Cooking for company

Tirzah making the Guacamole

This Sat I had my friends Tirzah and Fletch over for dinner, so I took the chance to cook a full 3 course dinner. On the menu:
Guacamole with Paprika-Toasted Potato Skins
Marinated Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Garlic Potatoes & Watercress & Raw Mushroom Salad
Pavlova

When cooking for guests I really like to do as much as I can in advance ro do something easy. So Sat morning I had cooked the meringue base for the pav, prepped all of the potatoes, butterflied and started marinating the lamb. Nigella suggests getting your butcher to butterfly the Lamb but I don't have this luxury on a busy Sat so I gave it a bash myself! I didn't have the correct knife but I knew the basics and did my best. Don't get me worng it probably wasn't the prettiest but hardly any meat was wasted and when cooking at home I say it's better to taste good than look good.

Guacamole with Paprika-Toasted Potato Skins

Jacket pots were in the oven by the time they got here were and almost done by the time they got here, dinner only took and hour to cook and the pav would take 5 mins to whip up. So...as they say 'many hands make light worl' so I got Tirzah to make the guacamole (see T in pic). This a recipe I have tried before as is how my Mum always makes it (from How to Eat) so I'm used to it but T said she usually puts garlic in hers (no garlic here) and that it was a little too limey. On a plus note Fletch hadn't tried it before but tried it on Sat and said it was 'alright' which coming from a bloke I think is a compliment!

Lamb with Garlic Pots & Watercress & Mushroom Salad

The main was lovely, overcooked the lamb a little more than I like but this was to please guests and the husband...would deffinately cook it this was again (butterflied) as cooked really quickly. Thought this would be a good way to do a quick roast as the garlic pots were cubed to a 1cm dice (roughly of course) so they cooked qickly too...Could have easily knocked up some veg, yorkies and gravy!

Now dessert was Pavola...Meringue is one of my favourite things to eat on the planet so I'm quite fussy as to how I like it! Normally I don't add anything to my egg white sugar mix but this recipe called for white wine vinegar (I used red as thats all I but presume it didn't make a difference, if it did I couldn't tell), corn flour  and vanilla extract. The result cruncy on the outside soft on the inside. I normally ike meringue to have a chewy middle, the kind of chewy that sticks to your teeth. This was more marshmellowy (like marshmallow fluff) and it was GOOD! Was meant to be topped with passionfruit but there wasn't any at the supermarket so went with the good classic topping - strawberries and raspberries. We all had two slices so that speaks for itself!

Strawberry & Raspberry Pavlova

So thats a few more recipes ticked off my list! Just need to decide what to do next. Dad is also coming over in a couple of weeks for a take away so I may knock up a dessert...but you know me, how often have I stuck to the plan I've made!

Night All




Keeley xxx