Ideas needed for my little soiree please!

[Northerner]

Am having 15 people over for my birthdya on Saturday night. Dh is at wirk till 6pm so it is left to me!!

I have ordered a lovely peice of beef and will be doing hot beef sarnies in lovely crusty beguettes. Will also serve big green salad.

What else can I do that is easy but yummy? Was thinking pasta salad or cous cous (have never cooked cous cous before is it easy?)

Any help greatly received.

Thanks

cous cous is sooooo easy but I think tabbouleh is as easy and nicer.

Get a packet of bulghar wheat and make it according to instructions on packet (usually means simmering in water (I use stock) for about 15 mins). Let it cool. Chop LOADS of flat leaf parsley and coriander or mint quite roughly, and do the same with spring onions and cucumbers (you want cubes rather than chunks). Deseed and chop some tomatoes. Mix the whole lot together and dress with olive oil and lemon juice. Fantastic. Should look green rather than grain.

Can do similar with cous cous - just soak the grains in about twice as much boiling water, covered for about 6 mins. Fluff with a fork. Add chopped salad veg and herbs, drizzle olive oil et voila.

You could also do a labneh/tzatiki yoghurt dip thing. would go nicely.

AND if you want to go very lebanesey then get some Ras-Al-Hanout spice rub and put that on the beef (mix to a paste with olive oil) before you roast and do with pitta bread.

although.... another option might be to half and deseed some red/green peppers, quarter red onions, ditto fennel and roast for about 45 mins with garlic and olive oil and then scatter with feta just as you take it out and serve.

(sorry I haven't been able to cook for a while and am starving so getting carried away!)

stuffed tomatoes are great

I stuffed some for a lunch the other week with breadcrumbs, parmesan, pine nuts (roasted), basil, parsley and some of the scooped out tomato. You can do in advance and bake in oven for 20 mins or a bit longer just before you need them

Greek salad is good too

A Dip of greek Yoghurt, finely cubed cucumber and lots of fresh garlic with breadsticks and strips of ciabbatta is delicious.

And a good spread of various cheese, salamis, olives and other pickles is always good!

oh oh oh i know, please pick me pick me

can't be bothered to wait....

cherry toms injected with vodka.

A jar or horseraddish mixed with fem fresh and wholegrain mu'tard.

mini yorkshire puddings with a dollop of the horseraddish stuff in

new potato, avacado and watercress salad.

Make up the cous cous salad, but mix with roasted veg (courgette, peppers, red onions, asparagus) and some parsley, mint or coriander and some raisins and a lemon and olive oil dressing.

Stuffed/Pimento peppers (idea from LGJ - they were lovely) half the peppers from top to bottom (so a bit of stalk is left in each half). Add half a skinned plum tomato/whole skinned cherry tomato, some finely sliced garlic clove, a chopped anchovy and a teaspoon (or two if large peppers) of olive oil. Roast in over for an hour.

ooh yes yes yes to potato, advocado and watercress....

Delia does a great roasted veg and cous cous salad with harrisa dressing.

oh and you squeeze lemon juice & olive oil over the avocado and potatoes.

(Jamie?)

sweet potato, red onion, avocado and watercress is even better!

my current favourite salad is watermelon, watercress, mint, pancetta, toasted pine nuts, feta and cucumber, with rice vinegar and walnut oil dressing.
drool.

That sounds a little like overkill AL>
Too many clashing flavours.

Blinis with sour cream and salmon (and maybe even a dollop of caviar or at the least some roe.)

Always snaffled in our house.

No not at all, they are strong flavours but balance each other out. It's the nicest thing with a good juicy steak.

I would go with the watermelon,fetta and mint with perhaps red onions.

Am also thinking that rice vinegar is a little too Asian???

Walnut oil is however the most wonderful thing in the world.

(Don't mind me.I go overboard on food talk.)

A little too asian for what? lol

But yes, discovering walnut oil was a life changing moment for me.

TC have you ever actually tried to inject a cherry tomato with vodka?
It is impossible. They explode

Believe me I have tried

watermelon soaked in vodka works though! It's especially good if you freeze it.
Oooh and gazpacho with vodka and tabasco in it is fab, it's nice to serve in shot glasses. A posh version of the bloody mary.
lol at you injecting tomatoes, what is the world coming to!?

Never did the watermelon filled with vodka one... always meant to.

We've done tomatoes and vodka and they were great but LETHAL. We'd had a couple of glasses of wine before, but after having the tomatos we were seriously plastered.

Still have a recipe:

500g cherry toms, 3 red birds eye chillies, 35cl bottle vodka, juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons dry sherry, 12 drops tabasco, 1 tbs worcestershire sauce, some thyme and basil.

Prick toms and chillies all over with cocktail stick.
Put chillies into large bowl with vodka, lemon juice, sherry, tabasco, worcestershire, herbs and mix.
Add tomatos, making sure covered in liquid.
clingfilm and chill at least 24 hours if poss.
serve by removing toms with slotted spoon - recommends a sprinkle of celery salt, and a dip of your choice, maybe something mild to calm the spice.
Use liquid left for bloody mary.

They reckon that is for 4 to 6 people, and of course the trimmings are up to you really - depends if you like it spicy etc. I reckon that would make it seriously spicy.

Sorry long post!