apple glögg and community dinner

[nerakrose]

Hello everyone. Next week it's my turn to make community dinner in my dorm, and I have honestly no clue what it could be. The last couple of times I joined community dinner, we had lasagna - and while it is perfect for this kind of thing, I'm sort of looking for something that is not lasagna as I'm sure we're all pretty tired of it by now.

Only requirements are: it has to be filling, feed 6-8 people, be cheap and not contain pork.
Any ideas?

While I'm here, I'm going to share this wonderful recipe of spicy apple glögg with you. It's perfect for the cold season and if you don't like normal glögg/mulled wine (like I do), this is a perfect substitute.

½ litre apple juice
½ litre apple cider
1 dl calvados
1 vanilla pod
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp raw sugar
fresh mint

1. boil apple juice with the sugar, vanilla pod and cinnamon sticks for a couple of minutes.
2. add the cider and calvados, but do not boil.
3. decorate with fresh mint upon serving.

you can make a children friendly alcohol free version by substituting cider and calvados with more apple juice.

Comments

[acelightning]

Depending on what kind of meat is cheapest, I'd suggest some kind of stew (chicken, beef, lamb) with plenty of vegetables, including potatoes. Serve some nice hearty, crusty bread with the stew.

[nerakrose]

thanks for the suggestion :D

[jesseh]

I would go with chili -- you can use a little or no ground beef, which makes it cheap. Can(s) of beans, can of tomatoes, maybe some tomato paste, onion, garlic, green pepper, some corn if you feel like it, chili powder (and/or cumin and ground chiles), a squirt of mustard if you have it on hand. I think that's it, as far as my "recipe" is concerned.

[nerakrose]

thanks, i hadn't thought of that :)

[doctor_denmark]

How about Enchiladas? There are a ton of different recipes, but they were always my go to recipe for a crowd.

I poach some chicken breasts in a little water and some taco seasoning, and then shred it, so you don't need a lot of meat. I generally fill them with the chicken, some refried beans and some cheese, and then top them with a red sauce spiced with chilli and cumin, but a friend of mine tops hers with creme freche or sour cream which is totally unhealthy but really delicious. You can serve them with some spanish rice to bulk it out even more and some salad or grilled veggies. None of it's complicated, and it's one of those meals that doesn't require a lot of work once it's in the oven.

[nerakrose]

i'll try it out sometime :D

[facetofcathy]

I did a double take on the last line about substitutions until I clicked onto the two meanings of apple cider. In the US and a lot of Canada apple cider is a non-alcoholic unfiltered apple juice, and the alcoholic stuff is often called hard cider. I blame me being slow today, since it should have been obvious from the instructions.

Now that I've got it straight in my mind which you mean, that looks really good and any excuse to buy Calvados is a good thing.

[indeliblesasha]

It's okay, I thought the same thing at first, and I have *no* excuse because I was just researching the difference between cider and juice in the US last week. :D

[abyssinia]

Is it in Canada?

I tend to drink hard cider if I go to a bar with people, because I can't stand beer.

Here in the States I'm used to ordering "hard cider" which is what I ordered when I was in Ireland and Wales and nobody ever blinks an eye. But when I was in Vancouver this summer, every time I ordered "hard cider" the bartender/waitress would give me a very confused look and ask, "do you mean cider?" I figured it was just a Canadian thing...but maybe not.

[facetofcathy]

A bit of guessing, and based on Wikipedia, which says, "parts of Canada," I think it might depend on how British an area of Canada is. Here in Ontario, which is apple growing country, apple cider is automatically understood to be the juice, and hard cider would be immediately understood in a bar, and you'd get a Strongbow. I would guess that Altantic Canada might use more British terminology like BC does.

[feuervogel]

I think this recipe would be brilliant with (American) cider and (British) cider. I mean, mulled apple (US) cider is one of my favorite things about fall, so using that instead of juice can only lead to good things.

[teapot_rabbit]

Mulled (American) Gravenstein apple cider is my favorite hot drink for fall! And now I want some...

[nerakrose]

had i known the difference i'd have stated it. :) here in scandinavia cider is alcoholic.

but i agree :D i'm trying to find a cheap bottle of it. <.

[via_ostiense]

Mapo tofu--the beef is optional; it adds flavor and makes the dish more filling, but mapo tofu is also great as a vegetarian dish. You can use water if you don't have stock on hand. Serve it with rice and stir-fried green beans or another vegetable side, and you've got a quick and cheap dinner. General strategies for cheap-but-filling dinners -- meat is more expensive than veggies, and it will serve lots of people if you chop it up into small pieces for a stew or a curry. I like Chinese and Indian dishes, which tend to use meat as a garnish rather than an entree, and have plenty of vegetables to round out the meal.

[nerakrose]

thanks :D

[geeksdoitbetter]

pasta salad

with lots of options in separate bowls so folks can mix and match at will

[nerakrose]

it's a good suggestion but the point is sort of to have a warm meal. :/

[geeksdoitbetter]

i hear you

half of all my pasta salads are warm

[tinpantithesis]

My college friends and I did a once-weekly meal, so I'm familiar with this style of cooking!

One of my go-to recipes was honey mustard curry chicken and rice or orzo:

1. Put a pat or so of butter in a clear baking dish in the oven at 425 to get the bottom all coated.
2. Coat chicken with dijon mustard, honey, and curry powder (it should be gooey and there should be leftover goo, if that makes sense).
3. Place chicken in baking dish; cook until done.
4. Make rice (or orzo); when it's finished, drizzle leftover goo over.
5. Consume.

Another recipe that's easy. You will need:

Kaiser rolls, one per person
Sliced cheese (provolone or mozzarella work well)
Portobello mushrooms
Pesto sauce (homemade or inna jar)

1. Slice portobello mushrooms. Cook them in a pan on the stove with oil, or butter, or whatever, as you will. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place one slice of cheese on kaiser rolls and stick in a 100-degree oven until cheese becomes melty.
3. If desired, spread pesto on non-cheesy kaiser roll halves and stick in oven for a few minutes. Otherwise, spread pesto on kaiser rolls, pile on mushrooms, and consume.

[nerakrose]

thanks, that sounds awesome :D