Since we had a tapas inspired meal, we served the entrees on our dinner plates and our guests ate off of salad plates. This choice helped everything fit on the table. We also used our fancy wine glasses. I tend to do 2 glasses when we entertain so that people can have a glass of water in addition to their tea, lemonade or coke. Drinking out of a goblet makes any meal more fancy, even if you are just drinking diet coke! A few additional touches were cloth napkins, votive candles (that I forgot to light), a vase full of flowers and pitcher of water. Most grocery stores sell small bouquets for a few dollars and I love the pop of color that a vase of flowers provides.
It’s safe to say that I have a small issue with over preparing food. I never want anyone to leave our house hungry so there is always an over abundance of food! We rounded out this meal with Stuffed Mushrooms from Giada Delorentis. These were a really easy dish to prepare and were very tasty. I love any site that has reviews because others who have made the dish can offer helpful tips and pointers. Several people commented that the mushrooms were dry so I made sure to add plenty of olive oil. I also doubled the stuffing mixture because I felt that’s where so much of the flavor comes from.
The final entree was Proscuito Wrapped Steak Cubes. I didn’t get a picture of the group but I did get a picture of Dan trying to steal the entire plate of steak. This is not a new recipe but I thought it was still worth sharing. While the steak bites are amazing, the shallot mustard cream sauce makes them even more amazing! When we’ve made this in the past we’ve paired it with herbed orzo. It’s a fantastic meal and one of our staples if we want a fancy dinner at home. If you want to impress your guests or make a great meal for your special someone, this would be a fantastic choice. These dishes are so versatile. They could serve as appetizers, side dishes or even main dishes. We really enjoyed the tapas concept and will likely try a different tapas menu for our next get together. Have you ever made tapas? I’d love to know what your favorite recipes are.