When you are cooking for a sizable group, timing is super important. What I love about Girls DIne In is that we get a chance to put the timing theory into practice and prepare a 4 course meal, while enjoying the fellowship, eat it, and relax with our coffees over a three hour period. It makes me a better cook and a better hostess to practice being mindful of the time when entertaining. A useful skill indeed.
First, the ambiance...
I found this nifty old ice cream churn at Goodwill for $3. Wasn't sure what I would use it for - it made a great bottle chiller!
Rather than use wine charms to keep our glasses straight, I had the girls write their names with chalkboard markers (pack of 5 at Michaels runs about $12). The paint dries almost instantly and washes right off with water. Wish I'd known about this years ago!
Add a little zip to your silverware caddy with some fresh flowers and candles. I think I'll leave this on my kitchen table for good and pop clean silverware in it fresh out of the dishwasher for casual meals.
Our Menu:
Pellegrino sparkling water
Caprese bites
Artichoke crostini
Arugula salad with lemon and shaved parmesan
Farfalle with shrimp, spinach and roasted red peppers
fresh bread
chocolate dipped Cannoli s
Amaretto coffee
Italian wine, of course!
Caprese Bites - serves 12
1 container of fresh mozzarella balls or 1 fresh buffalo
mozzarella, cut in cubes
1 pkg. fresh basil leaves
1 container grape tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt
Thread
your items onto toothpicks. Drizzle with oil and a drop of vinegar, sprinkle a
little salt and enjoy.
Artichoke spread
on Crostini – serves 8
Paired
with: 2012 Flaio Primitivo Salento
1/3 cup sliced green onions
2 tsp. butter
1 14oz. can artichoke hearts (not marinated)
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 7oz. jar roasted red pepper, drained and chopped
1/8 tsp. black pepper
extra parmesan to sprinkle on top
Saute
onion in butter. Take off heat, add in the chopped artichokes, cheese, mayo,
peppers and black pepper. Mix together. Spread in a 9inch greased casserole
dish. Sprinkle more cheese over top. Bake uncovered@ 350 for 25 minutes.
Serve warm with crostini or bagel chips.
Italian chopped
salad - serves 4-6
Romaine, frisee, arugula or whatever greens you like
Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Thin sliced red onion
Ripe roma tomatoes
6 TBLS. Extra virgin olive oil
2 TBLS. White balsamic vinegar
½ of a shallot, minced
1 tsp. good Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. sea salt and a dash of cracked black pepper
Put vinegar, mustard, shallot and spices in a bowl. Whisk in
the oil until well blended. Salt to taste. Let sit a while to marry the flavors
before tossing with greens.
Chop
greens and veggies, place in a large bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and a
sprinkle of salt. Toss with dressing. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve on
chilled plates. To make a heartier salad, add thin slices of prosciutto or
salami and provolone cheese.
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Now, for the easiest main course you can possibly imagine...
Farfalle with
Shrimp (Christmas Pasta)
serves 6
Paired with: 2012 iPrandi Soave
8 oz. pkg. Baby portabella mushrooms
1 ½ lbs. large, uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and thawed
¼ cup Olive oil
2-3 Tbls.
Butter
1 Tbls. Minced garlic
1 ½ Tbls. Mrs. Dash table Blend seasoning
½ tsp. Tony’s seasoning ( or salt and a dash of Tabasco)
1 small jar roasted red peppers, thin sliced
1 6 oz. bag of baby spinach
2 Roma or large plum tomatoes, chopped
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 box farfelle (bow tie) pasta, cooked according to
direcions
Saute’
mushrooms in butter. Add 2 tbls. or so of the olive oil and shrimp. Cook over
medium high heat till just barely pink. Add garlic and spices. Stir, adding
more oil if needed. Toss in the peppers, spinach and tomatoes and stir till
just wilted and warmed. Stir in the cheese until well blended. Salt and pepper
to taste. Toss in the drained pasta, adding additional butter or oil as needed
and feel free to add more parmesan and Mrs. Dash Table Blend to taste. Serve
with hot, crusty bread.
And what Italian meal would not be complete without fresh-made cannoli s?
This was lots of fun. We dipped our shells in chocolate, letting them set while we prepared the appetizer. Then we made the filling and let it chill a while. Then we filled them, and oh...were they worth it!
Cannoli - makes 8
8
store bought cannoli shells (Publix bakery)
1 12
oz. bag mini semi sweet chocolate chips
1
quart good-quality ricotta cheese
1 1/2
cups confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼
tsp. allspice
¼ cup
heavy cream
1
tsp. fresh orange zest
2
tsp. vanilla extract
Melt 6 oz. chocolate in microwave or
over a double boiler. Dip ends of shells in chocolate. Lay on wax paper-lined
tray to set.
For the filling: Line a colander with
cheesecloth. Add ricotta and place over a bowl to drain for an hour or so in
the refrigerator. Whip the heavy cream in a stand mixer bowl using whisk
attachment until fairly stiff. Spoon the cream into a small bowl. Then add the
ricotta to the mixer bowl and sift in the powdered sugar, cinnamon and
allspice. Mix until light and fluffy.
Fold in the whipped cream, orange zest and vanilla. Mix just until
blended. Using a large Ziploc bag, pipe the filling into the shells, piping
from both ends to ensure the shell is completely filled. If you like, you can
dip the ends in to chocolate chips. Arrange on a tray and dust the tops with
powdered sugar. Enjoy within a couple hours so the shells stay crisp.
Amaretto Coffee – serves 1
6
oz. strong brewed coffee
1
oz. amaretto
1
oz. heavy cream
Sugar
if desired
Whipped
cream for topping if desired
Tip:
heat coffee extra hot before adding the other ingredients to maintain
temperature.
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