Gfree
The Perfect
Dinner Party
Serves 8
CHEESE AND FRUIT BOARD
CHICKEN MIRABELLA
GARLIC COUSCOUS
MIXED GREEN SALAD WITH PEARS AND GOAT CHEESE DISCS
FRESH BREAD, BUTTER
FRESH STRAWBERRIES WITH GRAND MARNIER CREAM
THE PLAN
BEFORE THE PARTY
The morning of the dinner party, assemble the chicken and refrigerate until about ½ hour before your guests arrive.
The chicken takes 1 hour to cook so you can figure out the best time to put the chicken in. Don’t forget to put the brown
sugar and wine on top of the chicken before you cook it (it’s not part of the marinade).
Make the goat cheese discs for salad (or omit for dairy-free).
Slice the bread and wrap in foil.
Make the cream for the dessert.
1 hour before your guests arrive, cut your strawberries.
Cut the pears before you assemble salad.
CHEESE AND FRUIT BOARD
Buy an assortment of cheese (Daiya makes non-dairy wedges and slices in a variety of flavors),
gluten-free, crackers, salami and serve on a tray.
Garnish with red grapes and place small bowls of olives, baby gherkins and nuts in the center of the tray.
To make it look really pretty, place long breadsticks (Dr. Schar) in a tall champagne flute in the center. Dig around in your
cupboard and see what you can find!
The Perfect Dinner Party
Serves 8
CHEESE AND FRUIT BOARD [A]
CHICKEN MIRABELLA [B]
GARLIC RICE [C]
MIXED GREEN SALAD WITH PEARS AND GOAT CHEESE DISCS [D]
FRESH BREAD, BUTTER [E]
FRESH STRAWBERRIES WITH GRAND MARNIER CREAM [F]
Each recipe and side is coded with an A, B, C, D, E, F, G or H that corresponds to the shopping list. If you’re unable to
make a particular dinner, simply cross off everything on the grocery list with that code.
What you need but may already have
6 large eggs
Bay leaves
Brown sugar
Butter
Dried oregano
Dried thyme
High quality olive oil
Nuts, pickles, olives for cheese board
Pure vanilla extract
Red wine vinegar
Sugar
Meat, Fish, Poultry
An assortment of bone-in chicken
(the recipe calls for 4 breasts and 8
bone-in thighs) [B]
Salami for cheese board [A]
Produce
1 head garlic [B]
1 bunch Italian parsley [B]
8 cups mixed baby greens [D]
2 heads Belgian endive [D]
2 large ripe pears [D]
1 quart strawberries [F]
Wine/Spirits
¼ cup Grand Mariner [F]
½ cup white wine [B]
Pasta/Sauce/Rice
2 boxes of Zatarain’s Wild Brown Rice Mix (or a gluten-free flavor of your choice) [C]
Dried Fruit/Nuts
1 cup pitted prunes [B]
½ cup chopped walnuts [D]
Dairy/Cheese
2 goat cheese logs [D]
1 cup whole milk or milk of
choice [F]
1 cup heavy whipping cream or canned coconut milk [F]
Assortment of cheese for cheese board [A]
Canned Goods/Salad Dressing
1 cup pitted large Spanish
olives [B]
1
jar capers [B]
3 tablespoons Walnut oil [D]
1
jar Girards Champagne
Dressing (or your favorite salad dressing, See Salad Dressing tab) [D]
Bread
6 slices of gluten-free white bread, Rudi’s or Udi’s (or your favorite sandwich bread) [D]
1 loaf gourmet bread [E]
Cookies/Crackers
8 gluten-free Pamela’s Lemon Shortbread cookies [F]
GF Crackers for cheese
board [A]
RECIPES FOR DINNER PARTY 1 OF 3
[B] Chicken Mirabella
Prep in the morning, let marinate all day
Takes about an hour to cook
You will need a good heavy baking pan or roasting pan
An assortment of bone-in chicken (the recipe calls for 4
breasts and 8 bone-in thighs) You can also use boneless
but make sure you adjust the cooking time.
4
bone in chicken breasts (skin on)
8
bone in chicken thighs (skin on)
4
cloves garlic, peeled and finely puréed
¼
cup dried oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½
cup red wine vinegar
½
cup olive oil (good stuff)
1
cup pitted prunes
1
cup pitted Spanish green olives, cut in half
½
cup capers with a bit of juice
3
bay leaves
½
cup brown sugar
1
cup white wine
2
tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1. In a large bowl combine garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers with
caper juice, and bay leaves. Add the chicken pieces and
coat completely with the marinade. Cover and let marinate all day, refrigerated.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a large, shallow
baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle
chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine
around them.
4. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with
the pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked
with a fork at their thickest point, yield clear yellow juice
(not pink) and registers a minimum of 165°F. when an
instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part.
5. With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, prunes, olives,
and capers to a serving platter. Add some of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Serve
remaining juice in a gravy boat.
RECIPES FOR DINNER PARTY 2 OF 3
[C] Garlic Rice
Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes
2
boxes of Zatarain’s Wild Brown Rice Mix (or a
gluten-free flavor of your choice)
1. Before the dinner party, measure your water and oil for
the rice and place the pot on the stove. 10 minutes before
serving, make the rice. Add a little of the gravy (oil) from the
chicken.
[D] Mixed Green Salad with Pears and Goat Cheese Discs
The goat cheese discs can be made in the morning. The
original recipe calls for the discs to be served warm, you
could re-heat before serving (in microwave on in a skillet) or
just skip it and serve cold.
6
slices of gluten-free white bread, Rudi’s or Udi’s (or your favorite sandwich bread)
2
teaspoons dried thyme
2
goat cheese log (11 ounces each) soft fresh cut into 16 rounds
2
eggs, beaten to blend
3
tablespoons walnut oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
8
cups mixed baby greens
2
heads Belgian endive, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2
large ripe pears, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Girards Champagne Dressing (or your favorite salad dressing, See Salad Dressing tab)
1. Dry about 6 pieces of white bread. Toss into processor
and make bread crumbs.
2. Mix breadcrumbs and thyme in glass pie dish. Season
goat cheese with salt and pepper. Dip cheese into beaten
egg, then into breadcrumbs, coating completely. cover and
refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be prepared 4 hours
ahead.)
3. Heat walnut oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high
heat. Add walnuts and sauté until lightly toasted, about 2
minutes. Transfer to plate using slotted spoon. Reduce heat
to medium. Working in batches, add cheese rounds to skillet
and cook until crisp and brown on outside and soft on inside,
about 2 minutes per side. Place on late lined with a paper
towel.
4. Combine mixed greens, Belgian endive and pears in large
bowl.
5. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat. Divide among 8
plates. Using metal spatula, place 2 cheese rounds in center
of each salad. Sprinkle with walnuts.
RECIPES FOR DINNER PARTY 3 OF 3
[F] Fresh Strawberries with Grand Mariner Cream
Prep time: 15 minutes
1
cup whole milk or milk of choice
1
cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
½
teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4
large egg yolks
½
cup sugar
¼
cup Grand Marnier liqueur
1 quart strawberries, hulled and cut into bit-size pieces
8
gluten-free Pamela’s Lemon Shortbread cookies
1. In top of a double boiler, scald the milk, cream and vanilla.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light yellow in color.
2. Add egg mixture to milk mixture very slowly stirring constantly over low heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in liqueur.
Pour into a lidded jar and refrigerate.
3. To serve, bring to room temperature and mix with the
strawberries. Serve in a stemmed glass and garnish with
cookie. For extra fun, serve Grand Marnier in a cordial glass.