Cooking up a storm

September 22, 2006 3:52 PM

Looking for good dishes/recipes for me to make when I entertain guests at home, I am no emeril but by no means a novice either. Looking to start easy, so looking for 2-person lunch/dinner ideas. Appetizer, main course, dessert is ideal - cuisine no bar. bonus for presentation tips. Uh, Vegetarian only. Okay, GO.
posted by cusecase to food & drink (8 comments total)

Poke around Snacksby? (via)
posted by duende at 3:58 PM on September 22, 2006

snacksby is good, but let me elaborate. I am looking for a menu; its no good serving pasta after wontons (I am not that dumb, but you get the idea). Best food for the season, whats more appropriate for lunch than dinner (if there is such a thing), things like that.
posted by cusecase at 4:07 PM on September 22, 2006

So, are you looking for fall specifically? Is this for a date (i.e., no garlic), or just for having a buddy over?

For lunch, grilled sandwiches with cheese, tomato, avocado are awesome for lunch. Could serve with a salad or a soup (light or heavy depending on time of year).
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:15 PM on September 22, 2006

One of my favorite meals in the fall/winter is to cut butternut squash into cubes, toss it with a bit of olive oil, a chopped onion, and fresh rosemary, and roast it in a glass baking dish at 450 until it's fork tender.

Then I toss that with pasta, maybe some feta or chevre and/or roasted pecans.

If I'm feeling particularly fancy I'll put a bunch of chopped swiss chard or other savory greens in a bowl under the colandar when I dump out the pasta, let the greens wilt in the hot water for a minute, then drain them and toss them with the pasta before topping it with the squash.

I consider this kind of a one-pot meal along the lines of spaghetti, and would serve it with a good loaf of bread, maybe with a tapanade. I'd also serve a salad, especially if I omitted the greens.

I make this for dinner, generally. But the leftovers make a great lunch the next day.
posted by padraigin at 5:05 PM on September 22, 2006

Good fresh bread, as padraigin says, is the first step in any good meal for guests. (Except Asian noodle or rice dishes, I guess, but I just can't get enough baguette, myself. Maybe with a nice stinky cheese too.)

Different versions of roasted root vegetables (sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, beets, in olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper) are great for fall lunch or dinner.

There are ways to make grilled tofu sticks (1 cm x 1 cm x 8 cm or so), with white pepper or other spices, that are great.

Chili! with beans and TVP; serve with rice, grated cheddar, sour cream if hot

Awesome salads -- nice greens and chopped tomatoes, walnuts tossed in a warm pan with brown sugar and pepper, crumbles of bleu cheese is one of my favorites

Acorn squash cut in half and baked with butter, brown sugar, salt, pepper is a never-fail fave for me.

Stuffed peppers

Mushroom or other veg risotto, ultimate cold-weather comfort food
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:30 PM on September 22, 2006

Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals: Veggie Meals has suggested menus and lots of stuff that's easy and tasty. The Vegetarian Family Cookbook has lots of suggestions at the end of recipes for what to serve the recipe with.

Online, my standby is Vegan Lunchbox . The posts include everything she packed for her kid's lunch. They are full, balanced meals. There aren't recipes for everything there, though she almost always will tell you where she got the recipe. And it's good for ideas.
posted by Airhen at 8:44 PM on September 22, 2006

Soups are excellent fall and winter appetizer or "starter" courses, and can healthfully use up small dabs of leftovers or odds and ends from your crisper drawer. If you're cooking strictly vegan, you can start with one of the vegan broth mixes made from yeast or miso, or puree some tomatoes for heartier soup base.

If you're willing to include dairy products in your cooking, vegetable lasagna is a dish that you can do with good acceptance by all, and that can accept considerable individually creative touches.
posted by paulsc at 10:08 PM on September 22, 2006

Tourlou-Tourlou.
posted by evariste at 12:23 AM on September 23, 2006 [1 favorite]