This post is bought to you by Best Recipes.
There’s a lot to be said for entertaining at home, especially if you don’t have lots of options locally. We prefer to invite friends to the farm, and it’s not just because we’re becoming homebodies in our old age!
The way I see it, entertaining at home has its advantages:
- Steaks don’t necessarily come nestled next to a large plate of chips.
- You can eat when you want.
- No one bats an eyelid when your kid drops their fork and climbs under the table to get it.
- You can sneak off between courses, bath the fork-dropping kids and put them to bed.
- The wine is eminently cheaper than at a licensed venue.
- We won’t start to clear the table until everyone has finished. Pet peeve!
- You can accommodate guests with food allergies.
- No one asks you whether you’d like sparkling or tap water. (More likely you’ll be asked why you’re drinking water!)
I’ve teamed up with Best Recipes in their search to find Australia’s Home Cook Hero. This month they’re looking for your best summer entertaining recipes. The author of the best recipe will win $1,000 and have their recipe published in Super Food Ideas magazine! Don’t forget us when you’re famous! To enter head over to their website and submit your best original summer entertaining recipe. Entries close December 31. 
These Teppanyaki Rolls are a fabulous for entertaining. They’re super tasty and a bit out of the ordinary – guaranteed to get your guests talking. Plus, if you’re careful about which soy and mirin you use*, they’re a lovely gluten-free offering for coeliacs.
Teppanyaki Rolls
Ingredients:
- 12 thin slices of beef (scotch/eye fillet work well)
- 1 tbs cornflour
- 1 tbs sugar
- 60ml mirin
- 60ml soy sauce
- 40ml sake
- 2 carrots
- 6 asparagus spears
- 3 green onions
Method:
Halve the asparagus lengthways, then blanch in boiling water. Cut the carrot and green onion into fine strips.
Lay the beef slices flat and dust lightly with the cornflour. Assemble the rolls, laying pieces of carrot, asparagus and green onion across the dusted side of the beef and roll up. Secure the rolls with a tooth pick if necessary.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, mirin, sake and soy.
Heat a little oil in a medium frying pan and cook rolls until lightly browned. Add the sauce mixture and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, turning the rolls occasionally until cooked through.
Remove the rolls from the pan, reserving the remaining sauce for dipping. Allow the rolls to cool slightly. Slice in half and serve. 
You know the other great thing about entertaining at home? You can stay chatting, sipping and nibbling until long after the waiters would have started stacking the chairs away and dragging the bins onto the street.
Then, after you farewell you guests, you can pop off to bed and leave the dishes for the morning….
What are your favourite things about entertaining at home?
* Some tips for making gluten-free versions these Teppanyaki Rolls.
Proper mirin should be gluten-free, but unfermented versions sometimes include a wheat based additive often labelled Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein (HVP). Substiute more sake if you can’t get your hands on one you’re sure about.
Soy sauce generally contains gluten. Try buying gluten-free soy (Kikkoman make a GF version) or substitute Tamari.
These look screen lickingly good. For me, the best thing about entertaining at home is knowing exactly what you’re eating, additives and all. This is especially useful if you’re feeding peeps with food intolerances and allergies, and especially useful for me, I just like to know what I am eating, (down to every last details.) I can’t help it, I’m a control freak! Plus I love the freedom of time, eating when you want and not having to rush off and leave the table afterwards, unless of course, you want to give your belly a rest on the comfy chairs (read, sofa!)
Exactly Sammie! Sometimes home entertaining is just better!
My mouth is watering. Sultana Bran just doesn’t cut it next to these!
My half a grapefruit isn’t stacking up either Jody! xx
Wow these look incredible!!! I, totally with you on loving the whole having friends over for dinner thing. So much more relaxed. Haha yes water??? What water!!??
Bearhands says water is what fish fornicate in! #classy
These look so delicious. Will have to give them a go!
I would definitely go for these if they were served at a dinner party. I love having people over to share food and drink too, you usually have better food at better value and it’s more relaxing!
Oh my I love these! So savoury and satisfying 🙂
Ai @ Sakura Haruka
These look super tasty! I love entertaining at home with homemade dips and salads and a good old BBQ!
Okay these look so nice that one day I am going to come and visit, just me, and DEMAND, very nicely, that you make these for me, I’ll bring the wine! x
Sounds fair!
These look absolutely delicious!! Also, I’ve just downloaded your cookbook and I love it. The recipes, the images, everything – it’s beautiful and very proffesional looking. Great job! x
Thanks Mrs BC, it was a labour of love and I’ve had some really lovely feedback about it this week! 🙂
What a fantastic idea. You should win the homecook hero!
I can’t win Tania, but I’d be thrilled to bits if one of my readers did!
these are awesome. Hubby likes making sushi for parties and I think these would be the perfect match. Entertaining at home is good because then I can wear my slippers if I feel like it xx
These look amazing! I like entertaining at home, I just don’t enjoy the cleaning up bit! I might try and do these for Christmas dinner/supper because they look light but would be filling.
It’s never a good idea reading a food blog at lunch time! I could eat at least five of those right now. YUM! x
Oh, Amanda! These look amazing! Love teppanyaki rolls but even love it more when you’re encouraging me to make them at home! x