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Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Carving - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:50:19 -0700

From 2003 to 2006, every October I hosted an annual pumpkin carving party. In 2007, I threw a huge Halloween bash, and last year, I didn't do anything!

Now, I've decided it's time to bring back my beloved pumpkin carving dinner. I supply the pumpkins and a hearty Fall dinner and ask everyone to bring a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer. Since the party is all about creating interesting pumpkin designs, I like to serve a menu that guests can enjoy at their leisure.

For starters, I'll offer an orange and black cheese ball and spicy sausages wrapped in pizza dough.

A huge pot of vegetarian chili will bubble on the stove, and in between carving pumpkins, guests can grab a bowl and top it with an assortment of items like cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. A side of jalapeño cornbread muffins are ideal for dipping. To look at these recipes, read more.

Cheddar Cheese Ball
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds extra-sharp cheddar, shredded
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup poppy seeds

Directions

Process all ingredients except poppy seeds in a food processor until smooth.
Transfer to a large bowl lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Unmold onto a plate. Press poppy seeds evenly over surface, rounding top. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.

Serves 12 to 15.

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Spicy Sausage in Carrozza
From Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

6 spicy Italian sausages
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
15 whole garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 (4-ounce) pieces pizza dough, store bought

Directions

In a saucepan add 1/2-inch water to the pan. Immerse sausages in water and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove sausage and dry the pan.
Return to the heat and add the olive oil on medium heat. When hot return the sausage to the pan with garlic cloves and saute until medium brown all over.
Remove garlic to a bowl. Remove sausage to a plate to cool.
Use a fork to mash the garlic with salt and pepper. Stir in mustard and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut each piece of dough into 2 and roll out until 1/4-inch thick. Cut 6 pieces of dough about 3 inches wide and 1/2-inch shorter than the length of sausage, just enough to wrap around sausage with the ends peeking out.
Spread bottom of each dough with a tablespoon of garlic/mustard paste. Set sausage on top, moisten 1 dough edge with a wet finger so it sticks together and roll. Press the seam firmly and set them on a lightly floured sheet pan, seam side down.
Brush with olive oil. Bake until brown all around.
Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into 3/4-inch long pieces and serve.

Serves 6.

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Spicy Vegetarian Chili
From Whole Foods

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped chipotles in adobo 1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
3 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, peppers and garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not browned.
Add chipotles, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir to blend. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Gently simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Add beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Garnish individual bowls with green onions or sour cream, if desired.

Serves 6-8.

Nutrition Per serving (about 17oz/495g-wt.): 230 calories (45 from fat), 5g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1200mg sodium, 37g total carbohydrate (13g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 11g protein.

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Jalapeño Corn Muffins
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

One 8.5-ounce box corn muffin mix
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh corn kernels (3 ears)
4 ounces jalapeño jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, prepare the mix according to the package directions, using the milk in place of water. Stir in the corn, cheese and basil; season with salt and pepper.
Grease a muffin pan and fill each cup with batter. Bake until lightly golden, 30 minutes; let cool.

Serves 6.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Jerk Chicken With Corn Bread

partysugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:30:19 -0700

Why not start the weekend with a spicy, fragrant chicken? This chicken is rubbed with a mixture of spices typical to Jerk seasoning: paprika, allspice, cayenne, and garlic powder. Although the recipe roasts the chicken in the oven, it would be equally delicious cooked on a grill. The corn bread accompaniment is simply a jazzed-up box variation. Paired with an icy cold beer, this makes a delicious dinner. Get the recipe now and read more.

Jerk Chicken With Corn Bread
From Real Simple magazine

Ingredients

2 bunches scallions, trimmed
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 tablespoons molasses
1 4-pound chicken, cut into pieces
1 8.5-ounce box corn muffin mix
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 400° F.
Thinly slice the dark green tips of 4 scallions; set aside. Place the remaining scallions in a roasting pan.
In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, black pepper, oil, lime juice, and molasses. Spread the spice mixture over and under the chicken skin. Place the chicken on top of the scallions. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the corn muffin mix according to the package directions. Stir in the jalapeno and reserved sliced scallions and scrape the batter into a greased 8-inch-square pan. Place in oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve the chicken with the roasted scallions, corn bread, and lime wedges, if desired.

