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LOOKING for: I need a whole menu

16 years ago

I'm thinking of having a small group of friends over for a get-together on my patio (if it ever gets warm enough, that is). I'd like a really classy but really simple menu. If the recipes can be made ahead, it's even better. I don't know how to grill anything, so that's out. There will only be about six of us.

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Comments (6)

User
16 years ago
Help us a bit with what you might like. Maybe a themed event complete with music, that could be fun.

Mexican/Tex Mex

Sangria
Loaded Nachos or quesedillas as an appetizer
Chicken Enchiladas
Black beans
Guacamole
Flan for dessert

Italian

Wine
Gorgeous antipasto platter
Lasagna
Caesar Salad
Tiramisu

Or you could do a wonderful BBQ style food fest pulled pork on a bun, slaw, potato salad, maybe some ribs, beer.

If we can come up with a menu you like believe me the recipes will follow.
ginger_st_thomas
16 years ago
Not much simpler than this:

BAKED LIME CHICKEN (serves 6)
2-4 limes
3 1/2 lbs chicken parts or chicken breasts
3 TBL butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBL brown sugar
14 oz can chicken broth
1 TBL grated lime zest

Preheat oven to 400Â°. Grate lime peel. Squeeze 2 TBL lime juice & toss juice with the chicken pieces. In a 9x13" roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Mix flour, salt & pepper. Dip chicken pieces in flour & then dip in butter. Arrange chicken pieces skin skide down in pan.
Mix lime zest & brown sugar & sprinkle over chicken. Pour broth & remaining lime juice into pan & bake uncovered 50 minutes, basting occasionally. Use 1/2 can of broth for boneless breasts & you can add more lime juice if desired.~~Of Tide & Thyme

I've used sliced onions with this when I couldn't get pearl onions.
GREEN BEANS & PEPPER (serves 6)
24 fresh pearl onions
1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans, sliced diagonally
3 TBL olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan, optional

Blanch onions & drain: remove the skins. Blanch the green beans; drain. Heat the olive oil in a skillet until hot. Add the bell peppers. Saute just until tender. Stir in the beands, onions, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper. Cook just until heated through. Spoon into a serving bowl. Garnish w/freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.~~Texas Ties

These can roast in the oven with the chicken:
ROSEMARY ROASTED POTATOES (serves 4-6)
3 TBL vegetable or olive oil
1 1/2 TBL butter, melted
2 1/2 lbs new potatoes
2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper

