St. Patrick's Day Beer Fest & Menu for 30

This weekend we had our third St. Patty's Beer Fest! Austin does the yard and games, I do the cooking and decoration - it's a lot of work but a lot of fun! We used this menu for daytime food. I modified it a bit though to add more food/new recipes. And for nighttime food we did:

• Taco Soup (slowcooker)
• Buffalo Chicken Chili (slowcooker)
• Pepperoni Pizza Cups (cooked in oven with 2 below!)
• BBQ Chicken Pizza Cups
• Crescent Pops no link! Need to post. :)

Now that I'm typing this up, I may post a modified meal plan with all of the new recipes incorporated.  In the meantime, here's some pics from this year's party:

Hydration station = important for a beer fest!

Love all of the green!

Me & the food!

More food! Added 3 new dishes to the Mediterranean menu!

This is still one of my favorite recipes - love these little crostinis!

outdoor foosball = good idea

and what's a party without cornhole?

Most of us girls stayed in the shade! 

Great to see Shana & Sharon!!

Andy won best beer, and Teresa won worst! :)

Beer station = just as important as hydration station!

Fun shot - this is where the pups chilled and sun bathed!

That is when they weren't flocking to Karly - they were LOVING sitting on her preggo belly! it was SO DANG CUTE!

Loved all of the green! The buckets and linens from Austin's birthday last year came in handy - we even painted the keg trash can green. hehe

Such a pretty day to be outside!

Great to see Jamie! It had been too long!

Always fun to hang out with the Blancos!!

And these ladies!!

And these guys! Yes, it got late! 

Q: How did you celebrate St. Patty's?!


Q: What's your favorite St. Patrick's Day recipe?!

Asian-Inspired Menu for 10

I used this menu for a book club I hosted for 10. There was plenty of food! If anything - I noticed that i'd make a bit less rice and a bit more of the Szechuan Chicken - it went fast! So these changes are included below. Also, I had made the egg rolls the night before and thought I could just bake them the day of. WRONG. They weren't bad, but they weren't as good as they are when you same day make and bake. So this change is included, too. :)

Appetizers: Shrimp Eggrolls and Edamame

Sides: Bowl of White rice, Bowl of Brown Rice and Asian Vegetable Stirfry

Main Dishes: Szechuan Chicken and Rice and Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chicken

RECIPES

Eggrolls
Makes 10 egg rolls

10 egg roll wrappers
1 bag of cole slaw mix
1 can of mushrooms
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp fresh ginger
1 tablespoon of soy sauce, more to serve
salt and pepper
cooking spray
small bowl of water
1 cup of alfalfa sprouts
1 can of tiny shrimp
Dipping sauce: Soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar

Preheat oven to 375. Put cole slaw in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave 3-6 minutes. Chop mushrooms and add to mixing bowl. Add optional fillings. Splash in 1 tbsp soy sauce. Add garlic and fresh ginger, and sprinkle in dried ginger. Now, cole slaw mix should be cooked. Drain it to get out any excess liquid, then combine cole slaw mix with the rest of the ingredients. Place a row of filling in the center of each wrapper. Fold in two of the corners. Put a bit of water on the top edges with your finger. Fold up the bottom, and roll as tightly as you can to the edge. Repeat for the rest of the wrappers, and place the egg rolls on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or olive oil. Spray the tops of the egg rolls with the oil, too. Bake 15 minutes, then flip the egg rolls over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving (this will let the wrappers get a little more crisp too). Serve with soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar. (do NOT make the night before! :))

Edamame
1 pound edamame
Salt
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and continue boiling until the beans are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Start checking for doneness after 7 minutes. When done, run cold water over. Drain well and pat excess moisture off. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste (start with ½ tsp).

Szechuan Chicken and Rice

22 ounces chicken
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup ketchup
2 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon minced ginger, jarred
1.5 tbsp canola oil
4 1/2 tsp minced garlic, jarred

In a small bowl mix together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper flakes and ginger. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and toss to coat with oil. Heat for 3-4 minutes. While it’s still a bit pink, pour in sauce. Heat until sauce is thick and bubbly, 3-4 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over white rice.

Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chicken

3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ tbsp of Sriracha chili sauce
½ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
8 oz. of spaghetti, cooked per instructions
16 oz. chicken, diced and cooked on nonstick spray with ½ tbsp soy sauce and ½ tsp minced garlic
1 cup red bell pepper, sliced
3-4 green onions, sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
sesame seeds, for garnish

Combine vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, Sriracha sauce, garlic and ginger. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle. Cook spaghetti per instructions. Cook chicken per instructions above until no longer pink. Drain noodles and return to pan along with now-cooked chicken, bell peppers, green onions and the sauce; toss until noodles, chicken and vegetables are evenly coated with sauce. Remove from stove then add the basil and cilantro and toss to combine. Serve immediately with sesame seeds for garnish.

Easy Asian Vegetable Stirfry

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 tbsp nonfat chicken broth
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 bags frozen Asian vegetables

In a large skillet or wok, combine oil, water garlic and ginger. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute. Add stir fry and cook for 4-5 minutes until vegetables are cooked. Whisk together broth, soy sauce and cornstarch; add to vegetable mixture and stir fry for two minutes.

White Rice and Brown Rice

2-3 cups of each, microwavable

2-3 cups of water

Cook per package instructions.

TO-DO LIST

Weekend Before

1. Make grocery list and buy all ingredients you need.
2. Make sure you have plenty of plates, napkins, silverware, etc. - especially if you're using paper products

Day Before

1. Mix sauce for spicy sesame noodles with chicken
2. Make sauce for Szechuan chicken and rice
3. Slice green onions, red bell pepper and cilantro
4. Measure out microwavable white rice and brown rice (2-3 cups of each); get bowls ready
5. Defrost chicken and Asian vegetables.
6. Make eggroll mixture and store in container (do not roll egg rolls)
7. Get out all serving dishes you plan to use, and place on counter how you want them displayed
8. Make sure dishwasher is empty (especially if you're not using paper products)

Day Of

1. Remove egg roll mixture from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375; roll egg rolls and coat them in canola oil; cook eggrolls for 15 minutes; then flip for another 10 – 15 minutes. Mix dipping sauce (soy sauce + rice vinegar)
2. Dice chicken.
3. Set pot of water to boil and boil edamame for 10 minutes (15 minutes total). Run cold water over them and then sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. Cook white rice in microwave for 8 minutes and 30 seconds. Leave wrap on.
5. Cook brown rice in microwave for 8 minutes and 30 seconds. Leave wrap on.
6. Cook chicken for spicy sesame noodles. Remove from heat.
7. Cook noodles on stove. Drain.
8. Make Szechuan chicken; add to server; cover with foil
9. Make Spicy sesame noodles; add to server; cover with foil
10. Make vegetables; add to server; cover with foil
11. Add egg rolls to server; cover with foil
12. Once everyone starts arriving, remove foil and serve.

Pasta Bar Menu for 30

I hosted a January baby shower for my sister and a little over 30 of her closest friends. The cold weather meant I wanted to serve hot food, so the sternos, pans and stands (purchased at Costco) came in handy. I also made signs for each side of the pan, so guests could see the name of the dish, including main ingredients. Lastly, instead of one big pan of each dish, I used two smaller pans in each one and allowed guests to serve from both sides. I also made sure to include one meatless dish and one meatless salad - hoping there would be a little something for everyone. Please note, this menu does NOT include desserts. I ordered cupcakes for the event. As usual, if you notice anything missing or have any questions please let me know!

Main Dishes: Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto; Baked Italian Sausage Pasta; Pasta Fagioli (meatless)

Salad: 'That Good Salad' - one meatless one with meat

Bread: 2 loaves of French bread with spread

Bread close up

Pasta Close up

Salad (same salad - one with bacon and one without for our non-meat-eating buddies)

Signs show which has bacon and which is meatless

Dessert: Hire out! :) Unless you're a baker, which, i'm not!

