You can make exquisite Western dishes at home! 15 simple and delicious Western recipes for entertaining!

You can make exquisite Western dishes at home! 15 simple and delicious Western recipes for entertaining!

Hosting a dinner party or special gathering doesn't have to be stressful. With the right recipes and a little preparation, you can create exquisite Western dishes at home that will impress your guests. In this blog post, we've compiled 15 simple and delicious Western recipes perfect for entertaining.

1. Garlic Baked Mushrooms

Ingredients: Small piece of butter, 1 cup chicken broth, salt, pepper, mushrooms, ½ head garlic, dried parsley

Instructions:

1. Gather ingredients. Press garlic, wash and drain mushrooms, preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Melt butter in a hot pan.
3. Fry mushrooms over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
4. Flip and fry the other side.
5. Fry until golden brown but not burnt.
6. Add freshly ground coarse salt and pepper.
7. Add 3 pieces of chicken broth and bring to a boil.
8. Let simmer until liquid reduces by half.
9. Transfer to a heat-resistant container, top with garlic, bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
10. 2 minutes before mushrooms are done, add thick slices of baguette to the oven. Remove together, sprinkle mushrooms with dried parsley and serve!

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2. Scotch Eggs

Ingredients: Quail eggs, ground pork, breadcrumbs, eggs, seasoning: cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, sugar, onion powder, pepper

Instructions:

1. Boil quail eggs and peel (traditional uses chicken eggs, but they're too big!)
2. Season ground pork with cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, sugar, onion powder, and pepper. Knead until smooth. Take a portion of pork to wrap around a quail egg (you can marinate quail eggs in advance for flavor).
3. Roll wrapped meatballs in beaten eggs to coat evenly.
4. Roll egg-coated meatballs in breadcrumbs.
5. Fry in hot oil over high heat to set, then reduce heat to cook through.
6. Double-fry until golden brown and remove.

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3. Tomato and Dragon Fish

Ingredients: 1 piece dragon fish fillet, 2 tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, green onions, olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp cornstarch, freshly ground black pepper, pinch of sugar, ginger slices

Instructions:

1. Thaw frozen dragon fish fillet, cut into 1.5cm cubes. Add ginger slices, olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and a little salt. Mix well and marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Peel and dice tomatoes.
3. Blanch marinated fish in boiling water until cooked, then remove.
4. Heat pan, add olive oil, add diced tomatoes, stir-fry over medium heat.
5. When tomatoes release juice, add 2 tbsp tomato paste, stir-fry, then add half a bowl of water.
6. When water boils, add cooked dragon fish, cook for about 2 minutes.
7. Mix half a bowl of water with cornstarch, pour into pan, bring to boil, thicken sauce, then add 1 tsp salt and a pinch of sugar to taste. Serve.

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4. Lemon Fried Chicken

Ingredients: 1 chicken breast, 1 Sunkist lemon (about 45ml juice), 1 egg, 1 tbsp (15g) cornstarch, 80g breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp (30g) sugar, 1 tsp (5g) salt, 1 tsp (5g) custard powder, 50g starch, 3 tbsp (45ml) water starch

Instructions:

1. Cut chicken breast into 5mm thick slices. Use a knife to gently chop both sides.
2. Add a little lemon juice, salt, beaten egg, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and custard powder to chicken. Mix well, coat with breadcrumbs, press firmly on both sides.
3. Heat oil in pan to 40% heat, fry chicken over medium heat until golden on both sides and cooked through. Drain oil.
4. Cut lemon in half, squeeze juice. Pour into small pan, add sugar and salt, stir well and boil. Thicken with water starch.
5. Cut fried chicken into strips, pour sauce over and serve.

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5. Flavored Guacamole with Bread

Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados, 1 TBSP fresh lime juice, about 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 spicy fresh red chili, 2 green onions (white and light green parts only), about 2 TBSP chopped cilantro, baguette, a few small tomatoes (red/yellow)

Instructions:

1. Wash all ingredients and drain. Cut avocados in half, remove pit. Finely chop chili, green onions, and cilantro.
2. Scoop avocado flesh, squeeze lime juice, add sea salt, mash into paste. Add chopped chili, green onions, and cilantro.
3. Mix well, refrigerate (best to wrap with plastic wrap with wrap touching surface to avoid oxidation).
4. Heat a pan with a little olive oil, add washed and drained cherry tomatoes, fry until skin wrinkles but keeps shape. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Slice baguette.
6. Toast bread slices (in oven or pan, be careful not to burn). Spread guacamole on bread, top with fried tomatoes and serve.

