ISO-Fancy, easy and budget friendly

Gold Member Joined: Apr 26 2007 Posts: 1223

Ok, so Dh's family is coming to dinner Sunday and I need to make something nice, but we are also on a tight budget (esp since I am already making the purim Seudah on Friday ...).

DH seems to think anything is easy Rolling Eyes

and wants something a little "wowy"

ANY suggestions on a good pasta with cream sauce type of thing...I usually do meats and chickens, but the prices in MOntreal are too outrageous to feed 10 people that way. (I'd rather save that for Shabbas and Yom Tov)
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SR
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Silver Member Joined: Mar 21 2007 Age: 27 Posts: 508

do you have the kbd short on time? the penne a la vodka is phenomenal. I make the pareve version. let me know if you want the recipe. (it makes a lot of sauce)

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48136

I hve [postd sevral good pasta recipes in that section here.

Platinum Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 14736

Two options. One is risotto, which can seem way more expensive than it is, since it's mostly rice. You can do a squash risotto or a wild mushroom one, and it can seem like a really special meal. The only hitch is that, if you haven't made it, it can get ruined really easily. I make it a lot for guests. Mushroom risotto, roasted squash, green salad, nice dessert.

The other option is to find a nice pasta with wild mushroom-cream sauce and use mostly, or all, white mushrooms in place of the white. I sometimes use almost all plain, white cultivated mushrooms and just add a few shitake, to make it seem fancy. If you go to Epicurious, they're sure to have some recipes.

There's also a lasagna recipe there that's made with artichokes and mushrooms. It's great because it can be done ahead, but because of the wine, artichokes and mushrooms it's way more of a company dish than other lasagnas. Last time I served it with a green salad and followed up with mocha creme caramel, and the meal came off as way fancier and more expensive than it was.

Gold Member Joined: Apr 26 2007 Posts: 1223

Clarissa,

How do you check artichokes? I just sort of wrote them off as a no go vegetable!

Platinum Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 14736

Diamond Member Joined: May 20 2007 Posts: 2838

Clarissa, do you have any recipes that you can post that are good? I'm always looking for good pareve/dairy meals.

Platinum Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 14736

Senior Member Joined: Dec 15 2007 Posts: 203

clarissa, can you post thai recipies.
I love that kind of food, any of your thai recipies.
thanks
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liora

Platinum Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 14736

Moderator Joined: Dec 26 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 11430

Ha I was just going to tell you to make a Thai curry!

I don't have any exact recipes, but I usually find a good curry recipe online and adapt it.

I made a great vegetarian curry for dinner tonight.

Platinum Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 14736

Thai Tofu with Red Curry Sauce over Coconut Scallion Rice

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime rind (or kaffir lime leaves, but I'm leaving that out because they're hard to find)
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups jasmine, basmati or regular long-grain white rice
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped (you'll need 2/3 cup for the sauce and 2 tablespoons for garnish)
2 large garlic cloves, cut in half
1/4 cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce, or 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granola or corn oil
3 tablespoons hot chile sauce, or 2 tablespoons chile paste
1 16-ounce package firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 bunch broccoli, cut into small pieces (about 4 cups) - I substitute a combination of other vegetables for broccoli, as my husband won't eat broccoli
1 cup minced scallions, both green and white parts

Bring the coconute milk, 2 1/4 cups of the water and the 1 teaspoon salt to a boil, then add the rice. Cover the pan, and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Let the rice cook, covered, for 25 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, combine the lime zest, 2/3 cup chopped cilantro, the garlic cloves, and the peanuts. Run the machine until it's all mashed up, pushing them down with rubber spatula, as needed. Slowly, with machine running, add the fish sauce or salt, and 3 tablespoons of the oil, then add chile sauce or paste. Transfer mixture to a small bowl. (note: I also add a bunch of fresh-squeezed lime juice, because I like it)

Into a wok or non-stick skillet, over high heat, pour the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the tofu, and cook until the pieces form a golden crust on the bottom. Then turn them with a spatula, and let the tofu form more golden crust on the other side. Transfer tofu to a plate.

Into the same wok or skillet, put the broccoli (or other veggies) and the remaining 1/2 cup water. Cover, and steam the broccoli for 2 minutes. Stir in the lime-peanut paste, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tofu and toss.

Stir the scallions into the rice. Mound the rice on plates, and spoon the tofu and sauce around it. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro and serve.

(Note: I play around with this a lot. I use all different veggies -- cauliflower, red pepper, peas, whatever. I also play with the sauce a lot, adding lime juice and extra peanuts, using whatever is available)

Here are some others that I've made (obviously I made modifications, especially to the pork one):

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/230922

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/103002

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/240960

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/104372

I tinker with recipes a lot. We like extra sauce, I have to make do with compromises in terms of ingredients because of kashrut and general availability, and I turn unkosher recipes and/or meat ones into vegetarian ones.

I've made many versions of pad thai and vegetable curries (Indian and Thai), from many different cookbooks and websites. I also enjoy making dumplings sometimes, but I guess those are more Chinese than Thai.