I NEED your menu suggestions!
I am having a party in late June and trying despreately to put a menu together. I have 1 vegetarian and lots of people who hate seafood. I want to do something using the grill, but nice enough for company and it has to be something that can be prep'd ahead of time as I'll only have 2 hrs to cook on the day of the party. Was thinking about chicken under a brick, but I'm woefully uninspired right now. All I know is I will be making a raspberry buttermilk cake and homemade ice cream for dessert. Help! Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
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28 Comments:
Nearly every vegetable on earth can be grilled. That should take care of the vegetarians. Roast 'em up some root vegetables, bell peppers, onions, and maybe even some roma tomatoes if you can find good ones. Anybody who hates shrimp is either hopeless or has an allergy to seafood. Every land animal on earth has a cut of meat that can be grilled. What you need is advice on seasoning and all you really need to do there is to keep it simple so that you can enjoy your company.
Grumpy Old Man at 8:54PM on 05/20/09
grilled pizza? you can grill the dough in advance, prep all the toppings, then people can assemble their own and warm them on the grill.
kebobs? again, you can get all the ingredients ready in advance and people can skewer their own, leaving out the meat or seafood if they like. You can make different sauces, and prep various meats and veggies. Tofu, or polenta, or something substantial for the veg's.
Most of the salads and sides can be done the day before.
nalega at 8:55PM on 05/20/09
Grumpy, my friends are hopeless. They call shrimp and pretty much all seafood "bugs." All I want is scallops, shrimp, and crawfish right now. :) And cocktails.
Eliza524 at 9:03PM on 05/20/09
1 word: CARNITAS! You can make a ton of it for not much money at all to feed a group, its even better if you make it in advance, and who doesn't love some good tacos. You can even grill up some skirt steak and slice it up as another protein option. Add rice, beans, guacamole, pickled cabbage. Maybe make some horchata and sangria, and you've got yourself one delicious party.
mediocrepop at 9:18PM on 05/20/09
Medio, I did that the last time. I made Margaritas using a brown sugar simple syrup that were awesome with the skirt steak.. I'm leaning towards italian grilled "stuff." I got Mario Batali's Italian grill book, but nothing in there is easy or quick except the apps and some sides.
Eliza524 at 9:39PM on 05/20/09
how about taking some eggplant or really big summer squash...halving them, scooping out a trench, and filling them with whatever your guests will like. You can make them ahead of time and pop them on the grill when you are ready. I bet portabella mushrooms, peppers, and even tomatoes would work too
erunuevo at 10:11PM on 05/20/09
Grilled kebabs, pizza, ribs, stuffed flank steak, veggies...
juliette527 at 10:24PM on 05/20/09
I've done stuffed portabellas on the grill. good stuff. Also, do up some potato and/or sweet potato wedges. Scrub them and cut into wedges, cover with water in a saucepan/stockpot, bring to a boil, boil for a few minutes, drain, pop the lid back on the pan, let them steam for about 10 minutes or so, toss them in oil and spices, grill to golden on both sides.
Do up a simple salad (or my favorite: cold israeli couscous, made ahead of time, with chopped greens, tomatoes, pepitas, corn, raisins, and a buttermilk dressing), grill up some veggie kabobs, toss at least one stuffed portabella on the grill for your veg friend, add a meat, and you're good to go.
joyyy at 10:35PM on 05/20/09
Fajitas of all types. Chicken, skirt steak, portabella, shrimp, carnitas. Grilled peppers, caramelized onions. Salsas, pico, guac.
supersu75 at 12:42AM on 05/21/09
I second grilled pizza and all kebab ideas. Also marinated portabellas. It's not fancy, but it's tasty.
