Party Food

       Munchies, yummmmmm, the best part of the meal.  Are munchies part of a meal?  Or are munchies THE meal?  You can call them Hors D'oeuvres or call them appetizers but whatever they are, they can be so delicious that people often fill up on them before sitting down to eat the actual meal itself!
       When I was a caterer, we loved to cater the between-meal event that offered a Gourmet Buffet with items such as California and European Cheeses, Home Baked Breads, Pot Stickers, Swedish Meat Balls, various imported Sausages and Crudites with Crackers and Dips.    
       Dips are very popular when served with various munchies from chips to cheeses or cut veggies - or with whatever you decide to put out for your guests.  They also make great hostess gifts - you can make a batch to keep handy for the holidays and when you are invited for dinner, just fill a pretty jar and voila!  A homemade edible gift!
       Some of my best gift and guest dips are Green Peppercorn Dip and Sweet Champagne Mustard.   They are easy to prepare and are not an exact science.  Also, they travel well and keep for at least a month in the fridge.  The Artichoke Dip is baked and served hot or you can take it with you and serve it at  room temperature.  What delicious offerings!

GREEN PEPPERCORN DIP

Green Peppercorns - one/3oz. jar, drained

Garlic - 6 cloves, rough chopped

Green Onions - one bunch chopped (both the green and white parts)

Mayonnaise - 2 1/3 to 3 cups

White Wine Vinegar - 6 TB.

In a food processor, pulverize the garlic and peppercorns.  Add green onions and process until nearly smooth. Do not breathe this in - it is very potent.  Stir in the mayo and vinegar.  Chill and serve with crudites and crackers.  Taste and if it is too strong, add more mayo.  Enjoy!

SWEET CHAMPAGNE MUSTARD

Coleman's Dry Mustard - 2/3 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Eggs - 3 large, beaten

Vinegar (White Wine or Champagne) - 2/3 cup

 In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, combine the dry mustard and sugar.  Beat with a whisk to remove any lumps.  Mix in the eggs and the vinegar and whisk constantly for 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture has thickened and appears slightly foamy.  Pour immediately into another container to stop the cooking.  Makes about 1 1/2 cups of mustard.  Serve with cheeses and meats; great for gifts.  Keeps for 4 weeks in the fridge. 

BAKED ARTICHOKE DIP

Onion, 1/2 chopped
Artichoke Hearts, 1 can of UNmarinated, drained

Parmesan Cheese, grated, 1 cup

Mayonnaise, 1 cup (or one small jar)

Lemon Juice, 1 squeeze or just shake in some lemon pepper

Salt & Pepper

Paprika (optional) or Bread Crumbs (optional)

Chop onion to be chunky in a food processor, add drained artichokes and process but keep a rough chunky texture.  Pour into an oven-proof casserole and add the Parmesan, Mayo, and lemon juice.  Taste, then season with salt & pepper.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with a sprinkle of paprika.

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes @ 350 degrees.  Serve hot or at room temp.

Serve with assorted crackers or cut veggies.  Enjoy!  A guaranteed hit!

Note:  This recipe can be made without measuring - just mix and adjust to your taste. It is a WINNER and people love, love, love it!  You can make this into a crab dip by simply adding one can of (real) crab to all the above ingredients.  Then ... call it a Crab Dip!

Salmon, Shrimp, and Salsa

       Most of us like to keep either meat, chicken or fish in our freezers for easy meal prep.  In my freezer we keep mostly fish because that's what we eat and believe it or not, there are economical ways to enjoy and cook both salmon and shrimp.
       I buy my frozen salmon at Costco and my fave is the Coho Wild Alaskan Salmon.  The price is pretty decent but any salmon at Costco will be delish.  For a tasty dinner broil your salmon and accompany it with this Papaya Salsa.  Add some rice and a small salad and you have a gourmet meal:

PAPAYA SALSA

Papaya - one can, drained, chopped

(canned papaya is better for this than fresh - very ripe and nice texture)

1/4- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper

1/2 - 1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and minced

Fresh Cilantro, chopped, about 1/4 cup

Fresh Lime Juice - a few squeezes to taste

1 1/2 tsp Orange Juice

1/4 -1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Mix together and serve over broiled fish. 

