So the picture isn't great for showing you details of the food, but you get the idea.....

For those of you that live her in Korea, you will need to get your friends in the states to send you tahini to make the hummus.  If I am incorrect, and anyone reading this knows where to get tahini here, PLEASE  TELL ME!! I am willing to drive, take the subway, bus or cab! :) 

HUMMUS
***From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (You will start to see a pattern here)
***Can be made in advance & last weeks in the refrigerator.

4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce

 Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature. 


Roasted Eggplant Spread

***Can you guess where I got this recipe?  That is right, Barefoot Contessa Cookbook!  I adapted just a little.

This roasted eggplant spread is divine! I have had this on my list to make for months, I am so mad I waited so long to make it!  You can server this warm or cold, it is very good both ways, my preference is warm, however I served it cold/room temperature at the reception.   I could not stop eating this, I was afraid I would have to make more even though I had already made a double batch.   You can make this in advance & store in an airtight container in the refrigerator – I made it 2 days prior to serving it.

2 medium eggplants, peeled
3 red bell peppers seeded and chopped
1 red onion, peeled
5-6 garlic cloves
5 TBLS olive oil
Kosher salt (however much you like - maybe 2 tsp?)
Fresh ground black pepper (however much you like - maybe 1 1/2 tsp?)
2 TBL tomato paste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut the eggplant, peppers & onions into 1 inch cubes.  Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, & salt and pepper.  Spread on a baking sheet, roast for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking.  Cool slightly.  Place vegetables in a food processor, add the tomato paste and pulse till; blended well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.


Semi-Homemade Pita Chips

For these I bought flat pita bread, brushed the pita with olive oil, sprinkled garlic salt on top of the olive oil, cut the bread into 8 triangles and baked at 400 degrees F for about 4 minutes on each side.  Voila...it's that easy.  Store them in a ziplock bag!

You can get creative with your pita chips....instead of garlic salt, you could do a little cayenne pepper, or basil, or a greek seasoning...you get the idea.
 

Here is the menu from the promotion party:

Sushi - which I ordered
Cheese plates with grapes and a variety of crackers
Grilled Lemon Chicken with Satay Dip
Beef Gorgonzola Toast with Herb Garlic Cream
Hummus
Roasted eggplant spread
Semi-homemade pita chips
Vegetable tray with Cilantro Ranch Dip and
Balsamic Vegetable Dip
Carrot Cake

I didn't get a picture of the Sushi, the Grilled Lemon Chicken with Satay Dip, or the Beef Gorgonzola Toast with Herb Garlic Cream, which is sad becaue they were SO good and the Beef Gorgonzola Toast was beautiful!!  So, I am going to remake those in the coming week so I can put a picture up with the recipe, so for now, here are the recipes, some with and some without pictures.....

 Grilled Lemon Chicken with Satay Dip

***This recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook - I tripled this recipe and cut it into bite size pieces & it turned out perfect.  I make it exactly as the recipe is written.  It got rave reviews and tha Satay Dip was inhaled. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
3/4 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed
Satay Dip, recipe follows

Directions

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Heat a charcoal grill. Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Skewer with wooden sticks and serve with Satay Dip.

Satay Dip:

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2/3 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Cook the olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger root, and red pepper flakes in a small, heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat until the onion is transparent, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, sherry, and lime juice; cook for 1 more minute. Cool and use as a dip for Grilled Lemon Chicken skewers. 

My friend Lara sent this link to me...it comes from Cooking Light Magazine, which I am becoming quickly annoyed with, I NEVER get my CL on time here.....it is always ONE MONTH LATE!!!  AUGHHHH!!!


Beef and Gorgonzola Toasts with Herb-Garlic Cream

These bad boys are the BOMB!!!  They were the first thing gone from the table and I doubled this recipe, making 60 of them!  The great thing about this recipe is that you can make everything in advance and then put them together up to an hour ahead of time; trust me, I tested this, if they sit much longer than an hour the bread will get soggy, but something I thought of AFTER the fact was you could put the spinach leave on the BOTTOM, then the herb cream.  Note to self not to forget that next time I make them, and I WILL be making them again!  Make sure you use the best ingredients you can find for this recipe, it is well worth it!

Yield
30 appetizers (serving size: 1 toast)

Ingredients

1  (1 1/4-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
1  teaspoon  kosher salt
1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
30  (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette, toasted
10  tablespoon  Herb-Garlic Cream
30  baby spinach leaves 
5  tablespoons  (1 1/4 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 475°.

2. Place tenderloin on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 475° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 425° (do not remove tenderloin from oven); bake an additional 20 minutes or until thermometer registers 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium) or until desired degree of doneness. Cover tenderloin with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Cut tenderloin across grain into very thin slices.

3. Spread each baguette slice with 1 teaspoon Herb-Garlic Cream; top each with 1 spinach leaf. Divide beef evenly among bread slices; sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon cheese.

 Herb-Garlic Cream
The leftover cream can be used as a sandwich spread, on baked potatoes, or with grilled chicken. (I did not double the cream and it was enough for 60)

Yield
1 cup (serving size: 1 teaspoon)

Ingredients

2/3  cup  fat-free sour cream 
2  tablespoons  minced fresh chives 
2  tablespoons  low-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2  tablespoons  chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2  teaspoons  Worcestershire sauce
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1  garlic clove, minced

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; cover and chill.

OK, that is all I have time for today, come back tomorrow for Hummus,  Roasted Eggplant Dip & semi-homemade pita chips!

