Easy Party Foods

A few weeks in advance of the party, write down a list of all the foods you might want to make. Once
you have done this go through to work out which foods will compliment each other. Once you have
your final list write down how long each will take to make, and break down the recipe into sections,
work backwards from the time they need to be ready. Remember it is always easier to have one cold
plate, so you can prepare it in advance. There are more tips throughout these easy to create recipes,
so read on to find out how to be the perfect hostess and get some more ideas.

Mini Quiches
Easy to make starter or appetizer, and great to pop in the fridge before serving. Nutritious and easy to eat. You can
either make the pastry from scratch - which many people will appreciate - or buy it ready made. For the fillings, be
inventive. Try red pepper, smoked salmon, bacon, goats cheese, leek or watercress. This can also make great party
finger food too.

Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Grease three 12-hole fairy cake trays, or buy individual quiche
dishes. To make the pastry, rub 125g cubed butter into 250g plain flour, with a pinch of salt and
pepper. Add the 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp lemon juice and enough water to make the ingredients cling
together into a ball. Knead gently until smooth. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of about 5mm and
cut 36 rounds with a cookie cutter to line the tins. Combine 200ml milk 175ml cream and 3 medium
beaten eggs to make the basic quiche mixture. Sprinkle your chosen filling into the pastry cases, then
fill up almost to the top with the quiche mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Cool in the tin and eat
warm or cold.

Tip #1:
Presentation is key to a good dinner party. Make sure that your house is clean and tidy, and that you
have prepared the table at which you will be eating. Some might like to put some candles on the
table, or flowers, or some other decorations. Also think about the presentation of your food,
remembering the all important less is more factor. Try and keep the food to the centre of the plate as
this is more attractive to the eye.

Grilled Salmon Steaks with Vinaigrette
This is a great light meal served with a green salad and couscous. Especially great for entertaining health conscious
types. This should make enough to serve 4.

To make the vinaigrette, pour boiling water over 4 tomatoes, leave for 1 minute then drain and remove
their skins. Cut each tomato into quarters, remove the seeds and dice them into small cubes. Mix with
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp green olive tapenade, 1 crushed garlic
clove and salt and pepper. Brush 4 salmon steaks with a little extra olive oil. Season with salt, pepper
and the juice of ½ a lemon juice and lay them in a grill pan. Place under a preheated grill for about 3
minutes or until beginning to brown. Turn over and brush with more olive oil. Season again with salt,
pepper and lemon juice and grill for a further 3 minutes or until cooked. Place on warmed plates and
keep warm. Gently heat the tomato vinaigrette until just warm, not boiling. Stir in the juices from the
grill pan. Spoon the tomato vinaigrette around the salmon and serve.

Tip #2:
When hosting a dinner party, it is always useful to let the guests know on their invitation or when you
phone them up what they will be eating throughout the evening. Keeping it formal like this, so that if
anyone has any particular tastes, or doesn't like something, they can tell you so you can arrange
some other food to be prepared. But do not go overboard and prepare 4 different meals! Try and
come up with something everyone will appreciate.

Roasted plums with marscapone
An easy to make dessert which tastes fabulous. You could also use creme fraiche or some ice cream with this simple
dessert. This should serve 4.

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Put 12 plums in a baking dish and scatter with 2 tbsp soft
brown sugar, dot with 25g butter and splash over 75ml red wine. Cover with foil and roast for 30
minutes till soft. Serve straight from the oven with a small amount of marscapone.

Tip #3:
Having to hold a party for some can be a nightmare, but don't forget that there are catering companies
that will accomodate as few as 4 people. Your guests won't even have to know that you didn't cook the
food, and a lot of companies will lend you the plates and cutlery for the evening too. This can be quite
pricy, but if you shop around, you may be quite surprised. Another easy way to host a dinner party is to
get prepared meals, but be sure that they are expensive ones, so they look the part.