prepared.

50 make-ahead recipes for

friends and family

The secrets of hosting a good dinner party.

Text, photographs and design by

Rosie Maynard.

No part of this work may be

reproduced, without permission.

Produced at Bath Spa University.

Visit the prepared website: http://

rosiemaynard12.wix.com/prepared

Chef’s NotesMetric measures are given for all

recipes.

All spoon measures are level. 1

teaspoon = 5ml; 1 dessertspoon =

10ml; 1 tablespoon = 15ml

Medium sized ingredients should

be used, unless otherwise

specified.

This book contains dishes made

with nuts.

All fresh produce should be

washed, before preparation.

contentsintroduction 1

nibbles 10

starters 14

mains 18

side dishes 22

desserts 26

introduction.Dinner parties are not just about the food. They

are social occasions, filled with conversation and

laughter, as you pass the potatoes around the table.

From peeling the vegetables to saying goodbye to

your guests, the whole experience should be a laid

back and pleasurable one.

Hosting a dinner party can seem scary, when it

doesn’t need to be. The secret of hosting a good

dinner party is being prepared and unpretentious.

This book contains a collection of recipes that can

be made in the time running up to your dinner

party or even cooked in advance and frozen.

In our chaotic lives, having food that’s ready to go

is more convenient and less stressful. From Quick

Chilli Cheese Straws (p.12) to Chocolate Teacups,

prepared is full of impressive, make-ahead dishes

that couldn’t be easier.

Because, why should you have to sweat in the

kitchen while your friends enjoy themselves?

5

Keep it SimpleForget time-consuming

beef wellingtons and

attention seeking soufflés.

With the desire to impress

guests, we often forget

that simple meals – cooked

well – are nearly always

more enjoyable than over-

complicated dishes.

Ditch FormalitiesInvite your guests by text,

wear whatever you want and

consider cooking a one-pot

dish that guests can serve

themselves at the table. Gone

are the days of stuffy, formal

dining – who doesn’t prefer a

more casual, intimate dining

style?

hints & tips.

6

Clever ShoppingQuality ingredients

transform dishes, so focus

on using seasonal produce

and good cuts of meat.

If you’re short on time,

cut down on some of the

cooking by buying nuts and

olives for guests to snack

on, instead of creating your

own nibbles.

DietsCheck dietary requirements in

advance and plan one menu

that caters for everyone. For

instance, if your friend is a

vegetarian, why not serve up

an entirely vegetarian menu?

This will make your life easier

and your guest will feel like

they haven’t had to trouble

you.

hints & tips.

7

FreezingEnsure food is

covered and at

room temperature

before freezing or

refrigerating. You

can speed up the

cooling process

by placing the

covered dish in

a sink of cold

water.

ReheatingMeals should only be

reheated once. On the

hob, dishes should be

brought to the boil and

heated through for five

minutes. In the oven, food

should be reheated at

180°C/Gas Mark 4 for at

least 20 minutes. If using

the microwave, cover

the dish with pierced

clingfilm, to prevent

splattering while allowing

moisture to escape.

Always ensure reheated

dishes are piping hot,

before serving.

9

nibbles.There are not many things that equal being

welcomed into someone’s home with a drink and

some nibbles. Then, perhaps, a couple more drinks

and a few more nibbles. Place the finger foods

around your house, or encourage guests to pass

them around to one another – which always helps

to get the conversation flowing. If you want to give

these little snacks a more luxury feel, refer to them

as canapés.

11

Quick Chilli Cheese Straws.

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 and grease 2 large baking trays.

2 Roll out the pastry to 35cm by 25cm on a floured surface. Scatter the cheese and chilli evenly over half of the sheet of pastry. Fold the other half of the pastry over the covered half and roll the pastry out to a 4mm thickness. This will ensure that the cheese and chilli is embedded into the pastry.

