have dinner.  We usually try out a new restaurant every few months but this time I offered to host.  



 I'm no expert by any means but here are a few things I've learnt along the way to keep things relatively stress free...

1. Plan ahead 
Firstly, find out if your guests are allergic to anything or have an aversion to any foods.  Nothing worse than sweating over a steak pie to find out your guest is vegetarian!  Also, have a look at what you already have in your cupboards and plan around that if you can.  This will help with the cost and use up some of those ingredients you might otherwise have sitting around for awhile.  I had some dates that we didn't use over Christmas, which inspired my canapes and some tuna that worked great for my starter.  I also had some chicken breasts in the freezer to act as a main course.  I just needed to top up with a few extra ingredients to complete my menu.  Plan your menu, write down all of the ingredients needed and shop from a list so you don't forget anything.

2. Keep it simple
It's not fine dining, it's friends getting together to have a good time and eat some food while they're at it.  If you spend the entire evening in the kitchen working on your masterpiece, you'll be missing out on all the latest gossip and as the host, chatting with your guests is important.  Make dishes that you know how to make, can be prepared in advance and require very little prep once your guests arrive.  I had made everything in advance, assembled and cooked my canapes about a half an hour before guests arrived and the starter and main were ready to be put in the oven when needed.  The dessert went wrong (I used gelatine to set it but ended up with bits of gelatine throughout) but because I made it early morning I had plenty of time to start over.

3.  Plan your time wisely
You don't want to be hoovering in your comfy pants when the doorbell rings.  Clean your house the day before (unless your uber amazing and it's always white glove inspection ready) and shop for food then too.  The day of the party can be spent prepping the meal and putting on your face.  If it's getting to crunch time, get dressed in your party outfit and put on an apron to finish up in the kitchen afterwards.

4.  Have drinks at the ready
There's no need for an open bar.  Have a few bottles of wine for the meal (best to buy more than you need) and 2-3 choices for an aperitif.  Or have a "welcome drink" pre-made for when guests arrive - a signature cocktail, a fancy shot - these can be made 15 minutes before guests arrive and set at the door to give to guests as they walk in to enjoy with prepared canapes.  Have dinner ready to go shortly afterwards and guests won't have much time to get into the bar - don't want anyone drinking on an empty stomach, dinner conversation can get awkward otherwise.  Also, have some non- alcoholic choices available, juice, pop or sparkling water.

5. Play list and Table Settings
Plan music choices ahead of time.  Plug your mp3 player into the stereo or switch on the radio but either way have some background music going.  Keep centrepieces simple and set the table in advance.  A few candles or a small bouquet of flowers should be enough, anything too large and guests won't be able to see each other from across the table.  I used a few candles I already had on hand. 


Hoping I drop something from my plate.


As a guest, other than bringing good conversation to the party all you really need to remember is to bring a little something for the host; a bottle of wine or some flowers (the lovely girls from work brought both!) and be on time.  Fifteen minutes behind schedule is ok but don't be two hours late as we once were (I think I'm definitely a better host than guest) otherwise you better have a really good excuse.

Sleeping on the chair in the dining room having realised no scraps were coming their way.

What are your tips for a stress free dinner party?  What's your best/worst dinner party story?  Worse comes to worst, have takeaway menus at the ready - a good curry can solve any dinner dilema!

Here's what I made for the girls.  I haven't costed it but used ingredients that aren't incredibly costly and readily available in my local supermarket. 

Canapes




Smoked Salmon Blinis - slightly adapted from Good Food Channel
Makes about 30 blinis

For the blinis
75g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
pinch of salt
about 100ml milk
30g butter

For the topping
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup herb and garlic cream cheese
100g smoked salmon (I used trimmings which are much cheaper than the big perfectly formed pieces, because you only need a little bit for each blini)
coriander, parsley or dill to garnish

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, eggs, salt and enough milk to make a thick batter.   Melt the butter in a large frying pan and drop a little of the batter with a teaspoon to make small pancakes, leaving room between each to spread slightly.  Cook for 1-2 minutes on either side - when the batter starts to bubble it is ready to be flipped.

