It can feel overwhelming to try and cater a healthy meal for your guests. Instead of reaching for the veggie platter at your next event try serving these healthy alternatives.

Pan-Crisped Salmon

This savory pan-crisped salmon dish is a hearty, healthy meal to serve your guests. Guests will appreciate the healthy option and it’s easy to serve with rice, potatoes, vegetables or a salad!

Fajita Bar

Veggies and a lean meat of your choice with tortillas are a perfect healthy way to get your protein and veggies at your event. And the best part of this flavorful meal is you and your guests can assemble them yourselves so you can portion according to your preference.

Quinoa Burgers

This quinoa burgers are topped with roasted red pepper, mayo, and the optional bacon (we can all afford to cheat a little). These juicy, pan-seared quinoa patties are a great healthy alternative to regular patties while still being delicious. We bet you guests will be coming back for more without the guilt of seconds.

Parmesan Crusted Butternut Galette

There’s something about the sweetness of squash, the caramel brown butter, the tangy parmesan and the crunchy sage that makes your mouth water. Butternut squash is a healthy alternative that doesn’t taste healthy at all. This delectable galette is a perfect healthy pastry for your event.

Healthy Party Cocktails

Alcoholic drinks can be a sneaky source of calories, sugar, and even salt—but don’t worry. We consulted our experts here at Gil’s for a few healthier alternatives.

Fruit Mojito

Prep a classic mojito, but before pouring in the rum and soda, muddle in ¼ cup fresh or thawed frozen fruit like strawberry, blueberry, mango, or kiwi in the bottom of the glass. Top with ice, rum, and seltzer and garnish as desired!

Pom Cosmo

In a shaker with ice, combine 1 shot pomegranate vodka, 1 shot orange liqueur, and the juice of 1 lime. Shake, strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a slice of lime.

Rosemary-Cucumber Lemonade

Stir together juice from 3 lemons and 1 teaspoon honey. Add 1 shot rosemary-infused vodka and ¾ cup seltzer. Garnish with a cucumber spear and lemon wedge.

Lemondrop

In a shaker with ice, combine ⅓ shot. vodka, ⅓ shot fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon honey.

White Sangria

In a wine glass, combine two strawberries (halved), ½ a fresh peach (diced), ½ a pear (diced), 2 shots white wine, and ¼ cup seltzer.

Gin and Juice

Pour over ice: ½ cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice, 1 shot of gin, and ½ cup seltzer.

Watermelon Margaritas

Combine watermelon, a ½ cup tequila, 2 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon Triple Sec in a blender; process until smooth. Fill each prepared glass with ½ cup crushed ice. Add ½ cup margarita to each glass. Garnish with lime wedges or melon balls, if desired.

Raise your hand if you are all for free drinks! Flowers and food might be an important part of a DFW wedding party but can we be honest here for a second? The first thing 90% people do at a wedding is make a beeline for the bar! Okay, so we might have made that statistic up..a bit..but you know it’s not that far off the mark.

We guess it’s the stress that drives guests straight to the bar; single folks are stressed out by all the ‘so who are you seeing?’ Q and A coming their way; introverts are stressed out because they have been seated at a table with strangers; the rest of them just want to enjoy the free drinks.

Now for the bride and groom, providing all your guests with adequate liquor without breaking the bank might seem like a tough feat to accomplish. That’s why we contacted some experts and came up with these golden nuggets of advice on how to avoid the wedding cocktail pitfalls.

Self-serve drinks option might backfire

If you think giving people easy access to drinks will ease the pressure off the bar, think again. We have actually seen this tactic go so wrong that it’s not funny. People put up these huge nooks filled with beer or punch and hope that guests will help themselves. The problem is guests end up drinking way way more than they should!

It’s like giving an ice-cream lover a tub of Ben n Jerry’s, and hoping they will only eat one scoop out of it! If you don’t want to end up with an out-of-control (and expensive) situation at your hands, don’t do it.

Champagne toast is highly overrated!

Yes, you heard that right. A lot of our event organizers confessed that they end up throwing most of the champagne away because not all people enjoy the same kind of sparkling wine. What might be a favorite of one person could be too tart or too sweet for another.

If you think an expensive sparkling wine will be loved by all because well, it’s expensive, think again. Most people don’t even notice the difference between expensive champagne and less-expensive wine! So, instead of pouring your money on champagne, let your guests toast with whatever they are drinking.

Having only one bar

Unless you are going to have a small wedding party, it’s imperative to have a second bar. Why? Consider this real-life situation: the one-and-only bar is totally packed and guests know that they’d have to wait a long time to get their next drink, so they end up ordering a double or triple of what they originally planned to save that extra trip!

Serving expensive liquor to specific guests

Other than the fact that it looks super rude when bartender pours a pricey single-malt whiskey for your favorite uncle and less-expensive liquor for guests standing right behind him, this tactic also creates a strange kind of vibe.

Instead, choose to serve the pricey stuff for a certain portion of the party, like the first couple of hours.

Consider the changing weather

People love getting married in fall and spring – two of the most fluctuating-temperature seasons! If you are unsure about the weather on the day of your wedding, consider having two options for the signature wedding cocktails; one for cold weather, and one for warm weather.

