Anyone got any ideas for simple but classy buffet food for adults?

[katiekkrruunncchh]

I am having a 40th birthday supper in a couple of weeks, just wondered if anyone had any simple but "classy" dishes.

Oven space is limited

Thanks

What are endive leaves?

Potted crab with melba toast.
Chicken satay with peanut sauce.
Teryaki beef skewers
Thai prawn and crab cakes with chilli dip.
Cumin pitta chips with spinach dip.
Hot crab dip.
Mini mushroom and caramelised onion tartlets
Crudite with various dips

Delia has a lovely recipe for a 4 cheese terrine, which is very easy.

It's in her Christmas book. I can post the recipe if you like? It's basically cottage cheese and mayonnaise, blended together, and you mix into that various different cheese - a blue cheese, sage derby and double gloucester with chives, and some dill weed.

Simple but very tasty and would easily serve 12 people.

Oh, and no cooking at all!

Chuck some nice bread and anti pasti on the table

Thanks LL. that sounds yum!

Some good ideas COM. Is it poss to by things like spinach dip or do I have to make it?

Sorry all that is homemade. I can post which ever recipes you are interested in.

BIWI, yes please, if you wouldn't mind, I would really appreciate it, esp as I have a few vegetarians.

Email add is [email protected]

I did a buffet for my 40th too. adult only. We did asparagus wrapped in bacon. very easy. Just wrap streaky bacon around it and throw it in the oven for 20 mins. Also made mini caesar salads. I cut out white bread with a pastry cutter and then baked it for about 5 mins in a cake tray. Then mixed baby gem lettuce with caesar salad dressing and stacked in on.

Would really appreciate any recipes.

M&S

4 Cheese Terrine

You will need a terrine 7 x 3.5 x 2 inches, or 18 x 9 x 5 cm.

10 oz/275g cottage cheese
3 fl oz/75 ml mayonnaise
1 x 0.4 oz/11g sachet powdered gelatine (or a vegetarian alternative)
2 oz/50g Sage Derby
2 oz/50g Double Gloucester with chives
2 oz/50g Blue Wensleydale
1/2 teaspoon dillweed
1 dessertspoon snipped fresh chives (or spring onion tops)
2 tbsps cold water
2 tsps lemon juice
5 fl oz (150ml) double cream
salt/pepper

1. Put gelatine in a cup with 2 tbsps cold water and 2 tsps lemon juice and let it soak for about 5 minutes, then place the cup in a saucepan containing 2 inches/5 cm barely simmering water. keep the heat as low as possible and leave the gelatine to dissolve and become transparent. (If using a vegetarian equivalent follow the instructions on the pack)

1. Dice the 3 hard cheeses into small dice and mix together.

1. Blend the cottge cheese and the mayonnaise together until absolutely smooth

1. Whip up the cream until it has thickened to the floppy stage - it should not be too thick

1. In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese/mayo mixture with the gelatine (which should put through a strainer first). Stir the mixture really well then add the diced cheese, the hergs and a good seasoning of salt and pepper.

1. Fold in the cream and pour the whole lot into a terrine. Cover with cling film and chill for several hours until firm.

To turn it out, carefully slide a palette knife around the edge, invert the terrine onto a serving place and give the base a sharp tap.

Just one note from me - I've always made this with gelatine. When I had to cater for vegetarians, the instructions/way you use veggie gelatine is completely different! Still, if Delia says to follow their instructions, then I guess it would work ...

Thanks for that!

Are you near a Costco? They do huge bags of king prawns for about £6 - really nice quality ones. I had a couple of platters of that and some sweet chilli dipping sauce - Costco for a huge bottle of.

No we are no where near a Costco, think the nearest one is 90 mins away!

pity! maybe try out some of the frozen supermarket ones and see if they taste any good. Obv. the fresh ones are the nicest - but ££££ for a large number. Unless you have a nice fishmarket near you?