Dinner recipes for guests?

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 2/25/2010 4:26:40 AM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
If it''s a special occasion, I make my Dad''s roast beef. It''s very simple, if a little extravagant. My Dad makes it better than I do, but mine is still good!


Whole fillet of beef, seared for a few minutes in a very hot skillet, then rubbed with pesto and crushed black peppercorns, wrapped in parma ham and roasted in a hot oven (as hot as it will go - you might need to drape a loose layer of foil over the top of the steak to stop the ham burning, but don''t wrap it in foil, you want any steam to escape and leave the parma ham crisp).


One of the nice things about this for a crowd is that the end of the fillet is thinner, so cooks faster than the middle - that way, you have rare, medium and well done all in the one piece, so people can choose what they prefer. To tell how ''done'' it is, push the thickest part with your finger - the more springy it is, the rarer it will be.


I serve it whole and slice it really thin at the table, with a rocket salad and a dish of dauphinoise potatoes. A tomato and red wine sauce is nice with it, handed round in a gravy boat at the table. If you don''t have time for the sauce, horseraddish or french mustard are fine.


To make the sauce, saute a couple of sliced shallots or a small onion in a tablespoon of butter. When they''re soft, add a heaped teaspoon of all purpose flour and stir. Cook it gently for about 10 minutes then add two glasses of robust red wine. Stir, then reduce by simmering gently for about 10 minutes. Add a can of chopped tomatoes and any juices from the roasting pan, then cook for about half an hour. Season to taste, then pass through a sieve before serving.



It''s a serious crowd pleaser, very savoury and delicious. I would imagine that the leftovers would be yummy, but I''ve never had the chance to find out.

Sounds yummy!!!

No one is allowed to eat well-done tenderloin or fillet in my house. I don''t support cruelty to animals or food.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 2/24/2010 9:04:02 PM
Author: FrekeChild
Depends on the guest. For my husband''s advisor who cannot eat dairy or eggs I have made grilled salmon and asparagus with lemon, and shrimp or chicken puttanesca linguine.


For everyone else, depends on their tastes, but chicken cordon bleu is popular, along with home made baked chicken strips, various protein (chicken, fish, shrimp, beef, pork, sausage) pasta with whatever veggies are floating around.


My favorite knock them dead plate is something that if I had developed more would have be a competition worthy dish, and that''s roasted ground mustard and pepper rubbed pork tenderloin, stuffed with apples. I usually make it with sweet potatoes or butter nut squash. It''s my favorite favorite recipe for fall/winter.


My favorite meal for the spring/summer would be grilled spiced chicken with grilled zucchini and mashed potatoes.


HTH!

Ditto Freke on the grilled salmon and asparagus. Super easy and quick, but it is awesome.

The other day I did pine nut encrusted halibut with a spicy tzatziki sauce and sauteed greens. It was really fast and easy but it came out awesome.

Coq au vin/boeuf bourgignon is always a good one as well. Coq au vin takes way shorter though--like 40 minutes compared to several hours.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Date: 2/25/2010 10:42:10 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk

Date: 2/25/2010 4:26:40 AM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
If it''s a special occasion, I make my Dad''s roast beef. It''s very simple, if a little extravagant. My Dad makes it better than I do, but mine is still good!


Whole fillet of beef, seared for a few minutes in a very hot skillet, then rubbed with pesto and crushed black peppercorns, wrapped in parma ham and roasted in a hot oven (as hot as it will go - you might need to drape a loose layer of foil over the top of the steak to stop the ham burning, but don''t wrap it in foil, you want any steam to escape and leave the parma ham crisp).


One of the nice things about this for a crowd is that the end of the fillet is thinner, so cooks faster than the middle - that way, you have rare, medium and well done all in the one piece, so people can choose what they prefer. To tell how ''done'' it is, push the thickest part with your finger - the more springy it is, the rarer it will be.


I serve it whole and slice it really thin at the table, with a rocket salad and a dish of dauphinoise potatoes. A tomato and red wine sauce is nice with it, handed round in a gravy boat at the table. If you don''t have time for the sauce, horseraddish or french mustard are fine.


