Last week the crazy bunco group gathered together for “ballet” bunco. Remember our theme this year is “dances!” I’ll tell you all about our fun night and the amazing food later this week but for now I wanted to pass on Cheri’s recipe for this refreshing drink. It is elegant and easy; a perfect choice for Thanksgiving afternoon. Fill a champagne glass 3/4 full with Prosecco, add a few drops of Chambord, top if off with a raspberry and toast to friends, family, and a blessed life.
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Planning on having a Halloween Cocktail Party? My friends got together for a girls night out last night. We were asked by the hostess to bring an appetizer and a drink. I purchased a small loaf of sourdough bread and cut it on the diagonal to create a larger surface. I cut into each bread slice with a pumpkin cookie cutter. Surprisingly it was quite easy! I dyed olive oil orange by adding yellow and red food coloring and whisking it until it turned orange, then brushed the pumpkin cutouts with the orange olive oil, and sprinkled them with small amount of garlic salt. I toasted the bread at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes until the edges a slightly browned. I cut a 4″ X 6″ piece of pate with mini Halloween cookie cutters. For the eyes on the ghost, the cat and the bat I used black sesame seeds. When the toast cooled I placed the pate on top.
For the second appetizer I tried to create a spider. I used 8 toothpicks and placed 3 pieces of shrimp on each toothpick. For the head I used baby bella mushrooms and stuffed them with crab (see my recipe for crab cakes). I baked the stuffed mushrooms at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. To assemble I placed two toothpicks of shrimp together to form the body (six legs). The stuffed mushrooms attach to the toothpicks and become the head. My simple recipe for shrimp sauce is catsup (1 cup) + horseradish (1 tablespoon) to taste.
Candy Corn Martini - 1 part Rose’s Mango + 2 parts candy corn infused vodka*
*1 cup candy corn + 2 cups vodka – mix and refrigerate for one day and up to 3 weeks.
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I love the shotglasses filled with mini desserts that many restaurants are serving. When I saw the mini martini glasses at the Crate and Barrel Outlet I had to buy them. I used them for the first time (now that my kitchen is 95% finished) for the Mexican Hat Dance Bunco and they were a huge success. It took a little time to make 3 different desserts but the results were worth it.
If you decide to try the mini desserts just use your imagination. Gather the ingredients you love and mix and match. Start with a few basics; A layer of ice cream, white chocolate mousse, lemon or lime curd, or chocolate mousse. For the next layer think cookies or candy bars, crumbled or think coulis and sauces. Experiment with the layers. For the topping think presentation. What looks better than a raspberry covered top? What about a chocolate dipped strawberry cut in half and placed on top. The combinations are unlimited! I used the following desserts for the Mexican Hat Dance Bunco.
Macaroon Cookies
3 cups sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place coconut and macadamia nuts on large cookie sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 12 minutes. Stir about 3 times during baking. Cool.
2. Combine milk, vanilla and salt in large bowl. Mix in coconut and macadamia nuts.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into coconut mixture.
4. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray with PAM. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons on parchment and bake 14 minutes or until cookies turn golden around the edges. Cool completely.
Lime Curd
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
1. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in medium bowl.
2. Melt butter in double boiler. Whisk in sugar, lime juice, zest and salt
3. Gradually whisk in egg mixture. Whisk until thick, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Macaroon Lime Curd Dessert
1. Crumble about half a macroon into the bottom of the mini martini glass. Top with lime curd. Chill.
White Chocolate Mousse
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons Knox gelatin
1/2 cup whole milk
10 ounces white chocolate
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1. Whisk gelatin and cold water in a microwaveable cup until dissolved. Microwave on high 30 seconds and let stand for 2 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan bring milk to simmering. Add white chocolate and remove from heat. Stir until mixture is smooth.
3. Blend gelatin into chocolate mixture and refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
4. Whip cream until stiff. Fold white chocolate mixture into whipped cream.
5. Place mixture into mini martini glasses and chill. Top with raspberries.
Ice Cream Kahlua Dessert
1 pint Vanilla Ice Cream
Mrs. Richardson’s Hot Fudge Dessert Topping
Caramel Sauce
Skor or English toffee bits (In grocery section with chocolate chips)
Kahlua liquor
1. Place 2 tablespoons softened vanilla ice cream in mini martini glass. Freeze for 15 minutes.
2. Place 1 teaspoon hot fudge sauce over ice cream
3. Sprinkle top of hot fudge sauce with Skor Bits.
4. Cover Skor bits with 1 1/2 tablespoons softened vanilla ice cream. Freeze 15 minutes.
5. Cover ice cream with 1 teaspoon caramel sauce and freeze 15 minutes.
6. Place a dollop of hot fudge in center, sprinkle with score bits and freeze 15 minutes.
7. With a thin skewer poke holes in top of dessert and pour 1 teaspoon of Kahlua over top. Freeze until ready to serve.
While dessert was served the prizes were awarded. Going with the Mexican theme I had Mexican silver prizes – trays, ice bucket, frames and a few Mexican condiments. Kate brought over cookies in the shape of margarita glasses for an “extra” favor. They were adorable! She wrapped each in a plastic bag tied with cute ribbon. The girls loved them!
