bbq desserts: entertaining

Showing posts with label entertaining. Show all posts

Showing posts with label entertaining. Show all posts

Pesto Pasta Salad

I am going to make this pasta salad all the time. I am so glad I found it. It's perfect for barbecues, family gatherings, picnics, and even brunch. Recipe is courtesy of Cuisine at Home.

Cook:
1 lb. dry penner pasta
2 cups frozen green peas

Whisk:
1/2 cup purchased refrigerated pesto (I used Buitoni basil pesto)
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Stir in:
4 cups fresh baby spinach (could also use arugula for a little peppery bite)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Toast pine nuts in a stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Stir and toss until pine nuts are golden brown and fragrant. Set aside.

Cook penne in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; add peas during the last three minutes. Transfer penne and peas to a bowl of ice water; drain well.

Whisk together pesto, lemon juice, olive oil, zest and garlic in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Stir in penne, peas, spinach, Parmesan, pine nuts; season with salt and pepper.

Super Bowl 2012 Snacks

Here are two items I am making for Super Bowl Sunday, in case you need a couple of ideas. First up is a Beer-Cheese Dip from Food Network Magazine.

Pulse 1/2 pound cubed extra-sharp white cheddar in a food processor until finely chopped. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, a pinch each of salt and sugar, and 1/2 cup pilsner beer. Process until smooth. It's as easy as that. Serve with pretzels, crackers, chunks of bread, and veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cooked potatoes, etc.

The second dish I am making is Bacon-Cheddar Crescent Pinwheels, utilizing Pillsburgy refrigerated Crescent rolls.

Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
¼ cup cooked real bacon pieces or 4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
½ cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
¼ cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F.
If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; press each into 12x8-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; press each into 12x8-inch rectangle.
Spread dressing over each rectangle to edges. Sprinkle each with bacon, Cheddar cheese and onions.
Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Fig and Rosemary Pork

I love figs and they are available for only a brief time each year, so you gotta jump on them while you can. And this week at my Publix, black mission figs (my fave) were buy one get one free - SCORE! The Publix Apron's meal of the week was this fig and rosemary pork recipe. Pork tenderloins were also on sale - DOUBLE SCORE! This recipe is definetly worthy for a romantic night or for guests.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped (I hate buying fresh rosemary, because I never use it all, so just use dried rosemary if you want)

3 shallots, thinly sliced

10 small fresh figs, coarsely chopped

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

4 oz Deli diced pancetta (or bacon)

1 cup fresh pre-sliced baby portabellas

3/4 cup Marsala wine

1/3 cup fat-free chicken broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Season pork with rosemary, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil; let stand 5–10 minutes to marinate. Preheat grill pan (or grill).

Place pork in grill pan (or on grill); grill 15–20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until 160°F (for medium). Let stand 5–10 minutes before slicing.

Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then add pancetta, mushrooms, shallots, and figs; cook 2–3 minutes or until pancetta is golden and mushrooms are tender.

Add wine; cook 2–3 minutes, stirring often, or until liquid has reduced by about one-half.

Add broth; cook 2–3 more minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in butter. Slice pork, then top with sauce. Serve.

I made mashed potatoes to serve with this dish.

First Catering Job!

I was asked by my dear family friends The McIntosh's to cater their mortgage burning party. Yes, they have paid their house in full. A major accomplishment indeed. I was absolutely happy and honored to do it for them. We went with a Tampa/Florida theme for the food. Things like roasted pork, black beans and rice, key lime pie for dessert and Ybor City cigars and local beer from Cigar City Brewery. Everything was a big hit. Below is the menu with links to some of the recipes.

Snacks:

Shrimp and Chorizo Tapas with Toasted Cuban Bread

Roasted Olives

Chai Thai Meatballs

Bruschetta

Spicy Feta Cheese Dip

White Bean Dip

Stuffed Mushrooms

Main Dishes:

Roast Pork (I admit I went to an authentic Cuban place for this one - El Gallo de Oro on N. Armenia Ave. in West Tampa.)

