One of my favorite salads is made with field greens, with red grapes halved, pistachios, those dried cranberries, and a little gorgonzola crumbled with a balsamic dressing. You can leave out either the cranberries or grapes as each one adds a touch of sweetness.

One of my favorite veggies are carrots, so that would be MY first choice! You can roast them - drizzle with some olive oil, s&p, and a few grates of ginger. I don't know what's in your chicken recipe so it's hard to think of what flavors would go with it. You can also make a roasted veggie combo - carrots, parsnips, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, etc. Drizzle with olive oil, s&p, and some chopped garlic, maybe a little onion as well or add leeks.

Roasted potatoes are always good and can be made ahead and just popped in the oven when it's time to cook. I usually make mine with some onion, drizzled with olive oil, s&p, and I like some crumbled rosemary on them. But again, that depends on what's on your chicken.

Someone posted a recipe in the side dishes thread I believe for a spinach dish, pretty much like a quiche, but without the crust, that looks really good.

A quick recipe for green beans that I love is to cook your beans, then toss them with butter, s&p and a few spoons of a good, grainy mustard. It literally takes less than a minute, just after you drain the beans.

As far as desserts, who wouldn't love chocolate mousse?! And chocolate is perfect for Valentine's Day! I'd definitely go with a chocolate dessert. And you can make the mousse in the morning and just add a dollop of whipped cream or whatever you choose at the last minute befor you serve.

I'm with you. I love to cook for people, but I like to have most of the stuff already prepared so I can actually enjoy my company while they're over as well and not be trapped in the kitchen! Good luck with your party!

Lisa

They had asparagus for UNDER 2 bucks a pound yesterday at the grocery store. I would do that, roasted, wrapped in proscuitto if you want to be gourmet but not necessary. Then do something more traditional for folks who don't like asparagus. Green beans are easy and go well with chicken. And yes, I would second an escalloped spinach type dish. But what do I know, I have never met a vegetable I don't like. Another option is roasted cauliflower topped with bread crumbs. It's hard to say, because most people who love vegetables will love just about any kind, and veggie haters can never be pleased so just meat and potatoes for them! You could do escalloped corn, that would probably be popular with most people. Not very sexy though, at least not as sexy as asparagus, IMHO!

Though I love both Green Beans and Asparagus, I don't think I would serve 2 long skinny veggies in the same meal. I would roast the asparagus (sprinkle with balsamic, salt, pepper and roast at 425 for about 10 - 15 min), roast the potatoes with parmesan and make a Squash or sweet potato casserole with a crunchy topping (your choice if savory or sweet). For a really fun salad, you might give this a try....

Autumn Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Maple Syrup, Brown Sugar or Honey
1 tablespoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
10 cups mixed salad greens, rinsed and dried
2 Anjou Pears, cored and thinly sliced

Toast the walnuts for 8 to 10 minutes in a 350F oven, or until lightly toasted.

In a food processor, combine the cranberries, vinegar, onion, syrup, and mustard. Puree until smooth; gradually add oil, and season with salt and pepper.

In a salad bowl, toss together the greens, pears, and enough of the cranberry mixture to coat. Sprinkle with walnuts, and serve.

I love green beans and I think it's a 'safe' vegetable since most people do. If you're worried about the garlic, you might just make them with almonds.

Barefoot Contessa's Brownie Pudding is a VERY decadent chocolate dessert. It can be made ahead of time and isn't hard to make. One nice thing -- it uses good cocoa powder instead of high-end chocolate, so it's a bit easier on your wallet.

Have a great time!

Tamara

Brownie Pudding

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Yes, I don't know what I was thinking. Dumb me would make two long skinny vegetables for a dinner party--here's some asparagus because it is fancy and gourmet, and for you pedestrian types, here's a green long skinny alternative. And I would also be running around like a chicken with my head cut off when my guests arrive and stressing out because I always overdo!

But having said that, I might try asparagus as an appetizer, for those who like it. A friend once brought some marinated asparagus wrapped in proscuitto as an appetizer to my house once for a party, it was very nice.

I love asparagus roasted, so I'd probably go with that, but my girls love it steamed and wrapped in a slice of turkey breast or ham which has been spread with a bit of herbed cream cheese, that's more of an appetizer.

