In celebration of Spring and the many fun activities it brings, I challenged myself to create a menu for a casual dinner for 8 that required no more than one hour of preparation time the night before and another 90 minutes of preparation the day of the dinner (grocery shopping not included). The hardest part about building the menu wasn’t finding recipes that would fit with my time limits, but it was choosing from all of the amazing options.

Meats like lamb and pork cook quickly and the Spring’s best vegetables need minimal assistance to shine. My final menu included a spectacular but dead-simple rack of lamb, an oven risotto that would free me from standing over the stove stirring, beautiful artichokes that are fun to eat, and a luxurious panna cotta that comes together quickly the night before the dinner. This menu would be lovely for Easter or for any other get together in the Spring or Summer. In fact, it comes together so quickly that it’s actually practical for weeknight entertaining. Your guests will think you were in the kitchen all day, and well, where’s the good in disabusing them of that notion? Your secret is safe with me.

The Menu (serves eight)

Main Course

Rosemary Pesto Lamb Rack
quadruple the recipe

Baked Risotto with Morels and Asparagus

Artichokes with Garlic-Thyme Mayonnaise
double the recipe

Dessert

Lemon Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce

To Drink

Medium-bodied red wine such as Erath Pinot Noir

The Plan

I create all of my preparation plans in Excel because I find it easy to work with and to modify as I go. I’ll admit it’s a little over the top for most, but if you’d like to see the detailed spreadsheet I used to get to this plan, you’re welcome to download a copy in Excel or PDF format.

The night before

• Set the table and set out serving dishes
• Make the panna cotta and raspberry sauce

90 minutes before dinner

• Open the wine so it can breath
• Prep the lamb and let sit at room temperature
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1 hour before dinner

• Prep the artichokes and mayonnaise

40 minutes before dinner

• Put the lamb in the oven
• Bring the artichokes and water to boil
• Prep risotto ingredients

30 minutes before dinner

• Reduce the lamb oven heat to 400 degrees
• Start the risotto on the stove and then place in oven

15 minutes before dinner

• Remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to rest
• Remove the artichokes from the boiling water and drain
• Sautee the asparagus for the risotto

5 minutes before dinner

• Remove the risotto from the oven and stir in the asparagus
• Plate all of the dishes

30 minutes after dinner

• Make coffee
• Plate panna cotta
• Serve dessert

Keys to Success

You’ll be cooking for this dinner right up until it’s time to serve the meal. However, that doesn’t mean you have to feel harried or not enjoy pre-dinner time with your guests. Some things I’ve found helpful when cooking a meal like this one include:

• When you set the table and set out the serving dishes the night before, be sure to also set out dessert dishes and forks, as well as coffee mugs. This will make the transition from the main dinner to dessert much easier.
• Run and empty the dishwasher so you can load your prep dishes into it as you go. Your kitchen will be neater when guests arrive and it will be easier to ask them to help you with any last minute preparation.
• Ask guests to arrive 15-30 minutes before you plan to serve dinner. By this point in the process most of your heavy prep work will be done and you’ll largely be stirring and checking on the status of cooking dishes. You’ll be able to welcome guests easily and leave some wiggle room for anyone who might be running late.
• You won’t want to abandon your guests while you finish dinner, so consider setting out some olives, cheese, and bread near the kitchen so you can chat with them while you finish cooking. You may want to serve a different wine, or possibly some bubbles, with your pre-dinner nibbles to get everyone in the party spirit.
• If you plan to serve water or tea with your dinner, instead of or in addition to wine, pre-pour the drinks and stash the glasses in the fridge. You can set them out just before dinner is served.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Friends can carry dishes to the dining room, pour wine, or even rinse a dish or two.

