Holiday Countdown: Party Food!

Every Christmas Eve we set up a small buffet with party food, and spend the night playing board games and listening to Christmas music with our kids. As they've gotten older (they are now 18, 17 and 11) I've been able to expand their tastes with different foods rather than the standard popcorn shrimp and chicken, chips and dip. BBQ meatballs and anything taco related is also a big hit, but here are a few other recipes I thought I'd share today.

Hot Crab Dip

Ingredients:

8 ounce cream cheese

2 tbsp. sour cream

6 1/2 ounces crab meat (canned or cooked fresh)

2 tbsp. prepared horseradish

2 tbsp. fresh minced parsley

1 tsp. fresh minced dill

Blend the above and place in a small baking dish. Bake at 350 F. for 20 minutes. Serve warm with crackers.

Savory Dill Dip

1 cup mayonnaise, light or regular

1 cup sour cream, light or regular

1 1/2 tsp. seasoning salt (like Lawry's)

1 tsp. dried dill weed

1 tsp. minced dried onion

3 tsp. Tabasco sauce

3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Blend all of the ingredients together, and chill for about 4 hours or overnight. Serve with crackers and raw vegetables.

Polynesian Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork sausage

1 1/2 cups quick rice

1 egg, beaten

1/2 medium sweet onion, minced

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tbsp. soy sauce

Mix all ingredients together. Shape into 2 inch meatballs. Arrange in shallow pan sprayed with pan spray. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Turn 2-3 times while baking. Drain any fat. Makes 75-80 meatballs.

Sauce for Meatballs

20 ounce can pineapple chunks *see note

2 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp. soy sauce

Place all ingredients in saucepan and cook on medium heat until it thickened. Place the meatballs in a crock pot and pour over the sauce. Heat on low until heated through and ready to serve.

Artichoke Squares

Ingredients:

2 (6 ounce jars) marinated artichokes, drained-liquid reserved

1/2 medium sweet onion, minced

4 large eggs

6 saltine crackers, crushed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. oregano

2 cups finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

2 tbsp. freshly minced celery

Preheat oven to 325 F. Pat the artichokes dry with paper towel. Drizzle some of the reserved oil from the artichoke jars into a pan. Heat and saute the onion until softened and slightly caramelized. Chop the artichokes. In a medium bowl beat the eggs, crushed crackers and seasonings. Stir in the cheese, artichokes and onion. Pour into a 7x11 baking sheet. Bake at 325 F. for 30 minutes or until set. Cool and cut into squares to serve.

Italian Sausage Bread

Ingredients:

1 loaf frozen white bread, thawed

1 pound cooked hot or mild Italian sausage

2 eggs, beaten separately

2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese (or Mozzarella)

Parmesan cheese

Roll the thawed bread dough into a rectangle. Drain the cooked, cooled sausage with one egg. Spread on the bread dough evenly. Top with the shredded cheese. Roll up the dough slowly in jelly roll fashion from one end to the other. Carefully place on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with the other beaten egg on the top of the roll and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Cool, then slice and move to a platter for servings.

Notes: You can also make this with the edition of pepperoni. If you like olives they can be added also. Add these ingredients to the cooled sausage before the egg is mixed in. I also like to brush with garlic butter when it comes out of the oven.

On OFL we have recipes for herb appetizers that are delicious too:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/appetizers2.html

~Brenda

A Labor Day Grilling Menu

Labor Day weekend signifies the end of summer for many people in the U.S., but I actually enjoy the cool days of fall more than the hot, humid days of August. We still have close to two months of good grilling weather left, even in the Northern climates. Today I'm sharing an end of the summer menu that is perfect for Labor Day or any weekend when you get the urge to use your grill.

This dip doesn't use the grill but it's a great appetizer to serve while dinner is cooking.

Spinach Queso Dip

Ingredients:
8 ounces pepper jack cheese
16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
10 ounce frozen chopped spinach
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream

Chop the cheese into small pieces. Defrost the spinach and drain. Saute the onions until softened and just starting to turn golden. Mix all of the ingredients, except for the sour cream. Microwave in 2 minute intervals, stirring each time until the mixture is smooth and melted. Stir in the sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

I also like this simple recipe because it uses all fresh ingredients and tastes better than anything you can buy in the store.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:
5 small or 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 Jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a glass bowl and mix well. Serve immediately or within a couple of hours. Better at room temperature and served fresh. Serve with tortilla chips or toasted pieces of French or Italian bread.

