Sometimes you want to cook something that’s a little bit special, a little bit fun, but still within the bounds of everyday fare. “Cool, Blue, Sweet, and Spicy” is meant for that. Have it in the middle of winter and pretend you’re vacationing in a tropical climate.
Dinner for Four
You could easily scale this up to serve six or more … perhaps even a dozen. (Your only limit is the number of slices you want to get out of the cake.)
Menu: Kahuna Salad, Spicy Coconut Beef and Vegetables, Brilliant Blue Hawaiian, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Logistics:
- The Day Before, If Not Earlier: Prep, prep, prep. There’s so much prep. Consider getting all your prep done the day before. You certainly can do it all same day – that’s what I did when I put this together. However, if you split it into two (or more) days, the last day will be a breeze.
- Day Of: Start with the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Note: buy a larger-than-called-for pineapple. Slice off a few rings for drink garnishes and reserve a cup-worth of chunks for the salad.
- While the cake is baking, make the dressing and refrigerate until needed.
- Rice: you have a rice cooker, don’t you? I like to fill mine with brown rice to the “1” mark, water to the “3” mark, add a tsp of salt, and stir.
- Make the Kahuna Salad, stopping just short of adding the dressing. Have every salad thing beyond that ready to go.
- Complete the salad just before starting in on the beef.
- You can prep the Spicy Coconut Beef and Vegetables up to the point of heating the pan, and hold it there for a reasonable amount of time. Once you start searing the beef, though, dinner time is imminent.
- Serve the salad with the beef.
- I prefer to enjoy the Brilliant Blue Hawaiians after dinner, to cool down the spiciness. Of course you could have the cocktails before dinner. And you could have more of them after dinner. You could have cocktails for dinner for all I care.
- Have dessert at your leisure.
Cool, Blue, Sweet, and Spicy
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Ah HA! I knew there was a party blowing my way (on balmy tropical breezes)! I hope it was delightful. GREG
It could only been better if we’d had you there.
I see that my invitation to this dinner party got lost in the mail. We have a terrible mail lady, so I’m going to go out and yell at her this afternoon. This party sounds like an epic success!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Pulled Pork Tostadas
David, consider yourself perpetually invited to all my dinner parties.
I love how you give the instructions for the prep. Honestly, that is the hardest part!
Elle @ Only Taste Matters recently posted…40 Gluten-Free Cherry Desserts
Thank you!
I love the time you took to make this meal. I am sure it makes a big difference. Please send the warm weather my way!
Thanks, Peter. My philosophy is that if you spread out the work, it’s a lot more enjoyable.
THAT BRILLIANT BLUE is well… BRILLIANT! Whoa! Not a false title AT ALL! 😉
GiGi Eats recently posted…Don’t Do That! Do This!
I love your blog! …produced by Cubs fans haha. I’m from the burbs waaay up north AND I went to school in Hawaii so I’m loving this menu, especially the beef!
Thanks, Rebekah!