I've got 2 friends coming for dinner this coming Saturday, in order to
celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them (this is not the lot who are
coming for the Chinese meal the following week!). DH has requested that I
keep food spending to a minimum (because we seem to have a lot of dinner
parties lined up!), so I'm looking at cooking up something from the contents
of my feezer, plus some fresh stuff bought on the day. Trouble is, I can't
decide what to cook, so that's where you come in - can anyone suggest
something impressive (I don't mind spending 2 days cooking, if that's what
it takes!) that could be made from any selection from the following:

a turkey
2 loins of lamb
2lbs of stewing beef
2 lbs of stewing lamb
4lbs of pork ribs
8 mackerel
2 duck breasts
a free range chicken

I also have access to free mussels, and DH wouldn't object to 1 lobster,
crab or a few scallops being bought. We are currently overwhelmed with eggs
(got chickens) plus I make bread every day, so have various flours (strong
white, strong wholemeal, granary, rye, gram) to hand. There's also frozen
puff, shortcrust and filo pastries in the freezer, plus some vol au vent
cases. Growing in the garden are peas, fench beans, nasturtiums, mangetout
and radishes, plus the usual herbs. I have a huge spice collection, but no
access to Penzey's mixes. I can buy most veggies that grow in temperate
climes (plus some that don't!). Got rice, got cous-cous, got polenta, got
noodles.

The weather is cool, and I don't expect that to change before the weekend,
more's the pity. Ideally, I'd like a 3 or 4 course sit-down-but-casual meal
which takes some time and effort to prepare. No 'packet' type ingredients,
please - Kraft Mac 'n Cheese won't do!

Please help, because all I can think of doing is Christmas dinner in July,
and I'm not sure that's a good idea! In return, I promise to report back on
recipes used, problems encountered, and results achieved! Oh, in case anyone
is thinking of suggesting the loin of lamb thing I posted elsewhere, I can't
do that, cos these guests have been fed on it before.

I don't need full recipes (can always find them if I have to), just an
outline of the dishes. The birthday boy is teetotal, but the rest of us are
definitely not!

Thanks tons to anyone who takes the time to answer this, as I know I'm
asking a lot, but my mind is a bit of a blank (just for a change!). For
once, I'm ignoring all the DH's fussinesses, cos it's not his birthday, and
he'll just have to be adaptable! The only other 'fussiness' is that one
guest hates fresh figs!

So come on, do yer worst!

Jo



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.714 / Virus Database: 470 - Release Date: 02/07/04

On Wed, 14 Jul 2004 18:53:09 +0100, "Darkginger"
> wrote:

>I've got 2 friends coming for dinner this coming Saturday, in order to
>celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them (this is not the lot who are
>coming for the Chinese meal the following week!). DH has requested that I
>keep food spending to a minimum (because we seem to have a lot of dinner
>parties lined up!), so I'm looking at cooking up something from the contents
>of my feezer, plus some fresh stuff bought on the day. Trouble is, I can't
>decide what to cook, so that's where you come in - can anyone suggest
>something impressive (I don't mind spending 2 days cooking, if that's what
>it takes!) that could be made from any selection from the following:
>
>a turkey
>2 loins of lamb
>2lbs of stewing beef
>2 lbs of stewing lamb
>4lbs of pork ribs
>8 mackerel
>2 duck breasts
>a free range chicken
>
>I also have access to free mussels, and DH wouldn't object to 1 lobster,
>crab or a few scallops being bought. We are currently overwhelmed with eggs
>(got chickens) plus I make bread every day, so have various flours (strong
>white, strong wholemeal, granary, rye, gram) to hand. There's also frozen
>puff, shortcrust and filo pastries in the freezer, plus some vol au vent
>cases. Growing in the garden are peas, fench beans, nasturtiums, mangetout
>and radishes, plus the usual herbs. I have a huge spice collection, but no
>access to Penzey's mixes. I can buy most veggies that grow in temperate
>climes (plus some that don't!). Got rice, got cous-cous, got polenta, got
>noodles.
>
>The weather is cool, and I don't expect that to change before the weekend,
>more's the pity. Ideally, I'd like a 3 or 4 course sit-down-but-casual meal
>which takes some time and effort to prepare. No 'packet' type ingredients,
>please - Kraft Mac 'n Cheese won't do!
>
>Please help, because all I can think of doing is Christmas dinner in July,
>and I'm not sure that's a good idea! In return, I promise to report back on
>recipes used, problems encountered, and results achieved! Oh, in case anyone
>is thinking of suggesting the loin of lamb thing I posted elsewhere, I can't
>do that, cos these guests have been fed on it before.
>
>I don't need full recipes (can always find them if I have to), just an
>outline of the dishes. The birthday boy is teetotal, but the rest of us are
>definitely not!
>
>Thanks tons to anyone who takes the time to answer this, as I know I'm
>asking a lot, but my mind is a bit of a blank (just for a change!). For
>once, I'm ignoring all the DH's fussinesses, cos it's not his birthday, and
>he'll just have to be adaptable! The only other 'fussiness' is that one
>guest hates fresh figs!
>
>So come on, do yer worst!
>
>Jo
>
>
>
Lamb curry -the stewing lamb, not the loin! - (coconut milk, onions,
some veggies (carrots, peas, etc) , vary the curry spices to you
liking of hot or sweet
na'an, poori, or similar
rice pilaf (white raisins, orange zest, pine nuts, onion & toss in
some fig bits, Fussy will never know))
raita (cukes, yogurt)

