You want to make an impression on some guests you’re having around for dinner. Well I have to say this menu just says it all, it’s classy, not very complex and will ensure that everyone remembers your dinner party!
The Menu:
STARTERS
Crostini with Tomatoes and Olives
French loaf sliced
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Basil leaves
Salt & Pepper
Dried Chillie
METHOD:
Slice the tomatoes in half and toss in the olive oil, balsamic, salt & pepper and dried chilli.
Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the sliced bread and toast. Then top with the tomato mixture and garnish with the fresh basil leaves.
MAINS
Rolled Shoulder of Lamb with Feta and Spinach Stuffing
2kg boned shoulder of lamb
STUFFING
1 small onion, chopped
50ml olive oil
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
250ml cooked brown rice
125g feta cheese, crumbled
5ml dried mint
5ml dried dill
salt and milled black pepper to taste
BASTING SAUCE
1 lemon, juice
50ml butter
50ml olive oil
METHOD:
Lay meat out flat. STUFFING: Sauté onion in olive oil until transparent. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add rice, feta cheese, herbs and seasoning and mix well. Spread stuffing over lamb, roll up and tie with string to secure. BASTING SAUCE: Mix all ingredients. Calculate roasting time for a medium-done roast, allow 20 minutes for every 500 g, plus 15 minutes extra. Place lamb on rack of a roasting pan and roast at 180 ºC, basting often.
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Ginger Dressing
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise
120g cherry tomatoes
45ml olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
125ml pine nuts
150g baby spinach leaves or mixed lettuce leaves
Half avocado sliced OR
6 baby avocados, halved
DRESSING
65ml ginger in syrup
30ml sherry wine vinegar
45ml olive oil
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Place sweet potatoes and cherry tomatoes in a baking dish lined with baking paper, toss with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft and golden.
Sprinkle pine nuts over and bake for a further two minutes or until pine nuts are golden.
TO MAKE DRESSING
Remove ginger from syrup and chop finely.
Whisk together ginger syrup, vinegar and oil and then add chopped ginger.
TO ASSEMBLE
Arrange spinach or lettuce leaves on individual plates or a large serving platter.
Top with avocado, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts.
Pour over the dressing and serve.
Wild Savoury Rice
1 cup of wild rice cooked according to instructions
1 onion finely chopped
1sml green pepper chopped
1 carrot sliced into thin Julienne strips
METHOD:
Fry the chopped greens in a pan with some butter and combine with the cooked wild rice and serve.
DESSERT
Strawberries and Chantilly Cream
500g fresh strawberries
250ml fresh cream
45ml castor sugar
45ml Grand Marnier (or any other liqueur of your choice)
METHOD:
Hull and wash strawberries, slice in half and place in container.
Whip cream, gradually adding castor sugar and liqueur, until soft peaks form.
To serve:
Spoon over strawberries.
Menu 2:
STARTERS
Baby spinach leaves with Gorgonzola, pears and caramalized walnuts
1 Bag baby spinach leaves
125g Gorgonzola Cheese
250g Caramalised walnuts
125g tinned pears chopped
METHOD:
Arrange y our spinach leaves on a plate, then arrange your pear pieces, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or cranberry infused vinegar.
MAINS
Grilled Fish with a sticky apricot marinade served with Julienne carrots, baby garlic potatoes and lightly fried green beans.
1 whole fish (snoek works well)
125ml Mayonnaise
125ml Apricot jam
10ml fresh thyme
1 onion finely chopped
1 green pepper finely chopped
Salt & Pepper
METHOD
Firstly combine all the ingredients mixing well. Then open the fish and evenly pour in the mixture. Wrap in tin foil and bake / braai for approximately 25min on 180 degrees, or until fish is tender and cooked.
Note: Snoek works very well with this mix and has large bones that are removed easily.
For the vegetables –
Carrots: Slice into Julienne strips and steam. Then add them to a pan of butter with freshly chopped large garlic cloves, onions and finely chopped fresh parsley. Fry for about 3min.
Beans: Top and tail the beans and steam till done. Then in a separate pan fry up some chopped bacon, onions, salt & pepper, garlic then add the beans and fry for a further 3min.
Baby Garlic potatoes: Boil baby potatoes in the jacket till done. In a separate pan fry some freshly chopped garlic, some thyme, salt & pepper, butter. Then combine the two and serve.
DESSERT
Lemon Cheesecake
250ml Cream
250ml Cream Cheese Plain
250ml Condensed Milk
1 sachet Gelatine
3 Lemons
1tsp Vanilla Essence
1Pkt Tennis Biscuits
100g Butter Melted
1Tbls Syrup
3 Eggs (separated)
METHOD
- Crush biscuits finely, add melted butter and syrup and mix. Then press into the base of your dish / cake tin.
- Beat Cream till peak stage
- Beat egg whites to peak stage
- Grate the rind of the lemons, add egg yolks, cream cheese, condensed milk, vanilla essence, and lemon juice in a separate bowl and mix on med.
- Fold in the egg whites and then cream into the above mixture.
- Mix the gelatine and about 30ml of boiling water in a cup ensuring no lumps and gelatine has dissolved then add to mixture and fold in quickly to prevent lumps of gelatine.
- Pour on top of biscuit base and refrigerate for approximately 2hrs.
- When cutting to serve ensure the knife is sharp with no separated edges and is dipped in hot water for each slice. Serve with Coulis if desired.
Happy Cooking 
simply d’vine!
