Nourishing Recipes For A Crowd

We all know that feeling when you’ve got friends coming over and you’re unsure what to cook. Catering for a group can be daunting. It’s even harder to think of nourishing recipes for a crowd. All too often cooking for a crowd can result in that dreaded beige buffet, we’ve all been to one! I thought I’d share a little inspiration with a couple of my go-to nourishing recipes for a crowd. The best thing is, they are super simple, taste great and are healthy too.

Nourishing Recipes

When I’m cooking for a group, I’ll usually choose one theme or food from a particular place, then run with it. Choosing a theme makes it a lot easier to create a table loaded with food that all compliments each other. My favourite theme is Mexican, it’s colourful, tasty and can be super healthy. Remember, healthy doesn’t mean boring. Here are my go-to nourishing recipes for a crowd…

Guacamole

Guacamole is so easy to make and tastes SO good. Guacamole is the perfect nourishing recipe for a crowd. Not only does it taste amazing the prep time is fast. All you need to do is chop the onion, coriander, squeeze the lime and mash the avocado, then mix together and voila! I typically add red onion to my guacamole as I like the added crunch. When your catering for a crowd you will need tailor the amount of each ingredient to suit the group size.

• Avocado
• Fresh Lime Juice
• Himalayan Crystal Salt (pinch of)
• Red onion (optional)
• Coriander (optional)

Natural Ingredients

Using natural ingredients is the best. If you can, always go for organic. The nourishing properties are much more present in organically grown natural ingredients.

Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato fries are simple to make. All you’ll need to do is chop your potatoes into fries. Add a pinch of salt, a pinch of smoked paprika and olive oil. Then cook in a baking tray for 35-40 minutes. Again you’ll need to adjust the number of potatoes to suit the size of your crowd. Sweet Potato Fries are an easy, low-cost crowd pleaser!

• Sweet potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Himalayan Crystal Salt (pinch of)
• Smoked Paprika (optional)

Salsa

Salsa is a signature side. Perfect served alongside your guacamole and sweet potato fries. Again, salsa is a simple recipe with little fuss to prepare. Chop all your tomatoes into small pieces, chop the onions into small pieces and the coriander, add lime juice and salt. Simple.

• Tomatoes
• White Onion
• Coriander
• Lime Juice
• Himalayan Crystal Salt (pinch of)
• Jalapeno Peppers (optional, for an added kick)

Veggie Chilli

A veggie chilli is so easy to make and will compliment your guacamole, salsa and sweet potato fries perfectly. Start off by cooking onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a pan. Add some smoked paprika for an extra-smoky flavour. Then mix in red kidney beans and tomatoes. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Finish off the chilli with a splash of lime juice and fresh coriander, the lime juice adds a little acidity and it makes all the difference. Again the volume of ingredients required will be determined by the size of your group.

• Chopped tomatoes
• Coriander
• Smoked paprika
• Red kidney beans
• Lime Juice
• Celery
• Onion
• Carrot
• Garlic

You’ll probably notice that these recipes use a lot of the same ingredients. That means you can stock up on your ingredients and buy in bulk, this will help with the cost. Cooking nourishing food for a crowd doesn’t have to be beige and boring!

No-Fuss Preparation

If you’re a professional, or foodie entrepreneur, then you will probably need to look into commercial kitchen design ahead of setting up your venture. For any of us amateurs, then a kitchen with lots of prep space is essential. When cooking for a crowd you want ensure you have adequate space for chopping, dicing and whipping up a feast!

Stay fabulous

Christine