I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love occasions. You know, birthdays, parties for a reason, events, that sort of thing. I'm a planner, so spontaneity doesn't always work for me. Pre-planned things, however, right up my alley.
Amie and I always have these grandiose ideas. Dinner parties, wine parties, cook outs, you name it. Well, of course we needed a holiday party, and to save time and money, potluck was the theme. My friends are well represented when it comes to food, so don't expect to see much store bought anything at our gatherings. I've managed to get my hands on a few of the recipes for the night, so I hope you enjoy! Here was our menu:
Spiked Cranberry Punch Cheesy Crab Dip Shrimp Salad Pasta Lasagna Panko Crusted Chicken with Spicy Sauce Dinner Rolls Red Velvet Brownies Sprinkled Cupcakes
This was some tasty punch. I'm not much of a fruity drink type of gal, but this was the balanced mixture between spicy, sweet, spiked and bubbly.
Spiked Cranberry Punch 1/2 bottle of spiced rum 1/2 liter of lemon lime soda 1/2 big container cranberry juice 1/2 liter club soda Squeezed some lemons and added lemon and orange slices
1. Combine all liquids over ice (add more to taste) 2. Garnish with sliced oranges
Shrimp Salad, refreshing and light! I don't have the exact recipe but I believe it was shrimp, dill, salt and pepper and some sort of milky sauce (maybe sour cream?). Whatever the case it was a wonderful combination.
This crab dip was literally impossible to resist. My friend Rachel made it and served it as an appetizer and it was very popular. Creamy and cheesy but not heavy. Perfect party food.
Cheesy Crab Dip 11 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 small onion, finely chopped 5 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 (6 ounce) cans crabmeat, drained and flaked 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder salt and pepper to taste Cheddar cheese Old Bay Seasoning Crusty Italian bread sliced into thin pieces
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, onion, mayonnaise, crabmeat, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread mixture into a 1 quart baking dish. Top with cheese and old bay and bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. 4. Remove baked crab dip from the oven, and stir well. Serve alongside bread or chips.
The chicken and sauce were made by Amie. Amie and I used to work at Outback Steakhouse. Oh wow I just admitted that. Well, truth be told, we sort-of loved it. And maybe ate too much of it, but that's neither here nor there. When Amie made the sauce for this chicken, she had Outback's Bloomin' Onion on the mind. The sauce is almost exactly the same! The chicken was a simple breaded chicken. Panko is crispier than reguar breadcrumbs and I actually much prefer it. This could easily be morphed into a chicken parm.
Panko Crusted Chicken with Spicy Sauce
Cooking spray 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup panko crumbs or unseasoned dry bread crumbs 1 cup grated Parmesan
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. Season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place eggs in a separate shallow dish. Combine panko crumbs and Parmesan in a third shallow dish. 4. Dip chicken first in flour, then in the egg and then panko crumb mixture. Transfer chicken to the prepared baking sheet and spray the surface with cooking spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven, serve with sauce.
For the sauce: 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayo 2 tablespoons ketchup dash of salt and pepper 1/8 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon paprika Dijon mustard... enough to get a small kick
1. Whisk all ingredients together and serve alongside chicken.
Happy Holidays From Fairfax!
You could easily serve this menu at your next dinner party. It's festive but not overly holiday. Maybe for your New Years bash? Eh eh? Think it over. And look for a fantastic dessert recipe coming at you tomorrow!
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the pad, Vanessa was passed out on the couches near Dad. And Mom's in the kitchen, cleaning cups full of nog, as I sit here and type, updating my blog.
My family is small when it comes to the holidays. No Grandparents come around, and Aunts and Uncles are scattered throughout the country. It's almost always been just us four. And really, it's all we need. Though we bicker and argue, like all families do, there's no time like Christmas to come together and remember what's important.
I type away as my Dad and sister lay motionless on our big blue couches, full from dinner and waiting for Santa. My Mom scrubs up the counters, and next I suppose she will finish the last of her wrapping.
I sit and type, listening to the faint music coming from the radio and soaking in the last moments of Christmas Eve, perhaps the best day of the year.
We've had the same dinner for as long as I can remember. Sure, we've made a few changes, but the main course has been the same since I was born.
Tonight was no different, and we sat around the table exchanging stories we've all heard a hundred times, laughed about how we never finish telling them and enjoy the few days where life slows down enough that we can enjoy it together.
Our menu isn't too fancy, but it sure hits the spot every year. A wine fondue with ribeye steak, baked potatoes, a big pan of roasted butternut squash, hearty rolls and a big spinach salad.
