Invited 20 adults / 10 children for a dinner party this weekend. Can't decide on menu given #s!!! No pasta please.
As people arrive, I plan on serving 3 savory tarts, cheese and fruit. Dessert easy. Dinner: Kids eat what adults eat - no substitutions. Perhaps one chicken, one lamb, one lentil dish + rice? Ideas for recipes / menus???
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Hor d'oevers: Two savory tarts, homemade yogurt dip, cheese, fruit and crackers
Dinner: Lamb with white beans, roasted chicken (instead of the tagine (started very late on cooking), chicken Marbella (as suggested above), Rahjma (kidney bean curry punjabi style), Roasted fennel, Kale with grapes and almonds in an orange vinagrette, Green beans (blanched), rice
Dessert: Two cakes, cookies and ice cream, tea, coffee and milk
Everything turned out great, but I didn't care for the Chicken Marbella (odd since I love almost everything on this site but the flavors just didn't seem to win me over)
and maybe a cold lentil salad.
My go-to greek lentil salad:
cook 2 cups of raw green (French) lentils in salted water until tender
combine in a large bowl with:
1 large cucumber, chopped fine
1 small carrot, shredded
1 green and 1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped mint
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup crumbled, good quality feta
dress with the juice of one lemon, olive oil, sea salt
It sounds simple, and it is, but you can make it several hours before and people love it.
http://www.food52.com/recipe/tagine
If you have tarts as a first course, they won't be starving, will they! Good luck -- and report back to us.
Voted the Best Reply!
Also, instead of the tabolui salad I mentioned; Prehaps a Greek salad, with bowls of olives (good ones, pitted please) on the side for olive lovers and a gravy boat for the dressing. (but lightly dress the salad and give them option to add more if they wish)
A roast of any kind that will feed alot of people, roasted turkey and ham, plus plenty of vegs. there is a recipe on this site for israeli couscous with pistachios that is just wonderful and people love it.
A roast of any kind that will feed alot of people, roasted turkey and ham, plus plenty of vegs. there is a recipe on this site for israeli couscous with pistachios that is just wonderful and people love it.
And for gluten free guests. This cauliflower couscous is great. It holds up very well.
http://www.food52.com/recipes/14493_cauliflower_couscous
To keep with the theme, some humus, pita breads, feta cheese, olives for appetizers, or side dish for bread.
Maybe a tabouli salad which can be prepped and dressed ahead of time. You could quinoa for the Bulgar wheat in the salad as it's sometimes easier to find. (that would be a lot of parsley chopping tho).
You could make Merrill's Farro Risotto for vegetarians: http://www.food52.com/recipes/9113_farro_risotto It can also be made ahead. You could add some roasted butternut squash, or sautéed mushrooms, etc... to make it more of a main dish, too.