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Come Party With Me: Baby Shower - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:00:09 -0700

When hosting a baby shower, be sure to consult the mother-to-be before selecting a menu. Her appetite may have changed, so ask her what she wants to enjoy at the party. My pal Denise has requested a delicious spread of savory brunch dishes. Thus the menu will consist of a crisp breakfast pizza made with hash browns and two types of cheese, home fries with peppers and onions, and crunchy slices of fried bacon. The pizza recipe calls for sausage, but I'll make a couple pork-less pies for the vegetarians in attendance.

Supplement the homemade items with easy, grocery store additions. Fresh fruit, plain yogurt, and an assortment of breads are delightful finishing touches. To experiment with these mouth-watering breakfast recipes, read more.

Breakfast Pizza
From Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 tube (4 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 pound bulk pork sausage or 4 pork sausage links, sliced
1/2 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 tablespoons diced sweet red pepper
2 tablespoons diced green pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Separate crescent dough into four triangles; arrange on a ungreased 7-1/2-in. round pizza pan with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom of pan, building up edges slightly; seal perforations.
In a small skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle over crust. Top with potatoes, peppers and cheddar cheese.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and pepper.
Pour over pizza; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are completely set and top is golden brown. Cut into slices.

Serves 2.

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Home Fries with Peppers and Onions
From Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Coarsely chop potatoes and transfer to a nonstick cookie sheet.
Toss with oil, peppers, onions and seasonings and place in the oven 25 minutes, turning twice with spatula.M/li>
Serve hot.

Serves 4.

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Fried Bacon
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 pound bacon

Directions

Heat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat.
When hot, add bacon strips in a single layer. Cook until browned on bottom, 3 to 4 minutes.
Flip bacon, using tongs, and cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes.
Drain and reserve fat for another use, and repeat with remaining bacon. Drain bacon on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 pound.

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Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Brunch - Menu (Savory)

partysugar — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:19:31 -0800

This year, instead of planning a blowout bash for New Year's Eve, invite everyone over for a New Year's Day brunch. With all of the hustle and bustle from the holidays there was no time to make beautiful invitations! Luckily, we can download, print, and fill out our fabulous New Year's party invite.

As for the menu, hangovers are to be expected, so a scrumptious spread of cheesy eggs and crispy potatoes is a must.

Make and assemble two frittatas the day before the brunch. A roasted red pepper and fresh herb frittata will feed hungry vegetarians, while a bacon and cheese frittata will satiate the carnivores. Oven-roasted home fries pair perfectly with both dishes. To host your own New Year's Day brunch, you'll need the recipes so read more.

Roasted Red Pepper and Fresh Herb Frittata
From Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
Generous pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
12 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the oil into a 10-inch nonstick skillet and place over medium high heat for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the salt, pepper, parsley, chives, basil and oregano to the eggs and beat well. Pour the egg mixture into the hot skillet, reduce the heat to medium and cook about 3 minutes, occasionally pulling the egg away from the sides of the pan.
Add the red peppers and goat cheese, remove the skillet from the heat and slide it into top half of the oven.
Cook until the center of the frittata is set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
Slide the spatula around the edges of the pan, working underneath the frittata a bit. Shake the pan to loosen the bottom and gently slide onto a serving platter.
Slice into 12 wedges, garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Serves 12.

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Bacon and Cheese Frittata
From Rachael Ray

5 strips bacon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 325°.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, flipping once, until cooked but not crisp. Drain on a paper towel, then chop into bite-size pieces.
Pour off the bacon fat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the onion, the bacon, the cheeses and the salt and pepper and stir gently.
In a 9- or 10- inch ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil (swirl the oil to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet). Add the egg mixture and cook over medium-low heat until the sides start to set, about 3 minutes.
Bake in the oven until the frittata is firm, 20 to 25 minutes.
Gently run a rubber spatula around the sides of the skillet to loosen the frittata. Place a serving plate over the skillet and carefully flip the pan to release the frittata.

Serves 6.

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Oven-Roasted Home Fries
From Everyday Food magazine

2 pounds red new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
3/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
On a large rimmed baking sheet, combine potatoes, onion, bell pepper, rosemary, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
Toss until vegetables are coated with oil; bake until tender, about 1 hour.
Transfer to a serving dish.

Serves 6.

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Versatile Side: Home Fries

partysugar — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:32:23 -0800

There's nothing like waking up on a weekend morning and having a late breakfast/early lunch. And if I'm eating breakfast I like it savory, not sweet. I'm more of an eggs and bacon type of girl, not a French toast and pancake type. Of course if I'm bothering to have a big savory breakfast, I gotta have home fries on the side. Crispy potatoes seasoned with onions and peppers, doused in a shower of tomato red ketchup. Man, that description gets my mouth watering! This side recipe is incredibly utilitarian because you can pair it with an omelette in the morning, a sandwich at lunch, or a roast chicken at dinner. To add it to your recipe collection, read more

Home Fries
From Food and Wine magazine

4 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot pepper sauce or ketchup, for serving

Drain and coarsely chop the potatoes.
In a large heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the vegetable oil. Add the onion and red and green peppers and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes.
Mix in the potatoes and press into an even layer in the skillet.
Cook over moderate heat until browned and crusty on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Turn the potatoes, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet as you turn, and cook until well browned, about 5 more minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and serve with hot sauce.

