It's Party Time!

This weekend I threw a surprise party for my parent's 25th wedding anniversary. It was the first time that I have had to prepare food for such a big group and the task seemed a bit daunting at first. To start I had no idea what appetizers to serve nor had I ever really made many appetizers. In the end I settled on one dip, a fruit salad and a pasta salad. All were easy to prepare and only one required the oven, which worked out perfectly. The most difficult part was the sheer amount of prep work. Fortunately I had a handful of kind and helpful family members offer to help. My advice is to set up several stations, then no one is in each others way. We had a fruit and vegetable washing, cutting and assembly stations. I also had a separate area to work on the dip.  All I have to say is that I'm lucky my parents have a decently large kitchen. In total it took 3-4 of us about an hour and a half to prepare all three dished for 20-30 people. In the end it was a big success and everyone seemed to enjoy the food, especially the buffalo chicken dip. The recipes are as follow:

Garden-Fresh Pasta Salad

Ingredients
    1 pkg. (16 oz.) whole wheat farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
    2 cups  broccoli florets
    1 each red onion and red pepper, chopped
    2 cups  halved cherry tomatoes
    1 bottle (8 oz.) KRAFT Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing
    1/2 cup  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

    COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min.

    DRAIN. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Place in large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except cheese; mix lightly.

    REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Stir gently before serving; top with cheese

Fruit Salad

Ingredients

    * 7 ounces Greek yogurt (recommended: Fage Total)
    * 1/3 cup good bottled lemon curd
    * 1 tablespoon honey
    * 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    * 2 cups sliced strawberries (1 pint)
    * 1 cup raspberries (1/2 pint)
    * 1 cup blueberries (1/2 pint)
    * 2 tablespoons sugar
    * 3 tablespoons limoncello liqueur
    * 1 banana, sliced
    * Fresh mint springs

Directions

For the lemon yogurt topping, whisk together the yogurt, lemon curd, honey, and vanilla and set aside at room temperature.

For the fruit salad, carefully toss together the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sugar, and limoncello. Allow them to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes to let the berries macerate with the sugar and liqueur. Gently fold the banana into the mixture.

Serve bowls of fruit with a dollop of lemon yogurt on top. Top each with a sprig of fresh mint.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

Ingredients

    * 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
    * 2 cups cooked chicken (store-bought rotisserie or canned), shredded
    * 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce, recommended brand Frank's red Hot
    * 2 tablespoons butter, melted
    * 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing 

    * 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Cover the bottom of an 8x8" dish or pie plate with cream cheese.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, wing sauce and butter, and pour over the cream cheese-filled dish or pie plate.

Top with just enough blue cheese dressing and mozzarella cheese to cover (adding too much cheese will cause a thick skin to form that will make eating the dip difficult once the cheese cools).

Heat the dip in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with Scoops (Tortillas or Fritos) alongside for dipping.

 

Lenten Seafood recipes: Oven Roasted Cod with Herbs

In the spirit of Lent I'd love for everyone to share their favorite seafood recipes with me! I'm starting out the Lenten season with another simple and delicious recipe for fish. I particularly liked the breading used in this recipe. The flavors really complement the cod nicely. However, if you don't have any cod I think that most white fish would work well.

Oven Roasted Cod with Herbs

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
* 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 2 large cloves garlic
* 1 lemon, zested
* Coarse salt
* 4 (6 to 8-ounce) cod fillets
* Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Pile parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and a little coarse salt on the cutting board. Finely chop the lemon-garlic mixture, then combine with plain bread crumbs.

Dip each fillet in olive oil and then dredge in the bread crumb herb mixture. Brush a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of a baking pan then place fillet in the pan, crust side up. Roast fillets in oven until firm to the touch, about 12 to 15 minutes.

For the Love of Lasagna

I had a craving for lasagna this week, so I whipped some up. This is another one of my mom’s recipes and, as it happens, it’s one of the first things I learned to cook (probably because it's always been one of my favorite things to eat).  The nice thing about lasagna is that you can do all the prep work before hand and then just throw it into the oven 20 minutes or so before you’re ready to eat. It also makes for great leftovers.What more can I say? I love lasagna.

