What is your favorite hospitality dish? When you are asked to bring a meal to a new mama or a sick friend, what "standby" of yours gets rave reviews?Also, what do you serve to guests when they come over for dinner?
How about potlucks? I'm HORRIBLE when it comes to potlucks. Especially when I have to bring something lenten. I've improved a bit since my "bring a loaf of bread and a bottle of soda" approach. Usually whatever I bring is so basic, though, that it never gets eaten.
I ALWAYS, ALWAYS draw a blank when it comes to hospitality dishes/ meals. Most likely because everyone has so many different dietary needs and restrictions, that I can't really keep a nice "tried and true" standby that works for everyone. Plus, I'm really bad about planning ahead for such things, so I'm usually left searching the cupboards at the last minute...
Then there's the self-doubt dilemma... "Nothing I cook is good enough..." So I search for recipes online and, come dinner time I find myself saying to my guests, "TADA! Enjoy-- This is a new recipe, so I have no idea how this will taste!"
So how about it? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
"... Never serve food to your guests that isn't good enough for you to eat."--George Papas, author of Papas' Art of Traditional Greek Cooking
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p.s. I don't know where our cat is! She's an indoor cat, yet she's nowhere to be found. She usually comes into our bedroom as soon as the door is opened in the morning and uses the wicker hamper as a scratching post. But it's nearly 12 pm, and she isn't anywhere to be seen!!!!! :(
14 comments:
I usually make homemade macaroni and cheese..with lots of cheddar..
During Lent I usually bring lentil soup, or garbanzos cooked in tomato sauce and rice.
I dont know if they are a hit, but they are always gone when I go to get my dishes. Of course I tell my family to take big portions so I wont look bad:)
I am also at 'mac and cheese' lady. I also send homemade 'hamburger helper'ish type things when sending to other's homes.
Lenten potlucks are still rather new to me. I have only been Orthodox for a little over a year and a half-so the whole meatless, dairyless thing is so new to me!
I go to Wednesday dinners after Pre-Sanctified during Great Lent and I am just awed by the dished that all the ladies make!
Since I am such a newbie, I usually take meatless chili or my concoction of diced tomatoes, peppers and rice. No one has complained or got sick yet! But I do wish I had more lenten recipes!
Hotdogs with a doughy wrap. So I guess pigs in a blanket. Not to say I have made these for a party in a few years, but I might soon.
Sooo good.
I found a Lenten taco salad recipe that has become a favorite at church. The first time I made it, it disappeared in minutes! The next time I made it, I doubled the recipe. That time it lasted 10 minutes!
I like to experiment with new recipes for church functions. HaHa! So far so good.
If you would like some of the recipes, I'd be happy to share them. Just email me!
I'm not very good at this sort of thing. If asked to take a meal to someone I usually take either Lasagna (freezes well) or soup if Lenten is needed.
For company I usually do one of 2 things....roast in the crockpot, my favorite because I don't have too much to do close to their arrival OR we grill. It also depends on if the company that is coming comes often or not. If they do then I usually have to be a little more creative. Spaghetti without meat is easy for fasting days. Or a big pot of chili in the crockpot.
On another note...will I get to see you this weekend?
Costco has these already marinated tri-tips that are SOOOOO easy. You basically put it in the oven for an hour, and you have an amazing, juicy cut of meat that everyone will think you slaved in the kitchen for. Make a nice salad and steam some sweet potatoes (then mash them up with butter and a little milk) and you have a great meal in an hour! Having a decent bottle of wine always seems to make dinners seem nicer, and how you set the table can make things feel nicer, too. If I don't have a lot of time, I buy some sort of dip people can snack on with chips or veggies while dinner is cooking---this always makes it easier to wait for dinner. We also just started keeping our ice cream maker in the freezer all the time, so it's always ready to go, and guests think it is SUCH a treat to have homemade ice cream after dinner (and all I had to do was pour whipping cream and half and half with sweetener in the machine). Serve with frozen berries or chopped nuts (usually already in the cupboard).
Hope that helps. I have several other recipes that I've really been happy with...but I usually just have to make a trip to the store the day before, or the day of having people over.