RECIPES

Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto

Makes 12 Servings (x3 of normal recipe)

24 oz. rotini
3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained (300 grams)
¾ package basil leaves cut into ribbons
6 tbsp slivered almonds (42 grams)
6 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
6 oz. fat free feta cheese
36 oz. Chicken
3 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (for chicken)

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan. While pasta cooks, add chicken, olive oil and salt and pepper to a large pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink, about 4-6 minutes. While pasta and chicken are cooking, place tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Combine tomato mixture and the reserved cooking liquid, stirring with a whisk. Add pasta to chicken pan, and add mix to pan. Stir well. Serve in tray and sprinkle top with feta.

Baked Italian Sausage Pasta
Makes 12 Servings (x2 of normal recipe)

2 packs of 5 Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage links, casings removed
22 oz. pasta of your choice (I used Ziti), cooked per package instructions
6 tbsp parmesan
200 grams fat-free ricotta cheese
4 tbsp fresh basil, finely diced
4 cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce
100 grams Fresh Mozzarella, grated
2 tsp dried basil

Preheat oven to 400. Set a large pan (that has a lid) to medium and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add sausage to pan, and top with lid. Cook sausage for 15 minutes, turning and breaking up with a spoon every few minutes. In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine parmesan, basil, ricotta cheese and 3 cups spaghetti sauce and mix thoroughly. Add cooked pasta. Stir. Shred now-cooked sausage with two forks. Add to mixture and stir. Divide mixture into two rectangular baking dishes that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread remaining 1 cup sauce on top. Bake for 12 minutes. Spoon into serving pans, pat the tops flat with a spoon, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and dried basil.

Pasta Fagioli Recipe
Makes 8 Servings

2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, small to medium size
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 celery stalk, diced
2 15 oz can cannellini beans
2 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 large bay leaf
2 tbsp basil, dried
2 tbsp parsley, dried
2 tsp oregano, dried
8 cups fat free chicken broth (or 2 cans)
4 cups water
Sea salt and pepper to taste
16 oz. small pasta (I used mini fusili)
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
80 grams fresh mozzarella, grated

In a deep pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Blend can of beans with one cup water in electric blender until smooth. Repeat with second can of beans and another cup of water. Add blended beans to pan then add the tomato sauce, celery, chicken broth, basil, bay leaf, parsley, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water and bring to slow boil. Let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook uncovered until pasta is al dente*, according to pasta directions. Ladle into pan, and top with parmesan and mozzarella.

*Do NOT cook pasta early on this recipe. It's important that it cooks in the other ingredients to make it less soupy/easier for guests to eat.

That Good Salad (double it for two salads)

Dressing (Make TWO of mixture below for two salads if you do one meatless):
3/4 Cup EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup lemon juice

Salad (Make TWO of mixture below for two salads if you do one meatless; just omit bacon from second one):
2 bunches Romaine Lettuce
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
8 strips bacon, fried & broken into pieces
1 cup caesar salad croutons

Mix ingredients together; cover & refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour dressings over salads just before serving and mix well.

Bread

2 loaves Italian bread, sliced to 1-inch thick

Spread for bread: 10 tbsp butter, softened; 4 tsp olive oil, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tsp oregano, salt and pepper. Preheat broiler. Mix all ingredients except cheese. Spread on bread. Arrange on baking sheets and broil for 5 minutes. Add to bread basket.

TO-DO LIST

Weekend Before

1. Make grocery list and buy all ingredients you need.
2. Make sure you have plenty of plates, napkins, silverware, etc. - especially if you're using paper products

Day Before

1. Dice package of basil and two tomatoes
2. Defrost 36 oz. chicken
3. Defrost 2 packs of Jennie-O turkey sausage
4. Cook 22 oz. ziti and put in large zip lock bag
5. Make ALL Pasta Fagioli – put in large Tupperware dishes and store in refrigerator
6. Mix dressing for salads and store in plastic containers on counter
7. Clean lettuce using salad spinner. Dice lettuce and store in large zip lock bags
8. Shred cheeses if not purchased shredded

Day of

timeline to have food on sternos at 6 p.m. (adjust timeline for time of event start)