Black Beans and Rice (I used my husband's grandmother's recipe, so sorry, going to keep this one in the family)

Cuban Sandwiches

1905 Salad

Plantains

Dessert:

Assorted Guava Pastries from Don Pan Bakery

Key Lime Pie

Cigars

Drinks:

Cigar City Brewery

Red Sangria

White Sangria

Pomegranate Martinis

White Sangria

Here's a sangria recipe if you prefer white wine or just want to try something a little different. Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger.

Ingredients

1 (750-ml) bottle white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)

1/2 cup brandy

1/4 cup orange liqueur (Cointreau or triple sec)

2 tablespoons superfine sugar (you could use simple syrup instead)

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup club soda

1 medium unpeeled orange, sliced

1 unpeeled lemon, sliced

1 unpeeled lime, sliced (I added this)

Directions

In a pitcher combine the wine, brandy, orange liqueur and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the orange juice and club soda. Add the orange and lemon slices, and chill. Serve over ice.

Pomegranate Sangria

This is my go-to red sangria recipe. It's always a big hit. This recipe has been altered from a Bobby Flay recipe. If you're making this for a party, I recommend making it a day in advance. All the flavors really combine well and the fruit can marinate.

Ingredients

1 bottle fruity red wine, such as a Rioja or merlot

2 cups pomegranate juice

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 cup Triple Sec

1/4 cup simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves, cooled)

1 large orange, halved and thinly sliced

1 lime, thinly sliced

1 lemon thinly sliced

1 cup red grapes, sliced in 1/2

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours before serving. Serve over ice.

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

This is a pretty classic tomato bruschetta recipe. What's great about bruschetta is that you can add pretty much anything you want. You could easily add feta cheese or mozzarella to this recipe if you wanted. I also like to spread a little ricotta cheese on my toast point and then add the tomato topping. Nothing is exact with this recips either. Use however much of the ingredients look good to you.

Ingredients

Plum tomatoes or vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped

garlic, chopped

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

basil leaves, chopped or julliened

Add the chopped tomatoes and garlic to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the basil and stir to combine once again. Serve on sliced Italian bread that has been toasted in the oven.

Stuffed Mushrooms

There are a lot of fancy stuffed mushrooms out there, but these straightforward ones using just breadcrumbs, cheese and few herbs are delicious. This recipe has been altered from a Giada recipe. And if you're making these for a party you can prepare a day ahead and just bake off before your guests arrive.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Chop up the stems of the mushrooms in a food processor. Add the garlic and parsley and pulse until chopped and combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.

Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve.

Roasted Olives

Here's something you probably never thought of roasting, but turns out are super delicious. I found this recipe on Food Network. It said to use the olives with pits, but that is just stupid. No one likes to eat olives and then have to spit out the pits, especially at a party, which is what I made this recipe for.

Ingredients

3 cups mixed green and black olives

dried oregano

Thyme, chopped

4 whole cloves garlic, peeled

2 lemons

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a small roasting pan, mix together the olives, herbs, and garlic. Slice the lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the olives; toss in the rinds. Pour over the olive oil and vinegar and give it a good stir. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Braciola

I find it really difficult to not say Braciola in a heavy Italian accent while using a hand gesture. Anyway, Braciola is a southern Italian dish that refers to a dish where a slice of meat is topped with different ingredients, rolled up and baked. This is easy to make and pretty economical, especially for entertaining, but it does take a while to cook. This is so the meat can become super tender. This recipe is courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis. It uses flank steak, which is baked and basted in marinara sauce. I made it for my annual get together with my closest and dearest friends. It is great dish for the holidays.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/3 cup grated Provolone cheese
1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
2 Tbsps. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
4 Tbsps. olive oil
1 flank steak
1 tsp sea salt (I used Kosher)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
kitchen twine
1 cup dry white wine
3 and 1/4 cups marinara sauce (See the recipe here.)

In a medium bowl, stir the cheeses, bread crumbs, parsley and garlic to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and set aside. Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the bread-crumb mixture evently over the steak to cover the top evenly.

