288739 Wed Mar 20 12:01:33 -0800 2002 7 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1559435 We have a gathering of 10-12 on a weeknight next week for dinner and conversation. I need to prepare relatively easy and light, but of course chowishly good. Past standard has been soup and salad (which is still a good choice-just something original i.e. not vegetable soup). I've done gumbo (Thanks, Chuck T) and coq au vin (both are too time consuming to do this time). It has to be relatively quick or prepare ahead on Sunday since it's a weeknight. I would prefer a one dish + salad... I would love for it to reference spring time somehow (even though our spring veggies are hard to find and expensive). Thanks all. Wed Mar 20 12:01:33 -0800 2002 0 Tater 1 1559441 Chile con carne works for me in that size and type of situation. It needs to be cooked a day ahead in order to be properly flavor-mingled. Then just reheat for the gang. Serve with veggie sticks in which jicama should dominate, and guacamole or green salsa for dipping. Bread could be tortillas or toasted garlic bread. Beverage could be beer or an aqua fresca or sparkling cider or sangria. Wed Mar 20 12:19:25 -0800 2002 1559435 0 sharuf 1 1559464 How about a Frogmore stew (alias Low Country boil). I worked all Saturday stripping wallpaper and painting, then cooked for 10 people we had over that night. Shrimp, sausage, new potatos, corn. Boil a pot of water liberally seasoned w/ Old Bay and have at it. I like the Adiele's andoulie myself, its pretty decent and very available. No need to peel the shrimp, shuck the corn on the weekend. Clean up can be a real snap too if you want. I just like to spread a bunch of newspapers on the patio table out on the deck and dump it all out on that (after draining of course) and its all finger food unless you include the salad. Just roll up all the papers, shells and paper towels into a wad when done and toss it. You're atlanta right? Sam's on clairmont has the sausage 2lbs for $9. Then went right up the street to atlanta farmers mkt for shrimp w/ heads on @ $5 per lb and their corn was really good considering it was mid march. Wed Mar 20 14:05:54 -0800 2002 1559435 0 EP 1 1559497 Do a cioppino. Make the tomato sauce the day before and add the seafood at the appropriate time before service. Serve a Portugese vino verde and wallow in the praise. Wed Mar 20 17:37:51 -0800 2002 1559435 0 Greg Spence 2 1559541 I second the cioppino (or bouillabaise) choice. If you lean towards a lighter broth (made with greater portions of fish stock than tomato), and garnish with sliced lemons and fresh parsley, it will be a lighter dish, more befitting springtime. Sauteeing fresh fennel, cut "matchstick" style, along with the sweet onions and garlic, will be a delicious start to the soup stock. I like fresh ginger grated into a light fish stock for zing. Fresh asparagus tips added in the final moments of cooking will also add to the spring theme. If you can get them, fresh scrubbed mussels and clams in the shell are a delightful addition, added in the final moments of cooking, of course, for tenderness. And, how about preparing refrigator bread dough the night before, braiding it into a wreath, and brushing it with an egg wash before baking it in the oven the hour guests arrive? Cioppino, wine and fresh baked bread...spring time incarnate. It would be easy to gently roll baby mixed greens into a damp paper towel the night before, and then shake them out into a big bowl, and toss with a fresh squeezed home made tangerine vinaigrette. If you are concerned that all your guests might not like seafood, perhaps you could prepare a very light springtime lasagne, made with fresh sheets of pasta, fresh spinach, a very light layer of fresh tomato sauce, and a top layer of nutmeg-y bechamel sauce, assembled ahead of time. The salad mentioned above, and the bread, would accompany nicely. Wed Mar 20 22:03:17 -0800 2002 1559497 0 Olympia Jane 1 1559629 Do you have fresh spinach? Try this: 7 cans of Campbell's chicken broth (or 84 oz. of strong chicken stock - really, really clear) 2 pkgs. of Popeye Field Select [fresh] Spinach *** 4 or 5 cooked chicken breasts 6 fresh garlic cloves (or more if you like it) a touch of salt Directions: Boil the broth, add slivered (or fresh pressed) garlic, add the fresh spinach leaves, and a gentle rain of salt and stir once or twice and take it off the heat and serve it immediately. *** Popeye Field Select Spinach is produced by River Ranch Foods-Salinas, Inc. Salinas, CA 93901 (maybe they will Fed Ex it to you?) (Note: Popeye name and characters are registered trademarks of the Hearst Corproation - so don't call it Popeye Soup - maybe - uhhh - something else.) Then you can have a quiche or something. Thu Mar 21 13:32:53 -0800 2002 1559435 0 kc girl 2 1559633 well dam!-----> I forget to tell you to add water. OK Chicken broth = 7 10.5 oz. cans add 73.5 oz. water (or less) oh and the spinach is in packed in 10 oz. (cellophane packages) (which rips faster than other plastic containers) you can add mushrooms if you want Thu Mar 21 13:49:58 -0800 2002 1559629 0 kc girl 3 1559636 Dddddddddd I'm a fufuduhs!!!! the chicken should boneless, skinless and then cooked and torn in shreds (don't use the packages of pre-cut chicken, it has a different flavor, so use fresh or hot roasted chickens) Gs, I'm out! Thu Mar 21 14:04:30 -0800 2002 1559633 0 kc girl