Dinner Party Help

[The Baron]

Morning all,

I have been fretting the last couple of days about a dinner party I am hosting in a few weeks time, and then it came to me last night that some of you guys might be able to help me?

Me and the OH, and three other couples have been arranging "come dine with me" type meals at each others houses over the last few months. We have been to two couples, and then on 12th Sept its my turn to host. Well the last two meals have been, although not themed, what I would consider to be Italian food, so I am determined to do something a little different.

At the weekend my boyf and I attempted to cook a morrocan meal, falafels to start, with hummous, then a veg tagine with a choice of morrocan grilled chicken or morrocan grilled prawns. We hadn't worked out a dessert. Well it was all ok, but not what I would really class as dinner party food, it was more of a winter warmer. Plus the falafels turned out more like onion bhajis!!

So my thought is now turned to having a bit of a spanish theme, and doing a tapas starter, but tryting to keep it simple to a plate of meats (I know that is a little more italian than spanish but I am hoping they wont notice), olives, sundried toms, etc and a couple of dishes that I can make the night before. Then for main course I was thinking of doing a paella. However because of people's eating requirements I will need to do two, one fishy one, and one chicken one.

Again for dessert I haven't quite worked that out.

Do you think doing two paellas will be too much work?

I have eight of us to feed in total, one is a vegetarian, but eats fish, one does not eat fish at all and has a nut allergy (thats me!!), and then one is a muslim and so can't eat pork!

Any ideas would be VERY gratefully received!

Thanks

Sasha

[Laraine]

Hi Sasha, you could try this website for some ideas
http://www.in-spain.info/top20/20-spanish-recipes.htm

[sahara]

Sasha, go to Marks and Sparks and buy it all, just take it out the packaging first. We won't tell.

[The Baron]

Thanks Laraine! I'll have a look!!

Sarah! That's so naughty!! But I like your thinking!!!

[PaulTACG]

Do Mexican.
Make a beef chilli, lob it into some tortillias and bung them in the oven with some cheese topping. Burritos. Simples!

Bit of rice some beans sorted.
Get some dorritos, stick some salsa, guacamole and sour cream on, top with cheese, bung it under the grill. Thats starters too!

[Laraine]

Originally Posted by PaulTACG

Do Mexican.
Make a beef chilli, lob it into some tortillias and bung them in the oven with some cheese topping. Burritos. Simples!

Bit of rice some beans sorted.
Get some dorritos, stick some salsa, guacamole and sour cream on, top with cheese, bung it under the grill. Thats starters too!

If you do the Chilli, do a search on here and there are some Chilli recipes from ages ago, mine is nice!

But if you are sticking to Spanish, dont forget the jug ot two of Sangria!

[Angeeeeee...]

Also with chilli you can make a veggie version with quorn mince, so simple but tastes and looks great, in fact that's what I'm cooking for friends this weekend...yum!

[TortMad]

The only advice I can give is cook something your comfortable with, cooking something new when your under pressure to "perform" is very stressful

I personally wouldn't attempt two versions of paella, as there are lots of components in to making a classic paella. Most of which can be prepped in advanced but not cooked and I like to make things as easy as possible so I can spend time with my guests

[Star]

Maybe a Greek night......its simple and has fish and meats.....

You could have all the dips, which you could make or buy...houmous and tzanziki are easy to make and can be made before hand...you usually have potato salad with it, along with crabstick salad and such things, all stuff you can do before hand.

Then for the main meal, you could do red rice, which is a pasta in the shape of rice, its easy to find in most stores and easier in mediterranean stores....all you do is put a huge leg of lamb, cover it and cook it for ages in the oven, then an hour or so before the main meal, before serving the starters, throw in some onions (with the lamb), let them brown a little while you chop 2 tins of tomatoes, 1 tin of stock (method is on the packets anyway) add them in with some seasoning and the pasta shaped rice, cover it all, uncover it ten mins before serving and up the temps to brown the meat...its easy, and for the fish or veggie eaters, you could do a moussaka (which you can prepare a day in advance), which can be vegetarian and the fish eaters can have some fish selections such as calamari (bought pre made) to accompany the moussaka, or just do some pasta rice separate and before its done, throw in some chunks of cod or any fish you want, and leave it for twenty minutes and serve

Or

You could do the pita and dips, but do a potato in a rich tomato sauce (same as roast potatoes, you cut them, add on top some sliced onions, quite a few, then a little oil, in the oven to brown for 20mins, throw on top a tin of tomatoes chopped and some stock, then brown some chops and throw the lamb chops in, leave it all to cook, have some yummy vegetables to match and a large Greek salad, nice and simple and the fish and veggies can have separate foil wrapped fish to accompany the potatoes and a vegi bag with mixed vegetable in a rich cream or butter sauce?

Or do a meze which is easy, you prepare almost everything in advance and its finger food, people pick out what they want and put it on to their plates Heres a link for you, but their are hundreds out there.....
http://greekfood.about.com/od/appeti...d_Mezethes.htm

You could even do a curry, same sauce throughout, then add the meat, fish and vegetables nearer the end, that way its not so much hard work. You could prepare the sauce in advance then start the curry on the day with the three separate items. You could have your naan breads, your chapati and all your dips...even a beer to make it authentic

I wish you luck

[The Baron]

Greek night sounds delicious!! Will be bagging that one for the next time!

We have finally opted for an 80's theme dinner party:

To start
Prawn cocktail or Pate with Melba Toast

Main Course:
Chicken Kiev (plus a veggie one too), with mangetout, carrots and smash

Dessert:
Lemon Merrigue Pie or Ice Cream with Magic Ice

And to wash it all down the meal with be followed with a glass of Creme de Menthe!

What do you think?

I am also going to make a cheese and pineapple hedgehog thing, and one with silverskin onions.

Plus was gonna buy a couple of bottles of mateus wine.

Everything will be homemade apart from the pate and ice cream!!