Serves 4.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 893.44(43% from fat); FAT 42.81g (sat 11.03g); CHOLESTEROL 238.97mg; CALCIUM 147.84mg; CARBOHYDRATE 59.78g; SODIUM 1141.23mg; PROTEIN 66.01mg; FIBER 7.47g; IRON 7.59mg

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Southern Side: Cornbread

partysugar — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 03:58:41 -0700

Last week, when my older brother was in town, he requested ribs and cornbread for dinner. I had to work late so the entire dinner was left to my dad to prepare. My dad does a great job, but in my opinion, he takes a little too much help from the store, and didn't make the cornbread. Now, I'm curious to test out cornbread recipes, so I've decided to make some as a side dish for Easter dinner tomorrow. An excellent all-American, quintessentially Southern side dish, cornbread (or cornbread muffins) pairs wonderfully with ham, chili, and fried chicken. To add the recipe to your collection please read more

Cornbread
From Very Best Baking

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup yellow corn meal (suggested brand: Albers)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
Combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium bow.
Combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil and butter in a small bowl; mix well.
Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 12.

For Muffins: Spoon batter into 18 to 20 greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool slightly. Serve warm.

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'Wich of the Week: Classic Reuben

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:00:24 -0700

The Reuben is such a classic American sandwich that two people claim to have invented it: Reuben Kulakofsky of Omaha, NE, who enjoyed the sandwich at a weekly poker game, and New York deli owner Arthur Reuben, who said he first made the sandwich around 1914.

Who first grilled up that savory stack of rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing, we'll probably never know. But that won't stop me from enjoying an endless parade of Reuben recipes, from pastrami to tempeh. Of course, it's hard to beat a good, old-fashioned corned beef Reuben, grilled on rye bread that's buttered to perfection. So try this classic recipe

Starbucks Focuses on Healthy Menu Items

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:30:13 -0700

At the beginning of the month, Starbucks announced it would be rolling out a new "Real Food. Simply Delicious" campaign on June 30 to highlight its focus on all-natural ingredients. Starbucks has reformulated 90 percent of its baked goods to make them free of high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, food coloring, and some preservatives. It has also added menu items today: the Strawberry-Banana Vivanno, Blueberry-Oat Bars, Banana-Walnut Bread, and two lunch salads, the Classic Salad and a Farmers Market Salad. To learn more about what you'll find at Starbucks keep reading

What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:30:56 -0700

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

Korean bibimbap makes a versatile, well-rounded dinner for one.
Appalachia's red hot dogs are the subject of a new food documentary.
Good news: Turns out drinking too much beer doesn't actually cause beer bellies.
The Skinny Chef learns how to bring out the best in a tomatillo.
Embrace the nostalgia of bread-and-butter pickles sans the high-fructose corn syrup.
A Boston Marathoner becomes the face of breakfast haven Waffle House.

Photo by flickr user avlxyz

Starbucks Aims to Be Healthier, Greener

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:30:47 -0700

America's largest coffee chain has decided to jump-start its own eco-friendly food revolution: Earlier this week, Starbucks announced it would be rolling out a new food menu on June 30 as part of its "Real Food. Simply Delicious" campaign. And yesterday, the chain said it would install new water faucets in its stores as part of an environmental initiative.

The company is reworking 90 percent of its baked goods, and eliminating high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and food coloring from its products. Starbucks is also removing preservatives from items whenever possible, attempting to mimic the number of ingredients used in homemade baked goods. In addition, this Summer the coffee titan will test the viability of a Frappuccino formula that appeals to health-conscious consumers, and the chain will begin selling salads. Despite premium prices of natural ingredients, the company maintains these changes will not affect prices on its food menu.

Yesterday, Starbucks also revealed a plan to install new water faucets that meter out water across all US stores by September, a change that could save each café up to 150 gallons of water a day. It hopes to expand this green initiative internationally by Fall.

The coffee company continues to make frantic changes in hopes of reviving sales. I'm skeptical about whether these strategies will truly spark sales - since things like instant coffee, ciabatta-bread sandwiches, and value meals really haven't. Still, I'll admit I hope that health-conscious Frappuccino comes to market. What do you think of these changes?

Source

Bobby Flay's Sandwich Tips

partysugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:00:01 -0700

Yesterday we brought you a fun little video of Bobby Flay making sandwiches, and today we've got his tips for crafting the best 'wich! While Flay is known for his superior grill skills, he's also a sponsor for Best Foods mayonnaise and a master of sandwich making. Here's how the Iron Chef recommends building a better sandwich:

When a sandwich contains several moist ingredients (mayonnaise, tomatoes, etc), use a thick, crusty bread like ciabatta.
When putting together a simple sandwich with fewer ingredients, like ham and cheese, select thinly sliced bread.

