New Years recipe ideas on a budget

New Years Eve is coming up and if you haven´t decided on what to serve I have picked some of my own favorite recipes from Delicious Tapas and have some great suggestions for you!

This is part three in this series and for this post I will focus on when you want to have a great celebration but you´re budget is limited. All of these recipes are really cheap to make but still taste great.

All recipes can be found in their original post that I have linked for each dish. I haven´t suggested any dessert but since I´m not that much into desserts. But if I have to recommend something I would go for any great ice cream, because who doesn´t love ice-cream?

New Years menu when you´re on a budget

Appetizers - we are starting off with some simple and great tasting appetizers, pimientos de padrons, a simple hummus on toast and some nachos with an avocado mayonnaise. This actually goes really good with beer but also with some cold white wine or something sparkling.

Nachos with pepper and avocado mayonnaise
Pimientos de padron
Hummus on toast

Starter

After some great tasting appetizers I suggest a potato soup with bacon and lemon oil, this is really simple yet refined and can be prepared way ahead of time and will give you time to spend with your guests.

Potato soup with bacon and lemon oil

Main course

For the main course I´m serving lamb skewers with a tomato salsa and yoghurt, since my original recipe is served as a tapas you can add some roasted potatoes and vegetables to make a complete dish. And why not a glass of red wine on the side?

Lamb skewers with tomato salsa and lemon yoghurt

Lamb skewers with tomato salsa & lemon yoghurt #129

Lamb skewers are a great and spicy tapas that is packed with flavor, buy ground lamb meat and combine it with paprika, garlic and herbs. Make sure to check the fat content of the meat because lamb meat tend to sometimes be really fatty and the next be very lean. A fat content at around fifteen percent is perfect. If you can´t find meat with the right fat level you can mix it with either ground pork or beef.

Lamb skewers with tomato salsa & lemon yoghurt

ground lamb meat
parsley
oregano
garlic
paprika powder
olive oil
water
tomatoes
white wine vinegar
salt, black pepper
yoghurt
lemon

Combine ground lamb meat with chopped parsley, oregano, crushed garlic, paprika powder, salt, pepper a little bit of olive oil and some water. Combine the meat. Fry a little piece of meat to check the flavor before shaping the meat for the skewers. When you´re satisfied with the flavor then shape the meat to fit the skewers and grill them on high heat on each side. Continue to cook the lamb in the oven until done.

Dice the tomatoes and combine them with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper and let marinade for one hour. Remove the liquid from the tomatoes and check the taste of the salsa.

Combine the yoghurt with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve the skewers with equal amounts of salsa and yoghurt.

Chicken skewers with smoked paprika and mint yoghurt #108

What makes this taste really good is the Spanish smoked paprika powder I picked up during vacation, with a little luck you can find it in a good grocery store otherwise search online because the taste is great and can be used for all lot of stuff.

Chicken skewers with smoked paprika and mint yoghurt

wooden skewers
chicken breast
dried Provencal herbs
smoked paprika powder
Greek yoghurt
olive oil
fresh mint
lemon juice
salt, pepper

Soak the wooden skewers in water, this will keep the skewers from burning and it won´t split a easily. Cut the chicken breast in stripes, about 3-5 pieces for each breast is usually a good size. Combine the chicken with olive oil, smoked paprika powder and the dried Provencal herbs and let marinate for an hour.

Meanwhile chop the mint and combine with the yoghurt and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Then thread the chicken on the skewers and grill or fry in a pan. If the skewers are to long to fit in the pan you can fry them without the skewers and add them after frying. Fry until cooked through and serve immediately.