I’ve always wanted to throw a fancy six course dinner party… One where you end up sitting around the table all night as each course is served. Last week Ed and I decided we would throw such a party over the upcoming weekend. As I was working the three days prior to the party I needed a relatively easy menu.
I also wanted a fresh and summery menu since it’s so hot outside! I came up with the following menu which was just right. The dishes were fresh tasting and fast to prepare. Portion sizes were manageable. Plus, everything looked impressive!
Menu de l’été
Summer Menu
Brochettes de salade
Salad kebabs
Gazpacho et crevettes
Gazpacho & shrimp
Thon et bok choy grillé à la japon
Japanese-style grilled tuna & bok-choy
Salade de patates douces
Sweet potato salad
Sélection de fromages
Cheese plate
Profiteroles
I accidentally only took pictures of two of the courses… but eventually the whole menu (including recipes) will be posted. Saturday morning we did all the grocery shopping, Saturday afternoon was 2-3 hrs of prep, then the dinner Saturday night. So, if you’ve always wanted to throw a fancy dinner party but are intimidated or short on time I’d highly recommend this menu.
ps- I can’t believe there was a typo on the menu (grrr Pinot Noir)! Oops. Luckily, no one seemed to notice (fixed)
We served this gazpacho as the soup course for our six-course summer dinner party. It went over extremely well. The soup is light and refreshing. To up the “impressiveness factor” we brought each bowl to the table with only the baguette slice & shrimp in the bowl. Then the soup was poured into the bowl using a pitcher.
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Serves: 6
A fresh and bright cucumber gazpacho. Easy to make and impressive to serve if you use the shrimp garnish.
- Soup
- 2 1/2 cups chopped unwaxed cucumber
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Dash of ground red pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- Garnish
- 6 baguette slices
- 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
- 12 shrimp, steamed
Prepare Soup
- Blend together cucumber, chicken broth, yogurt, onion, lime juice, red pepper and garlic in a blender. The soup will be relatively smooth. Pour into a serving pitcher.
Prepare Garnish
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix together melted butter and cilantro. Brush mixture onto baguette slices. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes.
Serve
- Place one baguette slice in the center of each bowl. Anchor two shrimp to each slice vertically using toothpicks. Bring bowls to the table. Pour soup into individual bowls from the serving pitcher.
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine.
1.2.4
While making a quick borscht I found I had a few extra beets I’d already peeled. I decided to cook them via microwave so I could slice and use in salads this week. Microwaving vegetables is a great alternative to steaming or boiling vegetables. It is quicker and uses less water so you keep more of the nutrients intact. For beets you cook them with a little water in a covered dish for 5 minutes (small beets) to 20 minutes (very large beets). Veggies can quickly overcook and even burn in the microwave so the best thing to do is start in small increments and keep checking on them. For beets start with 5 minutes, then check. For something like green beans you can start checking after 30 seconds to a minute. I have a great recipe for a marinated vegetable salad that blanches the vegetables using the microwave but not too many other microwave veggie recipes. So, I was very excited to come across this nice list of microwave vegetable recipes from A Veggie Venture while searching for microwave timing for the beets. Do you have a favorite microwave veggie recipe?
This deli-style borscht is quick and easy to put together on a hot summer afternoon. It can be served cold or hot and with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. A garnish of fresh dill makes a nice touch, too.
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Yield: 4 cups
One soup – many variations. You can serve it hot or cold. As a purée or with veggies still in matchstick form.
- 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 3 medium beets, cut into matchsticks
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Juice from 1 lemon
- ground pepper
- yogurt (optional)
- minced dill (optional)
- Place carrot, beets, garlic, water & salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for approximately 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add lemon juice and ground pepper, to taste. Purée (or not) and serve with a spoonful of yogurt and some minced fresh dill.
1.2.4
This cookbook is a great reference book for the solo cook. All the recipes are scaled for one and there is exceptional shopping advice and leftover suggestions specifically for single cooks. The recipes are what I would call “regular” – there’s nothing too fancy here but nothing gross (i.e. using lots of processed products) either. This book is kind of like the Joy of Cooking for single cooks. Highly recommended!
