One of my close friends is holding a birthday party for herself in 10 days time. We are all university students at the moment so she cant really afford to do catering or anything so she has asked all of us attending to bring a dish.
She did the same thing 2 years ago and it was a huge success.
Im trying to work out what to make. The thing is that its not only desi people its a mix of desi/white/black/oriental. Also I need something kinda simple not like nihari or biriyani because I will be in my student accommodation which does not have a pressure cooker and a billion spices like my mum at home I will have to go out and buy the ingrediatents.
Re: Need an idea for a potluck/one dish birthday party.
Appetizers Baked Brie:
• Get a full wheel of brie (If you can’t get a wheel of brie, use two larger wedges and put them together)
• Cut it in half (so there are now two circles, rather than one).
• Put apricot preserves in between the two layers of cheese. Avoid putting too much. I think I put a bit too much this time and found it a little sweeter than I would have liked.
• Sprinkle with a bit of crushed pecans or walnuts.
• Wrap it in a sheet of puff pastry (I used the pastry for the Pillsbury crescent rolls)
• Sprinkle with pecans/walnuts and pour maple syrup over that
• Bake in a lightly greased pan at 375 for a while (15-20minutes), till golden
• Broil for a 1-2 minutes right at the end (Watch it carefully! It burns fast!)
Entrees or Sides Pastitsio
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Two (14-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, drained
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano or other dried Italian herbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, plus more for cooking macaroni
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 pound shell pasta
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups (1 quart) whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper; bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover, and simmer for 15 minutes more. Remove from heat; set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain macaroni; set aside.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Increase heat to high, and while continuing to whisk, add milk and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.
Beat eggs in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of hot cream sauce, being careful not to scramble eggs, then beat egg mixture back into cream sauce. Whisk in 3/4 cup Parmesan.
Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Add half of the pasta. Cover with 1 1/2 cups cheese sauce. Spread beef mixture evenly over. Layer with remaining pasta; sprinkle with feta cheese. Top with remaining cheese sauce, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake in oven until golden and bubbling, 35 minutes. Let stand until firm, about 15 minutes.
**Spinach and Orzo salad: **I use this but add sundried tomatoes as well. You can also add shrimp or chicken: Spinach and Orzo Salad
Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until well blended.
Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. (I separated out part of the mixture and blended in some raspberry preserves)
Refrigerate for a couple hours
Shape into 1 inch balls and cover as desired (I did crumbled crushed walnuts, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, a couple drops of heated raspberry preserves, coffee grounds, etc)