Makes plenty for 4 pieces of salmon.
Save some for next week to go with grilled or sauteed shrimp.

       And speaking of shrimp ... Shrimp is also a wonderful thing to keep in the freezer.  It requires absolutely no planning and can be defrosted in cold water - takes about 10 minutes.  I use either the 21-25's or the  31-40's.  That means that there are 21 to 25 per pound or 31 to 40 per pound.  I count out 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound per person, give or take a few extra if you like.
       Make a dry marinade of dill, salt & pepper with a tiny touch of cayenne if you like, peel and devein your shrimp and sprinkle with the dry rub and let it season for about 1/2 hour.  Grill, bake, broil or sautee these shrimp for only 3 - 5 minutes.  Do not overcook!!  Serve with Papaya Salsa, Rice and Salad.
Enjoy!
       Here is one of my most favorite shrimp recipes:

SHRIMP ORZO SALAD

Orzo - 1/2 lb

Lemon Juice -1/4 C (about 2 lemons)

Olive Oil - 1/2 C + about 1/4 C

Salt & Pepper

Shrimp - 1/2 lb. of Medium Shrimp (31/40's are fine)

Green Onions - 1/2 C chopped fine (use green and white parts)

Fresh Dill - 1/2 C chopped

Fresh Italian Parsley - 1/2 C chopped

Hot House Cucumber - 1/2 seeded, unpeeled, medium diced

Red Onion - 1/4 to 1/2 C rough chopped (one small onion)

Feta Cheese - 1/4 lb.cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Fresh Mint- use to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Bring water in pasta pot to a boil and cook Orzo according to package directions (do not overcook), drain, then mix hot pasta with the lemon juice, 1/2 C olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and fresh cracked pepper in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

2.  Place shrimp on a cookie sheet and drizzle with about 1/4 C olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then toss to combine.  Spread shrimp into a single layer and roast for 4-6 minutes until they are pink.  Do not overcook!

3. Add shrimp to the Orzo.  Add the green onions, dill, parsley, cukes, and onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss well then add the Feta and carefully stir to mix into pasta.  Cover and leave at room temperature for about 1-2 hours for flavors to blend or refrigerate overnight.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  If the pasta seems too dry you can drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil and mix.

Enjoy!!

       

 


    

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Gone Bananas

I just pulled a banana nut bread out of the oven and am delighted at how simple it is to bake a non-yeasted bread.  The flour and sugar should be basically as instructed but if it varies by a spoonful here and there, no big deal.  The wet ingredients also are a bit flexible: for instance, this recipe just calls for 2 eggs. How big are your eggs?  Jumbo?  Small? You get the idea...

This recipe also calls for 2 1/2 cups of mashed bananas.  Well, I put in all the bananas I had, five total, which came to just 2 cups and the bread turned out to be yummy and moist. (Still chewing on my piece!).  If you do not eat nuts, leave them out.  If you want something else, you can add it, for instance, how about a 1/2 cup of Craisins or 1/2 cup of chocolate or butterscotch chips or  possibly some dried fruit?  

These breads are not an exact science like the yeasted breads so try the one that follows and if you like it, add something extra to it next time and see what happens.  Be sure to note what you did or didn't do on the recipe so you can remember for the next time!  And if you come up with something totally different, let me know because I would love to try it out.

BANANA NUT BREAD

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 (one stick) butter

3/4 brown sugar (packed)

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups over ripened bananas, mashed

1 cup walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 & lightly spray a loaf pan with oil.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Stir with a whisk to mix.

3. In a smaller bowl, cream the butter and sugar together then mix in the eggs.  (use the whisk to fully incorporate the eggs). Then mix in the bananas.

4. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir only just to moisten.

5. Stir in the nuts but do not over-mix.

6. Pour into loaf pan and bake in the 350 oven for 60 - 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out fairly clean.  When the loaf is done it usually cracks on the top and the sides brown and come away from the pan.  If the toothpick is still not clean and the loaf looks done, take it out.

7. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a wire rack to cool

8. When completely cooled, cut and eat immediately or wrap loaf in foil and refrigerate.

ENJOY!

Stir Fried Garlic Shrimp

Stir fry is a quick easy meal to prepare.  After a long day or at the spur of the moment, this really is dinner in about 60 minutes.  Use whichever veggies you happen to have and either meat or chicken if you like (or even both).  If you use already cooked ingredients, just cook them until they are hot.  Remember that the firmer veggies such as broccoli, green beans and cauliflower, should be blanched first.


Be sure to have all ingredients ready before you start to cook:  chop all veggies, assemble bowl of ice water, get your oil out, spices, herbs, soy sauce - all should be ready to go because once started, the stir fry goes lickedy split.

GARLIC SHRIMP STIR FRIED WITH BROCCOLI AND SPINACH

Broccoli, one head, cut into bite sized pieces

One 10oz. package of pre-washed, fresh spinach

2 dozen medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined

soy sauce

olive oil

salt

lemon pepper

granulated garlic

6 cloves of garlic, chopped medium

bowl of ice water (have this ready!) 

1. Start your rice.

2. Bring medium pot of water to boil, drop in broccoli and let sit for 3-4 minutes.  Drain and immediately plunge into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  Drain and set aside.

3. Peel and de-vein the shrimp, dry on a paper towel and sprinkle with a dry marinade of the salt, lemon pepper, and granulated garlic.  Set aside.

4. Chop garlic, set aside.

5. Open spinach package, line up your other ingredients:  soy sauce & oil, and get them ready by your wok (or pan) along with the veggies and garlic.

6. Heat pan on high, add oil then broccoli and garlic, and stir fry for just a few minutes making sure that the garlic does not burn.  Put on the lid, let steam for one minute, then put in a splash of soy sauce, stir, put lid back on and steam for another minute.

7. Turn up flame, add shrimp and stir until pink and plump, about 2 minutes.  Do not overcook!  When all is tender, put into empty blanching pot and set aside.

8. With flame up, add a bit more oil if needed, stir fry the spinach until it cooks down.  Take the broccoli shrimp mixture and add it to the spinach in the wok and toss until well mixed.

9. Serve with rice.
ENJOY!

Please post any questions or comments - I would love to hear from you.

Cranberries Two Ways

It sounds crazy to talk about "leftovers" before The Big Turkey Day but I cannot resist!  Visions of turkey dishes dance in my head along with even bigger visions of cranberries.  Turkey and Cranberries:  a perfect match. 

And since Thanksgiving is the kick off day for Roasted Turkey, I am thinkin' 'bout them fixins.  I make a much bigger turkey and more of the fixins than actually is needed so that I can make some wonderful "encore" dishes and oh, I do all of this while eating my Cranberry Turkey Sandwich.

This homemade cranberry relish is my mom's recipe - delicious and foolproof. One year I thought I was cooking it from memory and later on found out that all I had done was just dump everything together and bake it all at once...  It was delish!  0(^;^)0

You can do it this way though I recommend following the very simple directions printed below.  Double the recipe and it will keep nicely for both your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and you can also put some in pretty jars to deliver to your friends.

CRANBERRY NUT RELISH

2 (12oz) bags of fresh Cranberries

One cup sugar

1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

One jar of Orange Marmalade (about 10 oz.)

Zest of one lemon

Juice of 1/4 or more of one lemon (taste as you go)

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix cranberries with sugar in an oven proof casserole.  Cover tightly with foil and place bowl on top of a cookie sheet to prevent over-flow.  Bake for about one hour. In the meantime, toast walnuts in toaster oven or pan for 8 - 12 minutes, constantly checking and stirring, until toasted.  When cranberries are cooked,  add the walnuts and marmalade and then add the lemon juice a bit at a time, tasting as you go.  Be careful - the cooked cranberry mixture is scalding hot!  Combine well and chill. Plenty for 2 holiday meals and some gifts.

Enjoy!

Another Fresh Cranberry dish that my mom always made at the holidays is called Cranberry Nut Bread.  This bread is great with your Holiday dinner, wonderful the next day toasted with cream cheese and makes an excellent holiday gift goody. 

