Weekday dinner with friends. How I organized it without losing my mind 💪🏽✨
When you ask me what I cook when I have guests, the one thing that always holds true is that I try to cook recipes that will make them happy: favorite foods, preferences, or special diets. This time, for example, there was a pregnant guest, so everything was suitable for her, so she wouldn't have to think for a second, "Oh no, I can't eat this."
The second thing I consider is the time I have available (obviously, also how many people there will be) and, based on that, how much I can innovate and how much I can't. When in doubt, it's always best to play it safe and simplify to avoid stress (as I already mentioned in the menu for my partner's aunt XD).
And third, I always try to include a vegetable dish that will surprise, and with this pumpkin dish, I succeeded—and it couldn't be simpler!
MENU
APPETIZERS
Snack board: nuts, assorted toasts, carrots, marinated olives, and calçot sauce. You can add any vegetables you like and change the sauce for another spread, for example. I used calçot sauce because I already had some made from when I shared the recipe with you, and I just had to defrost it. Olives don't need to be marinated, but these were a bit bland, so I did. As for the carrots, I always keep a container of washed and cut carrots ready for snacking—I keep them in water so they don't get soggy—so I already had them on hand.
Provolone: one with sun-dried tomatoes and caramelized onions, and the other with spicy chili oil. You can change the topping to aromatic herbs or confit garlic, for example. It's important to serve it immediately so it doesn't get hard (I put it in the oven when all my friends arrived, for about 10 minutes at 190ºC).
MAIN COURSE
Extra fluffy meatballs with pesto (if you have room in the fridge, you can even assemble the dishes the day before without the mozzarella). I put them in the oven while we were having appetizers.
SIDE DISHES
Homemade focaccia.
Roasted pumpkin with tahini dressing and roasted garlic. I used up the pumpkin I had left over from my garden in Vilaller. I served pomegranate seeds separately in case someone didn't like them, but otherwise I would have put them on top. I also reheated the pumpkin for a few minutes before taking the meatballs out of the oven so it would be warm. And if pumpkin isn't your thing, swap it for your favorite vegetable, or you know you have plenty of ideas here :).
Lettuce and chicory salad with mustard vinaigrette (I used the oil from the olive marinade). It was ideal to have something fresher and lighter. It's important to dress it just before serving so the leaves don't wilt.
DESSERT
Lemon bars from @whatsgabycookin, from her book “What’s Gaby Cooking,” a winning dessert with no secret other than using good lemons. I did innovate here because I'd wanted to try it for a while, but since Gaby's recipes have never let me down, there was little risk.
You can find all the detailed recipes on my website paulasapron.com.
The pumpkin one is the same idea as the “Spiced Baked Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Roasted Garlic and Tahini Dressing”
The olive one is the marinated feta recipe, substituting olives for the cheese
I hope this is helpful for your next big meal 💛
Enjoy!
#easyrecipes #homemaderecipes #homecookedfood