@juliette527--stuffed flank steak? You're speaking my language!
radish at 3:58AM on 05/21/09
I love love love to grill up some veggies (marinate them a bit), then spread those out on a serving dish next to some bread, goat cheese and dressing. If the meat lovers must have meat, perhaps grill up some skirt steak and slice it for them for sandwiches as well. Grilled steak sandwich with grilled peppers and onions? Yum. Grilled veggies on some nice crusty bread with a schmear of goat cheese? Yum.
ceebee at 7:22AM on 05/21/09
You can serve veggie and meat kebabs with a spicy peanut satay sauce with rice and a cucumber salad or slaw. It's easy to prep ahead of tiem and tastes great!
peanutbutterpleaser at 9:58AM on 05/21/09
If kebabs alone aren't doing it for you creatively, themeing it is a good way to go. Greek is good -- lamb and chicken skewers in different marinades, hearty dips like skordalia and htipiti that can be made ahead, and you can toss purchased pita on the grill to warm and lightly char it. Ooh, and the Barefoot Contessa's feta roasted vegetable orzo salad is both great for summer and a solid-enough main for a vegetarian.
jm chen at 10:24AM on 05/21/09
as a vegetarian: i love the ideas for something substantial for the vegetarian. i hate having just veggies to eat. everyone else gets protein plus the veggies, and i just get veggies. in these situations, i find sometimes thinking "i'm vegetarian but i still like to eat!" no matter how delicious the veggies are, i end up eating something more substantial after i get home. tofu, polenta or veggie kebabs or the grilled pizza sound great.
is the vegetarian really strict? if so, you might want to make the vegetarian thing something not grilled (so it's not grilled with the meat) or grill it separately on foil (i don't really grill, but i think foil works right?). just a suggestion.
nithya at hungrydesi at 10:27AM on 05/21/09
Could bake a pan of cornbread in the grill, but it would be easier to use the oven. Tofu can be grilled. I think Alton Brown has a recipe for that. Everyone would likely enjoy a crusty bread of some kind. Vegetable stir fried rice maybe? Wait! Toasted cashews and tofu with rice. I would likely make a good vegetable broth to go with it and thicken it with arrow root starch so that it coat the nuts, rice and tofu. Or you cold make curry sauce for it instead.
Eliza? You have my heartfelt sympathies with this one. If my friends turned down shrimp and scallops, I think I'd start looking for other friends to invite to dinner. Hell, I might even just pick folks at random off the bloody sidewalk. Don't like shrimp and scallops! What kind of snobbery is that?
Grumpy Old Man at 1:40PM on 05/21/09
I do veggie kabobs using more than just veggies, which makes them more susbtantial - you can create skewers that include par-cooked potatoes, par-cooked sweet potatoes, veggie dogs, cherry tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, button mushrooms, zuchinni, broccoli, cauliflower... and slather them with a nice BBQ sauce. And I am sure that your non-vegetarian friends will appreciate them all the same...
Make your life simple - create a vegetarian menu that will satisfy anyone's appetite. That way you will not have to juggle with the fact that vegetarians do not appreciate their food to be cooked side-by-side meat. And if you want to be mindful, vegetarian food should be cooked seperately...
Besides, I am sure your nonvegetarians eat meat everyday, one meal without it should not be a big deal... it's an eco-friendly menu.
MadelynRodriguez at 4:41PM on 05/21/09
Don't know where you live, but the end of June is usually hot most places in the northern hemisphere. Would you consider a pitcher of icy cold soup, like gazpacho or vichyssoise? I saw a recipe for watermellon gazpacho, substituting watermellon for the usual tomatoes, that looked quite good. You could use clear plastic rocks glasses.
Also, wedges of cold cantaloupe with a sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper is wonderful on a hot day. Leave the rind, serve on a platter that sits on a bed of ice in something larger, even a roasting pan.
Cut the mellons in half the day before, scrape out the seeds, put the halves together to prevent drying, wrap in plastic wrap, slice into thinish wedges just before serving, and cut through to the rind in bite-sized pieces. Guests can peel back like a mango -- no utensiles required.
zucchini at 6:24PM on 05/21/09
@Madelyn,
So, not only do vegetarians have the right to burden their hosts, they may also may exercise a right to burden the omnivorous guests of said host, right? This is not about any concerns over the environment. You are demding control over the day-to-day details of people's lives. Not only is it rude, it is tyrannical. If you ever come to my house, you can partake of what I cook or do without.