Every year it gets a little better and I think, once again, we've been successful. I'll let you in on some of the family recipes, and maybe next year, your menu might be more like mine.
Oriental Wine Fondue with Ribeye Steak 2.5 cups red wine 2 (10-oz) cans beef broth 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 tsp parsley flakes 1.5 tsp salt 1/2 tsp marjoram 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp garlic salt 1 bay leaf 1.5 pounds of ribeye steak (for four of us)cubed
1. In fondue pot, combine wine and beef broth 2. Add onion, parsley, salt, marjoram, pepper, garlic salt and bay leaf. Set heat control to meat setting. Bring to a boil and reduce to a cheese setting. Cover and heat for 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop. 3. For serving, turn heat control to meat setting and heat until signal light goes off. Spear one inch beef cubes with fondue fork and cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until degree of doneness. Serve with horseradish or blue cheese sauce
Blue Cheese Sauce 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup blue cheese 1 tsp worcestershire 1/2 tsp salt
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 2. Combine all ingredients on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until browned
Spinach Salad 1 package uncooked baby spinach 5 strips bacon, cooked 2 tbsp dried cranberries 1 oz toasted almonds 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 1/4 cup white sugar 2 teaspoons minced onion 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil
1. Combine spinach, bacon, cranberries, almonds and eggs in a bowl 2. Whisk remaining ingredients; toss over salad
We bought fresh rolls from the farmer's market and ended our meals with a big plateful of desserts which will be coming right at you in the next few days. Until then, it's time for me to go to sleep and listen for Santa on the roof.
Have a blessed night. Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!!
Forgive me for a short walk down memory lane. Sometimes my friends read this, and well, this top part is for them. I promise there is more food in here... it's just at the bottom!
I've had a lot of friends in my life. In and out they come and sometimes go. One of the things I've learned over time is that a good group is hard to come by. I can proudly say that I've got that, and we've been going strong since we were 14 years old. There are six of us, and I'm not going to tell you what we called ourselves in high school (it is embarrassing) but we still get together, and that is what tonight is about.
So, Naomi, Kristen, Amie, Lizzy and Rachel, forgive the photo montage of some of our not-so-cute moments, and let me gloat in the fact that we've continued to grow up with each other into the girls (women?) we are today.Through break ups, late nights, rough mornings and ups and downs, we're still going strong; here's to us!
Senior Beach Week, Myrtle Beach
Probably celebrating someone getting their learner's permit...
My 17th 80's Themed Birthday Party...
A Summer Reunion Before Junior Year in College
Naomi's Birthday 2007
Our First Theme Party... Britney Spears? Such Little Babies
New Years Eve... Still not 21 Yet
Senior Prom, Before Good Digital Cameras Existed, Apparently
All graduated from college and taking on the world. Scary, no?
And here we are tonight. Still goin strong (missing Kristen!)
Anyways, what you've all been waiting for... and without further ado, the food! The theme was Italian. The vibe was relaxed. The night was fantastic.
Naomi asked me to help her put everything which I was both excited and flattered. I guess I've become the foodie? Actually, all of my friends love food. Amie is my baking buddy, Lizzy is the vegetarian, Rachel is a huge fan of The Pioneer Woman, Naomi has always had an interest in different cuisines (I think she was the first to try Sushi) and Kristen, well, I'm sure she's a foodie too!
I put out an SOS and got a great idea for chicken parm with a garden salad from Lauren's Little Kitchen but unfortunately I forgot about Lizzy, who gave up chicken in high school, so that was nixed. We thought about doing something summery on the grill, but well, we don't know how to work Naomi's yet, so that was a no-no too. We contemplated Mexican, but lo and behold, Italian won. So, here's the layout:
Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad
Caesar Salad
Alfredo with Roasted Asparagus
Blueberry Pound Cake
And wine. C'mon, it's girls night!
