Help needed with recipe ideas....

[chicagomum]

It DH's birthday this weekend and I've offered to cook for a dinner party we are having. Have now discovered he has invited 14 (including us). There is 1 strict vegetarian and 5 who keep kosher at home (but will either eat vegitarian or fish when out at non kosher restaurants or houses). That leaves 8 people who will pretty much eat anything. I'm thinking it would be easiest to just do a veggie meal that way there is no chance of messing up, but I want something quite sophisticated and appetising for those who prefer meat. (Also would be good if I could do some preparation before, so I'm not chained to the stove all evening).

So all you culinary whizz's out there give me inspiration.

how about a nice leek and stilton soup to start?

Leeks, potato, 1 pint veg stock, 1 pint milk,cook, blend, crumble in stilton. Leave on low heat. That serves 6

how about a nice leek and stilton soup to start?

Leeks, potato, 1 pint veg stock, 1 pint milk,cook, blend, crumble in stilton. Leave on low heat. That serves 6

how about a nice leek and stilton soup to start?

Leeks, potato, 1 pint veg stock, 1 pint milk,cook, blend, crumble in stilton. Leave on low heat. That serves 6

how about a nice leek and stilton soup to start?

Leeks, potato, 1 pint veg stock, 1 pint milk,cook, blend, crumble in stilton. Leave on low heat. That serves 6

how about a nice leek and stilton soup to start?

Leeks, potato, 1 pint veg stock, 1 pint milk,cook, blend, crumble in stilton. Leave on low heat. That serves 6

GUess you really want us to start with the soup then LOL

What about something like:

Ricotta Cake with honey and cardamom roasted vegetables

(Serves 6 - but adjust to suit)

2lb ricotta cheese
10oz grated pecorino cheese
8 cloves of garlic, crushed
grated nutmeg
several basil sprigs

Vegetables:
12 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 red and 2 yellow peppers, cored deseeded and sliced
2 large courgettes, cut into 2" x 1/2" batons
1 aubergine, cut into batons of the same size
4 red onions, cut into wedges
Salt and pepper

Mix the cardamom pods, honey, oil and some salt and pepper in a large bowl and add the vegetables. Mix them gently to coat with the oil, then spread them out into a couple of roasting tins. Bake for about 50 minutes at 190C, turning a couple of times.

To make the ricotta cake, mix together the ricotta, 8ox of the pecorino, and the garlic. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn the mixture into a greased 9" springform tin, smooth the top and scatter with the rest of the pecorino and bake in the oven, with the vegetables, for 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven, leave to stand for 5 minutes, then slip a knife around the edge of the tin and invert the cake onto a large serving dish. Spoon the vegetables on top, decorate with the basil and serve immeditately.

Or there's

Moroccan-flavoured Aubergine Wellington

4oz couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 aubergine, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into 1/2" pieces
1oz ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped
1oz raisins
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
3oz toasted flaked almonds
4oz pitted black olives, sliced
2 x 12oz ready-rolled puff pastry
milk for brushing
sesame seeds for sprinkling
salt and pepper

Put the couscous into a bowl, cover with water and set aside to soak.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then add the aubergine and pepper, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the apricots, raisins, garlic, cinnamon and cumin and stir for a couple of minutes until the spices smell aromatic. Remove from the heat.

Drain the couscous and add it to the pan, along with the mint, parsley, almonds and olives. Season to taste and leave to cool.

Spread one of the sheets of pastry onto a baking sheet, brush with the milk. Put the couscous mixture into the centre of the pastry. Place the second sheet on top and press the edges together. Trim the edges, leaving a 1" border, and pinch the edges together with finger and thumb. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 40 minutes at 200C. Serve with natural yogurt or a mint raita.

how about a nice leek and stilton soup to start?

Leeks, potato, 1 pint veg stock, 1 pint milk,cook, blend, crumble in stilton. Leave on low heat. That serves 6

sorry hiccoughing computer.

Still it is a good recipe

.

