Easy Entertaining for Beginners

Easy Entertaining: Summer Dinner Party Menu

Enjoy the good life by having your family and friends over for this easy summer dinner party menu. You can save quite a bit of money by grilling tasty tri-tip roasts instead of purchasing individual steaks. Simply marinate the roasts the night before you entertain and use some of the remaining marinade to make a flavorful sauce. After grilling, slice thinly for delicious and tender steak. The morning of your dinner party, mix up a pitcher of refreshing Sangria and let the fruit infuse delectable flavor in this classic summertime beverage.

I like to purchase produce that is in peak season and what better veggies to use than corn, tomatoes, zuchinni and cucumbers in this crunchy Summer Veggie Salad? They are not only less expensive to serve than out-of season vegetables, they taste better! Serve the Herb-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and grill some fresh peaches cut in half and serve with vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with a bit of purchased caramel sauce for a sweet and simple ending to your meal. This menu serves 6-8 people.

If you are new to at-home entertaining or have never hosted a gathering in your life, try this easy dinner party menu. The secret to successful entertaining is to pace yourself. Do a few things and do those well.  Great friends, great food and a relaxing time by all is what summer is all about!

Happy Entertaining!

Patricia Mendez

Sangria

1 – 750 ml bottle of red wine
1 ½ cups lemonade, purchased, not from concentrate
½ cup orange juice, purchased, not from concentrate
¼ cup brandy
3 tablespoons sugar
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 peach, sliced

Combine all ingredients in a glass pitcher and stir well to dissolve sugar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grilled Tri-Tip with Brown Sugar/Soy-Ginger Sauce

2 – 2 lb. beef loin tri tip beef roasts
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, fresh, peeled & grated
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients and with a fork poke holes all around the tri tip roast. Add roast and marinade to a zipper-lock bag and mix well. Marinate overnight. Pre-heat grill to 500 degrees and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Drain the tri-tip and transfer the marinade to a small saucepan to make the sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Cover and set aside. Grill roasts over high heat, turning occasionally for 10 minutes to brown and seal in juices. Turn the heat to medium for a gas grill or move to a cooler part of the grill, away from direct heat. Cover the grill, turn occasionally and grill for 20-30 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare.  Place roasts on platter and cover with foil to rest (they will continue to cook). After roasts have rested for 10 minutes, slice thinly on a cutting board and serve steak slices with a side of the sauce.

TIPS: Use an instant-read thermometer to take the guess work out of perfectly cooked beef. Pick one up at any cooking, discount or grocery store.

An electric knife makes quick work of slicing the beef.

Fresh Summer Veggie Salad

3 cups corn kernels (about 6 ears of fresh corn)
2 small zuchinni, chopped
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
12 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons fresh basil or cilantro

Shuck ears of corn and remove the husks and silk from the cobs. Cut kernels off of the cob by placing vertically on a cutting board and cutting downward. Discard cobs and place kernels in large saucepan with ½ teaspoon salted boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain in colendar and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well.

Add corn and other veggies to large salad bowl, chop basil or cilantro and add to salad and toss with vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon course-ground Dijon mustard
1 clove finely chopped garlic
½ teaspoon honey or sugar

Whisk all ingredients together until thickened. Pour over salad. Season well with salt & pepper to taste and toss . May be prepared and refrigerated a few hours before serving.

Herb-Roasted Fingerling or Red Potatoes

2 pounds fingerling or red new potatoes, washed, cut in half
1 tablespoon EACH of fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons olive oil

Add the potatoes to a large saucepan of water with 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer for 10-12 minutes and drain in colander.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl or zipper-lock bag, mix the oil and potatoes. Add the herbs, salt, garlic powder. Mix potatoes to coat and spread on a large baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. If you prefer to use the grill to roast the potatoes, place them in a disposable aluminum roasting pan and place on the grill. Stir often and grill for 20-25 minutes until crispy.

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS:

1.    Pace yourself! Two days before your dinner party, re-read the recipes and make a shopping list.

2.    The day before your dinner party, do your grocery shopping and that evening, marinate the roasts.

3.    The morning of your dinner party, prepare the Sangria, pre-boil the potatoes and make the Fresh Veggie Salad. Set up a buffet table for the food and drink. Be sure to put plates at the beginning of the buffet table. Place forks, knives & napkins at the end, as well as beverages. When the food is ready, place it in the middle section of the table along with a simple vase of sunflowers.

4.    1-2  hours before your guests are to arrive, take time for you to get dressed and ready. Remember, you are giving a gift to your guests of delicious food and warm hospitality. All the preparation will be worth it. Relax and enjoy yourself!

5.    20 minutes before guests arrive, pre-heat the grill and start to brown the roasts.

6.    Move the roasts on the grill and bake or grill the potatoes.

7.    You may serve a simple appetizer with the Sangria as guests arrived such as purchased crackers or bread sticks and blue cheese, cheddar cheese or a Boursin Spreadable Cheese with Herbs and clusters of grapes. Place whole pieces of the cheese on a cutting or bread board with the crackers and bread sticks and a cheese knife and let guests nibble and visit  while the roasts are grilling.

OPTIONAL SHORTCUTS

1.    Instead of making the Sangria, purchase a ready-made mix and combine with a bottle of red wine. Many cooking, wine or import stores carry quality mixes. Or conduct an internet search  “Sangria Mix” to find a store to purchase online.

2.    Purchase a dessert  such as a peach pie instead of grilling the peaches.

3.    Using fresh corn from the cob tastes best in the Fresh Veggie Salad, but if you are short on time, you may use an equivalent amount of frozen corn. Bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes.

4.    If you do not have a suitable table to use for your buffet table, go to LifetimeProducts.com to purchase a handy 6 foot fold-in half table. This table is easy to store and can be set up anywhere. You will use it over and over.

PARTY ETIQUETTE

1.    Greet your guests at the door and get a beverage in their hands and you will immediately put them at ease. Make introductions to guests who might not know each other. Add your own style and flavor to your entertaining. Your guests will enjoy this most of all!

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Happy Entertaining,