Having guests for dinner - what do you serve?
Francl27
Posts: 26,371 Member
It doesn't happen much, but we're going to have family over soon, and I was wondering what people typically cook when they have people over? Would really like to keep it all under 800 calories or something (including dessert).
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Replies
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I'd go for something simple with a lean protein and lots of veggies to keep calories low but stay tasty so your guests don't realize what you're doing haha. Maybe chicken breast with mushroom/zuchinni/etc.? I'm no help with dessert though sorry!0
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Grill out. Chicken...steak. A nice side salad and a choice of sweet or baked potatoes with a do it yourself toppings bar. That way you can stay on track and others will not even notice.0
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For a low cal meal to feed a crowd, I would do a lean roast (say spatchcock chicken or roast beef) and a variety of roast vegetables (courgette, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, carrots, asparagus, sugar snaps). Throw in some roast potatoes for people who are not watching calories.
If it is too hot to use the oven, I would do chicken breasts a la plancha on a cast iron griddle pan. Griddle courgettes, aubergines and asparagus in advance to serve at room temperature. Make mash for people who are not watching calories.
For dessert, my low fat favourites are berry clafoutis and English summer pudding. Another summer favorite is purreed frozen banana, with some frozen berries, eventually with a little commercial custard mixed in.
Let me know if you want more details about cooking any of these dishes (times, temperatures).0 -
Grilled pork tenderloin (marinated or use a rub), roasted baby potatoes, a ton of grilled veg or a huge salad (or both!). Ice cream bar (with lower cal ice cream choices and fruit toppings -- grilled peaches/nectarines are awesome) for dessert!0
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Grill petite steaks,cewers of shrimp and grilled veggies. Brush the shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with old bay seasoning. 3 minutes on the grill total for medium shrimp. DONT over cook. Buy a wire basket for the grill and do some veggies. Roll in a little EVO and sea alt and pepper. Put's the cooking outside. Less mess and not heating up the house. Get angel food cake, cool whip and berries for desert and ice cream for those who can afford it.!!0
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800 cals, INCLUDING dessert? :huh: Are you trying to starve your guests? Remind me to never eat at your place. :noway:
If you yourself are trying to keep calories limited to a certain number, please feel free to do so. But don't force your guests to eat as little as you do. That's weird, and I would be absolutely MORTIFIED if I had guests over for dinner and they went home hungry. Which will almost certainly be the case if you try to limit their calorie intake along with yours. Just eat smaller portions than them.0 -
I could easily top 800 calories just for dessert ;-P
seafood is usually good, low in calories and high in protein. I love grill salmon, you can put a bed of sliced lemon on the grill to prevent the salmon fells apart and it gives a nice test for your fish.
Mix fruit platter for dessert or mix berries with some cool whip. Frozen yogurt or fruit ice/pop are good too0 -
If you are entertaining guests, I would not focus on the calories, and just make them a fantastic meal. This meal would depend on what the night was for.. Are you planning on sitting outside for a bbq? Is this a more formal type meal? How many people are you cooking for? All of this comes into play when I'm deciding on what to cook. What are you good at making?0
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The "calories" is completely dependent on how much someone eats and not a concern for a dinner party. You can measure yourself all you want, but your guests should leave full and happy.
One of my favorites that is delicious, easy and not labor intensive so you can enjoy yourself:
Bourbon Pork Tenderloin & Mustard Sauce: http://makelifespecial.com/bourbon-pork-tenderloin-with-mustard-sauce/
Serve w/ fresh steamed broccoli or roasted seasoned veggies
Sweet potato or Rice, Biscuits... whatever0 -
Here's one of my favorite healthy meals, for a crowd. Bone-in chicken breasts, with skin removed. Cook briefly in microwave to heat through. Spray chicken with olive oil and rub well with this mixture: equal parts brown sugar, salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, paprika. Grill at medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, spray with additional oil and turn. Cook for additional 8-10 minutes. Check for done-ness by piercing with a sharp knife. If juices run clear, chicken is done. Thanks to the brown sugar, the rub makes a kind of "skin" that keeps the juices in.