Recipe: Warm and Creamy Artichoke Dip

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
• Makes: 6 cups for about 96 1 Tbsp. servings
• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 50 min

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 ½ c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 ½ c. grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 28 oz. artichoke hearts (frozen or in water); drained (if packed in water) and roughly chopped
• 1 large round loaf of bread, hollowed out to make a bowl

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat.
3. Sautee the shallots until soft, 3-4 minutes; remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
4. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, rosemary, cheese, salt, pepper, and cooled shallots in a medium bowl.
5. Fold in the artichokes then taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
6. Transfer mixture to the bread bowl.
7. Place the filled bread bowl on a baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes or until heated through and the top is brown and crusty.
8. Remove from oven, plate, and serve with crostini, vegetables, or hearty crackers.

Recipe for Success

• This dish can be made a day in advance. Store the dip and the bread bowl separately and then fill the bowl just before you’re ready to bake it. Chilled dip may need an additional 10-15 minutes to cook.
• The best way I’ve found to be sure the dip is heated through is to us an instant-read thermometer. Look for an internal temperature of 160-180 degrees.
• You can also bake the dip in a oven-safe dish instead of a bread bowl. It will only take 30 minutes or so to heat through and you may need to run it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to encourage browning on top.
• You can easily substitute another hard cheese like pecorino romano or asiago for the parmesan. You could also use thyme instead of rosemary for a slightly different flavor profile.
• Artichoke hearts marinated in oil with herbs will work in this dish, but be sure to drain them very well before adding them to the mayonnaise and sour cream mixture so as not to add too much additional oil to the dish.
• I haven’t tried this recipe with reduced fat mayonnaise or sour cream, but many recipes I reviewed use these lighter options so I expect they would work well. I wouldn’t use fat-free because you really need a bit of fat to maintain consistency and keep the dip creamy.
• You could substitute 8-10 ounces of jumbo lump crab for an equal amount of artichokes for a really decadent dip.
• You can easily reduce this recipe by half for a smaller gathering or to use as an appetizer for a dinner for 6-8.

Learn more about artichokes

• Sicilian spiced olives served along side young Pecorino Toscano cheese. The olives are available spiced and ready to eat at my local Central Market olive bar – I keep them around for snacking and in case I need to throw together an impromptu appetizer platter. I chose the creamy, young sheep’s milk cheese to compliment the spicy olives. Of course classic Parmigiano-Reggiano would have gone nicely, or an aged Manchego to add a little Spanish twist.
• Grilled artichokes with truffle oil. This recipe was inspired by a dish I had at NoRTH, a restaurant in the Domain shopping center here in Austin. A co-worker recommended the dish and after my first bite I was committed to recreating it. It was easy to put together and dresses up whole artichokes in a way that’s perfect for company.
  • Note: When artichokes are the only thing I’m grilling, I use a grill pan instead of running back and forth to the outside grill.
• Mussels in a spicy white wine broth. Fresh seafood and classic flavors of lemon, white wine, and thyme were perfect for a virtual visit to the blue waters of the Mediterranean. This is my own recipe and combines my favorite elements of the many great mussel dishes I’ve had. Crusty chiabatta is a must along side this dish to soak up all of the great broth.

The Plan

This meal takes 30-40 minutes top to bottom to prepare and cook. Once you start cooking the mussels and grilling the artichokes everything moves very quickly. I recommend setting the table and setting out serving dishes while the artichokes are steaming so you can serve everything piping hot.

1. Spoon olives into serving bowl. Slice cheese. Set both out to come to room temperature.
2. Trim artichoke and prepare steaming liquid. Set artichoke on steamer basket over liquid, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and steam.
3. Slice bread, wrap in aluminum foil and warm in a 250 degree oven.
4. Prep all ingredients for mussels. If grilling outside, preheat grill.
5. Remove artichoke from steamer. Cut in half, remove choke, and prep for grill. If grilling inside, preheat grill pan.
6. Begin preparing mussels and put artichokes cut-side down onto the grill.
7. When the mussels go into the pan to steam, flip the artichoke.
8. When the mussels are done the artichoke should be done. Serve both immediately.