3 Cut into 1cm strips. Turn the ends of the pastry to create a twisted effect and place on the baking tray, leaving at least 1cm between each cheese straw.

4 Bake for 15-20 minutes. The cheese straws should look golden and crispy. Once cool, place in an airtight box and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. If freezing, these straws can be reheated in the oven for 5 minutes at 200°C/Gas Mark 6.

375g ready rolled puff pastry

a handful of flour

125g parmesan, finely grated

1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)

salt and pepper

12

Preparation: 30 minsFinishing : 5 minsFreeze for: 1 month

The chilli in these cheesy twists means they are

great to be eaten as they are, although they are also

good for dipping.

Makes 24

13

starters.Adding a starter immediately makes a meal fancier.

Luckily, these starters are easy to cook and will

require minimum effort to finish off. Designed with

your stomach in mind, these are not too heavy, as

you won’t want to ruin guests’ appetites before the

main course.

Soups are always a good choice, they are so versatile,

and these ones freeze well. Spanish Gazpacho is a

firm favourite, as it is served chilled, which means

you can deliver it straight from the fridge to the

table. If you’re opting for a salad starter, remember

to leave it until the last minute before adding the

dressing, which may corrode the lettuce leaves if

left too long.

15

Sherried Tomato Soup.1 Place the plum tomatoes on a baking tray,

sliced side up. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and bake at 150°C/Gas Mark 2 for 20-30 minutes until softened.

2 Meanwhile, with the remaining oil, fry the onion and garlic in a large saucepan over a low–medium heat, until lightly browned. Add the baked plum tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato puree, stock, caster sugar and basil, reserving a few of the smaller basil leaves to garnish. Leave to simmer, over a low heat, for 30 minutes. Blend, using a food processor, for at least 2 minutes; you may need to do this in a few batches.

3 Allow the dish to cool and refrigerate or freeze until needed. To reheat, ensure the soup has thawed, place in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. When the soup is heated, take it off the heat and, if using, add the sherry. Serve by swirling double cream on top and garnish, using the remaining basil.

4 large plum tomatoes, halved

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

3 cloves, garlic, finely chopped

4 sundried tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato puree

450ml vegetable stock

1 teaspoon caster sugar

a handful of fresh basil

4 tablespoons sherry (optional)

salt and pepper

4 tablespoons double cream, to serve

16

Preparation: 1 hourFinishing : 7 mins

Freeze for: 1 month

The sherry, basil and cream make this familiar

dish a little more special.

Serves 4

17

mains.With the main course, it’s more important than

ever to keep things simple and hearty. Of course,

following the prepared philosophy, the following

dishes are just that.

When you’re entertaining a crowd, it can be hard to

please everyone. The solution? Place your main dish

and some sides on the table and tell your guests to

help themselves. The beauty in this is that your

guests can avoid foods they don’t like, you’ve saved

time plating up, and everyone gets their food at the

same time. Just ensure that you’ve made a little

extra than you need, because these mains will

have your guests reaching for seconds.

19

Prosciutto & Boursin Chicken1 Make a 2cm slit in the top of each chicken

breast, taking care not to cut the whole way through. Using your fingers, widen the area inside these cuts. Divide the Boursin into 6 portions and stuff it into the pockets in the chicken, with your finger tips. Don’t worry if the chicken looks messy, as the prosciutto will cover any excess cheese.

2 Tightly wrap the chicken with the prosciutto, using two slices for each breast. Secure, using 30cm of cooking string, tying a bow above where the slit is. Place the wrapped breasts in a large, lightly greased oven-proof dish, with the knot of the string facing upwards. Place a sprig of rosemary under each string.

3 Cover the dish with foil and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 and bake, with the foil still in place, for 35-45 minutes. The chicken should be cooked but still moist.

6 chicken breasts

75g Boursin cheese

12 prosciutto slices

180cm cooking string

6 rosemary sprigs

salt and pepper

20

Preparation: 15 minsFinishing : 35–45 mins

Freeze for: N/A

The string and rosemary make this chicken look

sophisticated, with practically no extra fuss.