If 2lbs of lamb is not enough, add some beef kabobs, with a
yogurt/mint/garlic/olive oil marinade for the meat

Boron

Brunswick stew or a mixed meat pasta sauce.

"Darkginger" > wrote in message
...
> I've got 2 friends coming for dinner this coming Saturday, in order to
> celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them (this is not the lot who are
> coming for the Chinese meal the following week!). DH has requested that I
> keep food spending to a minimum (because we seem to have a lot of dinner
> parties lined up!), so I'm looking at cooking up something from the
contents
> of my feezer, plus some fresh stuff bought on the day. Trouble is, I can't
> decide what to cook, so that's where you come in - can anyone suggest
> something impressive (I don't mind spending 2 days cooking, if that's what
> it takes!) that could be made from any selection from the following:
>
> a turkey
> 2 loins of lamb
> 2lbs of stewing beef
> 2 lbs of stewing lamb
> 4lbs of pork ribs
> 8 mackerel
> 2 duck breasts
> a free range chicken
>
> I also have access to free mussels, and DH wouldn't object to 1 lobster,
> crab or a few scallops being bought. We are currently overwhelmed with
eggs
> (got chickens) plus I make bread every day, so have various flours (strong
> white, strong wholemeal, granary, rye, gram) to hand. There's also frozen
> puff, shortcrust and filo pastries in the freezer, plus some vol au vent
> cases. Growing in the garden are peas, fench beans, nasturtiums, mangetout
> and radishes, plus the usual herbs. I have a huge spice collection, but no
> access to Penzey's mixes. I can buy most veggies that grow in temperate
> climes (plus some that don't!). Got rice, got cous-cous, got polenta, got
> noodles.
>
> The weather is cool, and I don't expect that to change before the weekend,
> more's the pity. Ideally, I'd like a 3 or 4 course sit-down-but-casual
meal
> which takes some time and effort to prepare. No 'packet' type ingredients,
> please - Kraft Mac 'n Cheese won't do!
>
> Please help, because all I can think of doing is Christmas dinner in July,
> and I'm not sure that's a good idea! In return, I promise to report back
on
> recipes used, problems encountered, and results achieved! Oh, in case
anyone
> is thinking of suggesting the loin of lamb thing I posted elsewhere, I
can't
> do that, cos these guests have been fed on it before.
>
> I don't need full recipes (can always find them if I have to), just an
> outline of the dishes. The birthday boy is teetotal, but the rest of us
are
> definitely not!
>
> Thanks tons to anyone who takes the time to answer this, as I know I'm
> asking a lot, but my mind is a bit of a blank (just for a change!). For
> once, I'm ignoring all the DH's fussinesses, cos it's not his birthday,
and
> he'll just have to be adaptable! The only other 'fussiness' is that one
> guest hates fresh figs!
>
> So come on, do yer worst!
>
> Jo
>
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.714 / Virus Database: 470 - Release Date: 02/07/04
>
>

Brunswick stew or a mixed meat pasta sauce.

