Starter idea's for birthday party?

real_484

hiya

I am a little stuck, need some ideas for starter for a birthday party, going to cook roast chicken for main coarse and dessert is sorted but can't decide between hot or cold, maybe a nice anitpasta or thinking of some type of prawn dish, open to suggestions.

The Hill Billy

What about a simple tomato & mozzarella salad? Easy to prepare & can be done hours before the dinner.

Get some ripe plum tomatoes (1 - 1½ per person) & a few balls of mozzarella.
Slice both into similar thicknesses & arrange in overlapping circles on a large plate. Scatter a handful of torn basil leaves on top.
You can dress with a shop bought vinaigrette to save time or whip one up yourself, for example:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
to taste salt and pepper

bonkey

A salad of lambs-leaf lettuce, croutons, crunchy-fried lardons (bacon bits) and (optionally) a chopped-up hard-boiled egg.

Serve with a vinegary salad-dressing of your choice.

If you want to slightly splash out, you could get some cucumbers (chopped), a full duck, plum sauce (comes with the duck) and some pancakes (comes with the duck) and make duck pancakes. They're nice hot or cold...

Hmm_Messiah

simple yet tends to impress (looks like more effort lol)

packet of frozen filo pastry thawed, make 1.5 inche squares with knife, (so u have little squares of maybe 3 layers pastry)

brush pastry edges with oil/butter
pop medium sized mushroom ( or 2-3 sml button) in centre and bring square up around same "squeeshing " top to close. so u have a musrhoom parcel.

15 minutes in oven. ifworried precook mushrooms for 2 minutes in microwave.

serve as is, or with dips /relish, bed of leaves

alternative do above and make a sauce with tinned mushroom soup, and only few spoones of water, drizzle over the parcels....

Alun

bonkey wrote:

A salad of lambs-leaf lettuce, croutons, crunchy-fried lardons (bacon bits) and (optionally) a chopped-up hard-boiled egg.

Serve with a vinegary salad-dressing of your choice.

I often do this with a warm dressing made with the fat from frying the lardons. You may need a bit of extra oil as well depending on the amount of fat obtained.

Diogenes

How about a salad of ham walnut and ememthal cheese? Just cut the ham and ememthal cheese into fine strips and serve with a fresh salad of lettuce. The dressing should be simple, a very light olive oil, white wine vinegarrette and lemon juice.

The Sweeper

Pears with blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts.

Use large, very firm eating pears - one between two. You also need rocket, baby spinach, hazelnuts, a balsamic dressing and blue cheese of your choice.

Peel, halve and scoop out the core of each pear so you end up with a hollow in the centre. Boil pears - depending on the pear, it could take 15-20 mins to half an hour, until they're very soft - not quite mushy, but they fall off a skewer.

While the pears are boiling, set grill on 'high'. Coarsely chop hazelnuts, arrange on a flat baking tray and grill until toastie. Keep an eye out so they don't burn. Decant into a bowl. Keep the tray.

Drain pears. Arrange on same baking tray. Place a large spoonful of blue cheese into the core cavity on each pear, and place under a grill to melt the cheese.

On plates, arrange a bed of rocket and baby spinach, tossed with a balsamic dressing. Place a pear half on each plate, sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts, serve.

Tree

garlic bread w/ sugar loads of cheese and garlic?

or dessert, and have a backwards meal, do the starter after the main

real_484

Cheers guys, my mouth is watery just reading, really good ideas, can’t wait to try them all out. Read a nice one for prawns.

Butterfly the prawns leaving the tails on
Mix with chilli and ginger sauce (any Asian shop)
Grill or fry,

eat hot with a green salad and chopped coriander

thanks for the suggestions going to check with birthday girl and see which one she would like but me thinks may need a couple of starters.

bonkey

Diogenes wrote:

How about a salad of ham walnut and ememthal cheese?

Picky git that I am....there's no h in Emmental.

thesteve

Bruschetta, easiest and tastiest thing to make...

-Slice up tomatoes, mix with olive oil and basil
-Bake ciabata bread, slice it and toast it.
-Rub garlic on the toasted surface and the bread's done
-Spoon the tomatoes onto the bread and serve

chilli_pepper

Quesadillas:
Easy Peasy , get some wraps fill with cheese (goats cheese works a treat ) some pepper and of course the magic ingredient "Fresh Chilli". Fold in 1/2 and toast / bake on each side until cheese is melted andthey are slighly crisp

Asparagus Tips :
Boil until cooked then place on baking tray with some olive oil and whack them in the oven for 5-10 mins serve with black pepper and freshly sliced parmeasan