MOM'S CRANBERRY NUT BREAD

2 C Sifted Flour

1 C Sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
juice & grated peel of an orange
2 TB butter,
boiling water
1 C chopped walnuts
1 C raw, chopped cranberries

Preheat oven to 350.  Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in the beaten egg.  Combine orange juice and peel, butter, and enough boiling water to make 3/4 cup.  Stir into the flour mixture, mixing only until moistened throughout.  Stir in nuts and cranberries.  Turn into a well greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  *Note:  it is natural for the top of this loaf to crack while baking.
Cool bread in pan for 15 minutes then remove it from pan and cool on rack.  After it is completely cooled, wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight before slicing.

I like to double this recipe and bake it in a 12 cup bundt pan.  Test for to see if it is done after 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

I am sure you will love these 2 recipes.  If you have any other recipes with cranberries you want to share, please feel free to post them in your comment.  I am looking forward to hearing from you all.

What's in Your Pantry?

A well stocked pantry can yield many creative and delicious meals. Here is a small list of some staple items you may want to keep in your pantry.Adjust these to your budget and your tastes:
Canned Foods:chicken, fish (tuna, shrimp, clams, salmon), beans (white beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans), chicken and beef broths, tomatoes (including paste and sauce), olives, capers, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, corn, olives, green chilies, mushroom and tomato soups, evaporated milk, fruits (peaches, pineapple), Mandarin oranges, pie fillings.
Bottles & Jars: oils (olive, canola, sesame), vinegars (red and white wine, balsamic, rice), marinara sauce, mayo, mustard, ketchup, salad dressings, applesauce, nut butters, salsa.
Dry Goods: pastas, rice, popcorn, dry soup mix, chili spice packet, dry mushrooms, instant puddings and jellos, cake mix, Bisquick, dried fruits, nuts (walnuts, peanuts, pecans), raisins, bread crumbs, seaweed.
Everyday staples: coffee, tea, salt, pepper, herbs and spices, dried onion and garlic, cereal, crackers, jam, juices, protein bars, sugar, honey, flour.
More: onions, garlic, potatoes, apples, bread, Parmesan cheese, frozen meats, chicken, fish, frozen peas and spinach, ice cream.

Here is a recipe right from my pantry:

FUSILLI WITH TUNA, TOMATOES & ARTICHOKE HEARTS
serves 2, double it for 4

Fusilli Pasta 8 oz.
Olive oil
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 small can tomatoes, chopped (save juice)
2 cans tuna, drained & broken up into chunks
2 dozen Kalamata (or black, ripe) olives (optional)
1 small can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
Dry parsley; salt & fresh ground pepper
1 tsp.dried red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Fill a large pot with water, add 1 Tb. salt, bring to boil.Add pasta & 2 Tb. oil, cook until al dente, drain & set aside.Save about 1 cup of the pasta water for the sauce.
2.Heat about 1/4 cup olive oil in large pan, saute onion until tender.Add garlic, tomatoes (without sauce), tuna, olives, artichoke hearts and seasonings.Stir to heat. Add pasta, stir until well mixed, taste then add tomato juice or pasta water to add moisture (start with 1/2 Cup), taste, adjust liquid & seasonings.
3.Eat and enjoy!

This is a delicious, quick meal.You can substitute or add any number of the ingredients:  canned mushrooms, roasted red peppers,or sun dried tomatoes.You can even add some white beans (yes!). I cook with rice pasta (from natural foods store) and the combo of rice pasta with beans equals a complete protein!

I am excited to hear from you about the different combinations you have concocted or any questions you may have.

Bon Appetit!

Trendy or not

When I was a caterer we had to be on the cutting edge of food trends. We wouldn't dare serve anything that was "out". I remember when I first started my company quiche was all the rage and then suddenly, poof! - gone! No one would dare mention its name for a very long time.


Food presentation was always a priority as well.  We went from arranging each pea pod and each tiny veggie on a dinner plate so that the entree became a work of art (try that for 100 plates!)to food balanced on itself so that it looked like taking the first bite would tumble the whole thing into a heap!  In trendy restaurants today you get the whole gamut.  Form vs. Function...