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6. Baked Rice with Meatballs and Cheese

Ingredients: Tomatoes, onions, meatballs, cooked rice, tomato paste, black pepper, mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1. Wash tomatoes and onions, dice tomatoes, slice onions.
2. Heat oil in pan, add tomatoes, fry until soft, add onions, then add black pepper and tomato paste.
3. Spread cooked rice evenly in a baking dish.
4. Add fried tomato sauce.
5. Top with meatballs.
6. Finally, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake in oven at 210°C for 10 minutes until cheese melts.

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7. Cream Stew

Ingredients: White sauce: 25g butter, 25g flour, 300g milk, 4 chicken drumsticks, 1 potato (about 200g), 1 carrot, 4 mushrooms, 1/2 broccoli, 1/2 onion, a little brandy, salt, freshly ground pepper, 1 tbsp butter (for frying chicken), 1 bay leaf

Instructions:

1. Remove skin and bone from drumsticks, cut into bite-sized pieces. Marinate with a little brandy, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
2. Peel and cut carrot and potato into chunks. Slice onion along grain, slice mushrooms.
3. Wash broccoli, break into small florets. Blanch in boiling water (add a little salt and oil) before using.
4. Coat chicken with a thin layer of flour.
5. Heat 1 tbsp butter in pan, add chicken, fry until golden on surface and cooked through. Remove.
6. Use remaining oil to sauté onions.
7. Add carrot, mushrooms, and potato. Stir-fry, add a little salt.
8. Add bay leaf and water almost covering ingredients. Bring to boil over high heat, simmer for 10-15 minutes.
9. While vegetables are cooking, make white sauce: Melt butter, add flour, mix well. Add cold milk, stir well. Heat over low heat until surface bubbles and sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
10. When potatoes are tender, transfer all vegetables to white sauce pan, add fried chicken, bring to boil, simmer for 3-5 minutes (stir occasionally to prevent sticking).
11. Finally, add blanched broccoli, cook briefly, season with salt and pepper.

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8. Perfect Steak

Ingredients: 1 steak, cooking oil, salt, black pepper

Instructions:

1. First, choose meat. Select a fresh steak with evenly distributed fat marbling. Fat marbling locks in moisture. Choose sirloin or ribeye.
2. Don't fry immediately. Sprinkle steak with a little salt, place on a rack with a tray underneath, refrigerate for 1-2 days. This allows air circulation around the steak, making it more flavorful and tender.
3. When making steak, remove from fridge and let come to room temperature before frying. This prevents overcooking the outside while waiting for the center to cook.
4. Add a little oil to a pan, heat until very hot (smoking). Add steak (be careful!). Don't add pepper yet as it will burn at high heat. High heat creates a caramelized crust called the "Maillard reaction," where proteins and sugars react to make the steak flavorful.
5. Flip steak every 15-20 seconds. This keeps the outside crispy and prevents the inside from overheating.
6. To check doneness, use a meat thermometer inserted into the center: Rare: 45°C; Medium-rare: 55°C; Well-done: 65°C. Sprinkle with pepper before removing.
7. Finally, let the steak rest on a plate for 5 minutes. This allows fibers to relax and lock in juices. Serve with your favorite sauce and vegetables.

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9. Red Wine and Lemon Cod

Ingredients: Cod, asparagus, seasonings: olive oil, red wine, salt, black pepper, soy sauce, lemon

Instructions:

1. Rinse cod and place on a plate.
2. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
3. Add salt and rub both sides.
4. Add about 1 tbsp red wine and rub evenly.
5. Add black pepper and a few drops of lemon juice.
6. Add about 1 tbsp soy sauce.
7. Rub seasonings evenly, marinate for 20 minutes.
8. Heat olive oil in pan, add cod, fry over medium heat until golden on both sides.
9. Drizzle with soy sauce and red wine to reduce. Serve.
10. Heat oil in another pan, fry asparagus, sprinkle with black pepper, and serve as a side.

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10. French Cream Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients: Potatoes, heavy cream, butter, garlic cloves, salt, black pepper

Instructions:

1. Wash potatoes, peel, slice, rinse, and pat dry.
2. Lightly melt butter and spread on the inside of a baking dish.
3. Cut garlic and rub the inside of the dish.
4. Layer potatoes in the dish, season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour heavy cream to cover potatoes, then add another layer.
6. Repeat layering, seasoning, and adding cream.
7. Bake in preheated 160°C oven (middle rack) for 1 hour.
8. Move to top rack, bake at 200°C for 20 minutes (adjust temperature and time based on ingredients and oven).