"Darkginger" > wrote in message
...
> I've got 2 friends coming for dinner this coming Saturday, in order to
> celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them (this is not the lot who are
> coming for the Chinese meal the following week!). DH has requested that I
> keep food spending to a minimum (because we seem to have a lot of dinner
> parties lined up!), so I'm looking at cooking up something from the
contents
> of my feezer, plus some fresh stuff bought on the day. Trouble is, I can't
> decide what to cook, so that's where you come in - can anyone suggest
> something impressive (I don't mind spending 2 days cooking, if that's what
> it takes!) that could be made from any selection from the following:
>
> a turkey
> 2 loins of lamb
> 2lbs of stewing beef
> 2 lbs of stewing lamb
> 4lbs of pork ribs
> 8 mackerel
> 2 duck breasts
> a free range chicken
>
> I also have access to free mussels, and DH wouldn't object to 1 lobster,
> crab or a few scallops being bought. We are currently overwhelmed with
eggs
> (got chickens) plus I make bread every day, so have various flours (strong
> white, strong wholemeal, granary, rye, gram) to hand. There's also frozen
> puff, shortcrust and filo pastries in the freezer, plus some vol au vent
> cases. Growing in the garden are peas, fench beans, nasturtiums, mangetout
> and radishes, plus the usual herbs. I have a huge spice collection, but no
> access to Penzey's mixes. I can buy most veggies that grow in temperate
> climes (plus some that don't!). Got rice, got cous-cous, got polenta, got
> noodles.
>
> The weather is cool, and I don't expect that to change before the weekend,
> more's the pity. Ideally, I'd like a 3 or 4 course sit-down-but-casual
meal
> which takes some time and effort to prepare. No 'packet' type ingredients,
> please - Kraft Mac 'n Cheese won't do!
>
> Please help, because all I can think of doing is Christmas dinner in July,
> and I'm not sure that's a good idea! In return, I promise to report back
on
> recipes used, problems encountered, and results achieved! Oh, in case
anyone
> is thinking of suggesting the loin of lamb thing I posted elsewhere, I
can't
> do that, cos these guests have been fed on it before.
>
> I don't need full recipes (can always find them if I have to), just an
> outline of the dishes. The birthday boy is teetotal, but the rest of us
are
> definitely not!
>
> Thanks tons to anyone who takes the time to answer this, as I know I'm
> asking a lot, but my mind is a bit of a blank (just for a change!). For
> once, I'm ignoring all the DH's fussinesses, cos it's not his birthday,
and
> he'll just have to be adaptable! The only other 'fussiness' is that one
> guest hates fresh figs!
>
> So come on, do yer worst!
>
> Jo
>
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.714 / Virus Database: 470 - Release Date: 02/07/04
>
>

Darkginger wrote:
>
> I've got 2 friends coming for dinner this coming Saturday, in order to
> celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them (this is not the lot who are
> coming for the Chinese meal the following week!). DH has requested that I
> keep food spending to a minimum (because we seem to have a lot of dinner
> parties lined up!), so I'm looking at cooking up something from the contents
> of my feezer, plus some fresh stuff bought on the day. Trouble is, I can't
> decide what to cook, so that's where you come in - can anyone suggest
> something impressive (I don't mind spending 2 days cooking, if that's what
> it takes!) that could be made from any selection from the following:
>
> a turkey
> 2 loins of lamb
> 2lbs of stewing beef
> 2 lbs of stewing lamb
> 4lbs of pork ribs
> 8 mackerel
> 2 duck breasts
> a free range chicken
>
> I also have access to free mussels, and DH wouldn't object to 1 lobster,
> crab or a few scallops being bought. We are currently overwhelmed with eggs
> (got chickens) plus I make bread every day, so have various flours (strong
> white, strong wholemeal, granary, rye, gram) to hand. There's also frozen
> puff, shortcrust and filo pastries in the freezer, plus some vol au vent
> cases. Growing in the garden are peas, fench beans, nasturtiums, mangetout
> and radishes, plus the usual herbs. I have a huge spice collection, but no
> access to Penzey's mixes. I can buy most veggies that grow in temperate
> climes (plus some that don't!). Got rice, got cous-cous, got polenta, got
> noodles.

<snip>

Starter: Make some thin small egg pancakes. Slice up the radishs and
mangetout finely, stirfry very briefly and marinate them in some soy
sauce, a little vinegar or lime juice and a pinch of sugar, perhaps a
little garlic if your company likes that. Drain the vegs and wrap them
in the egg pancakes. Sprinkle some of the marinade on top or serve it as
a dip. (Can be made ahead and served at room temp.)