Starting at one short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll and enclose the filling completely. (Some might fall out. It's ok.) Using kitchen twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciola with the remaining salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large, heavy, oven proof frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium flame. Add the braciola and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake, turning the braciola and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes, until the meat is almost tender, about 1 and half hours. Uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. (I doubled the recipe so I transferred the meat and sauce from the frying pan to a roasting pan.)

Remove the braciola from the sauce. Using a large, sharp knife, remove the kitchen twine and cut the braciola crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.

Cran-Pistachio Cookies

I found a bunch of easy and festive Christmas cookie recipes on the Betty Crocker Web site. The best part about these is that they start with BC's sugar cookie mix as a base and then you just add some other ingredients. These stood out to me because my mom loves anything with pistachios, so I made some of these for her. I, of course, saved some for myself as well.

Ingredients:
1 pouch (1 lb, 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup dry-roasted salted pistachios, chopped ( I used my trusty baby food processor and pulsed until chopped a little bit)
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, pudding mix and flour. Stir in melted butter and egss until soft dough forms. Add pistachios and cranberries; mix well.

Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Press with fingers to slightly flatten.

Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Makes about 48 cookies.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Snickerdoodles are my favorite Christmas cookie, maybe my favorite cookie, period, however, these might be my second favorite.

Ingredients:
1 bag Hershey's Kisses Chocolates
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsps milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
granulated sugar for rolling the cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap the Kisses. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a kiss into the center of each cookie, cookie will crack around the edges. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Polenta Crostini with Tapenade

Here is another appetizer that I made for my jewelry party. This one also inspired by Sara Moulton, but I used my own tapenade recipe.

What You'll Need:
1 log of cooked plain polenta (I have seen this at Sweetbay Supermarket in both the pasta and produce sections. I don't remember seeing it at Publix, but some may carry it.)
a batch of tapenade

How to Make it:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Tirm off and discard the crinkled ends of the polenta log; cut the remaining polenta crosswise into 16 slices. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil or butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add as many polenta slices as will fit in one layer and saute, turning once, for about 5 minutes per side, or until crisp and browned. Remove the polenta slices to the baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven. Repeat, adding another tablespoon olive oil or butter as needed, until all the slices have been browned.

Meanwhile make the tapenade, but it is much easier to make this in advanced.

To serve, divide the tapenade among the polenta rounds.

Sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product, but there was so much going on and my guests were arriving that I totally forgot to take a pic.

Marinated White Bean Toasts

On Saturday I hosted a Lia Shophia jewelry party. I of course had to have a few good snacks for everyone to enjoy. This one was a huge hit with my friends and is courtesy of my new Sara Moulton cookbook.

What you'll need:
1 small red onion (I suggest using less onion, unless you really like onion)
1 12-inch baguette
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans
1 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

How to make it:
Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely chop the onion (about 1/2 cup) and transfer it to a small bowl; add ice and water to cover and set it aside for 10 minutes.

Trim off and discard the ends of the baguette; cut the remaining baguette diagonally to make 24 slices. Brush both sides of the slices with 2 Tbsps of olive oil (you may need more) and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast them for 8-10 minutes, turning once until they are golden. Remove the toasts from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Split the garlic lengthwise. Rub the toast slices with the cut sides of the garlic.

Rinse and thoroughly drain the beans. Chop the oregano (about 2 tsps). Combine the beans, the remaining 2 Tbsps olive oil, the lemon juice, and oregano in a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork, leaving some larger pieces.

Drain the onion, pat it dry, and stir it into the bean mixture along with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the bean mixture among the toast slices and spread the mixture to the edges. (I didn't do this last part. I just put the bean mixture into a bowl with the toasts surrounding it and let my guests top the toast on their own.)

Fresh Figs

About a week ago, I saw on Facebook that Fresh Market had fresh figs coming in and I got really excited. I've had figs before at restaurants and catered functions, but I haven't actually ever made them myself. They're great in salads, paired with cheese and make a great appetizer.

