25 min, $25, Dinner for 2 – Oktoberfest

I love a great dinner -- eating out or entertaining at home. Frankly, the second worst part of being single is eating alone. Eating out every night can add up and my challenge in hosting friends for dinner is time. After working a 9 or 10 hour day, the last thing I feel like sometimes is spending hours preparing meal.

For folks short on time, but BIG on socializing, here are some of my ideas for hosting tasty, fun dinners without spending a lot of time or money. Tonight’s challenge… cooking dinner for 2 in 25 minutes for under $25.

I spent the weekend at an Oktoberfest festival and wanted to continue to the party. Themed cooking can be festive and allow you to express your creativity without a lot of time.

Menu

·        Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

·        Bratwurst and Onions

·        “Pretzel” Breadsticks

·        Assorted German Beers

The short cuts… buy bagged field greens for the salad. Pre-cook the brats by steaming before throwing them on the grill with the onions. Pick up Pillsbury Breadstick dough, fold into a pretzel shape, and bake. Need tips on the salad dressing? Mix olive oil, white vinegar, honey, lemon juice and stone ground mustard to create your own vinaigrette. The dressing also makes a great dipping option for your pretzels.

If you have extra time, decorate your table in blue and white linens and add fresh flowers àlà Bavaria such as geraniums or lobelia. And the music  - let’s just say it’s hard to go wrong with polka! Enjoy!

P.S. Mom and Dad, en route to Garmisch, hope you are enjoying food just as good!