Get the rest of Flay's fabulous suggestions when you read more.

For sandwiches on the go, separate the elements: Put the bread in one baggy, the condiments in a small Tupperware or squirt bottle, and the veggies in another baggy. Assemble just before eating.
Get creative! Instead of using lettuce, opt for other crunchy vegetables. When they come in contact with oil-based condiments, sliced cucumber and fennel won't wilt or turn soggy.
Add a kick to any sandwich with strong flavors like smoked Spanish paprika, fresh ground black pepper, chili powder, or fresh lime juice.
Make sure your sandwich is full of color. Incorporate fresh vibrant elements such as parsley leaves, finely diced red onions, or green, yellow, and red peppers.
Don't forget to have fun with your ingredients! Who says you can’t enjoy the crunch of blue corn chips on your sandwich? Why not include chopped toasted walnuts or pecans? How about dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins? The sky is the limit.
Think outside the box. By adding a creamy lemon-chive vinaigrette, you can take the classic egg sandwich from breakfast to dinner.
Make your own custom sauces. Jazz up store-made condiments with fresh herbs, citrus juice, horseradish, roasted tomatoes, olives, or chiles.

How do you make the ultimate sandwich? Share your tips with us below!

Source

'Wich of the Week: Honey Baked Ham and Cabbage Reuben

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:15:14 -0700

I love celebrating Easter, mainly because it means I get to make sandwiches with the leftover ham. This year, I decided to come up with a new sandwich that satisfies all year round.

I had way too much cabbage, but I didn't want to go to the trouble of cooking it, so I came up with the idea of pressing it raw into a panini. Low and behold, it worked. With Swiss cheese, the result was something like an earthier, crunchier Reuben with honey baked ham standing in for the usual salty-sweet combo of corned beef and Thousand Island dressing. To see how I made it and get the recipe, read more.

When assembling, be sure to put the ham down first, then the pickles; on the first try, I put the pickles directly on the bread, which caused tragic sogginess once it hit the panini maker. This sandwich would also probably work in the oven, but I recommend the panini press in order to thoroughly cook the cabbage.

Honey Baked Ham and Cabbage Reuben
Original recipe

Ingredients

1 cup raw cabbage, cut into strips
4 slices wheat bread
4 teaspoons spicy mustard
6 slices Honey Baked Ham or similar
12 sandwich-size bread and butter pickle slices
1 tablespoon salt
2 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

Prepare the cabbage: place in a colander and salt generously. Place the colander over a bowl and allow the cabbage to "sweat" for at least one hour or as long as overnight. Rinse and pat dry.
Heat a panini press to medium.
To make each sandwich, spread 1 teaspoon of the mustard on one slice of bread and cover with ham. Top with 6 pickle slices, followed by half the cabbage.
Spread mustard on the second slice of bread, lay swiss cheese over cabbage, and place second slice mustard-side down on cheese.
Heat in the panini maker until cabbage is just wilted and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Cut in half and serve immediately.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

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'Wich of the Week: Pastrami Reuben

YumSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:00:25 -0700

Not only is the Reuben one of my favorite sandwiches, but it's also sort of magical, since it takes three ingredients I'm not wild about (corned beef, rye bread, and thousand island dressing) and turns them into deliciousness. But since I rarely eat thousand island dressing, it ends up spoiling every time I buy it to make Reubens. So to meet my latest craving for this classic sandwich, I altered the recipe slightly, replacing the dressing with spicy mustard and the corned beef with pastrami.Pastrami is actually a variation on corned beef that involves smoking the meat. It's typically paired with mustard so this Reuben borrows flavors from two familiar sandwiches. Though I couldn't give up the sweet thousand island dressing forever, I must admit that this saltier Reuben was quite delectable. To get the recipe, read more.

Pastrami Reuben
Original recipe

Ingredients

2 slices of rye bread
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
2 slices swiss cheese
3 slices pastrami
1/4 cup sauerkraut

Directions

Butter one side of each piece of bread.
On the other side of each slice, spread a liberal amount of spicy mustard.
On the mustard-coated side of one slice, lay a slice of swiss cheese, followed by three slices of pastrami.
Using a fork to drain off the liquid, distribute the sauerkraut evenly atop the meat.

Top the sauerkraut with another slice of swiss, and lay the second slice of bread, mustard-side down, on top of the cheese.
In a skillet over medium-low heat, grill the sandwich, turning once, until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Slice in half and serve.

Makes 1 sandwich.

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