Tangy & Healthy

The pleasure of entertaining
Entertaining is having anyone other than your immediate family share food and drinks with you. The pleasure lies in the anticipation of sharing, and of actually having your friends around you and enjoying every moment of it. One should get great pleasure in the anticipation of entertaining right from the beginning planning, who to invite and what food and drinks to serve them. Entertaining is more of an art than just another job. It is a creative social pursuit bringing together friends and family which should bring a measure of joy and happiness to all, hosts and guests alike. Positive thinking will make everything easy and enjoyable. For new house-makers, I hope the following series of articles in which I will deal with the process of planning and organising parties will be of some use. And to my party-experienced readers, I hope you will enjoy the recipes and overlook my party advice.

Types of parties
There are many different reasons for entertaining, ranging from informal dinners, afternoon teas and lunches to very formal affairs. Some common family parties are birthdays, wedding anniversaries/other wedding related functions, Iftar and Eid parties.

Preparing for the party
To make your party most enjoyable and successful, sufficient preparation is required. Whatever the reason for the party, it is important for the host or hostess to be able to enjoy it as well. So plan ahead and make a list of what needs to be done to make your party successful. Preparation involves thinking about:

The reason for the party e.g. any special occasion.

The space where you will hold your party should be tidy and large enough to accommodate all your guests comfortably.

You should have enough chairs for your guests to sit on and space for them to move about.

You need to make a guest-list keeping track of the acceptances or regrets as they come in.

Planning the menu while keeping in mind the number of guests, and giving thought to the balance, health aspect, presentation etc.

Drinks.
Creating a party atmosphere.
Organisation on the day of the party.

Don't forget to tell your building's doorman/caretaker that you are expecting guests and ensure that adequate parking space is available.

As soon as you send out the invitations, chalk out the menu and prepare a shopping list of the food and drinks you will need and all the other items.

Keep a list of all the other important things you need to do, for example, check that fresh soap (use a dispenser) and hand towels are put in the bathrooms. Keep crossing out and adding as you go along.

To welcome guests, I am giving recipes of a most healthy thirst-quenching drink and a dip/finger food.

Fruit Punch
3 oz ginger (chopped)
Sugar substitute according to taste
1 cup lemon juice (fresh)
1 ½ cup orange juice (fresh)
1 cup water
2 cups club soda
Ice cubes as needed

Boil ginger in 1 cup of water in low heat for about 15 minutes. Strain and let it cool. Add lemon and orange juice and also sugar substitute, refrigerate until needed. Just before serving, add cold soda and ice cubes.

Waldorf Dip
1 red apple (roughly chopped)
A handful of coriander & mint leaves roughly chopped
¼ cup walnut pieces
½ lemon juice (use half a lemon)
White pepper, salt & nutmeg
1 cup low fat soft cheese

(If low fat cheese is not available, hang 1 ½ cup home made yoghurt made from fat free or low fat milk in a cloth for about 5 to 6 hours).

Place the chopped apple, coriander and mint in a blender with the walnuts, lemon juice and a good pinch of pepper and salt. Blend quickly so that the vegetables are not pureed but remain in very small pieces. The red apple peel should give a fleck of colour here and there.

Grate nutmeg to taste into the mixture.

With a wooden spoon, work the mixture into the cheese. If the consistency is too stiff for dipping, add a little apple juice. If it is too thin, add 1 to 2 tsp oats and leave for 30 minutes or more.

Serve with slices of carrot and cucumber, cut vertically to give a long 'plank' shape; sticks of celery that are the same size as the carrots; triangles of sweet red or green pepper; thin slices of apple dipped in lemon juice to prevent from browning.

You can also serve the dip with whole-wheat toast fingers, pita bread or chapattis cut into thin slices.

Calories- About 75 to 110 a serving
Suitable for diabetics
Low fibre
Very low salt (using homemade cheese and omitting salt)