May 18, 2021

Are you ready to entertain again? My simple guide to throwing a prosecco evening

Welcome back to my blog!

Are you still taking it easy and cautious about meeting people indoors or are you desperate to mingle again and start hosting dinner parties?

If you have already planned a few social events and need a little inspiration on how to wow your guests, read on!

I moved house in December and felt so welcomed by my lovely new neighbours, I was desperate to have a few of them around for some prosecco and nibbles one evening. We could only sit outside – following the COVID rules – but luckily the weather was kind to us and the drinks and food kept us warm…

As I also work for a corporate company with fixed office hours I didn’t have much time to do an extra food shop and spend hours preparing food. Sometimes you just have to look in your fridge, freezer and see what is in your pantry and get creative. If you are only prepping some snacks and not a full on dinner, you can scale the preparation down and make a few bits a day or two before the event.

My top tips:

Tidy and clean the area you use for entertaining. Any clutter, drying clothes, dishes to move, hide, bin 🙂
Make it cosy! I bought some fairy lights online to light up the patio, lit some candles and put some warm blankets out too.
Make it pretty! Get your nice table runner out, iron some tablecloths you probably have a few off hidden away and invest in some napkins you can wash and reuse. You can even put some flowers in a nice vase if there is enough space on your table. If you have some nice vintage (or any) cutlery, this is the time to use them. Nice glasses, quirky items, get these all out to wow your guests!
Get the drinks ready! Make sure you have some non-alcoholic options to offer, in case someone doesn’t want to or can’t have what everyone else is drinking. I recommend buying some nice decaff coffee, herbal tea and placing a big jug of water on your table too, which you can flavour with fresh mint and lemon slices. For the prosecco, chop some strawberries up and get your blackcurrant liqueur ready!
Last but not least – the nibbles! Ask your guests if they have any allergies or intolerance so that you can accommodate them too. Check what you have at home before rushing out and buying ready made snacks.

Food ideas that you can quickly whizz up:

Fresh hummus: one can of chickpeas or butter beans blitzed with a tbsp of tahini, 1-2 cloves of garlic, handful of coriander and the juice of a fresh lemon. You can also use some roasted beetroots or red peppers if you have time. I often batch roast these veg that I can use any time to make some nice colourful hummus with added health benefits. Homemade hummus will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, so easy to make in advance.
Fresh bread: if you make your own bread, you could prep one for the event for the dips. If you haven’t got time, get some pitta bread or a baguette and chop to small pieces to have with your hummus.
Veggie sticks: quick, easy and healthy snacks that go well with pretty much any dips.
Sweet potato chips with sour cream: chop some sweet potatoes to chip sized pieces, leave skin on. For 7-800 grams of potatoes, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil, a tsp of paprika powder and salt and bake on 180 degrees for around 30-35 minutes or until crispy. You can use other root vegetables, like parsnip or beetroot or celeriac to make it more colourful.
Avocado salsa with tortilla crisps: mash an avocado with fork, chop 3-4 cherry tomatoes to small cubes, add fresh coriander, a tbsp of lemon juice and serve with tortilla crisps. Add fresh chilli peppers for some heat.
Roasted peppers: slice three or four different coloured bell peppers to 4-6 long pieces. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and bake on 180 degrees for approx. half an hour. Cool in fridge or serve warm. Perfect with fresh bread and some salami or ham.
Aubergine cream: for my recipe, visit my Instagram page.