I serve this chicken with homemade gazpacho (homemade salsa is also good) and Indian-style cucumber raita. Raita recipe is: 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeds removed. Halve lengthwise again, slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Chop 1 small sweet onion coarsely. Sprinkle cucmber & onion with a tsp. of salt and drain in a strainer for about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly toast 1-2 tsp. ground cumin in a non-stick pan. Seed and dice one medium tomato. Chop fresh cilantro to yield about 1/2 cup. Stir the cumin into one quart of low-fat or fat-free plan yogurt (I like the Greek style) in a deep bowl. Add the cucumber, add 1 tsp. sea salt, onions, tomatoes & cilantro and stir gently. Chill for 30 minutes so flavors can marry.
Boiled sweet corn or a three-bean-salad are good sides. Really, any fresh vegetable would work..For dessert I make a fruit salad with fresh blueberries, cherries and strawberries or other seasonal fruit.
Now I'm hungry!
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grilled chicken or fish, corn on the cob and marinated veggie kabobs. for dessert, strawberry shortcake with angel food cake.0
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The "calories" is completely dependent on how much someone eats and not a concern for a dinner party. You can measure yourself all you want, but your guests should leave full and happy.
^^^^^^
You can serve pretty much anything you think people will enjoy. I always do up a big salad with plenty of dressing options and have things like hummus or some other dip, maybe some nuts, for people to snack on ahead of time.
For a main course, some kind of casserole or baked or grilled chicken. How formal is this going to be? Or is it just people coming to enjoy a relaxed evening together?
A nice summery dessert is strawberry shortcake, but you can use any (or a variety of) fruit. Last time I did it, I had strawberries and blueberries as options.0 -
The "calories" is completely dependent on how much someone eats and not a concern for a dinner party. You can measure yourself all you want, but your guests should leave full and happy.
One of my favorites that is delicious, easy and not labor intensive so you can enjoy yourself:
Bourbon Pork Tenderloin & Mustard Sauce: http://makelifespecial.com/bourbon-pork-tenderloin-with-mustard-sauce/
Serve w/ fresh steamed broccoli or roasted seasoned veggies
Sweet potato or Rice, Biscuits... whatever
The tenderloin recipe sounds delicious! I've saved it for future use.0 -
Since you'll be having the guests for dinner (I don't recommend eating people but...), sriracha sauce might go well with it.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:0 -
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If you are entertaining guests, I would not focus on the calories, and just make them a fantastic meal. This meal would depend on what the night was for.. Are you planning on sitting outside for a bbq? Is this a more formal type meal? How many people are you cooking for? All of this comes into play when I'm deciding on what to cook. What are you good at making?
Jen already asked most of the same questions I was going to... how many people, how formal, cook inside or outside, are there going to be any kids, any dietary restrictions, etc. What kind of food do you like and what are you good at making?
I'm sure you could pull this off for less than 800 calories, but I think you will limit your options pretty severely if you do that. I would plan a menu that is reasonably healthy but still tasty, one that minimizes your stress and maximizes your guests enjoyment, and then worry about the calories after the fact. You can estimate ahead of time and either plan to eat smaller portions, or exercise more that day, or make adjustments through the week so you can enjoy the dinner as much as your guests.
As a general rule in the summer, I think grilling and focusing on local, fresh ingredients is always a sure winner! If you give us some direction, I am sure we can come up with more specific suggestions!0 -
The "calories" is completely dependent on how much someone eats and not a concern for a dinner party. You can measure yourself all you want, but your guests should leave full and happy.
One of my favorites that is delicious, easy and not labor intensive so you can enjoy yourself:
Bourbon Pork Tenderloin & Mustard Sauce: http://makelifespecial.com/bourbon-pork-tenderloin-with-mustard-sauce/
Serve w/ fresh steamed broccoli or roasted seasoned veggies
Sweet potato or Rice, Biscuits... whatever
The tenderloin recipe sounds delicious! I've save it for future use.