CM - I have so many recipes, WigWam's do look really good. I just don't know about a dinner party thing that is sophisticated....Do you have a theme in mind?

Oriental?
Italian?

I love the sound of WWB's but the one true vegeterian doesn't eat aubergine, olives, or muchrooms, also eggs. 2 of the kosher have dropped out so we now have 1 vegetarian, 3 Kosher and 7 meat eaters, so am know thinking of vegetarian for 4 and non-veg for the remaining 7 but dishes that "complement" each other iyswim. Have no theme in mind, but want it a bit "fancier" than chilli or lasagne (I just feel that now we are in our 30's that is a bit too studenty for a dinner party).

Could you do curry? Then you could do a veggie one and a meat one and a couple of veg side dishes nad everyone could just dig in?

Or you could go for lasagne nad make a veg one nad meat?

morrocan tagine is good, again you could make a meat and veg version

Oh tangine is a good idea, lamb for meat eaters and veg for the others plus couscous for all. Now need recipes.

Tangine recipes please, meat and veggie (veggie can't have olives or aubergine is that possible?)

Also if you don't have a "tagine" to cook them in what else can you use?

Hang on, I have Tagine recipes, let me get my book out.

Your Choice:

Cornish Hens with Fresh Figs
or...
Tagine of Beef with Carrots and Turnips
or....
Tagine of Lamb with White Truffles

and

Sweet Roasted Vegetables.

Let me know.

Can't you tell that fusspot vegetarian that your toilet has flooded and the thing is off?
No aubergine, olives, mushrooms or eggs ?

Have 4 vegetarians (no aubergine/olives/mushrooms) and the rest eat anything, so would like a tasty lamb tagine recipe, a vegetarian alternative (can omit the ingredients not suitable) and then I guess I'll serve with a couscous dish (any other side dishes you would recommend?}

Winter Squash with Carmelized Onions

2 lbs Winter Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 Large Onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins, plumped in warm water and drained.
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Please the squash in an overproof dish and bake until tender - 50 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile in a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and fry until golden, 3 to 4 mihutes. Using a slotted spoon, transer the nuts to paper towels to drain.

Add the onions to the oil in the skillet. Cook until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the sugar and the cinnamon, decrease the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the onions turn brown (about 20 minutes). Add the raisins and season to taste with salte and pepper. Cook until heated through. Transfer your squash to a warm serving platter. Spread the onion mixture evenly over the squash, sprinkle with the fried onions and serve.

If you like one of the recipes with aubergine in, you can always replace the aubergine with something else - no recipe is cast in stone.

This tagine recipe is adapted from Delia Smith's Vegetable Tagine with Apricots and Coriander Couscous

2 courgettes, cut into 1.5" chunks
4oz peeled butternut squash, cut into 1.5" chunks
4oz peeled parsnips, cut into 1.5" chunks
3 ready to eat dried apricots, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
2 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and saffron stems
2 x 14oz cans chopped tomatoes
1,5 tablespoons clear honey
3 tablespoons mild harissa paste
1 cinnamon stick
Strip of lemon peel
1.5oz butter
2oz whole blanched almonds
1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon

For the couscous:
8oz couscous
Generous pinch ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the nion and cook for 7 - 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ground cumin, cinnamon and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the courgettes and cook for a further 5 minutes. NExt stir in the saffron, tomatoes, honey, harissa paste, apricots, cinnamon stick, lemon peel and a little salt.

Stir the butternut squash ands parsnip into the sauce, bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Towards the end of cooking put the couscous into a bowl and poir on 14 fl oz boiling waterand leave to soak for 10 minutes. Melt 1/2 oz of the butter in a small frying pan and add the almonds. Cook, stirring gently, until golden brown. Stir the remaining butter, the ground cinnamon and the corriander leaves into the hot couscous and fluff up with a fork.

Transfer the stew to a warm serving dish and, using a graining spook, scatter the almonds over the top, followed by the preserved lemon. Serve with the couscous.

What is Harissa paste?