Having company for dinner next Sunday

[Desertthorn]

And I need some ideas. My good friends from Canada are coming, a Japanese couple and a gal from Maine. I can't grill cause they took our grills away when one of our neighbors decided to burn his porch off. The gal from Maine hates fish, if thats possible.
Thanks guys

[yemenitegreen]

Re: Having company for dinner next Sunday

A few weeks ago I tried a Caesar Dip from epicurious - really good, although too garlicky for me:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/102114

Steamed auliflower with chili / cilantro hollandaise sauce is very colorful and tasty.

What about a roast new york strip loin with adobo rub? makes great leftovers

yemenitegreen

[not2late]

Re: Having company for dinner next Sunday

Start off with an appetizer like a cold cucumber soup or a cup of consumme---makes a change from the usual "salad".

Can everyone eat chicken? If so try this recipe for the entree, plan on serving 1 breast per person. Making the sauce goes quickly, so be sure to have the shallots, wine and butter measured and ready to go before you make it.


Chicken breasts with shallot and butter sauce.

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup oil (you're not going to use all of it!)
3 tablespoons finely minced shallots
1/3 cup dry white wine or dry sherry or dry vermouth
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons cold butter

Prep the chicken: using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts in half along the side. Lighty pound the breast pieces so they are at least 1/4 inch thickness throughout. Rub each piece with about a 1/2 teaspoon of oil . Salt and pepper both sides and set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees. As you cook your chicken, you'll need to put them in the warm oven to stay warm.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat until just smoking. Add one or two of the breast pieces. Cook until the the side is browned, then turn. Cook another minute or two. Remove and set on a oven proof dish in your oven. Continue cooking the remaining pieces adding additional oil as needed. You want one side to become golden brown: that's the "presentation side". It's important not to cook the other side to a golden brown because the chicken will become dry and tough.

Once all the chicken has been cooked, add an additional 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet if needed. Then add the shallots. Cook until soft. Immediately add the 1/3 cup of wine (or sherry or vermouth). Scrape the pan as the wine is cooking to incorporate the browned bits into your sauce. Remove from heat. Add the cold butter, stirring the butter constantly as it thickens the sauce.

Remove your chicken from the oven. Pour the sauce over the top. Granish with a sprinkling of fresh chopped herbs like parsley and serve with a wedge of lemon for those who want it.

The veggies that go well with this are sauteed spinach/Swiss chard or Brussel Sprouts.

[sadie147]

Re: Having company for dinner next Sunday

That chicken sounds wonderful! I'm not sure if you have a desert planned yet...but you should try this almond cake. it's wonderful with any berries and whipped creamhttp://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...t=16545&page=1

I have in the past made this blueberry cheese cake for non low carb friends and they rave about it. i find most people actually prefer the nut crust over the traditional graham craker crust. I have also made it with rubarb/strawberry sauce, and raspberry.

32 ounces cream cheese
1 cup splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons sour cream



1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen ( I used fresh but if you use frozen you may want to defrost and pat dry on a paper towel so they’re not too wet)



With an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and splenda at slow to medium speed, scraping sides often. Add all other ingredients except eggs. When completely mixed (with no lumps), add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating very slowly. When eggs are incorporated, do not mix any more.



Add blueberries to batter gently after it’s completely mixed.

Pour the mixture into the crust (recipe below) in a springform pan. Place the pan on a very large piece of aluminum foil, and fold the foil up around the pan to create a watertight barrier around the cheesecake. Then place the barrier pan in an even larger pan and fill the larger pan halfway with water. This is called a water bath. It is a gentler way to cook the cheesecake.


Place the entire water bath containing the cheesecake in a 300-degree preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour and reduce heat to 200 degrees for 1 more hour. Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in until the oven is completely cool. The cheesecake can even be left overnight at this point. Cracks can occur when a cheesecake cools too quickly.







Blueberry Topping:



2 cups frozen blueberries

½ cup to 1 cup splenda (or more/less to taste) i used liquid sugar twin to taste to save on carbs.

1 cup water



Boil blueberries, splenda and water until it forms a sauce (I found it took about 20 mins), keep in mind it will thicken when it cools.



For the crust:



I buy packages of ground pecans and almonds.
Mix about 1 package of ground pecans and ½ package of almonds (not sure of exact measurements..maybe a cup and 1/2 a cup?) together, add some cinnamon and splenda/sugar to taste. Add melted butter (at least a couple of tablespoons) until you think it’s enough to hold it together. Press into bottom of pan. i found pouring the nuts int the pan then using saran wrap or parchment paper over it then spreading it out made it easier.

[Desertthorn]

Re: Having company for dinner next Sunday

Oh perfect ideas, and Ill bet I can get them all around here. Thanks guys Ill let you know how is goes