Grumpy Old Man at 6:27PM on 05/21/09
A good make ahead dish that will impress is risotto cakes.
Just make whatever rizzo you're into and put it in a cake pan. Chill and then cut rounds with an empty can.
I like to sear them and then toss in the oven to heat through.
I second zuke on the melon.
And melon is great grilled! I like to bastesliced melon with honey and balsamic and sprinkle with a little hot pepper.
sailordave at 6:54PM on 05/21/09
Ina Garten's recipe for Penne With Five Cheeses from Barefoot Contessa Family Style is super easy to make in advance. And instead of using individual gratin dishes, make it in a large pan. Just be sure not to it's not too thick so you get a crispy, brown topping:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_32177,00.html
Ina also has a great recipe for Chicken With Tabbouleh from Barefoot Contessa Parties!:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28775,00.html
Lasagna is always good, and the Green Lasagna recipe from the first Silver Palate Cookbook is a delicious take on a make ahead favorite:
http://www.feedmethat.com/recipe.php?id=28364.htm
So is Martha Stewart's Baked Mushroom Linguine:
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml;jsessionid=JAGOJ3J15IC5NWCKUUXCJBWYJKSS0JO0?type=content&id=recipe2425&page=&dp=false&layout=Print&styleType=learn
Emeril's Andouille & Chicken Jambalaya is another great make ahead:
http://www.emerils.com/recipe/2854/Andouille-and-Chicken-Jambalaya
Martha Stewart's Cheddar Biscuits that you can make in advance and pop in the oven area a good match with Jambalaya:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28775,00.html
Enjoy the party!
MMinNYC at 5:03PM on 05/22/09
I do not have the article at my fingertips, but I could swear that there was a kerfluffle about bacteria living on melon skins which said that you should peel the melon before cutting through the flesh to keep from transfering the bacteria to the inside of the fruit. Anyone else read that or did I dream it? I always do a huge fruit tray for parties.
ocarol at 6:00PM on 05/22/09
First, let me say that I would start with the dessert you have in mind. But if you have to serve a meal ahead of it, the kabobs sound good, but what about skewers with just slices of meat or vegetables and put your creative juices into a variety of dipping sauces? Served over an exotic rice blend (my current favorite is black and mahogany rice) it will look great and be prepped days ahead. Of course you could always order in some Chinese and enjoy your company too.
thegoch at 7:34PM on 05/22/09
Thanks guys for all your help. I've got it finally figured out. Doing the marinated portos stuffed with goat cheese and topped with parm & panko for the veg and the rest of us, those sound really good. Doing chicken under a brick with grilled corn, tomato bread pudding, marinated grilled zucchini, squash, and japanese eggplant, and grilled baby artichokes. Blood orange margaritas and this awesome recipe I stole from gourmet, Straiccitella Tortoni Cake with Espress Fudge Sauce. Can wait!!!
Eliza524 at 9:00PM on 05/22/09
@ Eliza- Grumpy Old Man and I would be glad to partake of your seafood and other goodies.
dmcavanagh at 9:03PM on 05/22/09
When you invite someone to your home for a meal, it is kind of weird to expect them to bring their own food. Brillat-Savarin said that as long as a guest is under your roof you are responsible for their comfort. That means taking into consideration non-meat/poultry/seafood/fish eaters. My daughter's b.f. is vegan and we also have vegan friends. We are not vegan or vegetarian. When my vegan guests come here they know that there will be something they can eat that isn't just a salad. They know that they are not expected to eat whatever I set out, no matter what. I have no problem with making a vegan or vegetarian dish that all can share. Ratatouille over brown rice or polenta is one example. So what if I decide to make a brisket? The vegans aren't forced to eat it. I also have a personal policy of asking guests I don't know well if they have any major food issues. If it is at all possible, I'll make something they can have, or for that matter, everyone can have. Someone above made the suggestion of "going green". It's a great idea for carnivores, omnivores, and just about everyone else.