Whisk the cream until thick and stir together with the cream cheese.  To assemble, place a dollop of the cream mixture on top of each blini and top with a small piece of smoked salmon.  Garnish with coriander, parsley or fresh dill if using.  Blinis can be made ahead of time and assembled just before serving.

Devils on Horseback
makes 20
1/2 cup blue cheese
20 pitted dates
10 strips of streaky bacon, cut in half
20 toothpicks

Remove the pits from the dates, if not already done, by slicing length ways on one side.  Stuff each date with a little of the blue cheese.  Wrap each date with a slice of bacon and secure together with a toothpick.  Line a baking sheet with foil and bake in the oven at 220­°C for about 7-10 minutes on each side.

Starter


Sweet Potato and Tuna Fish Cakes - adapted from Love Food Just 100 Calories

175g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
160g tin of tuna in brine, drained
4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
pepper
lemon wedge to garnish
salad to serve
sweet chilli sauce to serve

Boil the sweet potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork, then drain and mash.  Flake the tuna and add the potatoes, spring onions, coriander, lemon rind and pepper and stir together.  Using slightly dampened hands, shape the mixture into 4 rounds and lightly flatten.  Place fish cakes on a plate, cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 200°, place fish cakes on a non stick baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes or until pipping hot.  Serve on a bed of lettuce with a lemon wedge to garnish and sweet chilli sauce on the side.

Main


served with Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
2 courgettes, chopped
1 each of red, green and yellow peppers, deseeded and chopped
2 red onions, quartered
2 handfuls of mushrooms, sliced in half
2 handfuls of plum or baby tomatoes, left whole
1 garlic bulb, separated but left in the skin
olive oil
salt and pepper

Arrange all of the vegetables in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 40 minutes at 200°C or until edges of vegetables become light brown and crispy.

Dessert


Mini Millionaire Cheesecakes
makes 4

100g digestive biscuits, crushed
25g butter, melted
1/2 cup Carnation Caramel
100g plain cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup Nutella, softened

In a bowl, mix together the crushed biscuits and melted butter.  Press into the bottom of small, individual, glass dishes (a small juice glass or larger shot glass will do) and place in the refrigerator to set.  In a large bowl, whisk the cream and use half to stir together with the softened Nutella.  Use the rest of the cream to blend together with the caramel and cream cheese.  Layer the caramel mixture on top of the biscuit base and top with the chocolate cream.  Leave to set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Friday 22 February 2013

Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry

Maybe it's because we've eaten them at Thanksgiving every October since I was small - though not my first Thanksgiving - that year my Grandma fed me spoonfuls of cranberry sauce - but I've always known what a sweet potato looks like.  A few of the younger folks at my local grocery store are still unsure as I have been asked several times "what is this?" as they put it through the checkout.  I'm a little worried that this could be the most exotic vegetable some of our young people have seen - or not seen as the case may be.


My friend Gail was over a couple of weeks ago and I whipped up a quick curry for us to enjoy.  I love a good takeaway but sometimes I just fancy something a little fresher and a little less greasy, this was it.  Very simple and quick, you can have your Friday night treat and not feel guilty about it.




 Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry 
Serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 red chilli
2 cups of fresh spinach
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon each cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, coriander
1/4 cup of water or stock

Cut the sweet potato into cubes and steam it in the microwave (can also be boiled) until a knife slides easily into the vegetable.  Mix the spices together in a small dish.  Fry the finely chopped onions in a little oil.  Once softened, add the garlic, chilli and then the spices and cook for a further 2 minutes.  Add a can of chopped tomatoes and the cooked sweet potato.  Add a little water or stock to ensure the potatoes are covered and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce thickens up.  Stir in the spinach in the last minute or so of cooking.  Serve over brown rice (or basmati if you're fancy) with a big glass of wine and let the weekend begin!

