Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would make a chicken souvlaki platter with lots of roasted vegetables for anyone who doesn't eat meat (the platter would include grilled chicken skewers, grilled vegetable skewers, pita bread, Greek potato wedges, hummus, melitzanosalata, kalamata olives, feta), along with tzatziki sauce, chopped Greek salad, rice pilaf, and pita bread.

I would buy baklava for dessert and if I could find some other theme-appropriate desserts would provide an assortment.

PP, this sounds so good. Do you have a recipes to share for the chicken souvlaki and the Greek potato wedges?

https://www.thekitchn.com/chicken-souvlaki-recipe-23481336

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/roasted-greek-potatoes/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would make a chicken souvlaki platter with lots of roasted vegetables for anyone who doesn't eat meat (the platter would include grilled chicken skewers, grilled vegetable skewers, pita bread, Greek potato wedges, hummus, melitzanosalata, kalamata olives, feta), along with tzatziki sauce, chopped Greek salad, rice pilaf, and pita bread.

I would buy baklava for dessert and if I could find some other theme-appropriate desserts would provide an assortment.

PP, this sounds so good. Do you have a recipes to share for the chicken souvlaki and the Greek potato wedges?

Greek green beans are really good too. Basically green beans in buttery garlic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would make a chicken souvlaki platter with lots of roasted vegetables for anyone who doesn't eat meat (the platter would include grilled chicken skewers, grilled vegetable skewers, pita bread, Greek potato wedges, hummus, melitzanosalata, kalamata olives, feta), along with tzatziki sauce, chopped Greek salad, rice pilaf, and pita bread.

I would buy baklava for dessert and if I could find some other theme-appropriate desserts would provide an assortment.

This is a really good, cohesive, menu. You could add other meats as well, if desired.

BreAd, RiCe AND PoTatOes I would be so lethargic

Anonymous wrote:Pork tenderloin cooked on the grill.

Would love to do this, but DH is Jewish as are most of our friends so this is never happening.

Anonymous wrote:I would make a chicken souvlaki platter with lots of roasted vegetables for anyone who doesn't eat meat (the platter would include grilled chicken skewers, grilled vegetable skewers, pita bread, Greek potato wedges, hummus, melitzanosalata, kalamata olives, feta), along with tzatziki sauce, chopped Greek salad, rice pilaf, and pita bread.

I would buy baklava for dessert and if I could find some other theme-appropriate desserts would provide an assortment.

PP, this sounds so good. Do you have a recipes to share for the chicken souvlaki and the Greek potato wedges?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lamb chops as main.
Maybe a gazpacho starter.
Definitely not stew - too peasantish.

Not everyone eats Lamb and not everyone likes cold soup. This is not a meal I would make for people whose taste I don’t know.

Okay, so what 'would' you make?

Not the PPs here, but I always start with asking folks if they have food allergies or aversions, then throw in a couple types of fish to see how they respond. I just did that last week (see another thread) and learned that everyone would eat grilled tuna, but one person did not eat salmon prepared in any form or fashion. Nearly everyone answers honestly once they have some prompts.

DH does not eat red meat so it is nearly always chicken or fish unless we go for steak/salmon.

Two poultry dishes I love are Silver Palate Chicken Marbella and NYT Provençal Chicken though both feel more like fall/winter/early spring dishes. I then serve Israeli couscous as a side - maybe tossed with lemons/parsley or lemons/parsley/sautéed cauliflower). Then a large salad - maybe arugula/endive/toasted walnuts/pomegranate arils (seeds). Dessert might be a bread pudding, a galette, etc.

I love gazpacho, lamb chops, and stew. The first seems fine for a summer meal while the latter two would be included in my prompt. Well, only the lamb chops. I doubt I would serve stew save to good friends.

Anonymous wrote:I would make a chicken souvlaki platter with lots of roasted vegetables for anyone who doesn't eat meat (the platter would include grilled chicken skewers, grilled vegetable skewers, pita bread, Greek potato wedges, hummus, melitzanosalata, kalamata olives, feta), along with tzatziki sauce, chopped Greek salad, rice pilaf, and pita bread.

I would buy baklava for dessert and if I could find some other theme-appropriate desserts would provide an assortment.

This is a really good, cohesive, menu. You could add other meats as well, if desired.

If you have the budget, filet mignon steaks are so easy to broil in the oven. With a side of asparagus and potatoes. You could have smoked salmon as an appetizer. And some kind of fresh berries with cream for dessert.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/linguine-with-shrimp-scampi-recipe3-1916619

This is always a winner. Non shrimp eaters can eat around the shrimp, but I've never seen anyone do that.

Eat around the shrimp? If someone has an allergy, they can't eat it. If someone is vegetarian, they can't eat it. If someone just doesn't like shrimp, it would still taste like shrimp.

I'm not cooking for vegetarians!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/linguine-with-shrimp-scampi-recipe3-1916619

This is always a winner. Non shrimp eaters can eat around the shrimp, but I've never seen anyone do that.

Eat around the shrimp? If someone has an allergy, they can't eat it. If someone is vegetarian, they can't eat it. If someone just doesn't like shrimp, it would still taste like shrimp.

Anonymous wrote:Baked ziti, garlic bread, and salad

And five thin stalks of asparagus, per person.

Are you trying to impress? I would ask for dietary preferences, and then go for something showy but safe in flavor. If beef is ok for everyone, a roast whole tenderloin is easy to serve, but still has a wow factor when carved at tableside. You can offer a couple of different sauces - chimichurri, horseradish, red wine, etc.

In the summer/spring, serve with a green salad, tomato salad, persian salad with lots of lime, fresh corn salad, creamed corn, german potato salad, beet salad, grilled zucchini, orzo/quinoa/farro salad. In the fall/winter, roast vegetables - brussel sprouts/cauliflower/broccoli/carrots/sweet potato/squash, wedge salad, orzo/quinoa/farro salad again

For a "meet the boyfriend/girlfriend", I would do something much less formal that requires everyone to pass items around and assemble their own meal, which breaks the ice. Fish tacos, vietnamese lettuce cups, homemade pizza, etc.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/linguine-with-shrimp-scampi-recipe3-1916619

This is always a winner. Non shrimp eaters can eat around the shrimp, but I've never seen anyone do that.

Eat around the shrimp? If someone has an allergy, they can't eat it. If someone is vegetarian, they can't eat it. If someone just doesn't like shrimp, it would still taste like shrimp.

Some of my go to's:

Grilled teriyaki chicken, cold cucumber salad, Asian noodle salad, fruit and ice cream
Seafood paella, olives and Spanish cheeses and cured meats, crisp salad, tres leches cake
Shish kebabs with vegetables and chicken, couscous, tomato cucumber feta salad, baklava
Grilled fish, roasted vegetables, pie with ice cream

Pork tenderloin cooked on the grill.