Grumpy, what do you do when you invite someone who has food allergies to a dinner party? Kick them out? Make them cook for themselves when YOU were the one who invited them? Or do you just exclude them? That kind of thinking is so disrespectful. If you really feel strongly that they should be responsible for their own meal, maybe you should only invite them for drinks. My 17 year old stepdaughter has a very severe allergy to sesame and sesame products. Tree nuts are verboten as well. She never asks anyone to cater to her, but all the same she is so happy when she can actually partake of most of what's offered. She usually asks what's ok for her and is very quiet about it. Just doesn't want to make a fuss.
Another reason people won't eat shellfish, other than an allergy, is that abstaining from shellfish might be their way of keeping kosher.
Respect for others is a basic tenet of a good upbringing. You might want to re-consider YOUR tyrannical ways, Grumpy.
Unless, of course, you were just being...well, grumpy and I've taken you way too seriously!
joannabar at 10:29PM on 05/22/09
@joannabar,
I can agree with you part way, joanna. I, like your daughter, have a severe allergy to nuts of several kinds. Let's take a hard look at this issue in detail.
If a vegetarian invites me over for dinner, what can I reasonably expect them to serve? I have yet to have one of them roast a few pieces of chicken just for me. As best as I can tell, they do not want meat of any kind in their home at all, let alone their kitchen and I have yet to meet one who was shy about saying so up front.
Now, if I invite one of them over to have dinner, they can reasonably expect me to be serving vegetables. I always do serve vegetables with my meals because I believe it is important for people to have a balanced diet and, let's face it, I LIKE vegetables. What they cannot reasonably expect is for my other guests and me to refrain from consuming a meat dish in their presence. If they do have such expectations they are being unreasonable and thereby fall into the category of nuts that cause me to have an allergic reaction.
If I know that you are allergic to a food, or even an entire class of foods and I invite you over for dinner, you can reasonably expect that I will have prepared a separate meal for you that accommodates your condition.
If for instance, you are diabetic, I will not treat everyone else to a dessert and fail to prepare something sweet tasting for you that will not cause you to experience a health threatening excursion of your blood sugar levels. That is just good manners.
If your daughter was coming over and I knew of her allergies, she would find that she had a more-than-ample dish of something free of any kind of nut, oils from nuts, sesame seeds, oils from sesame seeds and fava beans. If you are allergic to seafood, that is actually an allergy to iodine, then you will find dishes of freshwater fish and land animals on my table. Further, you are fortunate in coming over to eat at my house because I never use iodized salt. I don't need that kind of salt because seafood is a regular part of my diet.
On the other hand, if your religion proscribes certain foods for you, I consider that to be a matter of choice--a choice you made, not me. If I invite you over, you likely know me well enough to know that I am not religious and do not practice a religion. Whether you accept my invitation or not is up to you. YOU have a choice.
Here is the problem. My heritage is gentile. I do not practice Judaism nor do I practice Hinduism nor Buddhism. This being the case, why would anyone of those faiths expect me to have a kosher kitchen? Or to possess a pan that has never had meat in it?
If I know you well enough to invite you over for a meal, then you know me well enough to know that I am an omnivore and the majority of my friends are going to omnivores. You can expect to find vegetables on my table, but I am NOT going to impose your choices on my other guests or myself.
I am under no obligation to impose your rules on my guests or on myself. I may, out of politeness, serve dishes you can consume without a violation of your religious proscriptions, but I cannot guarantee that every rule will be observed because I have never undertaken to make a detailed study of such rules. I have no reason to study them and you have no reason to expect me to know them. You accept my invitation at your risk.
Grumpy Old Man at 1:08AM on 05/23/09
Forgive my bad manners, Eliza!
Good look with your upcoming dinner and bone appetite!
Grumpy Old Man at 1:59AM on 05/23/09
mmmmmmmmm............ grilled vegetarian!
Pavlov at 7:45AM on 05/23/09