I didn't include a step by step process because you'd probably hate me. This post is already super long. But, I did include the recipes and the final products so you can see how lovely it all turned out. Also, I should tell you that I made the cake in the morning and let it sit during the day. I made the Caesar dressing a few hours before the get-together (it needs chilling time). The tomato, basil and mozz salad is basically just assembly, so that can be right before the meal. The only thing left is the alfredo, which was the last to be prepared, and was served immediately. Here are the recipes, suited to feed 8 girls... including Naomi's little sister & friend. (All adapted from Cooking Light)
TBM Salad
What ya need:
6 tomatoes, each cut into 6 slices
3/4 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, also in slices
Pinch of salt
Pinch of Pepper
1 tbsp EVOO
3/4 cup fresh basil
What ya do:Arrange about 4 slices of tomato and 2 of mozzarella slices on 8 salad plates. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil. Top evenly with basil
Caesar Salad
What ya need:1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 cup low fat mayo
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
18 cups torn romaine lettuce
1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Croutons
What ya do:
1. Drop the garlic into a food processor, and process until minced. Add the next ingredients (through anchovy paste) and process until well-blended. Cover and chill at least one hour.
2. Place lettuce in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and top with croutons.
Alfredo with Roasted Asparagus What ya need:2 cups low fat milk
1/3 cup cream cheese (regular OR low fat.. not fat free)
2 tbsp AP flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
Cooking Spray
8 oz wheat spaghetti, uncooked
8 oz white spaghetti, uncooked
2 tbsp EVOO-- OR... if you have truffle oil!!
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
What ya do:
1. Combine first four ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add milk mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes or until mixture simmers, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Cover.
3. Place asparagus on jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° 10 minutes or until browned, stirring once.
4. Cook both pastas according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.
Place pastas and asparagus in a large bowl. Add cheese mixture, tossing well. Add evoo/truffle oil and pepper; toss gently. Serve immediately.
Blueberry Pound Cake What ya need:
2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup butter 1/2 (8-ounce) block cream cheese (low-fat or regular) softened 3 large eggs 1 large egg white 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 (8-ounce) carton lemon low-fat yogurt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Cooking spray 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tbsp + 2 tsp lemon juice
What ya do:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
3. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and blueberries in a small bowl, and toss well. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberry mixture and vanilla; pour cake batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cake. Cut with a serrated knife. Serve with whipped cream.
Whipped Cream
What ya need:1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 - 1/4 tsp lemon extract (optional)
What ya do: 1.In a chilled small mixing bowl and with chilled beaters, beat cream until it begins to thicken. 2. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla and lemon; beat until soft peaks form. Store in the refrigerator.
And that's that, folks. There is nothing, nothing like a night with the girls. Though we're all a little more grown up, some with boyfriends, serious jobs or big plans, hopefully we will remember where we came from, and who got us where we are.
Sometimes, nothing hits the spot like a big salad. I’m not talking about a few wilted leaves of lettuce with some stale ranch dressing, either. I’m talking about big bold flavors, tons of different textures, and a meal that satisfies. Serve it alongside some crusty bread, and you’ve got yourself a light dinner or a big lunch.
And, as always, you know I’m keeping it healthy… again, this recipe comes to less than 400 calories per serving (if you use what I did). You will have no idea you’re eating light, and this is a cinch to whip up. Without further ado, here goes…
What ya need:
For the vinaigrette:
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honeey
¾ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp red pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
For the salad:
6 slices Oscar Meyer Fully Cooked Bacon
Cooking Spray
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch pieces
Salt
10 cups lettuce (romaine, mixed, whatever)
¾ avocado
½ cup sliced tomato (I used grape tomatoes)
2 oz queso fresco
¼ chopped green onion
What ya do:
1. Prepare vinaigrette: combine first six ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir with a whisk and gradually add canola oil. Set aside
2. Cook bacon in a skillet in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan and crumble. Increase the heat to medium high and add chicken, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, cumin, or any other seasonings you’d like. Sauté about 4-6 minutes, or until browned
3. Arrange the lettuce on a large serving plate. Top with bacon, chicken, avocado, tomato, onion, and queso fresco. Drizzle vinaigrette and toss. Serve in four separate bowls.
I feel full but not stuffed, satisfied and happy with the turn out. The creamy avocado, salty cheese, crispy bacon, spicy chicken, fresh tomato and crunch onion all made a great base for the simple vinaigrette, which complements, not overpowers the dish.
Like I said, it’s a cinch to whip up, and most likely, you’ll have a lot of ingredients already. Toss in some black beans and pico de gallo for a more Mexican twist. I think I’ll try that next time. Til then, ta-ta!
Anyone know Robin Miller? On the Food Network? She's the really (annoying) energetic host of Quick Fix Meals? UGHHH that theme song...
"Out the door, beat the clock, on the run, never stop, manic frantic, I don't panic, life won't wait! It's crazy but I love it. I love this crazy life."
