Quick and (very) easy party food?

CL32

Hi,

I have to cook some party food for the OH's workmates this weekend. I've been told they are all pretty picky girls and chicken is a safe bet.

I was thinking of buying loads of chicken breasts and cutting them in half (down the long edge) and halving these halves and flattening to give a goujon sized portion. I was hoping to try four or five different marinades and cook in one big batch. Can anyone suggest any nice shop bought or home made marinades I could try?

I need to be able to do everything in the oven at once so potato wedges would be an ideal crowd pleaser. Has anyone any favourite ways to knock these up?

I am hoping to serve up some cold seafood. Smoked salmon, prawns and crabmeat. I'll mix some of the crabmeat with mayo and lemon juice, but I'm stuck for some kind of sauce to pour over the prawns - I presume some sort of oil with chillies or something.

I'll round it off with a huge bowl of salad and some crusty bread. Is that a decent spread or is there something else I could throw in?

Grateful for any help or advice

foodaholic

chicken wings and ribs always go down a treat and really easy,

just cook the wings in the oven and cover with franks buffallo sauce (u get it easily enough i got it in tesco) cover wings with sauce when cooked.
U can make this very simple blue cheese sauce (tastes like elephant and castle one) just mix all together:

Half a cup of sour cream
Three quarters of a cup of mayonnaise
Half a cup of blue cheese crumbled
1 clove of Garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

also really easy (i use chicken sometimes too)

beef satay chilly sticks.
500g rump steak
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
coriander leaves or scallions to garnish


for the sauce
50g pack of dry roasted peanuts
1 clove garlic
200ml coconut cream
i lime juice
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
pinch chilly flakes

method 8 bamboo skewers
slice stake to lenghtsand marinade in first list
for 15 min meanwhile make the satay sauce 2nd list,ie:put in blender then heat only add the soy and lime to taste when hot

cook skewered meat on baking tray under grill till brown on all sides then pour over the satay sauce

taztastic

Potato wedges - cut your potatoes into wedges with or without skin as you want. Leave to soak in lots of iced water for 10-20 mins. Dry with a teatowel or whatever, make sure they're not wet otherwise the flour clumps. In a lunchbox mix up some plain flour, salt, pepper and if you want a bit of cajun mix. Add a few wedges at a time and shake, you'll probably need to roll them around by hand as well to make sure they're coated. Into an oven, drizzle olive oil, good shake now and then and keep checking till they're done.
That's my method anyway.
Good luck with the party.

sprocket1

marie rose sauce for the prawns
mayo - i jar
tomato ketchup - good dollop
tabasco -splash
wostershire sauce - splash
paprika - good pinch
lemon juice -squeeze
salt and pepper to taste
mix all togeather


or a good dip is
cracked black pepper and lime juice( loads of pepper)

as for your chicken
why not marinade the chicken breasts
in juice and zest of 5 lemons
same quantitiy of oliveoil as lemon juice
15 cloves of garlic slice thinly
large bunch of rosemary chopped finely
some star anaise and peppercorns
whisk alltogeather
leave sliced chicken breasts in marinade overnight
pane in flour egg yolk and bread crumbs
deep fry until lightly brown( can leave at this stage in fridge)
and finish in oven on a tray when needed for 5 - 7 mins until cooked
have 5 different dips eg garlic mayo, sweet chilli, bbq sauce, sweet & sour etc
dips would be good with the wedges too