• 3 p.m. Put out plates, sternos, etc., where you want to serve them
• 3:15 p.m. Remove Pasta Fagioli from refrigerator
• 4 p.m. Make salad in bowls you plan to present them in – put in fridge (do not add dressing yet)
• 4:30 p.m. Make spread and spread on bread
• 4:45 p.m. Start pasta with sundried tomato pesto (important that this cooks day of as you need to reserve pasta liquid, helps for consistency, etc.)
• 5:20 p.m. Start baked Italian sausage pasta (noodles are already made for this)
• 5:30 p.m. Start microwaving pasta fagioli to get it heated up a bit before it goes on sternos; stir in between heat
• 5:40 p.m. Remove salads from refrigerator, place on counter for serving and drizzle with dressings
• 5:45 p.m. Bake bread and add to basket
• 5:50 p.m. All pastas, bread and salad should be in dishes ready to go. Top each dish with cheese if desired and cover loosely with foil to keep warm before serving.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens
Makes 36 cookies
DISCLAIMER: These are NOT healthified. I know, I know -then why are they on the site? They're on here because we do a St. Patty's party every year and they're awesome. The end. Don't hate me! :)

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
½ cup butter, softened (stick butter)
½ tsp mint extract
1/4 tsp green food color
1 egg
1 cup Andes crème de menthe baking chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg in a bowl. Stir until soft dough forms. Stir in baking chips and chocolate chunks. Using gloved hands, form small balls of dough, about 2" in diameter, and place them 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (3 rectangular sheets with 12 cookies each). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool 3 minutes. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Nutritional Information: This is not healthified! It's just a fun event dish for St. Patrick's Day. Or maybe Christmas. I dunno - I guess you could make green & red cookies - fun! Anywho - no nutritionals today! :)

Review: Wow. It's like a chocolate thin mint. Move over girl scouts - i've met your match. I had a half of one of these and was pretty dang impressed with myself (j/k - it's a super easy recipe). I'll definitely make this again and could see this recipe being used again for sure! Probably a fun one for kids, too. :)

many of the 36!

Fiesta Sliders

Fiesta Sliders
Makes 12 mini burgers
Recipe adapted from Lauren’s Kitchen

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
½ cup salsa
¼ cup breadcrumbs, plain
¼ cup onion
12 tbsp fat-free sour cream
12 slider rolls I like Martin's potato rolls (90 calories each)
Optional topping: 24 tsp salsa I don't think you need it!

inside

Preheat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Combine meat, taco seasoning, salsa and onions. Mix with a fork. Add breadcrumbs. Form into 12 mini burger patties and cook for 8 minutes on each side, or until done. Meanwhile, smear 1/2 tbsp sour cream on the inside of each bun. Add the patty and top with bun. Option: serve with toppings like diced tomatoes and lettuce.

Nutritional Information (per slider): 173 calories, 23 carbs, 2 fat grams and 12 protein grams.
Nutritional Information (for 2 sliders as a meal): 345 calories, 46 carbs, 5 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

Review: I thought these were excellent! The boys (Austin & his bros) gobbled them up! They definitely weren't traditional sliders as they had the mexican flavors, but they were yummy - loved sour cream as the spread instead of mayo on a traditional burger - I thought it was neat! Austin did note that they were more like sloppy joes than burgers, I don't think there was enough bread crumbs to hold them together so I upped it above. Great appetizer, and I think it would be a great meal if you had two and maybe a side of some chips!

Black and White Bean Dip

Black and White Bean Dip
My Kitchen Café recipe
Makes 20 Servings

1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of white beans, drained
1 can of shoepeg corn, drained
½ cup Herdez salsa verde
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided
15 grape tomatoes, quartered (squeeze liquid out of tomatoes after chopping)
garlic salt to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)

Preheat oven to 400. Rinse and drain both cans of beans. Also drain the can of shoepeg corn. Make sure to squeeze liquid out of tomatoes before chopping so the dip doesn’t turn runny. Put 1.5 cups of cheese and everything else in a bowl and mix together. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and pop into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and it is all warm and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips.

Nutritional Information (without chips): 80 calories, 10 carbs, 3 fat grams and 5 protein grams.

