Dinner Party ideas?!

aurora_borealis_2

Hey beer,

My friend did this for Christmas dinner!!

She's Dutch as well. I think I'm going to buy a cooker thingy, it looks great fun

beer2006

I should think so, don't know if they are more expensive over here because of low demand though.
Just googled it and some came up.

aurora_borealis_2

How about Ebay?

... tried to link but it went pear-shaped.

chardonnay_2

looks like a really cool way to entertain without the hassle. do you use it for yourselves as well or only for dinner parties?

beer2006

Definately only dinner parties

Took 2 of us an hour to prepare the food. But it can then be chucked in the fridge and bought out when you are ready to eat, no worries about everything being ready on time.
We meant to have garlic bread as well, but forgot to make it, so we just had a large french loaf cut up.

aurora_borealis_2

I just bought a 10 person one oops

Bossyboots

lynzpower wrote:

FTB, I dont really like lamb, but thats got me salivating Sounds fantastic
Will try that next week i think

To let you all know I made
Dinner party chicken lol with wholegrain mustand then wrapped in organic smoked bacon
Douphinoise with cream and cracked pepper and chives from the garden
Roasted veg with butternut squash, carrots, mushrooms,peppers, onions, leeks. with rosemary And it didnt burn!!!
french stick & butter

It was a triumph! the couple loved it and texted me about 10 mins after they left saying how great the food was!!

thank you ever so much for the ideas gang!

Sound brill. Wish I had been there.

In relation to the roasted veg, I always had a problem with it burning too. I thought I would try cooking it on one of those silicon cooking sheets a few weeks ago to see what happened and it turned out perfectly. I have done it again a couple of times since and the results are just as good.

Rachel85

I am having some friends over for dinner (four of us in total) and have no ideas what to cook. I want it to be more formal than just mates coming round for tea (we are all trying to save money so this is an alternative to going out for a meal!) but without spending a fortune.

In the past when they have come round I have cooked tortellini and lasagne, so I think pasta/Italian is off! One girl doesn't like anything too spicey and I'm not a great veg or mushroom fan!

My only idea is to do something Mexican. We all like Las Iguanas and other such places. I thought perhaps do something similar like nachos to start and then attempt peri peri chicken for main. However I don't know where to start. Do you just use normal tortilla chips? What kind of cheese do you melt over them? Is it sour cream and salsa that you usually add?! And for the chicken, should I marinade it first then fry/grill it?! I will probably keep the suace seperate so they can choose how spicy they want it. I was hoping not to be slaving over the oven all evening - could I bake/grill the chicken first then finish it off in a griddle pan to get the lines on it?!

I am probably the opposite of a domestic godess, but I really want to get into entertaining so if anyone has any ideas I would be extremely grateful!!

:beer:

zombiecazz

Chicken peri-peri
What you need

two or three fresh hot chile peppers (hot red peppers are typical; jalapeno peppers and poblano peppers are also good), chopped
four tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice (or cider vinegar)
four tablespoons oil
one tablespoon cayenne pepper or red pepper, or one tablespoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
one teaspoon minced garlic (or garlic powder)
one tablespoon paprika
one teaspoon salt
dried or fresh oregano or parsley (or similar) (optional)

What you do

Combine all ingredients. Grind and mix the ingredients into a smooth paste. Adjust the ratio of cayenne pepper and paprika to taste. Rub marinade onto meat and allow to marinate in a glass bowl for at least thirty minutes (or overnight if possible) before cooking. This marinade works well on chicken, beef, or any other grilled meat. Some cooks briefly cook the mixture before storing it. "Aging" the marinade by storing it in a refrigerator for a few days allows the flavor to develop.

As for nachos use grated cheddar, any type of nachos such as durritos, tub of sour cream and a tub of salsa.
Spread chips out on an oven-safe platter. Sprinkle with cheese. Microwave 1 to 2 minutes, or heat in a 350-degree oven until cheese melts. Spoon on the salsa. Garnish with sour cream and chiles if desired.:D

Hope it goes well.

Heth_2

You could also do some homemade guacomole to go with the nachos.