Serves 4.

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Source

Yummy Links: From In-N-Out to Home Brewing

partysugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:50:37 -0700

Will In-N-Out Burger finally become a national standby? - The Feedbag
There are so many ways (beyond salad dressing) to use vinegar and citrus. - Chow
If you love bruschetta, consider Spain's delicious variation, Pa amb Tomaquet. - The Atlantic
The latest on the Kentucky Fried Chicken riots. - Eater
Speaking of chickens, check out this hilarious ad for Swiss supermarket Migros. - Eat Me Daily
Recent James Beard winner Dan Barber on sustainable foie gras. - Serious Eats
Ten easy steps for brewing beer at home in your coffeemaker. - The Epi-Log

Source

In Season: Fennel

YumSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:09 -0700

It's surprising that a hardy green such as fennel is so unknown to so many home cooks, especially considering the vegetable's adaptability: Its bulb, stalks, and fronds are all completely edible, either raw or cooked, and it possesses a pleasing, mild anise flavor. Although it's a perennial, fennel can be found at a reasonable price during Autumn months. Fennel newbies can sniff it at the market for a hint of the flavor to come. Select sturdy bulbs that are firm and free of blemishes, with vibrant, healthy fronds. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, for use within 3 to 5 days. Before preparing, trim the vegetable of any discolored or tough outer layers. Discover your favorite way to use it when you read more.

Sunday Dinner: Drunken Noodles

YumSugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:30:52 -0700

For this week's Sunday night chicken dinner, I can't wait to apply the mainstream meat to a home-cooked Southeast Asian meal.

I love preparing ethnic foods at home, and this spicy noodle stir-fry, with its complex flavors, comes together in mere minutes, thanks to quick-cooking (and inexpensive) ground chicken.

Craving Thai takeout, sans the grease? For the recipe, read more.

Must Read: Jamie's Food Revolution

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:01 -0700

As someone who's followed Jamie Oliver throughout the years, I was intrigued when I heard about his plans to overhaul the eating habits of Americans on a new TV show. But apparently his latest project is even bigger than that: he's also come out with his ninth cookbook, Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals ($35). The premise of the title, which hits stores next week, is that cooking good food from scratch saves money and your health. Hoping to transform takeout-lovers into home cooks, this book is studded with real-life testimonials. But is it revolutionary? Find out when you read more.

Chicken Posole Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:50:53 -0700

I don't often throw big blowouts like Party does, but I still love an excuse to celebrate in my own way. So, to honor Mexican Independence Day (which just happens to be today - olé!), I'm making a spicy soup called chicken posole. With chicken broth, roasted chicken, hominy, and chiles, this rustic stew is down-home, South-of-the-border cooking at its best. Since I'm preparing ahead, I'll be putting together an elaborate rendition with homemade chicken stock, flash-fried tortilla strips, and pureéd ancho chiles, but in the future, when another posole craving inevitably strikes, I'll reach for a similar two-step recipe that does the trick, too. Decide which recipe's best for you

Food Section Sampler - Sept. 9, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:50:23 -0700

Why Japanese bento boxes have developed a cult following. - New York Times
Previewing Xoco, the new Mexican street food spot by Rick Bayless. - Chicago Tribune
Thirty things to do with tomatoes during harvest season. - Los Angeles Times
With sales plummeting, Champagne producers have slashed this year's harvest and bottling. - Wall Street Journal
In a tasting, which brand of lemon sorbet proved the sweetest? - Boston Globe
How one beet dish won over a beet-averse eater. - San Francisco Chronicle
Fast, healthy, and exotic, sabji stir-fry should be the home cook's new 30-minute meal. - Washington Post

Source: Flickr User luckysundae

Chicken Teriyaki Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:30:20 -0700

My fanaticism for specialties like fried chicken and spicy buffalo wings is so epic that sometimes I overlook other poultry dishes that are well-suited for the dinner table. I'd almost forgotten about chicken teriyaki until I stumbled across a simple yet standout recipe that calls for basting and broiling an entire chicken until it's developed a caramel brown lacquer.

Teriyaki-glazed chicken has become a typical to-go item in food courts across the country, but it's far more delicious when prepared in a home kitchen. Even if you don't have the time or skill to glaze a whole bird, you can still achieve a succulent and savory chicken dinner with chicken pieces and a store-bought sauce. Bring this classic favorite to your home when you read more