Review: I thought this was excellent! Very different with all of the beans but super flavorful in the green salsa. The garlic salt definitely added a little something extra, and it bubbled up quick. This tasted good after it got cold, too, and it was good the next day. It makes LOTS of food –next time I may use a more shallow pan or pie dish so it’s not as deep.

Mediterranean Menu

Mediterranean Menu

• Greek Appetizer Skewers from Recipegirl.com
• Greek Salad Bites from Recipegirl.com
• Marinated Mushrooms from Recipegirl.com
• Penne with Chicken Sausage from For the Love of Cooking
• Pasta Salad in Vinaigrette from For the Love of Cooking
• Tomato & Fresh Basil Crostini with feta and roasted garlic cheese spread from For the Love of Cooking
• Herbed Greek Chicken Salad Pitas from Cookinglight.com
• Pitas + Hummus from Trader Joe’s (1 bag of mini pitas and 4 flavors of hummus)
• Baklava + Chocolate cover Pretzels from Trader Joe’s

Recipes

Greek Appetizer Skewers

Recipe Girl recipe

1 block feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch squares
30 pear or small cherry tomatoes
1/2 cucumber, sliced & then slice slices in half (need 30)
1/4 red onion, cut into small strips (about 1 inch x 1/2-inch)
toothpicks

Thread red onion onto toothpick with purple showing on top, then tomato, then cucumber. Use feta cube as a base for the appetizer- skewer the feta on the bottom; place on your platter.

Optional: Just before serving, whisk together about 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Drizzle over skewers (try not to get too much dressing on the tops of the toothpicks, where people will pick them up to eat them).

Tips: Don’t attach feta until the end as it may break. And don’t use colored toothpicks – it dyes the cheese!

Yield: 20 to 30 appetizers.

Greek Salad Bites

Recipe Girl recipe

1 oz. fat-free feta cheese crumbles
½ cup fat-free sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp cracked black pepper
¼ cup finely shredded fresh basil
¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives, finely diced
1½ medium English cucumbers

In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. Slice cucumbers on a slight diagonal into ¼-inch slices. Spoon ½ tbsp of the cheese mixture onto each cucumber slice. Arrange on serving platter. Serve immediately.

Yield: 20 to 30 appetizers

Marinated mushrooms

Recipe Girl recipe

2 lbs fresh white button mushrooms
½ cup olive oil
½ cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed oregano
½ tsp chili pepper flakes, crushed

Trim mushrooms by cutting off a thin slice of the stem of each mushroom. Drop the mushrooms into boiling water and reduce the heat. Simmer for 5 minutes; do not boil. Drain the mushrooms and cover with cold water. Let stand until cool. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.Whisk olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano and chili pepper flakes in a bowl. Add mushrooms to the olive oil mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until well coated. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or longer, stirring occasionally.

Tips: These mushrooms are best when they have marinated for a long time. Take them out of the refrigerator in time for them to return to room temperature before serving. Serve sliced baguette when you display your mushrooms. Baguette slices dipped in the drippings can be considered another appetizer.

Penne with Chicken Sausage (on left)

For the Love of cooking Recipe

1 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 tbsp yellow onions, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5 garlic and herb chicken sausages, chopped into ½” pieces
2 tbsp yellow baby bell peppers, diced
2 tbsp red bell peppers, diced
10 grape tomatoes, cut in half
6 oz. penne, cooked per instructions (in boiled water for 12 minutes)
Salt and pepper to taste

Spray large, deep pan with olive oil flavored cooking spray, and set a pot of water to boil. Drop in 1 teaspoon of olive oil in pan over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Season with salt and set aside on a plate. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the same skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add minced garlic, stirring constantly for 60 seconds. Set aside on same plate as onions. Add dry pasta to boiling water for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. While pasta cooks, add sausage to skillet over medium heat and cook until brown, about 6-7 minutes then add onion, tomatoes, bell peppers and spinach to pan. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over mixture. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes are soft, about 3-4 minutes. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Stir, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well for 1-2 minutes then serve.

Pasta Salad in Vinaigrette (on right)

For the Love of Cooking recipe

6 oz. rotini (or pasta of choice), cooked per instructions
Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 large cucumber, seeded & diced
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
Feta cheese
Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta per instructions, drain and cool. Once the pasta has cooled, add the cherry tomato halves, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, feta cheese and basil then mix thoroughly. Slowly add the vinaigrette, salt and pepper. Taste and add more dressing as needed.