To make the sauce, saute a couple of sliced shallots or a small onion in a tablespoon of butter. When they''re soft, add a heaped teaspoon of all purpose flour and stir. Cook it gently for about 10 minutes then add two glasses of robust red wine. Stir, then reduce by simmering gently for about 10 minutes. Add a can of chopped tomatoes and any juices from the roasting pan, then cook for about half an hour. Season to taste, then pass through a sieve before serving.



It''s a serious crowd pleaser, very savoury and delicious. I would imagine that the leftovers would be yummy, but I''ve never had the chance to find out.

Sounds yummy!!!

No one is allowed to eat well-done tenderloin or fillet in my house. I don''t support cruelty to animals or food.

LOL. I don''t care for well-done fillet either. Seems like such a waste, but I suppose if that''s what you like...

Lauren, please would you be kind enough to share your husband''s pizza dough recipe if it isn''t a family secret? I haven''t found a really fabulous one yet (not for want of trying).

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Sure, Mrs. Mitchell. I'm pretty sure this one is adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe. I have to explain something, though. I have a food blog, and my husband guest blogs occasionally so he chose to write this post in iambic pentameter.

Ingredients
3½ c. Strong (Bread) Flour(or 3 c. Strong Flour and ½ c. Semolina Flour )
¾ tbsp. Sea Salt
¾ oz. package Dry Active Yeast
¾ tbsp. Sugar
2 glugs (2 tbsp.) Olive Oil
1¼ c. Lukewarm Water


When making pizza dough, I feel compelled
to always make and knead the dough by hand.
With that said, feel free to use your mixer
or food processor to speed things up some.
Start by sifting the flour(s) and salt into
a large bowl or on a clean work surface.
Make a well in the middle of the pile
large enough to hold all of your water.
Pour the lukewarm water into the well.
Hopefully your makeshift flour dam will hold.
Add the sugar and oil to the water.
Then, add the packet of dry yeast and stir
the water until the yeast has dissolved.
Allow it to sit for a few minutes
until you begin to see the yeast foam.
Begin to stir the mixture with a fork
working in a little flour at a time.
As the dough begins to thicken nicely,
dust your hands with flour and begin to knead.
You want to knead the dough until it’s not sticky,
but still soft and springy and nice and smooth.
Now, place your dough into a large floured bowl.
Dust flour on top and cover with a cloth.
Leave the dough to rise for about an hour,
or until the dough has doubled in size.

Dust your work surface with all-purpose flour.
Remove the dough, and knead it some again.
Not too much, just to work out all the air.
Divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
Roll out each dough to your desired thickness.
I like my dough as thin as possible,
like an authentic Neapolitan pie.
Then spread your sauce evenly on the dough,
and cover with your favorite toppings.
Using a peel, place your pizza in a
500 degree preheated oven,
directly on the stone or baking sheet.
Bake until the crust is nice and golden,
and all the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Enjoy, and if you’re like us, you’ll never
want to call and order pizza again.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Thank you very much, Lauren. I forgot about your blog, sorry - could have found it there. Either way, I''m having pizza tonight. I''m going to make the dough right now.

I''ll let you know how it goes!

Jen

 

[waterlilly]

Two very easy yet delicious recipes I like to use for new guests:

Duck Breast Salad

Cornish Game Hen


Both are best cooked on a grill, but stove works fine too.

For the duck breast:

Score the skin, cook skin side down until most fat is rendered and skin is crispy. Flip over and cook for ~5 minutes (duck is served med-rare). Let sit for 5 minutes, slice and put on top of your favorite greens with blue cheese crumbles, walnuts, etc.

Looks beautiful!

Cornish Game hen (this is SOOO easy and SOOO delicious)

Butterfly the hen (cut out the spine and lay the bird flat)
Place pats of herbed butter under the skin around the breast. Place skin side up in a dish with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic mixture to marinate (even just for a few minutes if that''s all you have!) Rub skin with the marinade too and sprinkle with salt/pepper/poultry spice/celery salt, whatever spice you want the skin to have...

Place skin side up on a grill, INDIRECT HEAT. for ~45 minutes (don''t touch - don''t flip, just walk away!)

Looks amazing, tastes incredible! I always get "ooohs and ahhhs" when each guest gets their own perfect little hen on a plate!

If you don''t have a grill, you can just stick it in a roasting pan the same way and cook exactly the same way, turn the broiler on for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the skin.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

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