Dinner Party Diaries – Volume 1: Issue 11
As I’ve mentioned before, some Dinner Parties don’t have a theme per se. Sometimes, I wouldn’t even call it a “unifying ingredient”. Sometimes, I just get a wild hair for a specific food idea that has been preying on my mind and we jump off from there. This week’s party is one such event. I have been waiting for an excuse to make pesto whipped cream for weeks and weeks now, but it just hasn’t fit into the program. Well, my impulse control finally lost the battle and here we are. However, once having given in to my pesto whipped cream obsession, I had to answer the question “What else will go with it?” To me, the flavors of tomato and roasted red peppers are a natural fit. And since, in my head at least, this dinner party has an Italian vibe, I feel like dessert should include espresso in some form.
What We’re Having at our Whipped Pesto Obsession Dinner Party
This time around, since I know that the cute little canapés that I have planned for the Whipped Pesto are going to take a chunk of my Time Budget for hand work, I’m sticking with a few tried and true recipes to balance out the prep time and “day of” work plus one other new dish that can be completed in advance.
Check out my notes on planning for one-bite food prep.
We’ll start this dinner party off with two versions of the canapés and the Whipped Pesto Dip with veggie dippers, paired with the cabernet franc.
Then for dinner, we’ve got Chicken with Tomatoes, Cumin, and Feta for a main, served on a bed of my Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice. For sides, we’re serving a Chilled Tomato and Sweet Pepper Soup along with Broccoli and Roasted Red Peppers with Parmesan.
On a wine note, we’ll continue with the cabernet franc for now and then move on to a pinot noir.
Finally, we’ll wrap it all up with a decadent Espresso Mousse with Squirrel Dippers. Okay, they really have nothing to do with squirrels other than having nuts in them. I just very much wanted something that I could call “Moose & Squirrel”. However, these delicious Keto Maple Walnut Biscotti are from All Day I Dream About Food (one of my favorite blogs for keto baking). I just swapped out the walnuts for pecans because that’s what I was feeling.
Things I Would Change
Lori Side Note: In retrospect, I would actually recommend making the NY Times Best Gazpacho recipe instead of the Chilled Tomato and Sweet Pepper Soup that I tried this time around. (That was my one new recipe that could be made in advance). The “Best Gazpacho” has a bit more depth of flavor on its own whereas this Chilled Tomato and Sweet Pepper Soup is more muted. Not bad; I just like the other one better.
Multi-Course Dinner Option
Lori Side Note: If you wanted to turn this into a multi-course dinner, you could serve the soup by itself as a starter course. You’re already keeping the main course warm during appetizers, so another 15 – 20 minutes won’t have any impact on your warming strategy.
The Details
Number of People: 7
Serving Style: Appetizers on Table Upon Arrival; Buffet for Main and Sides; Dessert Served Family Style
Guest Arrival Time: 7:00 pm-ish Arrival and Appetizers; 7:30 / 7:45 pm Dinner
The Menu
Appetizers
- Zucchini Parmesan Chips (brought by a guest)
- BBQ Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts (brought by a guest)
- Whipped Pesto Dip with Veggie Dippers
- Canapés using both versions of the Whipped Pesto
Main
Sides
Dessert
- Keto Meringues with a Tangy Sauce (brought by a guest)
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (brought by a guest)
Wine Pairings
- 2019 Paraduxx Howell Mountain Red Blend
- 2016 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Franc Tonella Vineyard
- 2020 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Le Ciel Serein
Getting Ready for our Whipped Pesto Obsession Dinner Party
Advanced Prep (2 or More Days in Advance)
Notes:
As always, the first part of prep falls under “the usual” category, meaning that you’ll see some version of these steps repeated frequently.
- Make space in your refrigerator
- Refrigerator – Here’s what you’ll be storing:
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice (day before party)
- 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with a lid
- Canapés
- Soppressata, Manchego, and Prosciutto cubes
- Separate gallon size zip top bags
- Whipped Pesto Spread
- 1 quart container with sealable lid
- Whipped Pesto Dip
- 1 quart container with sealable lid
- Soppressata, Manchego, and Prosciutto cubes
- Broccoli – (2 days in advance)
- 1 gallon sized zip top bag
- Chicken
- Slice Red Onions – (2 days in advance)
- 1 gallon sized zip top bag
- Chicken – (day before or day of)
- 1 rimmed baking sheet, covered (chicken will still be raw, so the bottom rack of your fridge is best)
- Slice Red Onions – (2 days in advance)
- Chilled Soup
- Chopped Spanish Onions – (2 days in advance)
- 1 gallon sized zip top bag
- Chopped Roasted Red Peppers – (2 days in advance)
- 1 gallon sized zip top bag
- Chopped Spanish Onions – (2 days in advance)
- Espresso Mousse Mixture (day / night before party)
- I use a 2 quart container with a lid. (Because this is before whipping, it’s still liquid.)
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice (day before party)
- Counter Top
- Canapés
- Dried keto bread cubes / toast points
- 1 gallon sized zip top bag on counter top
- Dried keto bread cubes / toast points
- Chilled Soup
- Tomatoes until you’re ready to chop them and make the soup
- Canapés
- Refrigerator – Here’s what you’ll be storing:
- Make your Grocery List
- Go Grocery Shopping
- Pick up around the house (for any rooms / areas that will actually be seen)
- Plan out serving dishes & utensils (to make sure you have what you need, ready when you need it)
- Plan out eating plates & utensils (to make sure what you need will be clean and ready for guests)
2 Days in Advance (~ 3 hours)
Notes:
The idea for this part of your prep is to get all of your bread cube drying and all chopping out of the way, with the exception of your tomatoes. Those will keep better if you don’t chop them up until you’re ready to cook with them. As you’ll see below, I also have making making broth / stock on this list. Unless you have the time and inclination for making it, just go ahead and buy it.
