A Query About Barbecue
Greeting Fellow Foodies!
I come, yet again, begging advice for another themed meal!
This weekend I am making luncheon for a (fairly) large group of friends... approximately 25. Two of them are vegetarians, three of them can only eat fish and fowl, and the remainder eat everything.
Here is what I'm thinking of making so far:
-Chicken- either drumsticks or breasts, if I can get a good deal on them- they will be split into either halves or thirds
-Ribs- probably pork spareribs
-Corn on the Cob- we have a bunch left over from last weekend that my friends forgot to bring out
And here are the constraints:
-Prep ahead or par-cooking would be great! We have a grill to reheat things, but we have limited prep time before lunch (less than 45 minutes) Ideally, it would be nice to have things cooked Friday, chilled, and then reheated the next day
-We need a substantial vegetarian dish
-We have no utensils except serving pieces, so things must be able to be eaten by hand (we do have plenty of napkins, though! Although our costumes tend to be somewhat expensive, so please let me know if something is excessively messy or drippy so I can warn people)
-We have plenty of cooler space backstage, but once things are out in the open there will be little to protect the food from the heat. The food will be out for about an hour...
Some sort of bread would be nice, as well as a salad, if anyone has any tasty thoughts as far as these things go...
In return, here are a couple recipes that we've used in recent weeks!
Cucumber Salad
(Serves 7-10)
2 Cucumbers, peeled and sliced about 1/8 inch thick
1/3 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (Seasoned, preferably)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
Place cucumber slices and cabbage in a large zip-top bag or sealable container. Mix all other ingredients together well and pour over vegetation. Shake to throughly distibute dressing, and refrigerate at least 15 minutes (an hour or two is better)
The salad will keep for several days, but the cabbage will soften slightly after the first day.
Amazing Crock Pot Taco Bar
(This makes A LOT of chicken, so feel free to halve the recipe, use it for a party, or freeze for later- it reheats wonderfully)
1 can Red Enchilada Sauce (28 oz)
7 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
4 tbsp taco seasonings
3 tbsp garlic powder (not garlic salt!)
3 tbsp lemon pepper
tortillas (I bought the uber-pack of corn tortillas from Costco, but whatever you & your people like to eat)
Shredded lettuce, minced onion, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, etc., for serving
Place chicken, enchilada sauce, and all the spices in a large crock pot (or two "normal" sized crock pots) stir to combine & cook 7-8 hours on low.
Remove chicken from sauce and shred, either with two forks or your hands. Mix in enough left-over sauce to make chicken moist, but not too drippy. Taste for seasoning- I found that my first batch needed more garlic and taco seasoning; about 1 1/2 tbsp more garlic & 2-3 tbsp on the taco seasoning. Adjust to your taste.
Serve with warmed tortillas and toppings!
I come, yet again, begging advice for another themed meal!
This weekend I am making luncheon for a (fairly) large group of friends... approximately 25. Two of them are vegetarians, three of them can only eat fish and fowl, and the remainder eat everything.
Here is what I'm thinking of making so far:
-Chicken- either drumsticks or breasts, if I can get a good deal on them- they will be split into either halves or thirds
-Ribs- probably pork spareribs
-Corn on the Cob- we have a bunch left over from last weekend that my friends forgot to bring out
And here are the constraints:
-Prep ahead or par-cooking would be great! We have a grill to reheat things, but we have limited prep time before lunch (less than 45 minutes) Ideally, it would be nice to have things cooked Friday, chilled, and then reheated the next day
-We need a substantial vegetarian dish
-We have no utensils except serving pieces, so things must be able to be eaten by hand (we do have plenty of napkins, though! Although our costumes tend to be somewhat expensive, so please let me know if something is excessively messy or drippy so I can warn people)
-We have plenty of cooler space backstage, but once things are out in the open there will be little to protect the food from the heat. The food will be out for about an hour...
Some sort of bread would be nice, as well as a salad, if anyone has any tasty thoughts as far as these things go...
In return, here are a couple recipes that we've used in recent weeks!
Cucumber Salad
(Serves 7-10)
2 Cucumbers, peeled and sliced about 1/8 inch thick
1/3 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (Seasoned, preferably)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
Place cucumber slices and cabbage in a large zip-top bag or sealable container. Mix all other ingredients together well and pour over vegetation. Shake to throughly distibute dressing, and refrigerate at least 15 minutes (an hour or two is better)
The salad will keep for several days, but the cabbage will soften slightly after the first day.
Amazing Crock Pot Taco Bar
(This makes A LOT of chicken, so feel free to halve the recipe, use it for a party, or freeze for later- it reheats wonderfully)
1 can Red Enchilada Sauce (28 oz)
7 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
4 tbsp taco seasonings
3 tbsp garlic powder (not garlic salt!)
3 tbsp lemon pepper
tortillas (I bought the uber-pack of corn tortillas from Costco, but whatever you & your people like to eat)
Shredded lettuce, minced onion, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, etc., for serving
Place chicken, enchilada sauce, and all the spices in a large crock pot (or two "normal" sized crock pots) stir to combine & cook 7-8 hours on low.
Remove chicken from sauce and shred, either with two forks or your hands. Mix in enough left-over sauce to make chicken moist, but not too drippy. Taste for seasoning- I found that my first batch needed more garlic and taco seasoning; about 1 1/2 tbsp more garlic & 2-3 tbsp on the taco seasoning. Adjust to your taste.
Serve with warmed tortillas and toppings!