Fish course: Those lovely free mussels steamed with some herbs and
aromatics. Normally I'd add white wine to the mix, but you can skip it
since the guest of honour is teetotal. Serve in soup plates with some
of your great crusty bread to mop up the broth. (Can be steamed while
eating the starter.)

Main course Go with a simple well-roasted chicken with the sauce made
from the chicken juices etc. Add a selection of vegetables. Cook some of
those great Irish potatoes and roll them in chopped herbs after cooking.
Or else make a rice pilaf, which can sit for a while after cooking.
(Chicken can be resting and vegetables steaming while eating the fish
course, sauce made up ahead, with chicken juices/fond added before
serving).

Sweet: Fruit salad with is always good! Liven it up any way you choose.
For the birthday boy/girl make a traditional Dutch 'Abraham/Sara'. It's
a sweet bread made for someone's 50th birthday.

This makes a very large figure; recipe can be halved.

Dough
1 kg flour
80 g fresh yeast (40 g dried)
2 eggs
5 dl milk
150 g unsalted butter
150 g brown sugar (the recipe doesn't say dark or light; Demerara would
work)
20 g salt



Filling
400 g raisins (soaked and drained)
400 g currants (soaked and drained)
100 g mixed peel chopped fine



Decoration

Icing sugar glaze (icing sugar and water or milk or lemon juice)
Glace fruits
Slivered nuts
Chocolate bits etc (all as desired and what you have in the store
cupboard)

Method:

Make a normal yeast dough and let rise until doubled.

Knead the filling into the dough. Form the dough on a baking sheet into
a male (Abraham) or female (Sara) figure. I'll leave the anatomical
accuracy to you LOL!
Let rise until double.

Bake at 200 C for about 45 minutes. If the figure is very thick, bake at
180 C for 55 minutes.
Let cool on a rack.

Glaze the cooled figure and decorate (make the face, clothes) with the
fruits, nuts and chocolate bits.

Present to your birthday guest with great ceremony

Good luck!

Darkginger wrote:
>
> I've got 2 friends coming for dinner this coming Saturday, in order to
> celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them (this is not the lot who are
> coming for the Chinese meal the following week!). DH has requested that I
> keep food spending to a minimum (because we seem to have a lot of dinner
> parties lined up!), so I'm looking at cooking up something from the contents
> of my feezer, plus some fresh stuff bought on the day. Trouble is, I can't
> decide what to cook, so that's where you come in - can anyone suggest
> something impressive (I don't mind spending 2 days cooking, if that's what
> it takes!) that could be made from any selection from the following:
>
> a turkey
> 2 loins of lamb
> 2lbs of stewing beef
> 2 lbs of stewing lamb
> 4lbs of pork ribs
> 8 mackerel
> 2 duck breasts
> a free range chicken
>
> I also have access to free mussels, and DH wouldn't object to 1 lobster,
> crab or a few scallops being bought. We are currently overwhelmed with eggs
> (got chickens) plus I make bread every day, so have various flours (strong
> white, strong wholemeal, granary, rye, gram) to hand. There's also frozen
> puff, shortcrust and filo pastries in the freezer, plus some vol au vent
> cases. Growing in the garden are peas, fench beans, nasturtiums, mangetout
> and radishes, plus the usual herbs. I have a huge spice collection, but no
> access to Penzey's mixes. I can buy most veggies that grow in temperate
> climes (plus some that don't!). Got rice, got cous-cous, got polenta, got
> noodles.

<snip>

Starter: Make some thin small egg pancakes. Slice up the radishs and
mangetout finely, stirfry very briefly and marinate them in some soy
sauce, a little vinegar or lime juice and a pinch of sugar, perhaps a
little garlic if your company likes that. Drain the vegs and wrap them
in the egg pancakes. Sprinkle some of the marinade on top or serve it as
a dip. (Can be made ahead and served at room temp.)

Fish course: Those lovely free mussels steamed with some herbs and
aromatics. Normally I'd add white wine to the mix, but you can skip it
since the guest of honour is teetotal. Serve in soup plates with some
of your great crusty bread to mop up the broth. (Can be steamed while
eating the starter.)

Main course Go with a simple well-roasted chicken with the sauce made
from the chicken juices etc. Add a selection of vegetables. Cook some of
those great Irish potatoes and roll them in chopped herbs after cooking.
Or else make a rice pilaf, which can sit for a while after cooking.
(Chicken can be resting and vegetables steaming while eating the fish
course, sauce made up ahead, with chicken juices/fond added before
serving).

