I'm having a party!!! And I need menu/recipe ideas...

[Lefta Dissenter]

My son is graduating from UW, and we're having a party. It's not huge, but the problem is the variety of people attending.

My son - vegetarian
his Arabic tutor - Muslim (I figure the vegetarian stuff will be a safe bet for him, as well)
my family - eats pretty healthy stuff
my in-laws - meat and potatoes family
I can't eat seafood or lakefood or riverfood or pondfood or even puddlefood

I would like to make stuff that can be done pretty much ahead of time (popped in oven, crockpot, etc,) so I can actually visit with people and enjoy the party. I'd like to have a variety of dishes, so we'll have something for everyone, but people can try things that are foreign to them.

Any suggestions???????? And, if possible, include recipes! :D

Now, if you don't hear about a Civil War starting in Wisconsin next weekend, you'll know we survived having TOTALLY freeper in-laws and my poli sci son and my Dem/Progressive family and the Muslim guy all on the same property at the same time. I'm almost considering changing the times on the invitations for one batch of people so they don't overlap! :scared:

[LisaM]

1. Here are some ideas you can do ahead of time

Stuffed grape leaves (I make vegetarian ones with rice, parsley, garlic, cinnamon, lemon juice and pine nuts)

Spinach/phyllo triangles

Cold lemon-herbed chicken wings

Curried cous-cous salad (vegetarian) - cook one package of cous cous and mix in (to taste) light mayonnaise, apples, raisins, slivered almonds, green oniions, dash or two of cayenne, honey, and curry powder

[The empressof all]

3. Going with this great theme

Kabobs: With Meat and Without

Hummus/ Baba Ganoush with Pita Triangles

Fresh Vegtable tray with a Tahini based dip (OOOOOps,meant Yougurt)

[Lefta Dissenter]

5. Ohmigosh,

you've made me hungry!!! ALL of those are great suggestions! GREAT idea about the phyllo - I haven't used that for so long, and it's so wonderful!!! Do you have an actual recipe for the stuffed grape leaves? and the chicken wings? :)

I might make the couscous for dinner tonight and try it out on Mr. Vote. It sounds really good!

(now I have to go find something to eat - I should never have started this thread without eating lunch first...)

[LisaM]

16. Well, no real recipes...

I cook up a batch of rice and mix in all the other ingredients till it tastes the way I want it) I buy the grape leaves in a jar, and I soak them in a bowl of water. I then take them out five or six at a time, snip off the stems, and spread them out to dry on paper towels. Then, I pat them dry, put in the filling (warning: you don't need much!) and roll them up according to the directions "like cigars". I've never rolled up a cigar, but it makes sense when you start, fold in the side leaves and roll up to the smallest point. I store them in a plastic container overnight, and dribble olive oil over the top and stick in sliced lemon, raisins, and pine nuts over them when I serve them. And I fix tzatziki sauce to go with them.

For the chicken wings, I buy the drumettes and boil them for about 45 minutes in chicken broth with the juice of several lemons, and tarragon. When they are finished, I stick them on a baking sheet and cook them at about 350 (turning once) until they are nicely browned. Then just refrigerate and pull them out when you're ready. They are good, and easy, and you can do them a day or two ahead of time.

For the cous cous salad, it's strictly to taste. Make sure you fluff the cous cous, stir in the mayonnaise first (I would GUESS I use about two tablespoons) then one diced apple, about half a cup of raisins, two chopped green onions, a small package of sliced almonds, a dash or two of cayenne, about one or two teaspoons of honey, then as much curry as you like (I like a lot!) It's good.

[spinbaby]

2. Black bean chili

There's a recipe in the latest edition of the Joy of Cooking called "Wild Caribbean Black Bean Chili." This recipe is one of the best chilis I've had, it's totally vegetarian, and it keeps beautifully in a crock pot. Dress it up with lots of side offerings such as tortilla chips, chopped green onions, salsa, grated cheese, etc.

[GOPisEvil]

4. Make some hummus.

4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 (1-pound 3-ounce) cans chick-peas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup well stirred tahini (peanut butter will work in an absolute pinch, but it won't quite be the same)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil, or to taste
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted lightly
Toasted pita thins (or hell, use unsalted tortilla chips and there is a company that makes pita chips.)


On a cutting board mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. In a food processor puree the chick-peas with the garlic paste, the tahini, the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the oil, and 1/2 cup water, scraping down the sides, until the hummus is smooth and add salt to taste. Add water, if necessary, to thin the hummus to the desired consistency and transfer the hummus to a bowl. In the food processor, cleaned, puree the remaining 1/4 cup oil with the parsley until the oil is bright green and the parsley is minced transfer the parsley oil to a small jar. The hummus and the parsley oil may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Divide the hummus between shallow serving dishes and smooth the tops. Drizzle the hummus with the parsley oil and sprinkle it with the pine nuts. Serve the hummus with the pita.

[bearfan454]

9. That sounds damn good David.

I will have to try that one out.

[Mandate My Ass]

11. Yum, sounds good

IIRC, you once posted a tzatziki recipe that sounded so much better than the one I have and I never copied it down. :dunce: Would it be too much trouble to ask you to post it again?

TY

[GOPisEvil]

15. I think this is it!

I stole it from Sarah Moulton of the Food Network. Shhh!

