Hellobee Boards

I was going to suggest grilling some steaks and all the yummy sides that come with a steak. Instead of grilling it outdoors, maybe you can cook it on the stove top instead?

Fish - Salmon - Make Foil Packets lemon slices, Salmon skin side down, pats of butter, salt, pepper, minced garlic - wrap up and cook 400* for about 30 minutes

Chicken Caccitore/Sausage scallopine - both can be done in the crock pot (chicken breast, legs/thighs or italian sausage- pan sautee and slice down) then add sliced bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, crushed red pepper, 1 large can tomato sauce cook 6-8 hours on low and serve on rice or pasta.

Chicken Parm with pasta - make it fancy add spinach and eggplant

Turkey or roast chicken

Go to Costco and get a whole side of wild salmon. They have the sockeye right now! I use this recipe but use double the panko mixture on top and added lemon zest:

http://www.marthastewart.com/336014/herb-crusted-salmon-with-roasted-lemons

Just bake it on a big cookie sheet and if you don't want to risk breaking it while transferring to a serving platter, just surround the fish with lots of greenery to cover the sheet pan, like big bunches of dill or kale with lemon strewn about ( I don't bother with the roasted lemon and just serve it with lemon wedges). Show the big salmon, ooh and ahh, and then carve servings out, leaving the skin behind.

I serve this with quinoa cooked in seasoned chicken broth, thyme, and butter with fresh chopped parsley thrown in at the end.

For veggie I would just do a simple salad. Try a mix of baby greens and baby arugula, fresh blueberries or figs, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted almond slivers. A simple vinaigrette should do you.

Dessert keep easy and breezy - a slice of pound cake from the grocery store bakery, a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, and strawberries and peaches tossed together before the guests arrived with a spoonful of sugar and chilled in the fridge. Or even just vanilla ice cream, warmed hot fudge, and a handful of raspberries.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: @Silva: @gingerbebe: @PinkElephant:

I wouldn't mind getting invited to your dinner parties!

My go-to is fajitas, like this: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_fajitas/

With homemade guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese and salsa, and microwaved corn on the cob as a side: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-corn-on-the-cob-in-the-microwave-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-205204

You could also do a homemade lemonade or sangria.

If they are not okay with fish, my other go-to is Chicken Piccata. This meal comes together fast but you don't want to get all crazy trying to cook while you have guests, so the key is to have all the ingredients prepped and pre-measured and ready to go.

Here's a solid version:

http://www.plainchicken.com/2013/03/chicken-in-lemon-butter-caper-sauce.html

My only change would be to use a little more lemon juice (but I like lemon) and use shallot instead of onion, no big deal. I serve with wedges of lemon on the side too. Also, I might double the sauce quantity just to stay safe because some people like more sauce than others.

You can prep the chicken and leave it in a 200 degree oven to keep warm and then prep the sauce when its time to eat. Just t keep a big pot of water simmering and dump the pasta in just as you start making the sauce. I would drain and rinse the pasta, then toss in olive oil and chopped parsley, and then use a fork to spin the pasta into a pretty little nest for presentation. Then add the chicken cutlet, pour sauce over, and then garnish with lemon wedges and parsley. If you want to make it even fancier, you can add a can of artichoke hearts into the sauce.

I would serve a simple arugula salad with goat cheese and golden raisins and a red wine vinaigrette as a first course to the meal - the raisins and capers in the pasta sauce work nicely together and it will give you a second to step away and boil the pasta. Have a basket of sliced baguette out on the table and serve some nice white wine (since you need it for the pasta anyway).

Since pasta is a little more filling, I would do something strong and small for dessert. Like afogatto - a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a shot of strong espresso (decaf if its dinner) poured over the top. Just serve the components separately and let each person pour the coffee over the ice cream at the last second. Or if you like something boozier, let each person pour a shot of Kahlua or Bailey's instead of coffee. Serve with a chocolate wafer cookie or a piece of dark chocolate on the side.