Grilled Artichokes with Truffle Oil

Depending on your perspective, artichokes are fun to cook and eat or not worth the trouble. For a long time I was in the second camp, feeling that the yield from an artichoke just didn’t justify the effort required to cook or eat it. Over time though, I’ve realized that artichokes are a great dish for a group because they are naturally built of one-bite servings. They are also fun for sharing around the dinner table. I loved these grilled artichokes because they smack of summer and the truffle oil takes the taste experience to a whole new level.

I’ve seen artichokes grilled a couple of different ways:

• All of the cooking is done on the grill. It takes about 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke. Because the artichokes spend so much time on the grill they char heavily. This is not my favorite method because I think the extended dry heat cooking takes away from the final flavor of the dish.
  
• Steam the artichoke first and finish on the grill. This also takes about 30-45 minutes based on artichoke size, but most of the cooking happens in the steamer. The artichokes spend about 10 minutes on the grill to pickup some nice marks and flavor, but you end up with a very tender artichoke thanks to the steaming. You can also add aromatics to the steaming water to add a subtle flavor boost. My favorites are bay leaves, peppercorns, and some lemon slices.

Cooking for Engineers has the best detailed explanation for steaming and then grilling artichokes that I have ever seen. Follow their directions and you can’t go wrong. To finish the dish NoRTH style, drizzle first with olive oil then with your favorite truffle oil and sprinkle generously with good sea salt. Be sure to take the time to distribute the truffle oil and salt evenly around the artichoke halves so each bit has a little taste of truffle heaven.

At NoRTH they serve the artichokes with lemon aioli. My co-worker contends, and I agree, that they need nothing. It’s hard to improve on truffle oil and sea salt.

Learn more about artichokes

Recipe: Mussels with Spicy White Wine Broth

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 2-3 as dinner, 4-6 as an appetizer
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Weight Watchers Points™: 8 per dinner serving

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• ¼ c. thinly sliced onion
• ¼ c. chopped shallots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½. Tsp. red pepper flakes
• ½ c. chopped canned tomatoes, drained
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• ½ c. chopped parsley, divided
• 1 c. white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 lb. fresh mussels in the shell, scrubbed and de-bearded

Instructions

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add shallots and onions and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 3 minutes
4. Add the tomatoes, thyme, saffron, lemon zest and juice, ¼ c. of parsley, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
5. Add mussels. Cover pan and cook 6-8 minutes, until mussel shells open up, stirring once to prevent sticking. Discard any mussels that do not open.
6. Use a large slotted spoon to transfer mussels to a shallow bowl for group noshing or to individual bowls for single servings.
7. Check broth for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Pour broth over mussels and sprinkle with remaining parsley.
9. Serve with warm, crusty bread.

Recipe for Success

• Fresh, high-quality mussels are the critical ingredient in this dish. Fresh mussels should be tightly closed. If any are open, gently try to close them. If they won’t close they are dead and should be discarded.
• If you aren’t sure about how to buy mussels, ask your fishmonger. If you aren’t sure where to get good fish in your area, try posting a message on the local boards at Chow.com. Chances are you’ll find someone in your area (or several someones) who can point you in the right direction. Your fishmonger should take the time to talk to you about the source of the seafood you are buying and how long it’s been in their case. Dodgy fishmongers equal dodgy seafood, so choose both carefully.
• If possible, use mussels on the day that you buy them. They will hold about a day in your refrigerator if necessary, but if you plan to store them overnight, buy about 10% more than you’ll need because some will die in the fridge. Whatever you do, don’t freeze fresh mussels.
• Scott Loranc, the Seafood Manager at my local Central Market recommends storing mussels in a colander over a bowl in the coldest part of your refrigerator. The mussels need air so cover them loosely with a damp paper towel until you are ready to use them. Before you cook the mussels, immerse them in cold water for about 10 minutes so they can expel any grit. Rinse them one last time in the colander and throw out any open mussels before cooking.

Learn more about mussels