1 large English cucumber or 2 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 to 5 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped or 2 tablespoons dried mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper


Place the diced cucumber in a colander and sprinkle with the salt, tossing to mix well. Set the colander in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to drain for 3 to 6 hours. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and place the plain yogurt on top of the cheesecloth. Place the sieve over a bowl and allow to drain for 3 to 6 hours.
Pat the drained cucumber dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add the yogurt and stir to combine. Add the olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic and mint, mixing gently until thoroughly blended. Season to taste with additional lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper.

[Mandate My Ass]

19. Yup that's the one -- Thanks!

And now I have a Trader Joe's in my area that sells Greek yogurt. I just can't bring myself to make this recipe with regular supermarket yogurt.

BTW, :yourock: ....for a recipe thief, that is.

[miss_kitty]

20. yummmmmy

mint you say? i also drain the whey in one of those drip coffee cones, with a paper filter.

[GOPisEvil]

21. Oh, good idea!

I have two colanders because I thought I lost one in a move, and replaced it. :-)

Mint gives it that extra something that's hard to define.

[AngryAmish]

6. soylent green

[miss_kitty]

18. soylent green?

IT'S PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!

[bearfan454]

7. Here's a good pasta salad

Dice up 2 green peppers and an onion very small. Boil, peel, and cool off a dozen eggs. Throw away the yolks. Use the whites only. Dice them real small too. Boil, drain, and cool some salad pasta. I like rotini or ziti. Open a small can of sliced black olives. Rinse and drain them. Combine everything together with as much mayo as you like. I use Hellmann's and I use a lot. Salt and pepper to taste. I add a small amount of garlic powder too, but this is optional. Pour your mixture onto a serving plate(I use an oval one) and form it however you like. Add a lot of Parmesan cheese to the top and seal with Saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. The mayo soaks in overnight so it is better the naxt day. enjoy.

[starroute]

8. Basic veggie goodies plus one crockpot dish for the in-laws

Most of the potluck parties I've been to lately seem to come down to a common formula. You have one meat dish -- say something like beef barbecue simmering in a crockpot, plus something to serve it over. Then you have a variety of pasta salads and maybe a few Middle Eastern type things, like tabbouli or hummus. A few dips and a range of things to dip in them (from carrot sticks and celery to taco chips.) And a wholesome dessert or two.

If you're doing it all single-handed, you wouldn't have as many variants, but it should still work as a basic template.

[Mandate My Ass]

10. Guacamole, bruschetta

GUACAMOLE

2 ripe California avocados (1 lb total), quartered, pitted, and peeled
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup minced white onion
1 fresh serrano chile including seeds, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
minced garlic to taste

BRUSCHETTA

1 large baguette, cut in 1/2-in. slices
5 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
4 to 5 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 to 2 c. fresh basil, minced
Salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Or maybe some grilled portabellas with spinch and mozarella

[ihaveaquestion]

12. Poor-man's Shrimp (It's vegetarian, I promise)

Wash and cut up a head of cauliflower into finger food and serve with seafood sauce (ketchup & horseradish). It tastes almost exactly like coctail shrimp. Believe it or not! Lots cheaper than real shrimp, too - hence the name.

[miss_kitty]

13. my own recipe for roasted red pepper dip/spread...

skinless roasted red pepper
greek oregano (it a small-leaved variety)
pitted kalamata olives.
olive oil

i have no idea what proportions i use, it looks mostly red and you should get oregano and olive each time.
i let the peppers drain, i get them kind of dry. save the liquid, you may want some of it back in. i use a mini-pimer to grind up the red peppers, but they still have a minimum of chunk.
the oregano gets chopped finely. you could probably use regular oregano, but you want it tiny, and not overpowering.
the kalmatas get cut length wise 2x, then chopped crosswise.

and add a small enough amount of olive oil, it makes it a little emulsified. and put back any liquid to obtain the consistancy you want

this is a really good vegan treat...experiment before the party.

[miss_kitty]

14. ooh ooh tzatziki sauce

plain yougurt with the whey drained
cucumber, sliced finely. salt and lay on towels
finely sliced onion
dill

you might be able to find this at a co-op or a greek speciality shop....
again sorry about no numbers...i just goof around

[miss_kitty]

17. damn! baba ganooj

this is great if you are serving hummous and pita
it is eggplant cooked to death, the gooey stuff scraped out, lemon juice, tahini, garlic olive oil...i'm sure you can find the recipe in a mediteranean or arabic cookbook-hey yahoo or google...all the stuff i posted can be made well in advance, and the red pepper dip benefits from that.

eggplant parmagiana yum italian

[NanBo]

22. How about this for the freepers

:) Haggis! :)

1 sheep's stomach
1 sheep heart
1 sheep liver
1/2 lb suet, fresh (kidney leaf fat is preferred)
3/4 c oatmeal
1 ts salt
1/2 ts pepper
1/4 ts cayenne
1/2 ts nutmeg
3/4 c stock
Wash stomach well, rub with salt and rinse. Remove membranes and excess fat. Soak in cold salted water for several hours. Turn stomach inside out for stuffing.
Cover heart and liver with cold water, Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Chop heart and coarsely grate liver. Toast oatmeal in a skillet on top of the stove, stirring frequently, until golden. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Loosely pack mixture into stomach, about two-thirds full. Remember, oatmeal expands in cooking.

Press any air out of stomach and truss securely. Put into boiling water to cover. Simmer for 3 hours, uncovered, adding more water as needed to maintain water level. Prick stomach several times with a sharp needle when it begins to swell; this keeps the bag from bursting. Place on a hot platter, removing trussing strings. Serve with a spoon.