Anyway, yes, her theme song bothers me, and well, so does she sometimes, but the chick's got a point. Who wants to spend hours and hours cooking every night after a long day? Her premise is meal planning, making doubles and using them in other ways and using fast cooking ingredients to make her life easier. Well, I pulled a Robin! I don't know if I'm proud or ashamed? It was good though-and fast. Below you'll find the day #1 recipe, and then what I did with the leftovers to create a totally different meal. No manic frantic panic on this one. I can't believe I just wrote that.
Why oh why did I think parsley would make this look artistic?
What ya need:
1/2 lb steak (sirloin, flank, chuck, whatever)
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp each of cumin and chili pepper
Dash of salt
Couple grinds of pepper
Combine the salt, cumin, chili pepper and ground pepper in a bowl
Drizzle oil on the steak, then pat with spices... Grill! Donezo.
Dinner in a flash. I had this ready in no time and it was a yummy spicy steak with a kick. I only ate half and cut the other half into strips for Thursday.
I was trying to decide between steak fajitas or a big salad. Well, the salad won out. I used Boston Bibb lettuce, avocado, cucumber, onion, tomato, bacon and blue cheese dressing. This post is more about assembling than cooking, I suppose. Anyway, this salad was great but it was the steak that was the all-star. It's simple and I'm sure you have most of the ingredients at home already!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
So, usually a weekend on "vacation," aka, away from home, can totally derail any good intentioned eater. This was the first time in a long time where I returned home feeling just as good as I would have had I stayed here. I got a lot of help from a certain someone, but mostly just made good choices about what I ate, and where from. This first picture is a recipe that's just come to be known as "My Chicken." It's so simple but it's a recipe I make over and over again because people love it:
My Chicken Recipe
4- 4 oz boneless chicken breast (you can use thigh here too...breast is just healthier)
1/2 cup dijon mustard (any kind you like)
1/4 cup bbq or teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in a pan lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Pour dijon on both sides of chicken. Pour bbq/teriyaki on one side only of chicken (the top). Sprinkle parmesan on top of chicken. Bake for 20 minutes.
We made this recipe alongside Alex's favorite salad which is a Dole Mix of lettuce, craisins, pecans, and a really tasty cider viniagrette. Frosted cheerios again. Luckily this time Alex snagged me some fruit from the dining hall... How sweet. We went out one night, to a no-fail choice... Chili's! Obviously split the chips and salsa. I tried not to go overboard here. Something about chips and salsa always makes me gorge! I'm not the only culprit here. So, I ordered this Bbq Chicken salad. If I got it as it's supposed to be served, I'd be eating 1060 calories and 63 grams of fat. That's as much fat as I'm supposed to eat in a day. So, what I did was nix the cheese, most of the dressing, and leave some of the bacon and tortilla strips on my plate. Voilà! Success. The no fail fluffernutter sandwich and an orange... see.. I'm being good! This pretty much made my lunch. They now sell RED VELVET yoplait! 100 calories of cake-y deliciousness all crammed into one portable container. Count me in. This was so tasty. Alex said since I was being so good, I should reward myself, so we bought Sundae toppings. Here, it looks like a mess... but trust me, this was good. No fiber or good source of protein here... but this strawberry cream cheese on an everything bagel hit the spot Sunday morning/ Alex took a chance in the kitchen to make me this fluffernutter sandwich. The major difference between us: while I'm loyal to Skippy Creamy, he loves JIF Extra crunchy. What a shame. This was just a snack on my car ride back from PA. This is my homemade pizza. It's so good and I like that I can control what goes in/on it. I just buy Pilsbury pizza dough, and follow their instructions. Couldn't get easier.. and tastes better than delivery! My finished product alongside a salad. This was the night my family went to get Indian food. Everything you get is served with three soups, some broth based, others curry, green beans, yogurt dipping sauce, and a "dessert." I might have posted this before now that I think of it... maybe? Chicken Tikka. Yep... definitely posted this already. BLT on a slider bun... pineapple yogurt and a pair. Tasty enough. I've had these before...waffles with Greek Yogurt and bananas. The pre-finished product. This was a lunch I made from leftover chicken on a whole wheat wrap with some lettuce and avocado. It was a nice switch up from regular lunch. This salad was even better. I made it with a few cups of butter leaf lettuce, bacon, bbq chicken, avocado, black beans, tomato, onion and cucumber. It was so full of stuff I didn't even need dressing. So tasty, and not bad at all for you... much UNLIKE similar salads you can order out!!!
It's love your body week this week....so try to be thankful for what you've got!
