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Quarantine: Dinner Parties at Home

  • Writer: Kelsey Maloney
    Kelsey Maloney
  • Jun 3, 2020
  • 3 min read

My vision of a great birthday dinner includes drinks that guests can be “wowed” by to start things off, starters that are “semi-comfort foods” as well as some daring ones, a few main dish options for every guest to feel comfortable, and the final encore of a fantastic dinner party is something sweet to end the night.

Drink Ideas (all can be made virgin):

Spicy Cucumber Margarita (half baked harvest) https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/spicy-cucumber-margarita/#bo-recipe

To make one drink:

  • 4-6 cucumber slices

  • 4 fresh mint leaves

  • 2 oz silver tequila

  • ½ oz orange liqueur

  • Juice from 1 lime

  • 1-2 jalapeño slices

  • 1 tsp honey

  • Club soda to top off

Watermelon Rosé Paloma (half baked harvest)


To make one drink:

  • 2-3 cubes of blended/strained watermelon juice

  • 1 ½ oz silver tequila

  • Juice from 1 lime

  • 3-4 ounces sparkling rosé

  • Club soda to top off

Grapefruit Spritzer (sivan ayla)


To make one drink:

  • Juice from 1/2 grapefruit

  • 2 muddled lavender sprigs

  • 2 oz vodka

  • Club soda to top off


Appetizer Ideas:

The secret is to make options that are easy to make that look difficult

comfort~ Hummus and Crudité Board (vegan)



comfort~ Smoked Salmon Crostini (pescatarian)


  • Toast a baguette, spread herbed cream cheese, add sliced cucumber, top with lox, garnish with dill and capers

comfort~ Caprese Skewers (vegetarian)


  • All you need is to stack sliced/balls of mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

daring~ Proscuitto Pears with Arugula Salad (whole30 & ket0) (cook at home mom)


  • Slice pears, toss arugula and pomegranate in olive oil, layer a ½ slice of prosciutto below the pear slice with arugula and pomegranates on top, fold until a semi-tight bundle is formed

daring~ Whipped Feta Dip (vegetarian & keto) (OhCarlene)


  • goes great with roasted cauliflower

  • Add ricotta, feta, and olive oil to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add red pepper flakes and Worcestershire sauce. Blend. Scoop into bowl drizzle with extra olive oil. Garnish with herbs, flax, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

daring~ Figs with Bacon and Chile (can easily be made vegan) (bon appetit)


  • Cook bacon, carmelize figs in maple syrup, drizzle maple juices over figs topped with bacon, add red pepper flakes

Main Courses:

Something hearty that keeps everyone at the table happy and satisfied.

Kale Salad (vegan) (cookingwlinds)


  • Combine 2 bunches worth of torn kale leaves with dates, nuts, cranberries and toss with dressing: ¼ cup tahini, 3tbsp water, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 clove of garlic and a pinch of salt

Honey-Glazed Pepper Chicken (bon appetit)


  • Using a peppercorn, chile, and fermented honey marinade, grill this chicken until it is juicy and tender

Roasted Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde (bon appetit)


  • A simple dish that is made so easy by baking the salmon in a zesty mixture, then topping with fresh salsa verde to serve

Spaghetti Pomodoro (bon appetit basically)


  • Crowd-pleasing comfort food that will win the hearts of everyone at the table. Canned tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, and garlic comprise a simple but beautiful sauce over pasta.


Sweets:

Aim for a versatile dessert that appeals to different tastes and brings them together once more.

Blueberry Lemon Thyme Tarts (halfbakedharvest)


  • A personal-sized dessert is perfect for groups, and the balance between sweet blueberries and acidic lemon brings the entire dish together.

Lemon Coconut Cake with Whipped Vanilla Buttercream (halfbakedharvest)


  • This recipe will wow guests at how beautiful this simple cake is! It allows you to be able to capture a tropical flavor with ingredients that aren’t hard to find.

Heartbeet Chocolate Cake (bon appetit)


  • This cake sounds odd and risky, but trust me, it will knock the socks off of chocolate lovers! I also highly recommend letting the cake sit in the fridge for a couple of days before eating, so all the flavors blend smoothly.

So there you have it… my guide to making this whole “stay at home” thing work! Getting through this time has led me to realize that having a positive outlook is the key to ultimately being a happy person.


 
 
 

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