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{{label}}James Colquhoun - 5 min read
15 May 2018
Four low-pressure ideas for your next dinner party.
Cooking meals for a large group of friends or family can be a pretty high-pressure situation. You've got to worry about people's likes and dislikes, different food intolerances and, to make things harder, you've also got to be a good host.
I've held a lot of impromptu dinner parties in my time, for anywhere between five and 15 people. I've learned that there a few key things to consider when it comes to the type of food that you decide to make for a group.
1. Keep it simple.
Simplicity is key when cooking for a large group of people. There's nothing more stressful than trying to create a culinary masterpiece for a dinner party, so save yourself the hassle and choose something easy.
2. Don't wear yourself out.
If the host of a dinner party is freaking out in the kitchen, you can guarantee that the guests are feeling that energy at the table. And that's not fun for anyone.
3. Utilise one-pot meals.
Slow cooked meals and one-pot dishes, where you put everything in the together, are some of the simplest and most easily scalable meals I've ever cooked. These are your best friend when cooking large meals to share.
4. Avoid baking.
If you can avoid strict recipes when cooking for a large group, you'll definitely minimise any would-be kitchen disasters. Personally, I will avoid any baking, especially soufflés. I like to be able to swap out ingredients based on what I have available in the house to keep things easy, and that's much harder with baked recipes, especially sweets.
Keep these four things in mind the next time you're making a meal to share with friends or family and I guarantee you'll have some fun in the kitchen.
Here's a look at some of my go-to meals that are really great for sharing.
This meal is one I've been making a lot of recently because it's quick, fresh and tasty. Mussels are an affordable shellfish to cook with, and you can make a big batch in one go. Just add onion, garlic and white wine. I don't typically have bread when I make this dish - I prefer to make some sweet potato fries in the oven - but you could also include some crusty bread as a side and dip it into the sauce.
Ingredients
Method
I learned to make this dish a few years ago and it's become one of my weeknight meals. It requires a little bit of chopping during prep time, but it's very simple and you can easily make a lot of it. When it comes to a fresh and hearty meal like this, you can't really go wrong. Add some rice, a green, leafy side or even some pickled veg, and you can make this dish stretch even further.
Ingredients
Curry paste
Fish
Method
This recipe is a real game-changer. My mum and sister-in-law make this zucchini bake regularly, and it's so easy. Just mix everything together in a bowl, slap it into a baking dish, and off you go. I would usually add a side salad when serving this to a group and keep it as simple as that.
Ingredients
Method
Stock up on some bulk essentials on your next grocery run - like rice, good-quality olive oil, and beans - so that you can have essentials on hand next time you host a dinner party.
I love making this meal for big groups of friends and family because it always surprises people. Whether you have the zucchini raw, slightly blanched, or even sautéed, it's a real crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
Utensils
Method
Filmmaker of 'Food Matters' and 'Hungry For Change', and founder of FMTV, James has dedicated his life to discovering the truth behind nutrition and our food supply. James, alongside Laurentine ten Bosch, has transformed the 'Food Matters' film into a global wellness hub, with a community of over 3.3 million followers across email and social networks. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.
Disclaimer:
The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional, tax or other advice. It does not take into account any individual’s personal situation or needs. You should consider obtaining professional advice from a financial adviser and/or tax specialist, or medical or health practitioner, in relation to your own circumstances and before acting on this information.
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