I have always loved comfort foods and was so delighted when regional American foods came in - the ultimate comfort foods - because they were less pretentious and more like the foods I grew up on in my hometown of Los Angeles.  At my house we ate pot roast, meatloaf, baked chicken, spaghetti (not called pasta then!) and other pretty basic dishes.  I loved every bite.  My mom, who was a gourmet and who appreciated foods from all over the world, cooked simple, well-balanced meals. 

My recipes range from soup to nuts - some simple, some down-home and some from recipes that focus on the unusual and international. If you have a taste for something you want to share, you are so welcome to share.

Today I would like to share one of my favorites:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

One butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces, about 5-6 Cups
One Qt. Chicken broth or stock
2 - 4 Tb butter, unsalted
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 or 2 star anise, ground (careful:  less is more)
Ground ginger to taste
Salt to taste

Serve with croutons or toasted squash seeds on the side.

Cook shallots and garlic with a tiny bit of anise in the  butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat, stirring, until shallots are softened.  Add cubed squash and salt and saute until squash softens, about 6 or so minutes.  Add broth and simmer, covered, until squash is very tender,  about 20 - 25 minutes.

Puree soup in blender working in small batches with the hot liquid, until smooth.  Be careful - hot!  Put into a fresh pot to keep warm, taste and re-season.  Serve with toasted squash seeds or croutons.

Ah, Autumn, at last!

Welcome to Kay's Food Talk! As a retired Los Angeles caterer and dedicated foodie, I admit to having an obsession with food. I have, after years of research and development, figured out the cure... FEED IT!! In order to feed it, I must cook and part of cooking is the exchange of recipes so this blog is about eating, cooking, recipes, and sharing.

My former catering & event company, Memorable Occasions, served the greater L.A. area for 20 years and though we tried to be seasonal in our menus, we found over the span of years that L.A. really has no seasons, that's why people flock there! So, I moved to Prescott to live in Everybody's Hometown and to enjoy our four lovely seasons.

The change of season could be any season - I love them all - but I love the fall in Prescott most of all and cannot wait to bring out all of my cold weather recipes. Some of the recipes that are dancing through my head are Butternut Squash Soup, Mac 'n Cheese, Scotch Broth (loaded with meat & barley), Pork with Peaches, Slow Cooked Texas Brisket, Chicken Stewed with Piquillo Peppers, Meatloaf (my mother's), Death by Chocolate Cake, and later on, gobs of treats for the Holidays including Mom's Cranberry Nut Bread. Yum!

Potlucks are a wonderful way to get together and celebrate for no reason but just to enjoy each others company. So we will start here with my Pistachio Nut Dessert. This is an easy, very delicious recipe, great for a potluck and the change of seasons. Your friends will be thrilled - I promise! Oh, and it comes across as muy elegante. 0(^;^)0

Pistachio Nut Torte

Crust:
2 C flour
4 T sugar
2 sticks butter
1 C chopped walnuts or pecans
Mix together then press into a 9X13” pan (or a spring form pan).
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool thoroughly. (This can sit out overnight).

First Layer:
Cream Cheese: 8 oz.
Sugar: 2/3 C
Cool Whip: 1/2 of a large or about 6 oz (be generous!)
Blend and spread onto cooled crust.

Middle Layer:
Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix: 2 small packages (UNcooked)
Whole Milk: 2 1/2 C
Mix together until it becomes very thick.
Pour onto first layer and spread.
Refrigerate and let set.

Top Layer:
Spread the other 1/2 of the Cool Whip (or 6 more oz) thickly on top. Chill.

Enjoy!

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You can reach me at cookkatt@gmail.com. I welcome your comments.


Kay Luckett is the former owner of Memorable Occasions, a catering and event coordinating company in Los Angeles, CA. She has 20 years experience in this biz plus a few years teaching her class, The Art of Catering, at various Community Colleges. Her biggest thrill was catering for Julia Child in 1991 before she escaped from L.A.