Notes: The trick to this recipe is using ingredients that are as fresh as possible. I use sweet onion, but any type will work. You can also use other peppers besides Jalapeno but beware of their heat level. You may only need one if it's especially hot. Be careful not to touch your eyes or face after seeding the peppers until you've washed your hands well.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Combine the peppers, garlic, oil, lime juice, salt in a blender or food processor and process until fairly smooth. Place the shrimp in a large resealable plastic bag, add the marinade and close the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour. Thread on to skewers OR use a grill pan that can be put on the grill. Grill over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, turning or stirring, until shrimp are pink and done.

Notes:I have also made a pan out of foil that has been doubled and folded on the sides. The best method I've found is the round grill pans with holes in them and a handle. The shrimp can be stirred while it's grilling.

Garlic Butter for Steaks

Ingredients:
4 tbsp. butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tbsp. chopped thyme
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix the ingredients until combined. Chill until ready to use.

To use: Grill your favorite steak until done. As soon as it's removed from the grill place on a platter, and top with a little bit of the butter. Serve
when melted.

Grilled New Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 lbs. new red potatoes
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Scrub the potatoes, but don't peel and poke each one twice or three times with a fork. Microwave the potatoes for 4-5 minutes or so in batches of 5 or 6 depending on size. You want them to be almost tender. If potatoes are large, cut in half AFTER microwaving. Place potatoes in disposable foil pan or use a large sheet of foil that will hold the potatoes. In small bowl, combine butter, garlic, pepper and salt; pour over potatoes. Cover the pan with foil, or fold over the large sheet of foil so potatoes are enclosed. Place potatoes on a gas grill over medium heat. Cook 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Notes: I adapted a recipe to create this one, and the timing on microwaving the potatoes is kind of tricky. Some cooks like to boil them until partially cooked, and that works fine too. What I do is cook them in the microwave as directed above using the "potato" setting. I set it at 1 potato, turn it on, then check the potatoes to see they are tender. Sometimes half of them will be ready, other won't be, so I remove the tender ones and cook a minute longer, NOT using the potato setting. Repeat until the potatoes are all tender. It's important NOT to overcook. They should be barely tender before grilling.

On OFL we have another Labor Day Menu:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/entertaining2.html

Family Menu: A Patio Supper from 1969

I was trying to decide on a menu to share that could be used for Labor Day, and happened to run across my beat up copy of a Pillsbury magazine from 1969. This menu is for use when "the temperature soars and cooking's out of the question". The notes, if I have any, are after each recipe.

Walking Sandwich

12 slices rye bread, buttered

6 slices Swiss cheese

12 thin slices cooked corned beef, chilled

Summer Slaw dressing(below)

For each sandwich, fill between slices of rye with Swiss cheese, 2 slices corned beef, and Summer Slaw dressing. Makes 6 servings.

Summer Slaw

1 tablespoon mustard

1/2 salad dressing

3 tablespoons cream

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1/4 tsp. caraway seed

3 cups finely shredded cabbage

Stir mustard into salad dressing. Add cream and vinegar. Toss onion and caraway seed with chilled cabbage; add only enough of the dressing to moisten, then toss. Pass the remaining dressing with the sandwich in the above recipe.

Notes: I like using the cabbage mix with carrots included.

Saucy Baked Beans

6 slices bacon, cut in one inch pieces

3 1-pound cans (6 cups) baked beans in sauce

1 8 ounce can seasoned tomato sauce

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

4 drops hot pepper sauce

Cook the bacon until almost crisp; drain. Combine the bacon and beans; add tomato sauce, onion, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper sauce. Baked beans, uncovered, in 2-quart casserole at 300 degrees F. for 3-5 hours. 6 servings.

Notes: This could easily be made in the crock pot on high.

Ginger Peachy

4 cups sliced fresh peaches

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tbsp. honey

dash salt

2 tbsp. finely chopped candied ginger

vanilla ice cream

Combine peaches, juice, honey, ginger and salt; mix gently. Cover; chill thoroughly. To serve, spoon over vanilla ice cream. Makes 5-6 servings.

On OFL we have another menu for Labor Day here: http://oldfashionedliving.com/entertaining2.html