Weddings are a celebration of love and unity. However, at Gils Elegant Catering, weddings are also a time to enjoy some delectable food that teases your taste buds like no other.

Are you looking for the best time and place to incoporate some fun menu items into you Dallas wedding? Cocktail hour has a very relaxed and fun aura, so it’s a great time to get creative with the food.

Here are a couple fun favorites when it comes to hor d’oeuvres at your wedding.

Fried Chicken and Waffles

Chicken and waffles can get really filling. You don’t want your guests to miss out on the delicious catered dinner, so miniature versions are a total hit. Bite-size pieces of fried chicken and tiny circle waffles are a delicious option.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Tomato soup served in a shot glass along with wedges of grilled cheese sandwiches will tantalize your guests’ taste buds and leave them craving for more.

Mini Corn Dogs

Corn dogs aren’t just for the kiddos anymore! Mini corn dogs are guaranteed to be a favorite. Serve them with a small dollop of mustard and ketchup and maybe even a shot glass full of beer.

Skewers

Skewers served on a tray are both chic and beautiful. Get creative with your choices of what goes on the skewer, consider what you and your soon-to-be spouse love and incorporate some of those ideas here.

Sliders

Almost always a guaranteed favorite mini burgers are a must for our fun loving couples. Lay out a range of options for your guests to choose from.

 

The best part about bite-size food portions is that you can really introduce your guests to flavors that you love and give them a preview into the type of meal or event they are about to experience. Choose your preferred route and get creative.

Vibrant Springtime Recipes 

Bold spring flavors are some of the best event menu items!

A spring season inspired menu is nothing if not colorful, flavorful and refreshing. And with the Texas weather approaching its hottest, we could do with the refreshing! We’ve curated some lip smackin’ springtime recipes that would be perfect for your next dinner party – recipes straight from the Gil’s kitchen, that’ll make you taste the spring season!

Seared Ocean Trout, Mashed Fava Beans, and Hon Shimeji Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces 6 oz. ocean trout
• 1 lb. hon shimeji mushrooms, roots removed and separated
• 1 cup fava beans, peeled
• 1 cup English peas, peeled
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 T. parsley, chopped
• 2 T. butter
• 4 T. Crème fraiche

Recipe

Blend the fava beans and peas in a food processor to create a coarse paste. Add the minced shallot in a little olive oil over low heat. Add the fava bean-pea mixture to the shallot and mix well. If needed, add a splash of water to keep moist. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the chopped parsley. Reserve.

Season the fish with salt and pepper and set aside. Put a heavy bottom sauté pan over high heat; add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and take the fish – sear flesh side down for about 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium and let fish cook slowly for 2-3 more minutes. On another burner, heat another sauté pan over medium heat, add butter and sauté the mushrooms until tender.

To serve, put a spoon of the fava bean/pea blend in the center of a plate, add a little mushroom on the side with the fish on top. Garnish with the crème fraiche and a few pea shots.

Beet & Strawberry Salad with Strawberry and Poppy Seed Dressing

This salad is not only deliciously colorful but also a blast of antioxidants – something your skin would be thankful for!

Ingredients:

For Salad:

• 1 bunch red beets, medium
• 1 bunch yellow beets, medium
• 2 pints fresh red strawberries
• 10 oz. arugula
• 3 oz. goat cheese
• Aluminum foil (to wrap the beets)

For Dressing:

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 tbsp. poppy seeds
• 6 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar, granulated
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

Preheat oven to 425*F. Coat the beets in olive oil and wrap them up in the foil. Roast them directly on the preheated oven rack for an hour. Pierce them with a fork to check if they’re done. Let them cool, then peel off the skin and chop into square-shaped chunks.

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender, except the oil and the poppy seeds, and blend until smooth. Then slowly add oil to the blender and blend for 5 seconds.

Transfer the arugula and beets in a large mixing bowl and drizzle the dressing generously. Add the poppy seeds and crumbled goat cheese on the top while serving.

Chilled Snap Pea Soup

This snap pea soup is really easy to prepare and it’s perfect for those spring evenings when there’s a slight chill in the air.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh snap peas
• 1 shallot, mined
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. kosher or Himalayan salt

Recipe

Sauté the garlic, shallot, and the peas in butter over a low heat until they tender. Then, mix the sautéed ingredients with the rest of the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add seasoning to taste.

Asparagus with Turmeric-Spiced Almonds

This sweet-spicy asparagus recipe is a must have for your rehearsal dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup almonds, sliced
• 1 lb. asparagus, soft stems, 3-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 pinch turmeric
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp. grape seed oil,

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 325*F. Cover a baking sheet with some oil and set aside. Take a small bowl and mix the turmeric, salt, cumin and agave. Then slowly add the almonds as to coat thoroughly. Spread the coated almonds on the prepped baking sheet and bake for 6-7 minutes until light golden. Set aside.

Set a large heavy skillet over medium heat and add the remaining oil. Then add the asparagus and cook lightly for 5 minutes until soft. Take a serving dish and add the asparagus. Top with lemon juice and almond dressing.