Having friend over for supper, what to make?

Question

Tomorrow I'm having a friend over for supper and I have no idea what to make for him! I told him it would be awesome! I really like him and I want to impress him...any ideas?

Answer 1

I'd go with a nice Shrimp or if you want to get nuts Lobster Scampi. It's simple to make and taste's great. He'll be impressed with a nice Ceaser Salad, loaf of crusty bread and the pasta. A nice bottle of Pinto Grigio and just by a couple of Cheese Cake tarts (or something like that). If you don't know how to scampi:

I'm a guy....I know what GUYS like!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested
1/2 pound shrimp, 20-24 count
1/4 white wine (same you going to serve with dinner)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1/3 pound angel hair pasta, cooked to al dente
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped or snipped fresh chives

Get your pasta water going. Start the scampi sauce when you drop your pasta into boiling water to cook.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and melt the butter into it. Add shallots and cook a minute or 2, stirring constantly. Add lemon zest and shrimp and heat shrimp through, another minute or two. Add vermouth or wine and tomatoes. Toss another minute to heat the tomatoes through. Add cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat evenly in sauce and to distribute the shrimp. Season liberally with salt and pepper and serve with chives to garnish.

Answer 2

Most of this can be prepared in advance.

Nibbles for starters. . get some pistachios brazil nuts, walnuts hazelnuts (shelled) run through blender (or put in cloth a bash with rolling pin)
until a bit like breadcroumbs in size.
Place in a bowl and serve with side dishes of thin baguette cut fairly small and balsamic vinegar.
You dip the bread in the vinegar to moisten it then the nut crumbs and eat, it's very nice, Advice. don't cut up bread till last minute it goes hard around edges.

Main course, 12 hours before you have placed a filet mignon of pork in a mixture of oil honey and rosemary.You need about 4 sprigs which you run your fingers down to get the leaves off. All this is in an ovenproofdish. Turn the pork every couple of hours.

About 30 minutes before you start fry the pork briefly. . just to brown it. . and place in preheated oven (180) in the marinade for 40 mins.

In this preheated oven you already have some potatoes roasting.

Buy a tin of asparagus and follow instructions.

Take pork out of oven, sieve marinade into gravy jug. Leave pork for about 7-8 minutes carve and serve with roasties and asparagus,

Then serve desert. . look if you don't do this often just buy one. . if you can find a patissier (some of the big Tescos have them) get a fruit tart

Serve the starters with a Gewurz Traminer (well chilled) the pork with a decent Merlot (remembering that when the rule about 'room temperature' for red wine was made up rooms were quite cold,and the desert with a champagne type, try a Blanquette de Limoux, again well chilled..

He will be putty in your hands. . but perhaps that's not what you are after.........?

Answer 3

Drape yourself on the table totally nude and cover with fruit and whipped cream LOL

No seriously it depends on how many courses you're planning to make.
Entry dish. You'd be surprised how a simple salad can still look pretty fancy using the right flavors and some good cutting.
Hot and cold combinations work particularly well. e.g. a salad with bacon bits and croutons or a salad with warm goats cheese,...
Main course Pasta works well and is nearly impossible to screw up. Otherwise try to make a good roast and side with some good vegetables. Or try a side dish of my own invention
slice a few potatoes with skin. Make sure your slices are pretty thin. take an equal side of mushrooms(any kind wild mushrooms are expensive but the taste is better) and chop coursely. take an oven dish and put some olive oil to the bottom. toss the potatoes and mushrooms round in it and add some herbs. basil, rosemary, oregano,... add a few thyme sprigs(the full sprigs) and sprinkle a few chopped garlic cloves overhead. pop in the oven and 180°C for about 30-35 mins and then just pop the grill on to brown the potatoes. It get's my dinner guests every time because it smell lovely, tastes good and looks nice.
A simple desert. peel an apple (cooking apple) and cut into not too big sections. Drench them in either Brandy or Calvados(Calvados works best)
Pop under the grill and leave to warm gently till they are still a little crude in the centre. Take them out and sprinkle them with brown sugar and cinamon.
Flame the apples and watch how a lovely caramel develops(take care that the caramel doesn't burn). after about 30 seconds put out the flames and dress the apples on a plate. serve with a scoop of vanilla or cinamon ice cream.

Even if you don't like the recipes. Just remember this tip.
Good food is not just taste. A lot has to do with visual, smell etc. It doesn't need to look fancy to look good. A few nice colours carefully draped on a plate can change a lot about the way a person appreciates food.

Answer 4

Do you have a slow cooker?

If you do, get a beef roast, a packet of onion soup, BBQ sauce or taco seasoning, put them in the cooker, cook on low about 8-10 hrs. OR 4-5 on high.
Pick up a bagged salad or make a nice one at the salad bar at the grocery store.
Get a nice loaf of crusty bread, and some real butter for the roast with onion soup.
Or, get taco shells or tortillas for the roast with taco seasoning.
Big buns for the BBQ beef.

Potatoes, mashed or baked, for the onion roast.
Salsa, sour cream and taco toppings for the taco beef.
Baked beans and cole slaw for the BBQ beef.

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can get a roast already cooked in the meat department, or the deli chicken mentioned above. Have fun.

Oh yeah, dessert. Angel food cake with fresh fruit, sweet but not too heavy. And iced tea to drink.

I just remembered this. Get some boneless chicken tenderloins, saute them in the skillet until done (it doesn't take long), then toss them in apricot jam and let them simmer a little while. Yummo. The salad, crusty bread and potatoes or beans would go well with this, and you could use fresh apricot jam (if you have any left) on the angel food cake.

