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Come Party With Me: Campfire Fiesta - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:15:32 -0700

My campfire fiesta won't exactly have decor. After all, hanging streamers and piñatas from the trees is a guaranteed way to get heckled by adjacent campers. But I will be needing provisions and gear - everything from aluminum foil for cooking the marshmallow cream puffs to a cute tablecloth to cover the picnic table.

I've chosen floral oilcloth that's both easy to clean and in keeping with the Mexican-themed meal. I'll also bring some reusable plates and utensils, a portable kitchen sink for washing dishes, and cute citronella candles to keep the bugs away. If you camp with portable iPod speakers, you might want to bring along some glow sticks too, in case a dance party breaks out around the fire ring. Check out my cute and functional finds below.

Come Party With Me: Campfire Fiesta - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:15:51 -0700

After a long day of pitching tents, cooking food, and preparing dessert, the gang at your campfire fiesta definitely deserves a drink. No camping trip is complete without beer, so fill a cooler with plenty of ice and ask guests to bring their own brews. I'll also pick up a few bottles of red and white wine.

As the host of this fireside fete, you can also offer a fun addition to the bar menu. Since you probably won't have the time or energy to whip up something like a guavarita, opt for spiking a watermelon with rum. It's summery and refreshing, it will go great with the Mexican-inspired main courses, and it's easy to eat around the campfire. Just consume with caution, since it will undoubtedly be strong! To find out how to make it, read more.

Rum-Spiked Watermelon
Original Recipe

Ingredients

1 large watermelon
1 750-ml bottle of white rum, chilled
2-3 large Ziploc bags

Directions

At least 4 hours before serving, cut up the watermelon. Discarding the rind, cut the flesh into single-serving triangular slices.
Divide the slices between 2-3 Ziploc bags (however many you need) and pour an equal amount of rum into each bag.
Place bags in a cooler and let sit for at least 4 hours.
Remove watermelon from bag and discard excess liquid. Serve slices in a bowl or on a plate.

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Come Party With Me: Campfire Fiesta - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:00:45 -0700

This week I'm celebrating the waning days of Summer with a Mexican-inspired menu for my campfire fiesta. But I know that if I don't serve s'mores, there may be a wilderness mutiny. So I'm bringing along milk chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers to make the traditional fireside treat.

But I also want something special to kick the s'mores concept up a notch, so I'll use the same marshmallows and chocolate as filling for easy cream puffs. Baked in foil, these gooey goodies are made from buttery biscuit dough that's dusted with cinnamon and sugar. They're even better with high-quality milk chocolate, so be sure to splurge on the fancy stuff. To get the recipe, read more.

Campfire Cream Puffs
Modified From Love the Outdoors

Ingredients

1 can of frozen biscuit dough (such as Pillsbury Grands)
8 large marshmallows
8 milk chocolate squares
Cinnamon and sugar to taste
2 10-inch by 10-inch squares of aluminum foil

Directions
Makes 8 cream puffs.

Sprinkle a plate with a dusting of cinnamon and sugar.
To make each cream puff, open the biscuit roll and pull off one biscuit. Open it up and stuff a marshmallow and one chocolate square inside. Close the biscuit so you can't see the marshmallow. Roll the biscuit dough in the cinnamon and sugar.
On each square of aluminum foil, place four of the stuffed biscuits; bring the sides of the foil around the biscuits, leaving a small space for ventilation.
Place the foil packets over the campfire for about 10 minutes, until dough is golden brown and marshmallow is melted.

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Come Party With Me: Campfire Fiesta - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:45:01 -0700

When my friends and I go camping, the food planning comes first. Once we've figured out who's making every appetizer, cocktail, main dish, and dessert, we focus on other details like who's bringing bug spray and how to get where we're going.

So for this week's campfire fiesta, I'm forgoing invitations in favor of a flurry of emails to work out the logistics. September is prime camping time: It's just getting summery in Northern California, while the more scorching regions of the country are cooling off. This Mexican-tinged menu celebrates the last days of Summer by featuring lots of fresh produce.

To start, I'm offering tortilla chips served with a gourmet caramelized black bean "butter" and store-bought pico de gallo. Some chips will inevitably get crushed in transit, so we'll put those into the main dish - tamale chicken packets - which cook over the fire with little effort. I'll also be grilling corn, brushed with lime and feta cheese, and a jicama-mango salad that you can make in advance and assemble on site. To get the recipes, read more.

Caramelized Black Bean "Butter"
Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups chopped onion
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Makes 3 cups.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until golden.
Place onion, beans, vinegar, cocoa, salt, and paprika in a food processor; process until smooth.
Place bean mixture in a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 17(2% from fat); FAT 0.4g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.0g); IRON 0.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.1g; SODIUM 48mg; PROTEIN 0.7g; FIBER 0.8g

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Mango Jicama Chopped Salad
Gourmet

Ingredients

For dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil

For salad
2 cups chopped peeled jícama (about 1 lb)
2 mangoes, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb Napa cabbage, sliced crosswise (about 3 cups)
1 head romaine (1 1/2 lb), torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into 2- by 1/4-inch sticks
1 cup toasted salted pumpkin seeds

Directions
Serves 8.
Dressing may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. You can prepare salad ingredients 1 day ahead and keep in separate sealed plastic bags, chilled.

Make dressing: Whisk together juice, honey, vinegar, and garlic. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss together jícama, mangoes, cabbage, romaine, and cucumber with dressing to taste.
Serve salad sprinkled with pumpkin seeds.

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Grilled Corn With Lime and Cheese
Modified From Everyday Food

Ingredients

4 ears of corn
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
2 ounces finely grated feta cheese

Directions

Heat grill to high or build campfire to medium flame.
Soak corn in cold water, turning occasionally, 10 minutes.
Transfer to grill or fire. Cover; cook, turning, until husks are charred, 10 minutes. Remove.
Using a kitchen towel, pull back husks; remove and discard corn silks. Return corn to grill (with husks pulled back and off heat). Cover; cook, turning, until kernels are charred in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.
Combine reduced-fat mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder; brush on cooked corn. Dust with finely grated feta cheese. Season with coarse salt; serve with lime wedges.

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Tamale Chicken Packets
Modified From Reynolds Kitchen

Ingredients

4 sheets (12x18-inches each) Reynolds aluminum foil
1 can (15.25 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
2 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips
1 cup chunky salsa, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), cut in 1/2–inch strips
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Serves 4.

Preheat oven to 450°F or build campfire with medium flames and a base of hot wood coals.
Center one-fourth of corn on each sheet of foil with non-stick (dull) side toward food. Top with green pepper, olives, tortilla chips and half of salsa. Add chicken; sprinkle with onion salt and chili powder. Top with remaining salsa.
Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make four packets.
Place next to fire or on hot coals, but not directly in flames. Cook 12 to 14 minutes then check chicken for doneness. Sprinkle with cheese before serving. Serve with additional salsa and crushed chips, if desired.

Nutrition Information (Per Serving):
538 calories
27 grams fat
108 milligrams cholesterol
1703 milligrams sodium
57 grams carbohydrates
45 grams protein

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What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 09:30:17 -0700

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