I prefer black mission figs. Cut them in half, stuff with a little goat cheese and wrap each half with a piece of prosciutto. Roast for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven. You could also use pair with blue cheese or fresh ricotta.

Tuscan Pork Loin with Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Last night we had my parents and my husband's parents over for dinner. It had been awhile since we had either over, and I'm not sure if we've ever had both over at the same time. It was a very nice evening.

My number one rule when it comes to entertaining is making a meal that you can do most of in advance of your guests arriving, so when they do arrive you can actually entertain. So roasts are a great way to accomplish this. But since it is so freaking hot outside, I didn't want to make something too heavy or rich like say a pot roast.

This pork loin was perfect because pork is a lighter meat in the first place, but this vinaigrette isn't a hot or heavy sauce. It can be made in advance and served at room temperature. I served this with roasted red potatoes and a nice mixed green salad. I finished the meal with a nice seasonal peach crisp and vanilla ice cream.

What you'll need:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. chopped, fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt and pepper each
1 pork loin roast, (3 lbs) trimmed of fat and silverskin
1 and 1/2 pound red potatoes, quartered (figure 2-3 per person, depending on the size, and if they are really big, you might want to cut them in sixths instead of quarters)

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and coat a roasting pan with nonstick spray.

Combine the oil, garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper in a large bowl, set aside.

Trim pork of excess fat and silverskin, then tie with kitchen twine in three places, both ends and one in the middle, so that it keeps its round shape and stays nice and tight.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Using tongs, toss the pork in the oil mixture, coating all sides. Then sear on all sides in the skillet. See the picture below.

Once seared, transfer the pork to the roasting pan. Toss the potatoes in the remaining oil mixture. Add the potatoes to the roasting pan, surrounding the pork roast. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Turn the pork and the potatoes and roast for another 25-30 minutes, or until the pork reaches 150 degrees. Remove from the oven and tent loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch thick slices and serve with the vinaigrette, recipe follows.

What you'll need for the vinaigrette:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. capers, drained
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper each
3/4 cup olive oil

Pulse all ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor until tomatoes are minced. Slowly add the oil, blending to combine.

Serves 6-8. Sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product.

This recipe has been adapted from an issue of Cuisine at Home.

Here are some pics of the delicious peach crisp:

Flag Cookie Cake

Here is the picture of my flag cookie cake that I made this Fourth of July. (The instructions are listed in the previous post.) It could probably have been a little prettier, but you get the gist. It sure did taste good though. There wasn't a crumb leftover.

Ina's Sun-dried Tomato Dip

This is one of my favorite dip recipes, probably because it has one of my favorite ingredients in it - Sun-dried tomatoes. I just love them. Anyway, I just joined this amazing women's networking and social group, High Hopes in High Heels, and I made this dip for an event we had last night. I am now the chair of the food committee, so I'll be posting a lot about the food I make for our events. This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.

Ingredients
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (about 8 tomatoes, and I admit I usually throw in a little extra because I love them!)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (use regular, lowfat or nonfat is just not the same)1/2 cup sour cream (here you can use light sour cream)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce (I like Crystal for this)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
assorted veggies and crackers

Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature. I usually serve this dip with whole-wheat crackers, carrots and celery, but you can use any veggies you like.

Cinco de Mayo

Here is what I am planning to make for Cinco de Mayo: slow cooker pork tacos. Looks yummy and I bet they go very well with a Corona or margarita.

Click here for the recipe.

Book Club Eats: Chai Thai Meatballs

The last snack I made for book club was my friend Michele's Chai Thai turkey meatballs made with her Intensity Academy sauce - Chai Thai Teriyaki. This a realy crowd pleaser and super easy to make.

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs frozen meatballs, turkey or beef
1 bottle of Chai Thai Teriyaki sauce
1 jar of apricot preserves
5 sprigs of green onion, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Pour into a pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. I then transfered them to my Crock Pot and set it on the warm setting so they stayed hot for my guests.