One night earlier in the week we were sitting around the dinner table singing Christmas carols, it sounded so fun and cheerful I ask if anyone would be interested in caroling on Christmas Eve.  Most everyone was up for it, all except for one almost teenager, and he was not opposed to it, just not excited about it.  So I called a few friends to see if they would be interested in joining us, and before I knew it we had 5 families going out singing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve.

One almost teenager getting a little funky.....

The night would not be complete without a little food!  After caroling we had our friends over for hot chocolate, coffee wine and snacks! Each family brought over a snack to share, and I made my favorite Spinach and Artichoke dip, Crab Stuffed Mushrooms and because I had crab left over a very simple but delicious crab dip.

The first 2 recipes are from the cookbook Good Friends Great Taste.  The thrid recipe is from my head. 

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

2 (10 oz) packages frozen spinach
1 (14 oz) can artichokes in water, chopped and drained
1 tbl fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
¼ cup minced onion
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese – room temp
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 tsp Tabasco
½ tsp creole seasoning
1 cup half & half
½ cup mayo

Squeeze water out of spinach, mix with all other ingredients, bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips and a side of my homemade salsa!  (You can also serve with crackers if you would like.)

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

1 ½ lbs medium to large fresh mushrooms
5 tbl butter, divided
½ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tbl dry sherry
½ tsp Worcestershire
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup mayo
3 tbl freshly grated parm cheese
8 oz fresh lump crab meat
Creole seasoning

Remove and chop mushroom stems and set aside.  Melt 3 tbl butter in a large skillet.  Add chopped mushroom stems, onion & garlic.  Sauté 3-5 minutes or till tender.  Stir in bread crumbs and next 7 ingredients until well blended; gently stir in crabmeat.  Spoon crab mixture evenly into mushroom caps and place on cookie sheet. Drizzle with remaining 2 tbl butter.  Sprinkle lightly with creole seasoning.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. 

Super Easy Crab Dip

1 (8oz) package for cream cheese
8oz  fresh lump crab meat
Creole seasoning

Mix cream cheese and crab meat together, sprinkle the top with creole seasoning, bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve with your favorite crackers

Thanks to all who helps us sing! (God knows we needed all the help we could get! :)

I took the family and a few friends and Flat Stanley (to find out more on Flat Stanley, click the Flat Stanley tab to the left of your screen) to the fish market this past week. 

This is what we had for dinner that night:

Oysters on the half shell, served with lemon wedges, horseradish sauce, and I forgot to put out the tabasco.  It doesn't matter; they were the best oysters we have ever had.

We also had muscles steamed in RAO's Arrabbiata sauce served with crusty garlic bread to soak up the sauce.

 I grilled the salmon and made a lime-garlic butter for the sauce.  Hubby LOVED this sauce. 

1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Purée garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

These were SO good!

½ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1 TBL olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 TBL fresh squeezed lime juice
1 TSP dried oregano
1 TSP ground cumin
8 10 inch flour tortillas
1 ½ cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Baby spinach

Salsa & guacamole on the side

In a large skillet, cook onion & garlic in olive oil till tender.  Stir in black beans, lime juice oregano, cumin; heat through & set aside.

Layer tortillas with ¼ sweet potatoes, 1/8 of the cheese, ¼ bean mix, a layer of spinach, another 1/8 of the cheese & top with another flour tortilla, make 4.

Grill uncovered on low for 4 minutes, flip and grill another 4 minutes.  (times vary per grill) You can also cook these in a skillet if you wish.

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cook books, Good Friends Great Taste, A Celebration of Life, Food and Friendship which I could not find a link to.  I got this cookbook at one of my favorite little stores in Atchison, Kansas, www.nellhills.com .  If my friend Lara at www.feedyourkids.com were to write I cookbook, this is the type of cookbook I would expect from her. You can buy the book on Amazon, and no, I am not getting paid by any of these companies/people mentioned above. 

Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 TBL olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 green onions
2-3 TBL fresh cilantro
Juice from ½ a lime
½ TSP cayenne pepper (or more if you like it a little more spicy)
¼ TSP ground ginger

Cucumber Sauce

½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 TBL honey
½ cup pealed and grated cucumber
2 TBL fresh cilantro
3 heads bib lettuce
½ pound bean sprouts

Make sauce and chill while cooking the chicken.  For sauce mix together first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook an additional 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and refrigerate until cool.  While sauce is cooking, grate cucumber.  Add cucumber and cilantro to sauce when cool.  

For chicken, cut into small bite size pieces, heat oil, add garlic and chicken cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add broth and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Stir in green onions, cilantro, lime and spices.  Toss to coat.  

To serve, wash and dry your largest lettuce leaves.  Fill leaves with chicken top with bean sprouts and cucumber sauce, fold the lettuce over and eat. 

***The above recipe is how I like to make it, however if you notice there are no bean sprouts and I used iceberg lettuce in the above picture.  That is because the only head of lettuce I was able to find at the time was iceberg.  I can get other lettuce, but only in the bag.  I guess I could have used sesame leaves because they are plentiful here, but I really don't care for them much & I think that would have been way too funky.  For the bean sprouts, I have not seen a bean sprout here. I did just find out about a large Korean grocery store that has tons of fresh fruits and veggies...I can't wait to try it out.

This is what I made with my fresh cilantro.  As you might imagine, Mexican food is hard to come by around here.


6-7 Roma tomatoes
1 bell pepper
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño
Crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
Fresh crushed black pepper

·          Chop first 4 ingredients - I do this by hand, but you can use a food processor if desired
·          Depending on the level of heat you desire, leave the seed in or take them out of the jalapeño before chopping
·          Add the last 3 ingredients to taste


I like to let my salsa sit in the fridge for about 1 hour before eating, although that is not necessary.

ENJOY!