Combine oil & butter in a 2 qt roasting pan. Add potatoes & stir to coat. Sprinkle w/rosemary, garlic salt & pepper. Stir well. Bake in a preheated 400Â° oven 30 minutes, stirring often, until tender & brown.~~Food for Thought
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LOOKING for: Looking for menu ideas
Q
Comments (8)
This would not be a heart healthy meal (sorry) but it is something that our extended family enjoys when we get together (the children like it too) and its done ahead of time, just needs reheating while the fresh vegetable is steaming. Brisket, potato casserole, fresh broccoli, salad. BEEF BRISKET FROM SARA MOULTON 1 Beef Brisket, any size Salt & Pepper 2 onions, thinly sliced Minced garlic Mix together: 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 cup chili sauce 3 TBL brown sugar 1 bottle beer Lay meat in oven going baking dish. Salt & pepper it, spread garlic over top, spread onions over the garlic. Pour sauce over the meat. Cover tightly with foil and roast at 300* for 3 hours if small 1/2 brisket or 4 hours if large, whole brisket. Uncover, let meat rest, and pour gravy into a saucepan. Puree with handheld blender, or pour carefully into blender and puree. Slice meat across grain and serve with gravy. If doing ahead, cover with foil, refrigerate and reheat in slow oven. CHRISTMAS POTATOES 2 pound package hash brown potato cubes, thaw, drain and pat dry 1 can cream of chicken soup 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (10-12 ounce package) 1/2 cup melted butter 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 pint (16 ounces) sour cream Combine all ingredients in large bowl and put into greased casserole dish 9 x 13 inches (approximately). 1/4 cup melted butter 2 cups crushed cornflakes Combine and sprinkle on top of potatoes. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. (Prepare casserole in advance and keep in the fridge, but don't bake it til serving time.) Here's a chicken menu that we like - chicken, orzo/roasted veggies, green salad. You can get the chicken ready and store in the fridge until baking. And the orzo/vegetable salad is served at room temp, so you can prepare it in advance and then take it out to warm up. Easy Baked Chicken 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves Salt Ground pepper Garlic powder 4 T. mayonnaise 4 T. fresh shredded Parmesan cheese 1 c. fresh coarse bread crumbs (or packaged, or panko) Chopped parsley 1. Season chicken lightly with salt, pepper. 2. Combine mayonnaise, garlic powder and cheese. 3. Put chicken in baking dish and cover with the mixture. 5. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with parsley. Bake at 400 until juices run clear (about 15-20 minutes) ORZO WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES 1 small eggplant, peeled, 3/4" dice 1 red pepper, 1" dice 1 yellow pepper, 1" dice 1 red onion, peeled, 1" dice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 lb Orzo, cooked 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 scallions, minced 1/4 cup toasted Pignoli nuts 3/4 lb Feta cheese, 1/2" dice 15 basil leaves, chiffonade Mix first 7 ingredients together and place in one layer in large roasting pan. Roast @ 425 degrees for 40 minutes, turning once. Mix warm orzo with warm cooked vegetables and all of their juices. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss together and let cool to room temperature. Add scallions, nuts, Feta and basil and serve. Serves 6 Roasted pork tenderloin is an easy meal - put however many you need in a roasting pan or two, seasoned nicely with chopped garlic, salt and pepper and maybe some rosemary, and roast at 400 for about 25-30 minutes, let rest for 10 minutes and slice on the diagonal. Serve with anything you like - a potato casserole and some veggies and salad. These are just a start - if you need some choices that aren't so basic and homey, but more "polished" - just ask! There are lots of tried and true recipes out there and lots of cooks posting here :)
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Comments (5)
Your menu also will be influenced by your location and the climate of your area that time of the year. May here in the South can be hot like summer or cool and wet like spring. Will you be inside or outside? I would suggest foods that hold well in chafing dishes but that aren't too heavy: Dijon Chicken over Rice Pilaff or Chicken Chausseur over Rice with fresh herbs or Shrimp Creole over rice; Roasted Vegetables with Carmelized Onions and Fresh Herbs, Pear Caesar Salad, a platter of assorted cheeses with sliced baguettes and crackers, a platter of fresh fruit, wedding cake and ice cream (for that small number not too hard to do). When a good friend got married for the second time, they had a pig pickin' (BBQ pork - very casual) after their home garden wedding and instead of wedding cake, we had lots of different kinds of cakes. But that event had a lot more people than yours. It makes planning easier if you have a theme of sorts: English Garden Party, New Orleans/Seafood fare, Country BBQ, Southern Traditional Foods, etc. Hope this helps. I can find some recipes if you need. Teresa
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Comments (4)
When making pancakes, I often wing it!.....Remember that for every 2 cups of flour, you will need 1 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp salt.....sweetening, fat of some sort.....and milk. So I make up a 2 cup measure of mixed flours...amybe 1 cup unbleached all purpose, 1/8th cup buckwheat ( a little goes a long way!) 1/8th cup of wheat germ, 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1/4 cup rye flour. Then mix up 2/3 cup milk, one egg, 1/4 cup honey....or brown sugar....or some honey and some molasses, 1/4 cup vegetable oil or soft butter....and mix intio the flour.....add more milk as needed to make cakes as thin as you like. And sometimes I just use white flour and whole wheat....1/2 and 1/2 of each. And....I always add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Linda C
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hire a contractor that's familiar w/fire/flood, and knows how to deal w/insurance companies. Have him write you an estimate that covers everything. down to removing a sink, molding, electrical plates, ,,,blah blah (because insurance companies overlook that and those little jobs all add up) so the contractor will need to be familiar in dealing w/insurance companies. the contract will submit the estimate to the insurance, the insurance will barter and come back w/ X amount. contractor will advise them "well you missed this and that, so I need This amount". insurance will come back again w/number. back and forth they go. The contractor needs to know how insurance works. There is also a set standard of what the contractor can change you for everything so no need to worry that he's going to gauge on something like drywall or electrical. (oh, and you will also need a company that hires a "Pack out" company. They will pack up any items move them to storage while the smoke is cleaned from the units. they can sometimes use an ozone treatment to remove smoke from furniture. ) don't know if the ins. co. allowed the pack-out company portion. (if you need it) for the garage conversion, I'd have the contractor write you a separate contract for that. he will submit any plans to the city. if there was smoke damage, include that portion in w/the insurance, but anything w/the upgrade have him do a separate contract w/you
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teresa_nc7
16 years ago
What about a Greek/Mediterranean inspired menu?