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On a cruise to Mexico this summer I found some pretty funny items for Bunco, like the naughty shot glasses I used for party favors and the small sombreros that topped the napkins.
I’m into making party planning easy so I prepared the chicken and corn for dinner the night before and made extra for the Mexican salad. The enchiladas were made the day before so on the day of the party all you need to make is the guacamole and salad dressing.
Chipotle Grilled Chicken
1/4 cup canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, freshly chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
1. Combine chipotle chili, olive oil, garlic, onion, cilantro, paprika, ground cumin, chili powder and salt.
2. Place chicken in Ziplock and pour above mixture over chicken. Marinate at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.
3. Grill on medium-high until chicken is done, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade.
Chipotle Grilled Corn
1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
2 teaspoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
6 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned.
1. Add butter, orange juice, chipotle, molasses and salt in a small bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in cilantro.
2. Place corn on grill and brush with butter mixture until corn reaches 120 degrees.
Mexican Salad
1 bag romaine lettuce
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
chipotle grilled corn removed from 2 cobs
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup jalepeno jack cheese, grated
Honey Lime Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1. Toss all salad ingredients in large bowl.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. For the Mexican Bunco I deep fried a medium size flour tortilla in a tortilla basket maker (Sur La Table) and served the salad in the fried tortilla basket with a dollop of guacamole.
My husband made enchiladas for the Pillsbury Bake Off. We call them Kenchiladas! They are delicious and the best part is they can be comletely made the day before.
Kenchiladas
2 cups Ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups jalepeno jack cheese, grated
1 tablespoon chopped green chiles
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg
8 flour tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl mix Ricotta and jack cheese. Add chilies, green onions, cumin, and cayenne. Stir in egg.
3. Place mixture on 8 tortillas, dividing evenly and covering each tortilla. Roll tortillas and place seam side down, in an 8 1/2 X 11 pan.
4. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 50 minutes.
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The Bunco theme this year is “Dance.” Each month the hostess chooses a different type of dance for her Bunco party.
I started off the year with “The Mexican Hat Dance Bunco.” All the girls in this Bunco group have the competitive, creative, “I can top that” gene. We spend months looking for theme gifts, devising the perfect theme menu and thinking up ways to surprise the hostess. This month was no different.
At 6:30 p.m. my doorbell rang. Serape wearing Frito Banditos, sporting mariachi mustaches and strumming a guitar, greeted me singing some version of La Bamba. I was introduced to the newest member of our group, Allison; I fear I will always look at her and see a black mustache.
We started the festivities with my amazing, if I do say so myself, Diet Margaritas, and the traditional Mexican 7-Layer Dip. Keeping with the Mexican Hat Dance theme I served Jello Shooters in the shape of hats! Kenchilada’s, my husband’s super recipe for enchiladas, and Chipotle Grilled Chicken Salad with Honey Lime Dressing were served for dinner. Stay tuned for part two of Mexican Hat Dance Bunco.
MEXICAN 7-LAYER DIP
1 can Frito Bean Dip
2 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup jalepeno jack cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons taco mix
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup guacamole
1. Spread the bean dip on a medium size plate.
2. Place chopped lettuce on bean dip leaving a narrow border of dip.
3. Place grated cheddar cheese on lettuce leaving a narrow border of lettuce.
4. Place jack cheese on cheddar cheese leaving a narrow border on cheddar.
5. Mix sour cream and taco mix and place on top of jack cheese leaving a narrow border of jack cheese.
6. Place chopped tomatoes on top of sour cream leaving a narrow border of sour cream mixture.
7. Top with guacamole. My recipe for guacamole is really simple. Mash an avacado. Add a heaping tablespoon of finely chopped onions, 1 teaspoon of garlic salt and a teaspoon of sour cream. Mix and taste. Add more garlic salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.
Jello Shooters
4 packages Knox gelatin
3 3-ounce packages Jello (raspberry)
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups alcohol (vodka)
Mix jello, gelatin and boiling water. Stir in alcohol. Pour into 11 X 13 pan. Cut into squares or use your favorite cookie cutter
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Last week we had our end of summer beach party with our friends. The kids put on their own episode of America’s Got Talent around the bonfire. Even the littlest one, who’s only two, participated with his “Where is Thumbkin?” singing debut. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. The kids told jokes, did some funky dances, and sang their hearts out. My boy and his best buddy even performed a stunt show act – let’s hope that’s not in his future. The older I get, the more I appreciate these moments. This is what makes all of the struggles in life worth it - being in the company of the ones you love, there’s nothing better than that!!