Answer 5

Go to the supermarket and buy a veggie tray with dip, a rotisserie chicken, uncooked biscuits, some canned asparagus spears, a bottle of wine and apple pie.
Put the oven on and bake the biscuits, heat up the spears on the stove, apple pie for desert and later a little wine to settle out the evening. Hide all the containers so that he'll think you were cooking all day.

Answer 6

Firstly did you ever think about asking what his fav foodys were in conversation??.
In general males enjoy all things. But a nice steak with an oyster or two in the middle of the steak with a nice Caesar salad - baked potato with sour cream on top.
Anything chocolate for afters. That would go down like a treat.
All males love steak if cooked to there liking and chocolate is also afav with most males.
Good luck

Answer 7

I would make a nice vegetable stirfry with lots of peppers, onions and a touch of tex mex spice for flavor, then i would add a side fried salmon, fried in some nice red wine but only a small amount, top that with a nice refreshing drink afterwards and you have yourself a nice dinner. Most people like stirfry's and although salmon is an aquired taste once its fried it usually tates pretty good, overall you shouldn't have any complaints.
Good Luck!!!

Answer 8

get two orange peppers. Take off the lids like you do pumpkins at halloween.

Make some rice with plentiful sweetcorn, onions, few mushrooms, other veg....whatever you like really..... half fill the peppers.

Cook some mince beef with carrots and green pepper. fill the rest of the peppers with this mixture.

Drizzle olive oil over the stuffed peppers and put in baking tray in oven for 20 minutes at gas mark 6.....Done!

Serve with a lovely salad!!!!

Hope you go for this recipe.....its really easy and really impressive and tasty!

Answer 9

Try the following
Stuffed chicken with hot pasta salad
Ingredients
1 chicken breast weighing about 170g/5oz
30g/1oz goat's cheese
1 garlic clove, crushed
6 pancetta slices
2 tbsp olive oil
For the hot pasta salad
85g/3oz penne pasta,cooked
½ orange, peeled and segmented
1 tbsp fresh chervil, roughly chopped
½ orange, juice only
salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ tomato, de-seeded
handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp soy sauce
For the dressing
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
To serve
30g/1oz unsalted butter
½ lemon, juice only
½ tomato, de-seeded and sliced
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
2. Cut a slit in the chicken breast to make a pocket and stuff with the goat's cheese and garlic.
3. Lay out the slices of pancetta on a clean chopping board so that they overlap slightly.
4. Place the stuffed chicken breast on top of the pancetta slices and roll up so that the pancetta wraps the chicken.
5. Heat the oil in a medium pan and fry the chicken for two minutes on each side.
6. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
7. Meanwhile, to make the pasta salad, place the pasta, orange segments, chervil, juice, seasoning and tomato into a large bowl and toss together.
8. To make the dressing, place the mustard, vinegar, oil and garlic in a clean bowl and whisk together.
9. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat.
10. Place the pasta salad into a pan and heat gently to warm through. Stir in the parsley and soy sauce.
11. Spoon the pasta onto a serving plate.
12. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve on top of the hot pasta salad.
13. Gently melt the butter and lemon juice in a small pan and fry the sliced tomato for one minute.
14. Serve alongside the chicken and pasta

or Vegetable and salmon bake
Ingredients
142ml/5fl oz double cream
½ potato, chopped
55g/2oz leek, chopped
55g/2oz cheddar cheese, grated, plus extra for sprinkling
2 free-range egg yolks, beaten
55g/2oz salmon, skin removed, chopped
To serve
fresh chives, trimmed

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7
2. Place the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat, and, when warm, add the potato and leeks and bring to a simmer for 3-4 minutes.
3. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Gradually add the egg yolks and cheese, whisking constantly until all the cheese has melted.
4. Add the salmon and pour into an ovenproof dish. Top with extra cheese and place into the oven to bake for ten minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
4. To serve, place the chives on top of the dish.

or Meatballs with tomato sauce
Ingredients
For the meatballs
2 tbsp olive oil
150g/5oz onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
900g/2lb freshly minced beef
2 tbsp freshly chopped herbs, such as marjoram, or 1 tbsp rosemary
1 free-range egg, beaten
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
For the tomato sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
110g/4oz onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
150g/5¼oz fresh mozzarella, grated
1 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x 400g/14oz cans tomatoes

Method
1. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy stainless steel saucepan over a gentle heat and add the onion and garlic. Cover and sweat for four minutes, until soft and a little golden. Allow to cool.
2. In a bowl, mix the minced beef with the cold sweated onion and garlic. Add the herbs and the beaten egg. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
3. Fry a tiny bit to check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Divide the mixture into approximately 24 round balls. Cover the meatballs and refrigerate until required.
4. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a stainless steel saucepan.
5. Add the sliced onion and the crushed garlic, toss until coated, cover, and sweat on a gentle heat until soft and pale golden.
6. Slice the canned tomatoes and add, with all the juice, to the onion mixture.
7. Season the contents with sugar, salt and freshly ground pepper.
8. Cook the tomatoes uncovered for approximately 30 minutes or until the tomato softens (while this is cooking make the meatballs).
9. Heat a frying pan and cook the meatballs for about 10 minutes in about three tablespoons of olive oil.
10. When they are cooked, put them into an ovenproof dish with the tomato sauce and top with the grated mozzarella. Place under a preheated grill until the cheese has melted.
11. Serve with spaghetti.

Answer 10

Something simple (that you've done before and know you won;t mess up) but really tasty. Pasta dishes are always good - maybe do a really nice lasagne and salad