It's seriously a crowd pleaser and SO easy. I cook mine right in the sauce and baste it occasionally. It tastes like a candy on the outside.0 -
1-800-PAPAJOHNS0
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are your guests also trying to losing weight?
if not, i would suggest focusing on making something delicious that everyone will really like.
if you want to keep it to 800cals for you, then great....eat 800 cals worth.
eta: i'd be annoyed if i went to a dinner party and all i got was 800cals worth of steamed crap (unless of course it was lobster and shellfish....then id be happy for steamed crap...i'd just need more than 800cals worth.)
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Food! I would make food. I tried serving crafts once, but it didn't work out well so I went back to making food. *nods*0
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I do "help yourself" type dishes like chicken fajitas or tacos with lean beef or turkey mince. That way, if people want to pig out, they can do :laugh: and I can work out my own portions/filling combinations without looking like I'm making everyone eat the way I do.
As for desserts - a blog called "Chocolate Covered Katie" has TONS of healthy desserts that appear really indulgent, taste great, but are better for you. Guests can't tell the difference!0 -
I do "help yourself" type dishes like chicken fajitas or tacos with lean beef or turkey mince. That way, if people want to pig out, they can do :laugh: and I can work out my own portions/filling combinations without looking like I'm making everyone eat the way I do.
As for desserts - a blog called "Chocolate Covered Katie" has TONS of healthy desserts that appear really indulgent, taste great, but are better for you. Guests can't tell the difference!
We tend to do 'help yourself' kind of things too if we have a few guests....chilli with rice, spaghetti bolognaise, thai green curry...
If it's just a couple of people, we do something like stir fry, or chicken and veg.
You could always do a fruit salad with meringues and a bit of cream for dessert. Or sorbet.0 -
1 meat dish, 1 grain dish, 1 salad, 1 vegetable dish, and dessert. Usually we have a light soup too.
Last time we had friends over
Marinated chicken (all different parts - breast, thigh, drumstick) with bread crumbs, baked and then broiled to get the bread crumbs browned.
Rice pilaf with lots of bits of veggies in there - super easy to make and always gets compliments.
Garden salad with a few dressing options on the side. Homemade yogurt, tahini, bit of fresh garlic, parsley, dill and cilantro and another homemade balsamic vinegeratte.
Roasted veggies rattatoile style - zucchini, eggplant, tomato, carrots tossed in olive oil, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, bit of fresh garlic and a little balsamic vinegar and a tad off sugar.
Soup - a light veggie and lentil soup
The rice pilaf and the soup are easy and standard having company over dishes. I cut teh veggies for both using a food processor, and then puree the soup so I don't care how the veggies look. For roasted veggies I like them to be chunkier, so those I cut by hand.
I'm not a particularly good baker so normally we get a nice cake from a bakery with some icecream.
Everything is served on trays and everyone helps themselves. No one starves. 0 -
Food would be a really good ideal!!!
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:laugh: Don;t eat your guests. It's not nice.0
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The "calories" is completely dependent on how much someone eats and not a concern for a dinner party. You can measure yourself all you want, but your guests should leave full and happy.
One of my favorites that is delicious, easy and not labor intensive so you can enjoy yourself:
Bourbon Pork Tenderloin & Mustard Sauce: http://makelifespecial.com/bourbon-pork-tenderloin-with-mustard-sauce/
Serve w/ fresh steamed broccoli or roasted seasoned veggies
Sweet potato or Rice, Biscuits... whatever
I just wanted the bourbon pork recipe.
OP, you've lost almost 80 lbs.--you've got this covered. I suggest just cooking what's tasty, and watching your portion size of any higher calorie sides or desserts.0 -
baked beans on toast, if im feeling daring, i might do some garlic bread0
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