Oh, I'm so bad at this.
I have a Lenten applesauce cake that I make sometimes, or a berry pie.
For non-Lenten potlucks, I usually just bring brie and crackers.
And, I've been known to bring Papa Murphy's gift cards for hospitality type things, I always freeze on that. Urggggggg.
Mac n Cheese or lasagna or something. We do Mexican too but it helps that I'm actually half Mexican and grew up eating it, LOL
roast w/ potatoes and carrots and gravy is good too
For families with babies- I always make pastitsio:) I even have a GF version of pastitsio that I make for my husband.
For potlucks- Lenten I have to make something that my husband can eat, too, so that means that my offering is almost always gluten free. I like to make a casserole of sliced potatoes, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes (all layered) then coooked in the oven. I know, you don't like onioins. You could probably keep those out. I have done crock pot veg. chili, lentil soup, and in the summer I make a GF pasta salad with garbanzo beans, veggies, and greek salad dressing.
Guests I usually do a roast (lamb, beef, pork) with potatoes and maybe tzatziki (esp. with lamb). I think our supper for six is going to be on a friday so I am going to to stuffed peppers with rice and shrimp (a la George Papas:)
Call or email me if you ever need any ideas!!!
I always make a pot roast with potatoes and carrots. I figure that if they are sick or have just given birth, they probably are not fasting. If they are fasting I make Lentil soup. I have a killer pot roast recipe that is soooo easy and good. Add some bread a bag of salad and a little touch of something sweet and your good to go!
If I'm asked to bring something I'll usually bring hummus. I know...boring, but I love hummus and I'm vegetarian. That way I know there is always something for me to eat. ;) Just kidding. People always love homemade hummus and good flat bread.
M.Michelle
Katie
There's no way around it- you just have to plan ahead when it comes to potlucks. If I don't have time for the cooked main dish- I try to bring some cut up fruit and dessert ,ie watermelon & rice krispie bars or any cookies are ALWAYS a hit with the kids.
(and very easy). I feel less guilty bringing 2 items, if I don't make a dish. Enchilada casserole always gets eaten up- and you know that is so easy.
Or how about slicing yam/or sweet potatoe wedges, place in large pan
with a little olive oil, garlic and fresh rosemary & S&P- bake in oven during liturgy- and they are EASY and Tasty and very fragrant!!
marm
I have a 15 minute chili recipe that always gets rave reviews (Lenten version follows)this serves about 10-12:
2 lbs. hamburger
1 large onion diced
1 large green bell pepper diced
Brown hamburger, add while cooking
3 heaping tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 heaping tablespoon cumin
3 heaping tablespoons sugar
Add onion and bell pepper, saute.
Add 1 can diced tomatos, 1 can tomato paste, 1 can red kidney beans, 1 can pork and beans, 4 small cans tomato sauce, and 4 tablespoons white vinegar.
Stir well and let simmer for about 30 minutes. You can serve it over rice or baked potatoes to stretch it.
For Lent, delete hamburger, instead saute 2 large sliced zucchinni, 2 large yellow squash, 1 eggplant diced, 1 sweet onion, substitute 1 can of black beans or pinto beans for pork and beans.
You can also pretty much do the same thing for spaghetti sauce (substitute "Italian spices" for cumin and delete the beans...the rest is the same for both recipes but you can add mushrooms and olive oil to the Italian recipe).
Lasagna...and if it's the fast, maybe salmon and red potatoes! Today was a potluck at church and I brought banana bread (made into muffins)!!!
My potluck super easy crockpot special: Two bags of frozen ravioli and a jar of spaghetti sauce. No pre-boiling necessary. Just plunk it all into the crock pot and it's done in about 2.5 hours.
Lenten: Mexican casserole: layers of chips, refried beans, sauteed onions and green peppers and enchilada sauce, perhaps some creamed coron. Bake. Yum.
For families with new babies I ALWAYS bring a store bought frozen lasagna and frozen garlic bread, bag of salad. That way, they can pop it in the oven when it's convenient for THEM and aren't waiting on a dinner delivery. (I delvier it early in the day), or they can save it for after they've finished everyone else's leftovers.
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