Meals on Heels: Staying In is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

Meals on Heels:

Staying In is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

I have been set a challenge, and I DO love a challenge! MoneySupermarket have a “bloggers competition” running at the moment where they have asked us all to share our “night in” experiences with them and our readers – they even sent me £50 to spend on my night in too, which was a bit of a treat as I found £50 went a long way! For me, a GOOD night in has to be one where I am NOT chained to the kitchen sink (or cooker), much though I like cooking, a night in should be relaxing and fun, and that means buying prepared food or ordering a take-away. As I was staying with my daughter (and her flat-mates) at the time, I decided to invite them to the “party” and asked them what they would like for a night in…….the most common response was the same as me, take-away or prepared food, nibbles, beer, wine, a good DVD, music and FIZZ too!

Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

Armed with my £50 I set of for a food shopping spree; it seemed appropriate to get my appropriate foodie bits and bobs from Mr Marks and Mr Spencer, as there was one very close to my daughter’s flat, and I LOVE their nibbles and party-style food.  I decided to go for a “Mediterranean theme” and bought a selection of Spanish tapas and Turkish/Greek meze food. There was beer at home, as well as some Japanese sake too, but a bottle of fizz was needed, so I bought a bottle of Cava for those of us who wanted bubbles up our noses! Being amongst younger people was fun, and the evening turned into a rather “random” and “interesting” evening, with Christian Louboutin shoes as props and Texan Cowboy Boots, as well as some classic films being aired – One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest and The Rocky Horror Show, as well as the Little Shop of Horrors!

Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

The menu was: Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato Empanadas, Chorizo Empanadas, Fire-Roasted Mixed Peppers, Cheese Borek, Mozzarella Cheese Balls with Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs, Turkish Chicken Kebabs, Bulgur Wheat Salad with Pomegranate and Feta Cheese, Dolmas, Mixed Salami Platter, Pitta Bread Chips with Hummus, Grissini Bread Sticks and LOTS of beer and fizz! The dessert was Chocolate Mousse Profiteroles, although they were scoffed before I could take photos!

Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

The BIG night in props were unusual, but in keeping with our movie viewing selection! The table was set with all of the food, as well as candles, shoes with HEELS, wine bottle vases with a single rose, a Japanese sake bottle and small cups, some Transylvania mead and assorted glasses and mugs! 

Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

The “younger ones” dressed up, with Bobby, who is from Texas, wearing his authentic cowboy boots! Ann, who is tee-total (great – MORE fizz for me!) made a pot of green tea and had tea with her meal; Bobby drank beer and that DID leave all of the fizz for Hannah and me! The evening was fun, relaxed and the food was delicious, just as a night in should be. My only concession to home-made were a few pots of marinated olives – I did manage to serve some olives with two marinades: Bay, Ginger and Orange Marinade and Lemon, Orange, Herbs & Ginger Marinade.

My tips for a “Staying in is the New Going Out” night in are: 

If  you are cooking or preparing any food, make sure it is something that can be done ahead of time, and needs very little “finishing off” during the evening. 

Hire a few movies if you don’t have an extensive selection – it’s very cheap to hire DVD’s. Or, ask your friends (or family) if they have any DVD’s that will fit your evening theme.

If you are serving prepared food from a supermarket, then make sure you have enough room in the fridge to store it if you buy it well ahead of time. Likewise, if you need to reheat it, make sure you have enough room in the oven! 

Dress the table, room or the house well ahead, and don’t be scared to use unusual props – our theme was based around the Rocky Horror Show, so we had some “alternative” props, such as shoes, as you can see from the photos! They were fun and set the scene. 

Make sure the dishwasher is emptied before the event, if you have one; alternatively, have a sink of hot, soapy water ready for rapid washing of dishes between course. 

I hope you have enjoyed my Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In, it was a relaxing and fun evening, and I still had £11 left from my £50 budget, which I think was a cheap evening for four people – the evening worked out at about £10 a head, MUCH cheaper than going out and JUST as much fun with no drink-driving or travel problems to deal with. The recipe for my two olive marinades are below – they are perfect for a simple (and yet elegant) appetiser/nibbles course for a night in, and if you don’t eat them all, they can be popped back in the fridge for future dining. That’s all for today, I will be busy this weekend, as I am speaking and attending the BIG Food Blogger Connect 5 conference – so, I will try to pop back as and when I have time! Have a GREAT weekend! Karen 

RECIPES: 

Bay, Ginger and Orange Marinade for Olives

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Serves	1 jar
Prep time	24 hours, 5 minutes
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentines day
Region	Spanish
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

A colourful and tangy citrus marinade for black olives; the ginger and bay leaves add a a fabulous extra dimension to these olives, and they would make a perfect gift for a foodie friend.

Ingredients

• 100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 25ml Stem Ginger Syrup
• zest from 1 orange (or 2 clementines)
• 4 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 2 balls of stem ginger (finely diced)
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 150g black olives in brine (drained and rinsed)

Note

A colourful and tangy citrus marinade for black olives; the ginger and bay leaves add a a fabulous extra dimension to these olives, and they would make a perfect gift for a foodie friend.

Directions

Step 1	Place all the marinade ingredients, apart from the black olives on a Kilner jar or jar large enough to hold them and the olives and shake well.
Step 2	Add the black olives and allow to marinate for at least 24 hours before serving.
Step 3	Store in the fridge, covered and when the olives have gone, use the marinade for a salad dressing, or to drizzle over baked cheese.

Coriander, Lemon and Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade for Olives

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Serves	1 jar
Prep time	24 hours, 5 minutes
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Condiment, Salad, Side Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentines day
Region	Spanish
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

A fabulous and unusual marinade especially good with green olives; green olives are marinated with sun-dried tomatoes, coriander seeds, mixed peppercorns and fresh lemon zest for an amazing flavour explosion of tastes and textures.

Ingredients

• 100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 25ml Oil from a jar of Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• zest from 1 Large Lemon
• 2 Sun-Dried Tomatoes, in oil (drained and chopped into small pieces)
• 1 teaspoon crushed Coriander Seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Mixed Peppercorns
• 150g Green Olives in brine (drained and rinsed)

Note

A fabulous and unusual marinade especially good with green olives; green olives are marinated with sun-dried tomatoes, coriander seeds, mixed peppercorns and fresh lemon zest for an amazing flavour explosion of tastes and textures.

Directions

Step 1	Place all the marinade ingredients, apart from the green olives on a Kilner jar or jar large enough to hold them and the olives and shake well.
Step 2	Add the green olives and allow to marinate for at least 24 hours before serving.
Step 3	Store in the fridge, covered and when the olives are finished, use the marinade for a salad dressing, or to drizzle over baked cheese.

Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!

Meals on Heels: Staying in is the New Going Out – My Rocky Horror Show Night In!