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11. Caesar Salad

Dressing Ingredients: 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 soft-boiled egg yolk, 1 tbsp grape vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp sugar, 25g Parmesan cheese, 2 canned anchovies, a little sea salt and white pepper

Salad Ingredients: 1 bowl mixed greens, 1 chicken breast, 1 bread, 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, a few sun-dried tomatoes, dried fruits, sea salt, black pepper, a little butter

Dressing Instructions:

1. Put egg yolk, mayonnaise, grape vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, and anchovies in a food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Grate Parmesan cheese, add to step 2, mix well. Add a little sea salt and white pepper, mix again.

Salad Instructions:

1. Wash chicken breast, season with sea salt and black pepper.
2. Wash and drain greens, tear into pieces.
3. Cut bread into cubes.
4. Heat butter in pan, toast bread cubes over low heat until crispy. Remove.
5. Add more butter to pan, fry chicken until golden on both sides and cooked through. Cool and cut into pieces.
6. Add bread, chicken, and dried fruits to greens. Add Caesar dressing and Parmesan cheese, toss well.

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12. Olive Vegetable and Bacon Pasta

Ingredients: Pasta, bacon, salt (for cooking pasta), olive vegetable

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta as usual, drain and set aside.
2. Cut bacon. Fry in a pan with a little oil (or no oil).
3. Add pasta to the pan, then add olive vegetable. Stir-fry.
4. Use chopsticks to stir olive vegetable and pasta evenly.
5. Serve and enjoy!

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13. Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients: 350g ground meat, 1 onion, 4 garlic cloves, 4 tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp red wine, 1/2 tsp mixed herbs, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, salt/sugar, 1 tbsp cooking oil, 2 large potatoes, 20-30g butter, 30-40g milk, salt/pepper

Instructions:

1. Cut a cross on tomatoes, blanch to peel, dice. Dice onion, mince garlic.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan, sauté onion and garlic.
3. Add ground meat and fry until brown.
4. Add tomatoes, stir-fry until soft. Add tomato paste, stir-fry, then red wine, mixed herbs, black pepper, and water. Bring to boil.
5. Simmer for 30 minutes until onions and tomatoes are soft. Adjust taste with salt and sugar.
6. Reduce sauce over high heat.
7. Steam or boil potatoes, mash while hot. Add butter, milk, salt, and pepper, mix well.
8. Pour meat sauce into a pie dish, top with mashed potatoes, covering completely. Use a fork to create patterns.
9. Bake in preheated 200°C oven for 30 minutes until surface is golden brown.

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14. Ham and Corn Soup

Ingredients: 1 fresh sweet corn, 50g ham, 20g butter, 2 tbsp flour, 500ml water, 50ml heavy cream, seasoning: 1/2 tsp salt, about 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Remove corn kernels from cob (or scrape directly with a knife).
2. Boil corn cob in water for 10 minutes, reserve water (corn cob adds sweetness and aroma).
3. Dice ham.
4. Melt butter, add flour, stir-fry until golden.
5. Add corn kernels and ham, stir-fry a few times.
6. Add corn cob water, bring to boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.
7. Add heavy cream, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and serve.

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15. Organ Pipe Baked Potatoes

Ingredients: 2 large potatoes, 4 slices bacon, 30g COOK100 New Orleans Chicken Wing Marinade, 30g curry powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp chicken essence, 30g cooking oil

Instructions:

1. Peel and wash potatoes.
2. Cut every 4mm without cutting through the bottom.
3. Wrap in foil, bake at 220°C for 40-50 minutes (middle rack).
4. While potatoes are baking, cut bacon into 5cm pieces. Mix 30g marinade with 40g water, marinate bacon for 5-10 minutes.
5. Mix 30g curry powder, salt, chicken essence, and 30g oil.
6. After 40-50 minutes, remove potatoes, unwrap. Insert marinated bacon into potato slices. Brush with curry sauce. Bake again without foil at 220°C for 20 minutes.
7. Top with chopped green onions, sesame seeds, or cheese if desired.

By Chef Maria Carter

Cooking for others is an act of love. With these simple Western recipes, you can share that love with your friends and family while creating memorable moments together.

With these 15 simple and delicious Western recipes, you're well on your way to hosting a memorable dinner party. Remember to plan ahead, keep it simple, and most importantly, have fun! Your guests will appreciate the effort you put into creating a wonderful dining experience.