Posts for October 23rd 2009

Appetizers

It's Tailgating Time! Shrimp Dip With Potato Chips

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love dips!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love dips! I'm kinda obsessed with making them and even more addicted to trying out new recipes. A couple of weeks ago when I was browsing the Macy's Come Together recipe section, I came across this interesting recipe for shrimp dip. It's an old-fashioned sort of dip (it's from Tom Douglas' mom's recipe) that's served with thick-cut potato chips. I printed it out immediately and was determined to give it a taste. Kind of like shrimp cocktail, but in dip form, the resulting dip is quite tasty. The recipe makes a large quantity, so it's perfect for tailgating or any other party where there will be a crowd of hungry revelers. If I've piqued your curiosity, check out the recipe and read more

fast and easy

Halibut With Leeks, Mushrooms, and Clams

From Fine Cooking Halibut With Leeks, Mushrooms, and ClamsIngredients4 oz.

From Fine Cooking

Halibut With Leeks, Mushrooms, and Clams

Fast & Easy Recipe For Halibut With Leeks, Mushrooms, and Clams

Ingredients

4 oz. (½ cup) unsalted butter
½ lb. oyster or hen of the woods mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
3 large leeks, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
4 skinless halibut fillets (about 4 oz. each)
16 to 24 small clams, such as Manila or littlenecks, scrubbed
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

  1. Melt the butter over medium heat in an 11- or 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan with a lid. Add the mushrooms and leeks and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the broth, raise the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
  2. Season the halibut with salt and pepper. Nestle the fish and clams among the vegetables in the skillet. Bring the broth back to a boil, cover tightly, and reduce the heat to low. Cook gently until the fish is just cooked through and the clams have opened, about 7 minutes. If all of the clams are not open, remove the fish and the open clams and continue cooking until the remaining clams open, another 2 to 3 minutes. Discard any clams that haven’t opened by this time.
  3. Serve the fish in warmed shallow soup bowls, topped with leeks and mushrooms, surrounded by clams and broth, and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Serves 4.

*Available in the Asian foods section or produce section of some supermarkets, and at Southeast Asian and some Asian markets.

fast and easy

Quick Cioppino

From Martha Stewart Living Quick CioppinoIngredients2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/8 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes 1 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices 2 1/2 cups water 14 mussels, debearded and scrubbed well 14 littleneck clams, scrubbed well 1 pound firm, white fish fillets, such as halibut or cod, cut into 2-inch pieces Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish Directions Add onion and garlic, and cook for 4 minutes.

From Martha Stewart Living

Quick Cioppino

Fast, Easy Recipe for Quick Cioppino

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
2 1/2 cups water
14 mussels, debearded and scrubbed well
14 littleneck clams, scrubbed well
1 pound firm, white fish fillets, such as halibut or cod, cut into 2-inch pieces
Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

  1. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 4 minutes. Add thyme, salt, pepper, and red-pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute. Add wine, and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, juices, and water. Cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Add seafood, cover, and cook until shells open, 6 to 8 minutes. (Discard unopened shells and thyme sprigs.) Garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

dinner

Roast Chicken

If you have time, take the bird out of the fridge about 25 minutes before you plan on roasting it.

If you have time, take the bird out of the fridge about 25 minutes before you plan on roasting it.

Original Recipe

Roast Chicken

Classic Roast Chicken Recipe 2009-10-23 13:13:23

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used parsley, thyme, and basil)
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, sliced in half
1/2 cup celery leaves
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, chopped into chunks
1 celery stalk, chopped into chunks
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Combine the garlic, herbs, butter, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.
  3. Wash the chicken and dry thoroughly, patting with paper towels.
  4. Season the cavity and outside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon, celery leaves, and a few pieces of onion.
  5. Throw the remaining onions, carrots, and celery into a roast pan. This will act as a bed for the chicken.
  6. Rub the entire chicken with the herb butter mixture. Slide your fingers under the skin and stuff some herb butter inside.
  7. Set the chicken on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Pour the chicken broth and white wine into the roasting pan.
  8. Place in the oven and roast until the skin is deep golden brown and crisp, about an hour to an hour and a half. To see if the chicken is done, pierce the chicken in between the leg and thigh with a knife. If the juices run clear, it is cooked. Or remove from the oven when a thermometer reads between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
  9. Cover loosely with foil and let sit for 15 minutes before carving.

Serves 4-6.

Come Party With Me

Come Party With Me: Vampire Party — the Look

Black, white, and blood red are the colors that come to mind when I think of vampires and they're perfect for decorating a vampire party.

Black, white, and blood red are the colors that come to mind when I think of vampires and they're perfect for decorating a vampire party. Start by placing black candelabra with blood-dripping candles around the event location. Hang bats from the ceiling and stretch spider webs across the walls.

Serve the food on red platters, the soup in test tubes, and the cocktail in clear martini glasses. Sprinkle skull-and-cross-bones confetti across the tables, and place plastic vampire fangs in between the serving platters. Stack black napkins nearby. Bouquets of red roses finish the look.

Poll

How Sweet Do You Like Your Champagne?

popsugar pollHow Sweet Do You Like Your Champagne?

How To

Better Than Lollipops: Crispy Rice Treats on Sticks

At a baby shower this year, LilSugar sent everyone home with the most clever party favors: crispy rice treats on a stick!

At a baby shower this year, LilSugar sent everyone home with the most clever party favors: crispy rice treats on a stick! They were the perfect parting gift at the shower, but, when adorned with color-coordinated orange sprinkles and ribbons, they'd also make a charming alternative to serve trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

This delight takes less than 10 minutes to come together on the stove top. Evenly press the mixture into a pan coated with cooking spray, and let cool for about five minutes. Cut them to uniform size, roll each into the shape of a ball, and insert sticks through the middle. Wrap treats in individual cellophane bags, and tie with a pretty ribbon.

Got any other sweet ideas for Halloween? Share them below!