I just made brussels sprouts with horseradish cream sauce, they're delicious, the sauce is just 1/4 cup of low fat sour cream, some crumbled bacon and a couple of teaspoons of horseradish, mix in the steamed sprouts. I love it but lots of people don't care for sprouts.

I'd definitely do the roasted potatoes with the chicken, and if I went with asparagus I'd be out of oven room, so I'd probably go with the carrots because sweet would be OK. If I did asparagus I probably wouldn't do broccoli because that's a lot of green in one meal since you're doing a cold salad too. I think Alexa's salad sounds delicious, I was thinking along the lines of a Riviera type with strawberries and raw spinach.

Tamara, is that brownie anything like the brownie pudding we used to make, it baked into a sauce at the bottom and a brownie type type? I love that and good vanilla ice cream on the side is extra good, especially if the brownie is warm. Yum.

I also saw a Mississippi mud/espresso cake recipe that looked and sounded decadent and delicious, I'd probably garnish with raspberry sauce...

Annie

Thank you all for the replies!

I realize it's difficult to know what would "go" with the chicken if you don't know the taste/texture, so I'm formulating it in my head. lol!

Nobody commented on the rolls, pumpkin bread, and mushroom soup, so I don't know if that's good or bad. I love mushrooms. I don't know if everyone else does.

I'll stick with the chicken and roasted (parm) potatoes. I loved the squash suggestion, and might do both acorn and butternut (acorn w/ a butter & brown sugar, butternut w/ butter and s&p).

And I promise to only have ONE long skinny green vegetable. lol! I've never had asparagus roasted, so may try that -- it sounds great!

The salads that were suggested sound wonderful! caliloo, I assume your Autumn Salad is made with fresh (or frozen) cranberries -- would dried sweetened work? I had been thinking along the lines of the spinach & strawberry salad, but the suggestions made me think of a salad my sister made once that would go perfectly... I cannot find the recipe now but it's a spring mix w/ mandarin oranges, red onions, nuts, and a balsamic dressing.

I'll do something with corn too, and decadent chocolate "something" for dessert. Has anyone tried the recipe for "molten chocolate cake"? I can't remember where I saw that recently. I don't have ramekins though. :(

Thank you everyone! I'm off to search for that salad recipe again.

I found the salad recipe so figured I should post it. I think it will be a nice match with everything else on the menu:

Refreshing Minty-Orange Salad

1 large can mandarin oranges
3 cups chopped spring mix
1/2 cup favorite nuts (my sister used sliced almonds)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Dressing:

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons orange juice
1 clove of garlic crushed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
(mix and chill dressing - pour over salad just before serving.)

Forgot to add, welcome to the Cooking Forum PartyMusic! The whole meunu sounded great to me, very homey and relaxing, your guests are lucky. I've had both the mandarin salad and Alexa's cranberry one, they are both good. (Although I've never used mint in the orange one, but I'll bet it would be good).

Oh yes, welcome to the Cooking Forum!

I didn't comment on the dinner rolls, because they're a given for me, we always have fresh rolls or bread with any "holiday" dinner. As for the pumpkin bread, I love it and anything leftover can be breakfast.

I've made cream of mushroom soup and I like it a lot. I've rewarmed it the next day and it was still good, so I don't think there's any issue with making it ahead of time. Mushrooms are one of those things that some people just don't like, so that's going to have to be a judgment call on your part. (grin)

Have a great time, the dinner sounds delicious.

Annie

Thank you lpink and Annie for the welcome. :)

lpink, I was considering omitting the mint from the salad, so I think I will.

Annie, thanks for the comments re mushroom soup and being ok to rewarm it. I'm a very good soup maker and I have a new tureen, so they're getting soup! lol!

I've decided to go with chocolate cups & chocolate mousse for dessert.... and, of course, lemoncello! Despite the entire meal being very "homey", that should wow them at the end.

gee... I just realized that of the 6 people coming, only one of them is a 'cook'!

party, you don't need another cook, you only need dishwashers now, LOL.

Have a great party, and be sure to let us know how it goes.

Annie