Help me plan a really special menu!

[Gracie]

I'm having some good friends over next week for a sad occasion - one of us is moving away!!!!

My friends have sophisticated tastes but even if they didn't, I'd like to plan something really special. I've been pouring through the home page but I'd love suggestions of tried-and-true dishes.

It would be fun to have all different types of dishes, rather than an ethnic theme. One thing is for sure and that's that I will be making homemade garlic bread. I have a great recipe that always gets raves and if anyone would like, I will post it later when I get home.

I would like suggestions for each course - appetizers, salads, main dishes, side dishes and desserts.

Thanks!!!

Loren

[TLee4]

I'd love your garlic bread recipe!

[kwormann]

I get RAVES for salads.

I make a spinach salad with chopped strawberries, toasted almonds, feta and a dressing I make with balsamic vinegar and honey.

Also good is greens with blu cheese and sliced pears! I get cheers for both, and they are elegent!

Apps could be as simple as brie with good crusty bread... maybe on a tray with figs...always a crowd pleaser!

Entrees I wont be as good at since I dont eat meat cept fish....but IMHO, Ahi Tuna studded with garlic and rosemary, rubbed with garlic and seared is my fav!

Dessert is almost toooo hard to chose. Tirimisu is wonderful, cheesecake is good and elegant, some kind of berry tart....so many good choices!

Cant wait to see your menu!

[Gracie]

Kim - can you post your spinach salad recipe including the dressing? Also, how exactly would you make the tuna - that sounds wonderful and I know everyone loves tuna!

Thanks,

Loren

[lindrusso]

Hi Loren. I posted a special menu on Maureen's Mother's Day thread if you'd like to check that out. The Cannelloni are a bit of work, but they are very, very good! :) Here's the link to that thread:
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24273&highlight=canneloni

Another very impressive dish that I have made for family is Seared Salmon with Thai Vegetables. It's one of those dishes that makes you feel like you're eating food from a fancy restaurant!

Here's the salmon recipe if you are interested. It has quite a few steps, but it includes the fish, veggies and rice:

SEARED SALMON WITH THAI VEGETABLES
From Epicurious.com, Bon Appetit March 2001.

Salmon
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 7-ounce salmon fillets

Dressing:
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar

Rice:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup water
2/3 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Thai Vegetables:
1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 large red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into strips
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thinly sliced
3 large green onions, thinly sliced on sharp diagonal
3 cups thinly sliced bok choy

1. For salmon: Mix first 7 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture over each fillet. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

2. For dressing: Whisk vinegar and next 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend. for rice: Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and sauté until rice begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water and coconut milk and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook until rice is cooked through and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon fillets, flesh side down, to skillet. Sear until brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn fillets over and sear skin side until salmon is just cooked through, about 3 minutes.


4. Vegetables: Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 20 seconds. Add bell pepper and mushrooms; sauté until pepper is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add green onions and bok choy and sauté until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Spoon rice onto plates, dividing equally. Top each serving with seared salmon fillet, then Thai Vegetables. Drizzle dressing around and serve immediately, passing extra dressing separately.


Once you decide on a main dish, it will be easier to help with salads, side dishes and dessert.

Have fun and good luck! :)
Alysha

[goldilocks]

These molten chocolate cakes are amazing and perfect for company since you make them the night before. They are easy, impressive and so delicious: http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=104604

I did not serve them with the mint sauce, just vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

[Peggy C.]

Loren, here is a link to a recipe I shared around Christmas time. I won't lie the cut of meat is about $8-$9 a lb., but it is easy and delicious!

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18707&highlight=Peggy

[kwormann]

I dont have a recipe, but I will tell you how...

I tear up spinach leaves into a large bowl. I slice strawberries in to the bowl...I prefer them not to be super thin. I buy sliced almonds the LIGHTLY toast them in a non stick pan...watch CAREFULLY! They burn easliy. I add them to the salad. I then add goat cheese or a GREAT feta crumbled. Toss. Before serving, addd the dressing.

I add 2 parts vinegar to part honey, then taste and adjust as needed. I would like to try the white balsamic next time, because I dont like the color the dark makes.

As for the tuna, I cut slits and add thinly sliced garlic. I lightly salt and pepper them. I then take whole rosemary and stifk it several places in each steak. When I am ready, I start the grill. I like them seared, pink in the middle. HOwever, they are ALSO good cooked through, just dont overcook! This is one of my great pleasure foods!

[Barrie]

I make a chocolate cheesecake that is out of this world. No one will believe you made it, it's that good. I have posted it several times. Here's a link to one of the threads where the recipe appears.

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18076&highlight=double+chocolate+cheesecake

[Gracie]

Here is my Garlic Bread recipe. This seemingly simple recipe gets RAVES every time I make it.

It can be made in the bread machine, food processor or by hand. I make the dough in the machine, then shape like an Italian loaf for the second rise and slash it a few times right before going in the oven.

Garlic Bread

1 1/2 C. water
4 C. bread flour
2 T. dry milk
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. basil
2 tsp. active dry yeast.
1/4 C. parmesan cheese (optional)

If you will be baking in the oven and you use a stone, put the stone in the oven at 425 and preheat for at least an hour prior to the bread going in the oven. Preheat the oven regardless if you will be baking the bread in the oven (rather than the machine).

Put all liquid ingredients and the salt in the bread machine first then add everything else. Either bake in the machine or make on the dough setting.

If you use the dough setting, take it out of the machine after its first rise and shape into a long cigar shape (or put in a loaf pan). Brush the top with water and sprinkle on parmesan cheese, if desired.

When the dough has doubled in size, make 3 diagonal evenly spaced slashes across the bread. Put in oven immediately. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until crust is a deep golden brown.