Sunday, November 5, 2017

Dinner Party

Truth be told, I did not actually throw a dinner party this week! My youngest son has been home sick with a cold and I've been home bored. So (thanks to Kroger Clicklist) I decided to recreate a Christmas Day dinner menu I made a few years ago that would be perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Enjoy!




1.
These potato cakes can be prepped ahead and then cooked the day of your event. You'll need one potato and 1 oz. of mozzarella per person. I used a potato ricer for these, but I totally wouldn't recommend buying one because I hardly ever use mine! And feel free to experiment with toppings. I'm actually getting kind of tired of pesto these days and I was thinking these would be great topped with marinara or even chimichurri or pico de gallo that could double as a steak accompaniment!

Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
8 russet potatoes
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
8  oz. fresh mozzarella
Cooking spray
Pesto for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake potatoes for 1 hour or until very soft. Let sit until cool enough to handle. 
2. Scoop out potato flesh and discard skins. Pass potato through a potato ricer or the large holes of a box grater (carefully!). Season with salt and pepper and form into 16 equal patties. Cut half of cheese into 8 equal slices and use box grater to shred the other half of cheese. Set shredded cheese aside. Place one slice of cheese in the center of one potato patty and place another patty on top. Shape into a smooth potato cake. Repeat to form 8 cakes. Cover and refrigerate if making ahead or proceed to step 3.
3. Preheat broiler with rack 3-4 inches from heat source. Heat an electric griddle to 325 degrees or heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Cook potato cakes for about 6 minutes per side until nicely browned. 
4. Arrange cakes on baking sheet and sprinkle with reserved shredded cheese. Broil a minute or two until cheese melts and starts to brown. Top with pesto.

2.
My aunt and uncle introduced me to this steak marinade and my family loves it! It's really flavorful and makes a nice crust on the steak.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. flank steak
1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper
DIRECTIONS
Liberally poke flank steak with a fork on both sides. Combine Worchestershire sauce, olive oil, balsamc vinegar, and 1/8 t. salt and pour over steak in a a shallow baking dish or plastic bag. Marinade in refrigerator overnight. Let steak come to room temperature while you heat a grill pan (or outdoor grill) over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Discard marinade and generously season steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill about 4 minutes per side or to desired degree of doneness. Let rest 5 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.


3.
This is a simple, tasty recipe that can easily be prepared while the potato cakes and steak cook.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 baguette* cut into 1/4 inch slices
Cooking spray
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 oz. medium shrimp, thawed and drained if frozen
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained
14.5 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt & pepper
1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
Juice of half a lemon
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat broiler with rack 3-4 inches from heat source. Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet and spray both sides with cooking spray. Broil 1 minute per side or until golden.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes or until just turning pink. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to skillet and cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes, beans, 1 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper. Cook until heated through. Stir in basil and lemon juice. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Friday, November 3, 2017

November Nosh


1.
This might be my all time favorite chili recipe! Make sure to cook the butternut squash until tender -and sour cream and pickled jalapenos are a must!

Chicken Butternut Squash Chili (adapted from Cooking Light) - GF*, DF*
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 T. canola oil
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves minced garlic
1 t. cumin
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. black pepper
1 t. salt
3 cups unsalted chicken broth
14.5 oz. can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups rotisserie chicken breast*, chopped
3 T. cilantro, chopped
Zest of 1/2 a lime
Light sour cream*, pickled jalapenos, and crushed red pepper, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add squash and cook 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add onion, red bell pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, pepper and salt. Cook 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken broth and scrape bottom of pot with a wooden spoon to loosen brown bits. Reduce heat to medium, add reserved squash and simmer for 10 minutes. Add beans and chicken and cook 5 minutes more or until squash is tender.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime zest. Serve with sour cream, pickled jalapenos and crushed red pepper.


2.
This is my kind of comfort food! And with so many different varieties of kielbasa available you can tailor it to your family's needs. I chose a nitrate/nitrite free variety that adds enough flavor to the rice that I don't need to add any extra salt or pepper. Enjoy!

Kielbasa Rice (adapted from Everyday Food) - GF*, DF*
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
3 cups white rice, cooked according to package omitting fat and salt
1 T. olive oil
12 oz. kielbasa*, cut into small pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 celery rib, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes or until crispy. Add onion, pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes or until celery is tender. Add tomatoes with their juices and cook 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add rice and cook 2 minutes or until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


3.
My friend Holly first introduced me to this recipe that we lovingly refer to as "Pumpkin Seed Crack." I always make these on the day of a party so I can immediately share them with other people and not eat the entire batch myself! In fact, my youngest son and I both have burnt tongues right now because we couldn't wait for them to cool... Dangerously delicious!

Sugar & Spice Pumpkin Seeds (adapted from Allrecipes.com) - GF, DV, V
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
1 T. canola oil
1/2 t. salt
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. allspice
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. ground ginger
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Toss pumpkin seeds with oil and salt and spread in an even layer over a baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup of sugar and all of the spices and set aside. Transfer seeds to a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon for a minute or two until sugar melts. Pour seeds into the bowl of spiced sugar and stir to coat. Allow to cool before serving.


4.
I tried a new chicken quesadilla recipe a few weeks ago for a football/baseball game watching party at my house and with every bite I was wishing I had made these instead...

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 T. canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
8 oz. white mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cooked chicken breast, chopped
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 t. oregano
2 cups baby spinach leaves, cut into ribbons
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Cooking spray
8 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
1 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend
Salsa and light sour cream for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook 10-15 minutes until beginning to brown and mushroom water evaporates. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken and spices and stir to incorporate. Add spinach, salt, and pepper and cook about 2 minutes until spinach wilts.
2. Heat an electric griddle to 325 degrees and spray with cooking spray. Place one tortilla on griddle. Top with 2 T. cheese, one quarter of chicken mixture, another 2 T. cheese and another tortilla. Cook 3 minutes and then carefully flip over with a large spatula. Cook another 3 minutes until cheese melts. Repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese, and chicken mixture. Cut into quarters and serve with salsa and sour cream.