This post is sponsored by Woolworths
November. That time of year when you start throwing spontaneous get togethers because you suddenly realise you’re away every weekend until Christmas and you won’t get to see your closest mates until January unless you do something about it quick smart. I blame daylight savings. It will be a lovely clear and sunny Wednesday evening and before you know it you’ve invited six of your nearest and dearest over for an ‘easy’ dinner… and they’re arriving in half an hour.
I do this all the time. I’ll be on the phone to one of my mates and the next minute I’m sheepishly informing Mr Smaggle that he has to vacuum the house and clean the toilet while I run to Woolies. I’m the master at pulling together decent meals in a very short amount of time (it’s actually one of my skills on my zombie apocalypse usefulness resume) and to celebrate my penchance for last minute entertaining I’ve teamed up with Created with Jamie (and his fan-freaking-tastic peri-peri chicken thigh skewers) to bring you a few tips for hosting a dinner with 30 minutes notice.
1. Get over yourself
People get so weird about food preparation. I once made a cake for an afternoon tea and it was made from a packet mix and I happily told everyone it was a packet mix cake because people were losing the plot over how good it was. One of the older ladies at the afternoon tea said (dead seriously as if it was a major social faux pas) that if I choose to use packet mixes, it would be best keep it a secret. I say stuff it! If there’s a shortcut you can take to save yourself from premature wrinkles, I say take it! If you made a cold thing be hot, technically you cooked. You’re practically Nigella Lawson. For real. I mean there’s a time and place for fancy dinners but 7pm on a Wednesday night when your guests are about to ring the doorbell isn’t it.
2. Concentrate on the main course
I don’t know too many people who wouldn’t be thrilled with a packet of potato chips for entree and an ice cream on a stick for dessert, neither of which require any preparation. If you only have half an hour to spare, spend it on the main course. A faux fancy salad with a dressing you made yourself will get you more awesome points than homemade crackers. No one needs to make their own crackers.
3. Let your supermarket make your decisions for you
Just wander around the fresh produce section until something catches your eye. If they have beautiful ice berg lettuce, do san chow bow. If they have a delicious looking piece of salmon do brown rice, steamed greens and fish with garlic sauce. I most recently did Created With Jamie Peri-Peri Chicken Thigh Skewers with avocado salad. I just pan fried the chicken skewers and made a salad with baby spinach, rocket, avocado, lime juice and finely chopped chilli. It was actually ridiculously awesome.
I’ve been obsessed with Jamie’s smashin’ chicken fillets for a good portion of this year and because I’m a creature of habit, I wasn’t too stoked at the concept of trying something different but Mr Smaggle (and Woolies) insisted. The Peri-peri chicken fillets are actually to die for – I love them. They also re-heat well (a huge plus in my book because re-heated chicken freaks me out) and they’re perfect the next day on a mexican style salad with corn, salsa and guacamole. I’m also dead keen to try them in a burrito style wrap. We bought these on the weekend for the shoot and we’ve had them twice since then. Sorry smashin’ chicken fillets. There’s a new dude in town.
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What’s your fail safe quick and dirty last minute dinner? Any staples you always grab for last minute entertaining?
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