Serves 6

21

side dishes.Side dishes run the risk of being too fussy. Sides

should be kept flavourful but straightforward, so as

not to detract from the main.

Think carefully, when matchmaking your mains

and sides; there’s a wide variety of dishes to

decide between, from Smashed Root Vegetables to

Dauphinoise Potatoes (p.24). If you’ve gone for a

more complex main, stick to an uncomplicated side

dish.

Try to serve up at least one vegetable with each

meal. Check out the end of the chapter, for a list of

vegetables and cooking times.

23

Dauphinoise Potatoes 1 Preheat oven to 150°C/Gas Mark 2. Put

potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan and cover with the milk. If the milk doesn’t cover the potatoes, add some water. Bring the pan to the boil and simmer for five minutes, until the potatoes are slightly softened. Strain the potatoes, reserving the milk in case you need it later.

2 Layer the potatoes in a greased 24cm square ovenproof dish. Pour over the cream and add the reserved milk, if needed, until the potatoes are covered. Cover with foil and bake for one hour or until the potatoes are softened and the cream has thickened.

3 Allow the dish to cool and place in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to finish cooking, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Cook from frozen, with the foil still on, for 30-40 minutes or until the potato is piping hot. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes so that the cheese is melted and the top turns golden.

1kg potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, grated

500ml milk

250ml double cream

25g Cheddar cheese, grated

salt and pepper

24

Preparation: 1 hour & 15 minsFinishing : 40–50 mins

Freeze for: 1 month

Dauphinoise potatoes are arguably the most decadent

of side dishes. Floury potatoes, such as Desiree,

King Edward or Maris Piper, work best.

Serves 8

25

desserts.The best thing about desserts is that they can be

served chilled, straight from the fridge. This not

only makes cooking in advance easier, but also

means that if you need a few more minutes to digest

your main, no harm will come to your final course.

If you’re throwing a larger party, then you could

create a variety of different desserts in advance,

or try out the Peanut Butter Cheesecake (p.28),

which can serve 12 people generously!

27

Peanut Butter Cheesecake.1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Place a

roasting tray with some water in, on the top shelf, to keep the cake moist. Using a blender, blitz the digestive biscuits, butter and 50g of peanuts together to form a biscuit base. Press this mixture into the bottom of a greased 23cm/9inch springform tin and place in the fridge.

2 Slowly blend together cream cheese, caster sugar, soured cream and peanut butter. Using a spoon, stir in the eggs and egg yolks, being careful not to overbeat, as this may cause cracks while baking. Smooth the filling onto the base and bake for 45 minutes. When the cheesecake is cooked it will be firm at the edges while maintaining a wobble in the centre.

3 While the cake is cooling, bring cream to the boil in a saucepan. Take off the heat and whisk in the chocolate. Leave to cool and then spread over the cheesecake. Decorate with the remaining peanuts.

4 Keep in the fridge for up to four days, or freeze for a month. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and eat within 2 days.

160g digestive biscuits

60g salted peanuts

40g unsalted butter

450g cream cheese

200g caster sugar

125ml soured cream

250g smooth peanut butter

4 eggs, gently beaten

3 egg yolks, gently beaten

250ml double cream

200g chocolate, melted

28

Preparation: 1 hour & 15 minsFreeze for: 1 month

This recipe may look complex, but follow it carefully and you’ll

be rewarded with a rich and slightly quirky cheesecake.

Serves 12

29

The secret of hosting a good dinner party is being prepared

Don’t tie yourself to the kitchen, when you should be enjoying time with friends

and family. Through clever shopping, cooking ahead, and freezing, you can be confident that you’ll impress, without

having to stretch yourself on the night.Be prepared, with 50 easy-to-execute dishes that you can make-ahead and

quickly finish later.