Whats For Dinner? Plan An Exotic Dinner Cooking Gourmet food for your family need not always be an expensive affair.It's possible to save on grocery bills without compromising on flavour and flair.Here's a three-course meal with recipes which are easy to make.So go ahead and grace your table with a deliciuos, balanced meal which looks great too.While the velvety-smooth, pumpkin dill seed soup is a perfect warm up for the delicious meal to follow, the lasagne with a spinach and cottage cheese filling, served with garlic celery bread makes a hearty main dish.The warm honeyed noodles, served with vanilla ice-cream is a wonderful wrap-up to this exotic dinner.A perfect table layout will create the right ambience to enjoy this fare.Be creative, lay out a wonderful spread and surprise your family with a meal that looks a lot more elaborate and expensive than it actually is. 1.Celery Garlic Toasts:
Softly crunchy and aromatic-a hot favourite, always.
Makes 12 pieces.
Ingredients:
12 French bread slices 20mm(3/4") thick, 1 tsp garlic paste, 2 tbsp celery(finely chopped), 2 tbsp butter(softened). Method:
Combine the celery, garlic and butter and mix well.Apply the celery-garlic mixture generously on the French Bread slices.Arrange the slices on a baking tray.Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180degree C(360 degree F) for 3-4 minutes.Serve hot. ********************************************* 2.Pumpkin And Dill Seed Soup:
A creamy, wholesome, delicately-coloured warm-up.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
3 cups red pumpkin(cut into cubes), 1 tsp dill seeds, 2 tbsp onions(chopped), 2 tbsp fresh cream, 2 tbsp butter, salt and pepper to taste.
For the garnish:
Chopped spring onion greens. Method:
Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the dill seeds and onions and saute for a few minutes.Add the pumpkin pieces and stir for a few minutes.Add 3-4 cups of water, salt and pepper and cook till the pumpkin is tender.Puree the soup in a blender till smooth.However if you want a really smooth soup, you will have to strain the pureed soup.Add the cream and bring to a boil once again.Serve hot, garnished with spring onion greens. ********************************************* Next | 