*Add a can of chickpeas for extra protein (to the curry not the wine)


Thursday 21 February 2013

Avocado Salsa a la Nigella

Watching Nigella Lawson is part cooking show, part porn.  She is so passionate about every step of the cooking process and every ingredient is absolutely the best thing she has ever eaten - ever.  As she has said on Nigella Kitchen: "Every single mouthful has to be devilishly good."   So much so, the ooh's and ahh's can get a little uncomfortable.  But I love it!  The close ups of the good food do it for me while I'm sure the close ups of "the goods" do it for the other half.  Love when we can find a show we can both watch together - whatever the reason may be.



We were watching a little Nigella a few weeks ago and she made a simple avocado salsa to go with a Mexican lasagna.  I thought it might go nicely with tacos but having forgotten exactly what went into it, I had to wing it.  I chopped up an avocado, some spring onions and a bunch of coriander and squeezed half a lime over the entire mixture. For a little kick you can add some chopped jalapenos but we added these individually to our tacos.

To make the tacos, or assemble them, rather,  I used some shop bought shells, pork filling (leftover from these stuffed peppers), salsa, sour cream, jalapenos, cheese and lettuce.  The avocado salsa was great on it's own but every once in a while, I just shoved some into my mouth along with my bite of taco.  Take note - hard shelled tacos should not be eaten in front of anyone you want to impress.  They're messy and there's lots of slopping around, on your face, on your top, on the floor (unless this is just me and now I'm really embarrassed).  Anyway, I'm married now, so no need to impress and he loves me, taco slop and all.  At least I hope so.


Thanks to the lime juice, the avocado in the salsa did not go brown and went beautifully with my scrambled eggs the following morning.  Devilishly good.  Well...as far as healthy breakfasts go.

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Pork Stuffed Peppers

We have a small group of friends (3 couples - including ourselves) who often get together.  We usually take turns hosting at one another's homes, sometimes making a 3 course dinner and other times we order a takeaway.  The point is to make time to see each other, catch up on the goings on in our lives and food, whether home cooked or not, is always a welcome part of that.

Very rudely, we were nearly two hours late for the last gathering over the Christmas holidays (for shame) but our very kind friends still let us in and fed us some fantastic food.  A cheese and onion pie, stuffed peppers and a Guinness cake to top it all off.  It was absolutely delicious - especially that cake!  I do plan on trying it out and sharing the recipe on here at some point but a few weeks back I was looking to make something with some pork mince that I hadn't used when making tourtière over Christmas, when the stuffed peppers came to mind.



I didn't use a recipe.  I just scoured the fridge and cupboards pulling out what I thought would work well.  The tomato sauce is the juice from a can of plum tomatoes and I used a half a jar of salsa- a can of chopped would do the same trick, I'm sure. 


I fried the onions, chopped green chilli and garlic in a little oil for a few minutes.


Then added the pork mince and once cooked, stirred in the tomato juice, salsa and added a little beef stock and let it all simmer.  I then added a couple tablespoons of dried stuffing mix to thicken it all up.  Rice would bulk this out nicely too, easily doubling up the filling to serve a big bunch.


Not it's most appealing stage but the final product did taste pretty darn good.


I cut the tops of of the peppers and sliced a little off each bottom so they would sit up in the dish and I used half of the mix to stuff them.  They were pretty big peppers - half of the mix would have easily done 4 small peppers but I was being greedy (as usual).  The leftover mix made another meal the next day which I'll share this week.  Gotta love a double duty dinner.


I popped them in the oven for about 30 minutes, just until the skin started to brown and bubble, and served them with my man's favourite side dish, cauliflower cheese


It might be our turn to host next - and I'll be keeping the menu simple, something that can be kept warm because pay back's a bitch.  And in the meantime, we'll work on our timekeeping!

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Pasta With Rocket And Pine Nuts

I'm so determined to come up with an all original, Chloe made recipe that will take the world my few readers by storm that I often let the contents of my cupboard and fridge inspire me, refusing to step foot in the supermarket and just use what I have.