Appetizers:
Hummus with flatbread crackers
Stuffed Mushrooms
Wine, mixed drinks, or Sangria (punch or sparkling grape juice if you do not want to serve alcohol)

Chicken Oreganato

Greek Salad of chopped romaine lettuce, chopped cucumbers, green bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, diced red onion, feta cheese crumbled, and a red wine vinaigrette

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes above

or

Artichoke & Rice Salad

Pita Bread wedges brushed with olive oil and warmed in the oven

Dessert of bakery baklava and assorted fancy cookies with or without some good quality ice cream or sorbet

Recipes:

Stuffed Mushrooms
Fill mushroom caps with Italian sausage and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and broil for 2 minutes until lightly browned.

Chicken Oreganto

12 chicken thighs, skin off
2 TB crushed dried oregano
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of half a lemon

Turn oven on to 450F. Wash chicken, pat dry. Mix oregano with s&p and rub over all the chicken pieces. Put in a shallow baking pan. Whisk oil with lemon juice, drizzle half over the chicken. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn chicken and drizzle on rest of oil-lemon mixture. Bake another 15-20 minutes, until chicken is done and juices run clear when chicken is pierced. Cool. Serve at room temp or warm.

I'd add extra chicken thighs up to 15-16 pieces and double the other ingredients. Then you'd have extras for another meal or lunch.

Artichoke and Rice Salad

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped green peppers
1/4 cup sliced olives
1 6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 t. dill weed
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Cook rice in broth. Cool. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
sayhellonow
Original Author
16 years ago
Chase: I like your Tex-Mex menu, but I've never cooked any of those things. It would be less risky if only one dish was new to me because I could try it ahead of time. Also the green beans and stuffed mushrooms because sound good, but - if possible - I don't want to be cooking when guests arrive.

The Baked Lime Chicken could go into the oven before, and I could just keep it warm there until dinner. The Rice-Artichoke Salad sounds like it would appeal to most, and could be made ahead of time too.

I don't know if there will be a theme here. Any more suggestions?
becky_ca
16 years ago
I think a theme menu sounds fun, and I think just about everybody loves Italian. So here's a couple of ideas for you - most of this can be assembled or prepared ahead of time. The shrimp only takes 15 minutes to cook, so it goes in right before you're ready to sit down.

Becky

Appetizers: Bruschetta with tomato/basil topping, assorted olives and proscuitto (sp?) with melon

Main Course: Baked shrimp scampi, pasta (a shape like orzo - not noodles that are too messy to eat), sourdough bread and a green salad. You can bake the shrimp in a large casserole and set it in the middle of the table for people to serve themselves, and to dip their bread in the wonderful sauce. Of you can bake it in individual ramekins for a more elegant presentation.

Dessert: Tiramisu (buy it!), fresh fruit like strawberries and coffee

Beverages: A nice Sangiovese and a Pinot Grigio

* Exported from MasterCook *

Shrimp Scampi Bake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons prepared Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 pounds medium raw shrimp -- shelled, deveined with tails attached

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. When the butter melts completely, remove from heat.
3. Arrange shrimp in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

www.allrecipes.com

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sayhellonow
Original Author
16 years ago
Becky, thanks so much! You know, I think you're right. Buying the Tiramisu is a great idea, and I do make a lovely bruschetta. I've never had the Baked Shrimp Scampi, but I love the pan-made scampi. Most everyone does like Italian food, so I think this might just do the trick.

Thanks everyone for all your great ideas. I will try some of them when I'm *not* having a party so I can do them when I *am.*

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