America’s Got Talent wasn’t the only highlight. My mom and dad are our official gourmet beach chefs, so we’re always happy when they can join us. We do the traditional hot dogs and smores, but the two of them put together these amazing, five-star, restaurant worthy chipolte chicken sandwiches, complete with crispy bacon and guacamole. We’re talking a beach bonfire – but even paper plates and plastic utensils won’t stop them from creating a gourmet menu. My mom now officially has her kitchen in working condition, except for the little things, which I think will take another year at the rate the workers are moving. But don’t expect her to be blogging anytime soon, she’s leaving for a cruise at the end of the week. The woman never stops! I’ll try to pin her down between vacations and coerce her into putting a few more of her secret recipes into print.
Chipolte Chicken Sandwich
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 chicken breasts, boned and skinned.
Chipotle Chili Sauce (see recipe)
Guacamole (See recipe)
16 slices bacon
8 slices red onion
8 cibatta rolls
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UPDATE – Recent Mom Siting…My mom has been MIA for quite awhile now, and many of you know she is my blogging partner-in-crime. I’m back at work now and need her to do what she does best – cook! Apparently, she was recently seen last weekend posing as a bartender, making up these Eviltinis. Her current location is still unknown – After too many Eviltinis, I guess the girlfriends couldn’t remember where they spotted her… lucky for us someone remembered the drink recipe!
Seriously, the woman deserves more than a few cocktails after living through the demo of her downstairs. It’s taken over a year, and a lifetime of patience to deal with the constant upheaval in her house. Someone give the woman back her kitchen, please! She’s actually now living back home and holding vigil over her cooking space. I think it’s really more like babysitting the workers and pleading with them not to leave when the surf is up. The men on Friday left her with two working ovens, but somehow broke her new microwave on their way out. I would tell her to “Grin and Bake it!”, but that would probably just frustrate her even more.
Her Banana Cream Pie martini was renamed the Eviltini after she and her girlfriends kept shaking and pouring one night. My mom recommends caution when having these, but apparently they taste pretty darn good! She’ll be back to blogging soon, and trust me she’s planning parties galore to celebrate!
1 ounce banana schnapps
1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream
Place ingredients is a martini shaker along with a cup of ice. Shake for 45 seconds. Pour into a glass rimmed with finely grated chocolate.
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Is your glass half-full or half-empty? That is the subject we discussed at our May lunch group. It comes as no surprise that we are pretty much a “half-full” mentality. Every month when we assemble for good food, great wine and excellent conversation, I am amazed at the every day trials and tribulations we face with laughter and gratitude. Like so many, we face an economy that is in the toilet, retirement funds that allow us to retire at age 90 instead of 65, and health issues that come with the over 50 crowd. We discuss how unfair it is we now deal with thinning hair on our head and extra hair appearing in places we never anticipated. As much as we diet and exercise, our youthful bodies are a past memory.
In spite of everything, we have each other. We laugh until our sides hurt and tears are running down our cheeks. We vow whatever happens we will take care of each other and enjoy life no matter what comes our way. Inside we are always in our 20′s looking for the next crazy adventure, while outside we are searching for the perfect acid-reflux cure.
Check out Peggy’s table setting and the easy flower centerpieces. Our “take-away” favor doubled as part of the arrangement. Kate has trained me to measure for the recipes I submit, but I haven’t been able to train my BFF’s. Peggy did provide the recipes for the fish, potatoes and vegetables, but I’ll have to get back with you on the salad and 
dessert.
Don’t forget to check out the croissants at Trader Joe’s – AMAZING!!! Take them out of the freezer the night before and they bake like home-made.
BROCCOLINI AND GREEN BEANS
2 pounds broccolini
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup garlic flavored olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccolini and boil for 2 minutes. Using tongs quickly add broccolini to a large bowl of ice water. drain and set aside.
In the same pot of boiling water add the green beans and cook for 4 minutes. Using tongs, quickly add green beans to another large bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside. (The vegetables can be made 8 hours ahead if you dry them and then refrigerate in a Ziplock.
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add vegetables and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Saute vegetables for about 5 minutes until vegetables are heated through. Taste and add additional red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste.
LEMON BUTTERED DILL POTATOES
4 large potatoes, baked
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon onion, finely minced
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
paprika for garnish
1. Preheat 400 degrees. Bake potatoes for 1 hour until fork tender.
2. Lower heat to 350 degrees.
3. Cut each baked potato in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp.
4. In a large bowl mix potato pulp with 5 tablespoons melted butter and remaining ingredients, except paprika.
5. Put mixture into casserole dish and drizzle with remaining 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle with paprika. (Can be prepared a day ahead, cover and chill overnight.)
6. Bring to room temperature and bake 20 minutes until lightly browned.
GLO’S SALAD (TBA)
VEGETABLE TOPPED SALMON
8 6-ounce fillets
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups carrot, finely grated
2 cups tomato, finely chopped
3/4 cup green onions, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1. Arrange fillets in a baking dish and drizzle with lemon juice.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Mound on top of fillets, covering completely.
4. Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead, cover and chill overnight).
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