Well, I thought I'd nailed it - a nice tomato sauce served over tortellini with rocket and toasted pine nuts.  Yeah - no one has thought of this, I said to myself.  Google told me otherwise.   I found the pine nuts tucked away in the cupboard and only tossed in the rocket to get some green leafy veg in our diet as we didn't really have anything else in to make a salad with and here I was unknowingly following a recipe.

I made a simple sauce - canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, a little beef stock, salt n pepper, oregano, and sprinkle of sugar and let it simmer.  I toasted the pine nuts by quickly dry frying them in a pan for a couple of minutes and then assembled everything - pasta (I had tortellini but any pasta will do), rocket, sauce, pine nuts and a little parmesan cheese.  It was absolutely delicious.  And though I did think of it on my own, I wasn't the first.  Back to the drawing board.  I'm going to have to be a little bit more inventive.


Tuesday 5 February 2013

Burns Night in Somerset


Two weeks ago I was brave enough to battle the few centimetres of snow we received and head down to Somerset to visit some friends.  I stayed a few nights with Aimee and her sweet family.  I actually went to high school with her back in Canada but she too was swept off her feet by the charms of an Englishman and has lived here for years.  We hadn't seen each other in about 15 years - my husband even saw her before I did when he dropped off their puppy Poppy back in December.  We pretty much spent the entire time talking non-stop - the only quiet time had when sleeping and eating.  It was great!  As for what we ate - I brought a few Canadian treats and we baked some Reese's peanut butter chip cookies and Aimee helped solve my pierogi problem by revealing that Asda sell them!  All this time, pierogies (which I mentioned I'm hoping to make from scratch here) were right under my nose and I was travelling to Canada to eat them (and visit family).
Poppy the puppy



I was then off down the road to visit my friends, Beccy, Darek and their gorgeous girl Ruby.  Darek is originally from Scotland and as January 25th was Burns Night, the whole family had gathered together to celebrate poet Robert Burns and feast on a wonderful meal.  Food plays such an important role at so many of our celebrations. The star of this meal was most definitely the haggis.  A first for me but I really liked it.


There is quite a ritual to this meal.  First, the haggis was piped in - I say piped, more liked hummed as we lacked bagpipes and anyone who could play them (sidebar: my neighbour at university used to play the bagpipes nice and early on the weekends - we were not friends).  Next, we said The Selkirk Grace, together in our best Scottish accents.  Then came the Address to a Haggis.  We went around the table, taking turns to each read a verse and I was given the high honour of slicing into the haggis when reading the third verse.


Then we feasted.  I love trying new foods and I especially love when someone else has done the cooking.  The surprise and wonder of how everything will taste gets me really hyped up.  I tried to help in the kitchen and managed to peel a few potatoes but I think we were all most helpful outside of the kitchen to let Darek the chef work his magic.  The starter was absolutely brilliant - a traditional Scottish soup, Cullen Skink, which is a smoked haddock chowder and soooooo good.


The main event was the haggis, served with neeps and tatties (mashed turnips and mashed potatoes) with a little kale (gotta have those green leafy veggies).  I didn't take a picture because I was too busy stuffing my face!  And though the description of haggis (and even the name) can be off putting, give it a try before you knock it.  The texture was very interesting and the flavour was so rich.

This meal was traditional through and through topped off with Cranachan for dessert, which is made from raspberries, cream, oatmeal and honey.


We ended the evening with some Scottish whisky and a few readings of Robbie Burns' works.  Beccy had chosen each one to suit each guest, which was a lovely touch.


I tried my best with the whisky but it took me back to a rough night at university where one too many shots took me over the edge and I pretty much went blind.  I haven't touched the stuff since so on Burns Night I toasted the poet with my third (fourth? ok fifth) glass of wine.

I really enjoyed this celebration and hope to someday be a part of it again.  Although it won't be with the other half - he doesn't like fish, haggis or raspberries - so glad I was on my own for this one!  

So, what are you celebrating these days?  Which foods are the stars?


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