- Chilled Tomato and Sweet Pepper Soup
- Roast red bell peppers, peel off skins, and dice (20 minutes in oven (inactive) + 20 minutes cooling (inactive) + 10 minutes chopping)
- Slice Keto Bread slices into 16 pieces, spray or drizzle with olive oil, dry in oven to make croutons (10 minutes + 40 minutes inactive oven time) (NOTE: Make the toast points for the canapés at the same time you’re doing this step.)
- Chop tomatoes (10 – 15 minutes)
- Make soup and let cool (45 minutes)
- Blend and store in fridge (15 minutes)
- Pesto Whip Canapés
- Slice Keto Bread into 9 pieces and dry cubes in oven (5 minutes + 40 minutes inactive oven time)
- Cube / slice Manchego and store in fridge (5 minutes)
- Cube / slice spicy pepperoni and salami and store in fridge (5 minutes)
- Braised Chicken with Tomato, Cumin, & Feta
- Slice Red Onions and store in fridge (5 minutes)
- Combine cumin, salt, and pepper; store in baggie or airtight container (3 minutes)
- Broccoli with Roasted Red Peppers and Parmesan
- Trim broccoli and cut it into bite size pieces, store in fridge (15 minutes)
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
- Chop 1 Spanish Onion, store in fridge (5 minutes)
- Make stock / broth (if not using store-bought) → See Homemade Chicken+ Broth
- Chop big chunks of carrot, celery, onion (10 minutes)
- Cook in Instant Pot on High Pressure (10 minutes coming up to pressure (inactive) + 55 minutes at high pressure (inactive) + 15 minutes natural steam release (inactive) + Strain (5 minutes) + Cool (2 hours)
Day Before Prep (~ 3 hours)
Notes:
The plan for this day’s prep is to get all of your pre-cooking or long cook times out of the way. Then that day, you can focus on the recipes that need to be cooked at the end and the hand work for the canapés (which always takes longer than you think it will).
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
- Make Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice (other than topping with Feta), cool, cover, and store in fridge (10 minutes additional prep + 30 – 40 minutes cooking + 1 hour cooling)
- Squirrel Sticks
- Bake, cool, and glaze coat (15 minutes prep + 25 minutes bake #1 + 30 minutes cooling + 5 minutes slicing + 30 minutes bake #2) (mostly inactive time)
- To make these, I followed the directions for All Day I Dream About Food’s Keto Maple Walnut Biscotti but just substituted pecans for walnuts.
- Espresso Mousse
- Make mousse mixture and store in fridge (5 minutes)
- Whipped Pesto Spread
- Whip heavy cream, pesto, and grated Parmesan. Divide into thirds. Place one third of the whipped cream in this “lighter” phase into a sealable container and store in the fridge. (10 minutes)
- Whipped Pesto Dip
- Add the remaining ingredients to the remaining 2/3s of the Whipped Pesto for the amped up flavor version to turn the whip into a spread. (5 minutes)
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge overnight.
Day Of Timeline (7:00 PM Guest Arrival Time “T”; Dinner Time: ~7:30ish)
- 5:00 pm (T – 2 hours)
- Espresso Mousse
- Remove mixture from fridge, pour into stand mixer, whip mousse and store covered in serving bowl in fridge
- Espresso Mousse
- 5:15 (T – 1h 45m)
- Braised Chicken with Tomato, Cumin, and Feta
- Pat dry chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt, pepper, and cumin that you already mixed. Cover and store in fridge until ready to use. (10 minutes)
- Braised Chicken with Tomato, Cumin, and Feta
- 5:25 pm (T – 1h 35m)
- Canapés
- Pull out your pre-cut ingredients, line them up like an assembly line, place finished canapés on serving plates, and cover with saran wrap
- Suggested Assembly Line: (1) Serving Plate, (2) ½ of the Toast Points, (3) Whipped Pesto Dip, (4) Prosciutto Pieces, (5) Serving Plate, (6) other ½ of the Toast Points, (7) Whipped Pesto Spread, (8) Sopressata Cubes, (9) Manchego Cubes
- Cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge
- Canapés
- 6:00 pm (T – 1h)
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
- Remove from fridge to warm up
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
- 6:15 pm (T – 45m)
- Chicken with Tomato, Cumin, and Feta
- Sear Chicken (12 – 15 minutes)
- Cook Veggies (8 – 10 minutes)
- Combine and cook in Dutch Ovens, leave on warm (20 minutes, then leave on warm until ready to serve)
- Chicken with Tomato, Cumin, and Feta
- 6:30 pm (T – 30m)
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
- Place in oven – 350 for 30 minutes. Then drop the temp to 180 degrees F to keep warm.
- Broccoli and Roasted Red Peppers with Parmesan
- Cook in large sauté pan. Then, keep it warm either in a covered pan on the lowest temp setting or in 9×13 dish in oven at 180 F covered with aluminum foil.
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
- 6:35 pm (T – 25m)
- Prep Plates, Glasses, Serving Utensils, & Flatware
- Get out and / or make sure are readily available
- Serving Dishes
- Appetizer, Small Soup Bowls, Dinner Plates, Dessert Plates
- Water Glasses & Wine Glasses
- Get out and / or make sure are readily available
- Prep Plates, Glasses, Serving Utensils, & Flatware
- 6:45 pm (T – 15m)
- Chilled Tomato and Sweet Pepper Soup
- Transfer soup to serving bowl and place back in fridge
- Chilled Tomato and Sweet Pepper Soup
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