Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce March 15, 2007

Ingredients
1 lb. Chicken Breast (Thiny Sliced)
1/2 C. Creamy Peanut Butter
2 T. Lemon Juice
2 T. Soy Sauce
2 t. Ginger (Fresh)
2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
1 t. Sesame Oil
1/2 t. Sugar
1/4 t. Red Pepper Flakes

Method
1. Thread chicken onto skewers. Mix rest of ingredients and set aside some for dipping. Thin out rest with water, then pour over skewers and marinate overnight. Grill and dip in sauce.

I made these for our Tapas and Sangria Shower. They are yummy, can be made in advance and are easy for people to carry around.

White Bean Dip with Rosemary Olive Oil March 15, 2007

Ingredients
1/4 C. Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
2 Cans White Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
Dash of Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
3 Sprigs Rosemary

Method
1. Cook half the olive oil and garlic for one minute. Pour into food processor. Add white beans, lemon juice and salt. Process.
2. Wipe out pan. Add remaining olive oil and rosemary. Warm 3 minutes. Remove and let cool 10 minutes. Strain out rosemary and drizzle olive oil over bean dip (to taste).
3. Mince 1 t. rosemary and sprinkle over top
4. Dip veggies, bread and/or tortilla chips

I made this for our Tapas and Sangria Shower and it was the only thing I wasn’t happy with, but I’m posting the (amended) recipe because I know how to make it better now that I’ve made it once. The original recipe called for far to much lemon juice and salt. I actually had to throw out half of it and add a new can of just beans and it was still too salty. The recipe also calls for too much rosemary olive oil drizzled over top. It should be just enough to look pretty, not so much it makes your dip oily. This is essentially a jazzed up hummus. It would be really nice to have this recipe, traditional hummus and a red bean hummus (made exactly like regular hummus but with kidney beans instead of chickpeas) as a treo with fresh chips and veggies.

Mini Pork BBQ Sandwiches March 15, 2007

Ingredients
1 Container Premade Pork BBQ (in meat case at grocery store)
French’s Fried Onions
Really good, fresh whole wheat dinner rolls (cut in half)

Method
1. Heat the Pork BBQ in the microwave, spoon onto cut rolls, top with French’s Fried Onions, stick with a toothpick

I made these for our Tapas and Sangria Shower. They are very, very easy and quick, and kids really like them (adults too!). You could also make your own pork BBQ in a crockpot, but if you’re like me and making 3,000 dishes for a party, sometimes you just need something that’s easy to round out the table! These are essentially pork BBQ “sliders”.

Prosciutto & Gruyere Pinwheels March 15, 2007

Ingredients
3 oz. Gruyere Cheese (Finely Grated)
4 t. Fresh Sage (Chopped)
1 Puff Pastry Sheet
1 Egg (Lightly Beaten)
2 oz. Prosciutto (Thinly Sliced)

Method
1. Combine gruyere and sage. Cut pastry in half (on the short side). Brush far side with egg. Arrange half of prosciutto (not on the egg) and top with half the gruyere mixture.
2. Roll. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
3. Cut into wheels and bake at 400 degrees on a lightly greased baking sheet, cut sides down, 1 inch apart, 14-16 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm

I doubled this recipe and made these for our Tapas and Sangria shower. They were really yummy (although I wish I had a way to keep them warm longer) and super easy, yet fancy looking at the same time. They’re perfect for this type of party because you can make them in advance and bake them right before your guests arrive. I staggered the baking of the 2 batches so there were fresh ones a few different times.

Zucchini Fritters March 15, 2007

Ingredients
4-Zucchini (Grated)
5-6 Scallions (Finely Chopped)
9 oz. Feta (try to find the stuff in water, it tastes better…)
Small Bunch Fresh Parsley (Chopped)
4-Leaves Fresh Mint (Chopped)
1 T.-Dried Mint
1 t.-Paprika
1 C.-Flour
Salt and Pepper
3-Eggs (Beaten)
Olive Oil For Frying
3-4 Limes (Cut Into Wedges)

Method
1. Grate zucchini and squeeze to eliminate wetness. Put chopped scallions and feta in a bowl. Mix. Add parsley, all the mint and paprika. Mix. Add flour and season well with salt and pepper. Mix. Gradually add egg and mix thoroughly. Add zucchini and mix well.
2. Heat olive oil and drop heaped teaspoonfuls in. Cook about 2 minutes each side until golden, then transfer to paper towels to drain.
3. Spritz with lime juice just before eat. May be served at room temperature.

I made these for our Tapas and Sangria shower. They were on my favorite foods in Greece and I tried many recipes before I found this one. Bryan hates feta and mint, but really enjoys these. They’re good because you can make them earlier in the day, put them in the refrigerator, then bring them up to room temp and serve right before your guests arrive.

Artichoke Bruschetta March 15, 2007

Ingredients
2-14 oz. Cans Artichoke Hearts (Drained and Chopped)
2-Plum Tomatoes (Diced)
1/4 C.-Red Onion (Chopped)
1/2 C.-Pecorino Romano (Grated)
1/4 C.-Mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper
Sliced Baguette

Method
1. Combine all ingredients and spread on baguette slices. Broil 2-3 minutes until browned.

I made this for our Tapas and Sangria shower. It was nice because you can make the mixture the night before, then refrigerate it and broil right before your guests arrive. Bryan hates tomatoes and therefore I can never make bruschetta at home, so this recipe is great. He really loved it.

Sangria March 15, 2007

Ingredients
4 Bottles of Spanish Red Wine
1 1/2 C. Sugar
2 C. Brandy
2 C. Orange Juice
2 Oranges (Sliced)
2 Apples (Sliced)
2 Pears (Sliced)
1 Mango (Sliced)
1 Lemon (Sliced)
1 Lime (Sliced)
48 oz. Chilled Club Soda

Method
1. Stir together all ingredients except the club soda. Chill overnight.
2. Add wine mixture to glass, about 2/3 full, fill rest with club soda (or to taste)

I made this for our Tapas and Sangria shower, and it was fantastic and easy. It served about 10 people (a couple drinks each). I made the wine mixture in 2 large pitchers, and just added the club soda as we served it. You could add whatever fruit you have in the house, but there needs to be some sort of citrus in it. I used an inexpensive Spanish red wine and it turned out great. There wasn’t a drop left at the end of the party!

Grilled Steak Skewers with Chimichurri Sauce March 15, 2007

Ingredients
1 lb. Sirloin Steak
1 T. Steak Rub
1/2 C. Parsley (Chopped)
1/4 C. Cilantro (Chopped)
1/2 C. Red Wine Vinaigrette

Method
1. Rub steak with spice rub. Cut steak into strips. Thread strips on skewers.
2. Combine parsley, cilantro and red wine vinaigrette in food processor with 1 T. water and process until smooth. Pour over skewers, reserving enough for dipping. Marinate skewers overnight, place reserved sauce in refrigerator.
3. Grill skewers and serve with reserved sauce.

I made these for our Tapas and Sangria Shower, and they were great (and easy, and could be made ahead of time). Skewers dishes are great for parties because people can walk around with them.