Vinaigrette:
½ cup canola oil
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper

Combine ingredients with a whisk. Let it sit overnight so flavors marinate together.

Tomato and Fresh Basil Crostini with Feta and Roasted Garlic Cheese Spread

For the Love of Cooking recipe

1/2 cup fat free feta cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 head of roasted garlic, chopped (recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 vine ripened tomato, sliced thinly
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely into ribbons
Fresh cracked pepper and sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine feta cheese, sour cream, 1/2 head of roasted garlic, salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and spray tops with cooking spray. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside. Lay the basil leaves on top of each other and roll into a tube, cut into thin slices. Spread the feta mixture evenly onto the crostini then top with a slice of tomato, sprinkle with sea salt & fresh cracked pepper and top with basil ribbons.

Roasted Garlic
1 head of garlic
1 tsp olive oil
Dash of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the top of the head off so every clove of garlic is exposed. Place on a small square of tinfoil.Drizzle with olive oil and salt to taste. Fold edges of tinfoil together and twist to make a sealed bundle. Place in oven and bake for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the garlic. Let cool before serving. Squeeze to remove the roasted cloves.

Herbed Greek Chicken Salad Pitas

Cookinglight.com recipe

½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper, divided
¼ tsp salt, divided
Cooking spray
8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2.5 tsp fresh lemon juice, divided
½ cup plain fat-free yogurt (Fage 0%)
1 tsp tahini
½ tsp minced garlic
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
8 grape tomatoes, halved
44 grams fat-free feta cheese

Combine oregano, garlic powder, ¼ tsp pepper and 1/8 tsp salt in a bowl. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken and spice mixture; sauté until chicken is done. Drizzle with 1.5 tsp lemon juice; stir. Remove from pan. Combine remaining tsp of lemon juice, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, yogurt, tahini and garlic in a small bowl; stir well. Combine lettuce and tomatoes. Top with chicken mixture and cheese. Add yogurt mixture and stir. Stuff ¼ to ½ a cup in 8” pitas (cut in half).

Trader Joe's Baklava and Pretzels

Slowcooker Mac & Cheese Recipe

Picture coming soon!

Slowcooker Mac & Cheese Recipe

Recipe closely based off of Paula Deen's recipe

1 cup fat-free milk (she used full fat)
¾ tsp dry mustard (she used less)
1 tsp salt (she used less)
4 tbsp light butter with canola oil (she used full fat)
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream (she used full fat)
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can campbell’s Cheddar cheese soup
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese (next time i'll try light)
1 16-oz. box elbow macaroni (she used less)
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Boil macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until cheese melts. In a slow cooker sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, combine cheese/butter mixture and add sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Add eggs. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional Information: whole recipe: 3,293 calories, 395 carbs, 228 fat grams and 137 protein grams. Makes 20 "side" servings: 165 calories, 20 carbs, 12 fat grams and 7 protein grams; Makes 10 "large" servings: 329 calories, 40 carbs, 23 fat grams and 14 protein grams.

Review: Amazing. It really is. It looks like old school mac & cheese and tastes absolutely sinful. It makes a big batch - would be perfect for a get together, a Thanksgiving sidedish, etc. The fat is way too high, but I didn't want to risk changing the recipe any more for the first time I made it! I think you could probably do light though which would really impact the fat. I need to make this again to take a picture, so I'll try it with light cheese!

That Good Salad

Recipe from my sister Devon

That Good Salad

Dressing:
3/4 Cup EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup lemon juice

Salad:

2 bunches Romaine Lettuce
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
8 strips bacon, fried & broken into pieces
1 cup caesar salad croutons

Mix ingredients together; cover & refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour dressing over salad just before serving and mix well.

Nutritional Information: TBD

Review: This salad is amazing. Really. The flavors are great, the dressing is a perfect blend and it's a crowd favorite. Devon made it for a house warming shower this past summer and it went quick! People even asked for the recipe!