Lasagna

Ingredients 
*3 Tbsp. olive oil
*½ c. chopped onion
*½ c. chopped carrot
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1 lb. lean ground beef
*3 c. canned Italian plum tomatoes
*3 Tbsp. butter, melted
*1 Tbsp. basil, crumbled
*1 tsp. oregano, crumbled
*1 tsp. salt
*½ tsp. ground pepper
* ½ lb. lasagna noodles, cooked
* ½ lb. mozzarella cheese, grated
* 2 c. ricotta cheese
* ¼ lb. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Heat the oil in skillet. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic, and cook, stirring until they are lightly browned. Push to the side of the pan and add the beef. Break it up into bits, cooking until it loses its pink color. Purée the tomatoes in a blender or food processor, add to the meat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add spices and butter simmer 30 minutes partially covered. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Assemble the lasagna by drizzling some sauce over the bottom of a shallow rectangular baking dish. Put in a layer of noodles, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and spread on a layer of ricotta. Make another layer of noodles, sauce, mozzarella, and ricotta. Finish with noodles and sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly over the top and bake 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbling. (serves six)

Tomato Sauce challenge – Part #2

I believe I have found two winners. Listed below are a traditional marinara sauce and a tomato basil cream sauce. The tomato basil cream sauce is my personal favorite, but both are delicious. I found that in the end the key is buying quality San Marzano tomatoes and using fresh herbs. I promise you’ll be able to tell the difference, I certainly can.

Makes all the difference!!

 

I would recommend making double batches of these sauces and freezing half. I’ve started the habit of making a big batch of tomato sauce at the begging of the week and incorporating it in to other Italian dishes. And if you’re busy that always leaves the option for a simple pasta dish in the amount of time it takes to cook some spaghetti. 

 

Spicy Tomato Sauce     

                     

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (24 oz San Marzano canned diced tomatoes)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, and black pepper and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaf, and chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add the basil and oregano the last 5 minutes of simmering.

Remove from the heat, remove and discard the bay leaf, and pulse the mixture in a food processor or blender (can use emersion blender) until pureed but still slightly chunky. Serve immediately or store, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onions

·         2 teaspoons minced garlic

·         3 cups peeled, chopped, and seeded tomatoes (24 oz San Marzano canned diced tomatoes)

·         1 sprig thyme

·         Kosher Salt

·         Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

·         1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth

·         2 tablespoons tomato paste

·         1 cup heavy cream

·         2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·         4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

·         Sprigs of fresh basil, for garnishing

·         Lightly toasted pine nuts, for garnishing, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and thyme. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, and cook until the tomatoes give up their liquid, about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the chicken broth and tomato paste, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by 1/3 in volume (about 15 minutes). 

Add the cream and cook until reduced by 1/3 in volume (about 15 minutes), or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the butter and basil and stir to combine. Remove the thyme sprigs. With an immersion blender, puree the sauce. (Alternatively, the sauce may be pureed, in batches, in a blender - be careful if the sauce is hot as it may splatter.) Taste and adjust the seasoning and consistency if necessary.

It’s Grill Time!! – Chicken Tikka

This is another classic Indian dish passed down by my father. This one is super easy and packed with flavor. It’s perfect for the grill and a frequent member of our summertime cookouts.  As it happens, Greg is extremely excited  about his new grill and plans on cooking this dish frequently over the next few months. Another positive, for those who are a bit timid when it comes to spice, is that this dish, though flavorful, is pretty mild. It’s also easy to broil in an oven during the cold winter months.

Chicken Tikka

Ingredients

• 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 Cup yogurt
• 6 cloves of garlic
• ½ inch ginger
• Juice of 2 small limes
• 2 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup corn or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala

 Directions

Cube the chicken breast and set aside. Peel and  grate the garlic and ginger using a fine grater.  Blend the yogurt,  garlic,  ginger, lime juice, salt, sugar, oil and spices on  low in a food blender for about 10 seconds or less. Mix the cubed chicken breast with the tikka mix and let stand, covered in refrigerator for about 1 or 2 hours. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water prior to grilling. Skewer and cook at high heat on grill or broiler about 10 minutes.

Más Carne Por Favor - Carne Asada

In general I cook very little red meat of any kind. I tend to stick to white fish, shrimp or chicken. But, I’m thinking that’s a bit boring and I need to push my culinary boundaries. So here’s a dish that involves some round steak. This particular recipe is one that my mother picked up in Texas and was one of my favorites growing up.

Carne Asada

Ingredients

* Round steak (I usually use between 1.25 to 1.5 lbs.) cut into I inch strips
* 2 or 3 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
*1 onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic minced
* 1 tsp. cumin
* 2- 14.5 oz. cans Mexican style diced tomatoes
* (14 oz.) can tomato sauce

 Directions

Sauté onion and steak until browned. Add garlic, cumin, jalapenos, tomatoes and sauce. Cover and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours until meat is tender. Serve with hot rice.

Desert in a Flash – Lemon bars

I realize that using boxed cake mixes barely counts as baking, but this desert really is delicious. It’s one of Greg, Dad’s and my favorites. But then again how can anything that involves lemon, cake and cream cheese not be amazing?

Lemon Bars

Ingredients

·         1 Lemon cake mix

·         1 8oz. pkg. Cream cheese softened

·         2 eggs

·         1/3 c. oil

·         1/3 c. sugar

·         1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

Thoroughly mix cake mix, oil, and one egg until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup. Press remaining mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Beat cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Spread over crust. Sprinkle reserved 1 cup cake crumbs over top. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.