Sweet: Fruit salad with is always good! Liven it up any way you choose.
For the birthday boy/girl make a traditional Dutch 'Abraham/Sara'. It's
a sweet bread made for someone's 50th birthday.

This makes a very large figure; recipe can be halved.

Dough
1 kg flour
80 g fresh yeast (40 g dried)
2 eggs
5 dl milk
150 g unsalted butter
150 g brown sugar (the recipe doesn't say dark or light; Demerara would
work)
20 g salt



Filling
400 g raisins (soaked and drained)
400 g currants (soaked and drained)
100 g mixed peel chopped fine



Decoration

Icing sugar glaze (icing sugar and water or milk or lemon juice)
Glace fruits
Slivered nuts
Chocolate bits etc (all as desired and what you have in the store
cupboard)

Method:

Make a normal yeast dough and let rise until doubled.

Knead the filling into the dough. Form the dough on a baking sheet into
a male (Abraham) or female (Sara) figure. I'll leave the anatomical
accuracy to you LOL!
Let rise until double.

Bake at 200 C for about 45 minutes. If the figure is very thick, bake at
180 C for 55 minutes.
Let cool on a rack.

Glaze the cooled figure and decorate (make the face, clothes) with the
fruits, nuts and chocolate bits.

Present to your birthday guest with great ceremony

Good luck!

In article >, Darkginger wrote:
> I've got 2 friends coming for dinner this coming Saturday, in order to
> celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them (this is not the lot who are
> coming for the Chinese meal the following week!). DH has requested that I
> keep food spending to a minimum (because we seem to have a lot of dinner
> parties lined up!), so I'm looking at cooking up something from the contents
> of my feezer, plus some fresh stuff bought on the day. Trouble is, I can't
> decide what to cook, so that's where you come in - can anyone suggest
> something impressive (I don't mind spending 2 days cooking, if that's what
> it takes!) that could be made from any selection from the following:

> 2 lbs of stewing lamb

I would suggest using this and the cous-cous to make traditional Morocan Cous-Cous.
Traditionally, that includes 7 different vegetables, but exactly which vegetables
can vary, and I think you said you can buy vegetables that you don't have in the
garden. You could also do a chicken version, but I think that lamb is more
traditional. Steam the cous-cous over water or chicken broth, and when you serve it,
serve on a huge platter, with a big mound of the cous-cous, with the lamb and
vegetables stewed together over the top. IIRC, raisins are often included, but
at the moment I can't recall if they go in the cous-cous or the vegetables.

If you feel you need an appetizer, there is a wonderful, wonderful, pastry dish
that includes chicken and cinnamon wrapped in pastry. It is very slightly sweet,
but mostly savory. Unfortunately I don't know the name of it. The pastry is light
and flakey, so filo dough might work to create it.

Good luck!

stephanie

In article >, Darkginger wrote:
> I've got 2 friends coming for dinner this coming Saturday, in order to
> celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them (this is not the lot who are
> coming for the Chinese meal the following week!). DH has requested that I
> keep food spending to a minimum (because we seem to have a lot of dinner
> parties lined up!), so I'm looking at cooking up something from the contents
> of my feezer, plus some fresh stuff bought on the day. Trouble is, I can't
> decide what to cook, so that's where you come in - can anyone suggest
> something impressive (I don't mind spending 2 days cooking, if that's what
> it takes!) that could be made from any selection from the following:

> 2 lbs of stewing lamb

I would suggest using this and the cous-cous to make traditional Morocan Cous-Cous.
Traditionally, that includes 7 different vegetables, but exactly which vegetables
can vary, and I think you said you can buy vegetables that you don't have in the
garden. You could also do a chicken version, but I think that lamb is more
traditional. Steam the cous-cous over water or chicken broth, and when you serve it,
serve on a huge platter, with a big mound of the cous-cous, with the lamb and
vegetables stewed together over the top. IIRC, raisins are often included, but
at the moment I can't recall if they go in the cous-cous or the vegetables.

If you feel you need an appetizer, there is a wonderful, wonderful, pastry dish
that includes chicken and cinnamon wrapped in pastry. It is very slightly sweet,
but mostly savory. Unfortunately I don't know the name of it. The pastry is light
and flakey, so filo dough might work to create it.

Good luck!

stephanie