Healthy meals made for sharing

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

• 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 kg of raw mussels
• 1 cup of white wine
• 1 handful of fresh parsley

Method

1. Add butter or coconut oil, garlic and onions to pan and cook on medium to high heat until translucent.
2. Add wine and cook off some of the alcohol.
3. Add mussels and cover for approximately 5 minutes until they open.
4. Serve with fresh parsley on top.

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

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 lime (zest)

Fish

• ½ kg mahi mahi or similar firm, wild-caught white fish, diced in 1-inch pieces
• 1 x 400 mL can coconut milk
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ bunch coriander chopped
• ¼ lime
• 1 cup cooked rice (basmati or brown)

Method

1. Melt coconut oil in a large pot, add onion and garlic and cook gently over a low heat until translucent. Add remaining curry paste ingredients and cook, stirring regularly for about two minutes or until fragrant.
2. Add the fish and stir to coat well in the spices. Add coconut milk and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
3. If making the vegetarian curry, add the chickpeas and coconut milk and stir through. Gently simmer for four minutes.
4. Serve immediately with a garnish of fresh coriander leaves and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice.

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

• 400g zucchini (approximately 2 large zucchini)
• 1 brown onion
• 6 eggs
• ½ cup coconut flour
• A pinch each of sea salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast flakes (or a handful of shredded cheese or chopped feta)
• 1 large tomato

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease or line a 20 x 20cm baking dish. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until combined.
2. Grate the zucchini and using your hands squeeze out the excess moisture. (This step is important to ensure you do not end up with a soggy slice.)
3. Add the coconut flour into the eggs and whisk until smooth. Add in the grated zucchini, onion, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast or cheese and stir to combine.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Thinly slice up the tomato and place the slices evenly on top. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

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

• 3 zucchinis
• 1 cup tomatoes
• 6 soaked sun dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• cloves garlic
• 1 date
• 2 tbsp of parsley or basil
• 1 tsp sea salt

Utensils

• Spiraliser or vegetable peeler
• Food processor or blender

Method

1. Spiralise the zucchini into noodles or with a peeler, into ribbons and place in a large serving bowl.
2. For the sauce, place remaining ingredients in food processor/blender until smooth.
3. To serve, place the zucchini in bowls and pour the raw sauce over the top, just like you would for a bowl of pasta.

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.