Last week, we had guests for dinner. I was doubting what to serve, my thoughts were going everywhere, unable to decide. Until an hour before the guests arrived, I still hadn’t made up my mind! With a slight feeling of panic in my stomach, I finally decided to go only for what I wanted that day meaning a bit of everything; healthy with veggies in the leading part, a lot of flavors, simple, cheap, with ingredients that already were to be found in my kitchen and fast (it just had too, the guest would almost arrive by then…). Below is the result.
After serving it 3 times this week, I think I can call it a rather successful dinner! To have it ready within 40 minutes, you just need to plan the different elements in time and you can still be a fantastic hostess without sweat on your forehead.
Don’t be shocked by the long list below, it is really simple!
A complete dinner with several small dishes, easy to prepare and easy for everyone around the table to compose their own favorite plate:
1. Oven baked, crunchy Butternut or Kabocha pumpkin with olive oil and za’atar
(Za’atar is a herb mix from the middel eastern with ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram mixed with toasted sesame seeds, and salt. Sometimes sumac is also added.
2. Tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes and unions
3. For the real carnivores; boiled chicken with gremolata and a good olive oil
4. Gremolata
5. Toasted pumpkin seeds
6. Green salad leafs like baby leaves of green kale or rocket salad and sliced avocado
7. Fried Halloumi
(Halloumi is a Cypriot semi-hard, unripened brined, salty cheese made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk, and sometimes also cow’s milk)
Let’s get to work!
4 persons
I have written the different elements in the order as I recommend you to do it to be able to get it ready as relaxed as possible (meaning before the guests arrive).
1. Ovenbaked, crunchy Butternut or Kabocha pumpkin with olive oil and za’ataar
Ingredients
1 Butternut or Kabocha pumpkin
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of Za’atar
How do I do it?
1. Set the oven on 210º C.
2. Cut the pumpkin in 2 parts and separate the seeds. I never bother to peel the pumpkin! Slice the pumpkin in slices of 1 cm.
3. Place the slices on an oven tray and sprinkle with olive oil. Sprinkle za’ataar on top. “Massage” the olive oil and za’ataar al over the pumpkin to cover it completely.
4. Place the oven tray in the oven and set the timer for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, turn each slice of the pumpkin and place again the oven tray in the oven. Set the timer again for 20 minutes. See that the pumpkin doesn’t burn!
2. Tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes and unions
Ingredients
1 can of cherry tomatoes 400 gram (preferably from Mutti) + 1 can of water
1 can of tomato puree 70 gram
1 big yellow onion
1 garlic clove
1 tsp gluten-free vegetable stock (dry powder)
(1 tsk dark agave syrup, not LCHF! But very nice…)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of deodorized coconut oil
How do I do it?
1. Cut the onion and the garlic clove fine.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a deep pan and add the onion and garlic. Fry on a low heat until transparent, it shouldn’t get any color.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and let it simmer on a low heat for about 35 minutes. Stir every now and then to avoid burning.
3. For the real carnivores; boiled chicken with gremolata and a good olive oil
Ingredients
3 chicken fillet (you really don’t need more with all the others dishes!)
1 liter of homemade chicken stock or 2 tsp gluten-free vegetable stock (dry powder) + 1 l water
1 tablespoon of a good olive oil, Maldon salt + gremolata
How do I do it?
1. Let the chicken stock come to a boil.
2. Add your cleaned chicken fillet to the boiling stock. Let it cook on low heat for about 30 minutes to make sure it is cooked through and through.
3. When serving, slice the fillets from the short side and place beautiful on a plate. Sprinkle with Maldon salt, a good olive oil and some gremolata. Keep the rest of the gremolata on the side for each one to serve themselves.
4. Toasted pumpkin seeds
Ingredients
100 gram of raw pumpkin seeds
How do I do it?
Place a dry skillet on your stove, add the pumpkin seeds to it and roast the seeds until they start to “pop”. Turn them around with a wooden spatula. When golden, pour them oven into a bowl and let them cool off until serving.
5. Gremolata
Ingredients
A handful of parsley (including the stalks, they are wonderful crunchy and have a great taste!)
1 garlic clove
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
How do I do it?
Chop up parsley leaves (including the stalks) and garlic fine and mix it with grated lemon zest. Pour over everything in a bowl and mix well.
If you want to be absolutely sure that the it keeps fresh; wet a doubled kitchen paper, squeeze the water out and cover the gremolata with it until serving.
6. Green salad leafs like baby leaves of green kale or rocket salad + sliced avocado
Ingredients
1 bag of prepared green leaves or a lettuce
2 avocados
How do I do it?
Wash and cut the salad if needed. Place in a big bowl.
Slice the avocados and place in a separate bowl.
If you like, mix with a homemade vinaigrette (olive oil, vinegar, tabasco, just a bit of honey/agave/maple syrup (not LCHF), salt and pepper). I prefer it without vinaigrette for this dinner, there are already so much flavors going on!)
7. Fried halloumi
Ingredients
250 gram halloumi
2 tablespoons of deodorized coconut oil
How do I do it?
1. Cut the halloumi in slices (1/2 cm thick).
2. Melt the coconut oil in a skillet. Place the slices of cheese in the pan and fry on a medium heat until golden. Turn them around and bake on the other side. When ready, place the halloumi on a plate and go on baking until everything is done. Serve as soon as possible after finished with the baking.
Serving
Serve the dishes in separate bowls, making it possible for each one to create their own favorite plate. Sprinkle the roasted seeds and gremolata on top of everything. A glass of red wine to go with it is really good!
Enjoy!
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