I do a lot of entertaining, as well as I consult on entertaining, and over time I've seen some menu options

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal live. John 3:16 (NIV)

Appetizer: My all time favorite appetizer is Brie Cheese and Fig Crackers, and they couldn't be easier. You'll need:

• Brie Cheese (how much you needs depends on the size
  of your party but count on at least a generous 1.5 ounces
  per guest).
• fig preserves (if you can't find fig, raspberry preserves
  also work beautifully here).
• crackers. You can use any variety of cracker although a
  butter cracker is my favorite (think Keebler Townhouse ®).

You have two options as to how to serve this. You can either set out the cheese with a knife, the preserves in a bowl with a serving spoon, and a plate of crackers and let your guests serve themselves. Or you can assemble the crackers ahead of time by taking a cracker, putting a scant tsp. of preserves on the cracker, then a piece of brie on top and putting them on a platter. Count on 2 to 3 per guest. What's most important here is to let the brie come to room temperature before you serve it - that way it will be at its creamiest and most spreadable.

Entrée: This recipe has been adapted from a Cooking Light ® recipe and I use it all the time. Not only is it delicious - but the salmon* resting on a bed of spinach looks so appetizing and elegant. Note that this recipe serves 6. Just double or triple it for your needs. And you can make the salmon the day before. After you cook it let it come to room temperature. Then refrigerate it over night and the next day let it come to room temperature before you serve it (If you'd like to serve it warm you can heat it up for 15 minutes or so in 300 degree Fahrenheit oven right before you serve it). Alternatively you can make the salmon the morning of the party and serve it at room temperature.

For the marinade and vinaigrette you'll need:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar (in the Asian section of the
  supermarket)
• 1/4 minced shallots
• 3 T. brown sugar
• 2 T. minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1T. minced garlic
• 3 T. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1.5 tsp. wasabi paste (in the Asian section of the
  supermarket - it comes in a tube)
• 6 (6 oz.) salmon filets
• 4 cups baby spinach leaves

Combine the first 7 ingredients above. Place 3/4 cup of the marinade mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Set remaining mixture aside - you will use it later to dress the spinach (you can keep it in the refrigerator overnight and bring it to room temperature the next day).

You will use the mixture in the Ziploc bag to marinate the salmon, simply add the salmon filets to the bag. The salmon should only be marinated 30-40 minutes prior to cooking. When you are ready to cook your salmon set your oven rack on the second to highest setting or whatever setting puts the broiler pan about 5 to 6 inches from the broiler element. Pre-heat the broiler. Then place the salmon on a broiler pan and broil 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Shortly before you serve the meal you will dress the spinach with the reserved marinade. When you go to plate the entrée, put some spinach dressed in the Asian vinaigrette on a plate (covering about 1/3 to 1/2 of the plate or so) and then set the piece of salmon on top of that.

The following Ginger-Garlic Mayonnaise can be made the day before the day of the party too and is a terrific spread to serve with the salmon - a little bit on the salmon is delicious! Simply mix all ingredients and store the mixture in the refrigerator overnight. Take it out an hour before your guests arrive. Again - this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Ginger-Garlic Mayonnaise:

• 2 T. regular or low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 T. plain yogurt
• 1 tsp. wasabi paste
• 3/4 tsp. grated, peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced

To round out the meal I would recommend a rice pilaf. It will look nice on the plate next to the salmon and the spinach and its taste and texture will compliment the meal. There are terrific rice pilaf mixes readily available in rice section of most supermarkets. Make according to the directions two hours before you are ready to serve. Once cooked - keep the rice covered. Serve room temperature or if you prefer, you can gently reheat the rice right before you serve. To do this add a tablespoons or two of water (per each package of rice pilaf) to the pot of rice and gently stir it to distribute it. Then reheat for 5 to 10 minutes on a stove top burner set to the low temperature, stirring every few minutes so the rice doesn't burn.

You can round out this meal with purchased rolls (I prefer rolls that have a nice, crisp crust to them) and butter.

*Note that you could also use boneless chicken breast for this recipe. Pound them to an even 1/3 thickness (for even broiling) before you put them in the marinade. If you don't have a mallet to pound the chicken with - use a heavy bottomed pan.

DivaFavors.com - Copyright 2009

Debra Rosenberg is an avid home entertainer, party consultant and owns Diva Favor and recommends these Baby Shower favors.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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