Sohrab and I love having guests over. We remodeled our kitchen with this in mind; it’s an open plan with an island in the middle that serves as everything from a prep surface to a breakfast/lunch/dinner table. Oh, and we store pots and pans in it – and Mjolnir on it.

The island is worthy.

Our kitchen has, unwittingly, become a gathering place. And though we covet take-out and EAT24 in its many forms, there’s something about a delicious home-cooked meal that I just can’t overlook. In this time of Starbucks drive-thrus and Chipotle delivery, the act of going to Sprouts and buying all the knick knacks you’re planning to cook alongside that organic steak feels nothing short of a triumph.

On Sunday we did just that – perusing the deli counter and just dodging the vegetable misters to find the perfect produce with which to produce a meal for Monday night’s guests – and returned to our car with a reusable tote full of steak, feta cheese made with goat’s milk, and four heads of some kind of fancy lettuce, amongst other things. I fell asleep that night with the first fifty pages of José Saramago’s Blindness being overridden by daydreams of the dinner to come.

If you allow yourself, you can really have fun preparing for a dinner party. Push the leftovers to the back of the fridge for an evening and craft a meal you can be proud of while dancing around to the cooking playlist on Apple Music. We started prep early to avoid a last minute rush, chopping the fancy heads of lettuce and marinating the steak in the AM. Here’s the how-to:

What you’ll need:

• mini potatoes! Preferably the colorful kind, ’cause it’s more fun.
• Heidi Ho Smoky Chia Cheeze (we found this at Whole Foods after watching an episode of Shark Tank!)
• your favorite cut of steak
• lemon juice (enough to cover that steak to marinate it!)
• your favorite steak seasoning (we love the prime rib & steak seasoning from Bob’s Country Meats & Deli, a local place with all things yum)
• veggies galore! We’ve got onions, baby squash, Brussels sprouts, etc.
• shucked corn on the cob (one ear per person)
• what my little container calls “garlic granules” – but really it’s garlic powder. We’ll sprinkle this on the corn before popping it into the [toaster] oven!
• tin foil
• heads of lettuce to chop and wash (or pre-prepped lettuce; whatever floats your boat)
• feta cheese
• ch-ch-ch-chia seeds
• walnuts
• thinly-sliced apples (of what you deem to be the best variety)
• balsamic vinaigrette

Now that the shopping is out of the way, it’s time to get cooking! It’s best to start with marinating the steak, because the longer it sits, the more flavorful the end product. Grab your gloves and place your steak in a bowl large enough to fit it all; sprinkle both sides of the meat with the seasoning, and cover the meat with the lemon juice. Set this aside in the fridge to keep it fresh.

Pour some water in a medium pot and bring your potatoes to a boil – but keep an eye on it! The starch in the potatoes tends to inspire the pot to bubble over, and nobody likes having to scrub a dirty stove. They’re done when you can stick a knife in very easily. Set these aside to cool in some Tupperware until it’s almost time for your guests to arrive.

Now it’s time to make the salad that I have been extremely addicted to as of late. Chop and wash your lettuce, thinly slice the apples, and toss them together. Sprinkle the feta cheese, chia seeds, and walnuts throughout. Keep this cool in your fridge until it’s ready to be devoured – and don’t forget to bring out the balsamic with it!

Shuck your corn. Place each ear on a square of tin foil and sprinkle each with those garlic granules to your heart’s content. Wrap them up in the foil and put them aside until you’re ready to put them in the [toaster] oven. Since we’re on the topic of veggies and tin foil, prep the veggies you chose and wrap the pile of them in tin foil to go on the grill later.

Once you’re ready to have some fun (aka actually start cooking things), start with the potatoes in the oven. These will act as your appetizer. 375 degrees for 20 minutes and you’re done. Serve the hot potatoes with the “cheeze” and you’re off to the races.

Since you’ve already done all your prep, the only thing left is to turn on the grill! Place your tin-foiled corn on first, since it will take the longest. Next your tin-foiled veggies, then your steaks. Keep an eye on things, and make sure your steak is cooked all the way through.

We served everything family style, and it was fabulous! There’s no photos of the end result because… well… everyone devoured it! We had a great time prepping and entertaining. What kind of dinner would you prepare for your guests?