faFor my birthday, I decided that it would be extremely fun to have a wine tasting. Everyone brought a bottle of wine to share. We created a score sheet and rated the wines on a 1 to 5 scale. At the end of the night, we chose the best red and the best white and awarded them prizes. To go along with all of the wine, we made some spectacular hors d'oeuvres. All in all, a pretty perfect birthday celebration!
With a wine tasting, you must have cheese. We created a simple cheese plate with a stilton, blue cheese, brie, and pepper jack along with crunchy crackers and crispy grapes.
We also made deviled eggs with capers and parsley. Simply boil the eggs for 15 minutes, drain, and place in ice-cold water. Peel, then scoop out the yolks. Mix the yolks with a healthy portion of mayonnaise, a bit of mustard, capers, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. Once the yolk mixture is mixed together, transfer the mixture into the egg whites and sprinkle with more chopped parsley.
A bean dip with crudite is always a good idea. It's simple to make and delicious to eat (not to mention nutritious). Puree 1 can white kidney beans, with a 1/2 cup basil, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to taste. Serve with pita chips and fresh vegetables.
Creamy Mushroom Phyllo Triangles (Cooking Light, December 2007)
These are super yummy and great to make ahead of time (if only I had). They can even be frozen and baked directly from the freezer, just add 7 minutes onto baking time.
3/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 3/4 oz.)
1 lbs. button mushrooms
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 oz.)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
6 oz. 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
24 (18 x 14-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1. Cover porcini mushrooms with boiling water in a bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Drain well, chop.
2. Place half of button mushrooms in a food processor; pulse 8 times or until finely chopped. Remove from processor. Repeat procedure with remaining button mushrooms. Add onion to processor; pulse 8 times or until finely chopped.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes. Add button mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates (about 10 minutes). Stir in porcini mushrooms, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese; stir until cheese melts. Stir in parsley.
4. Preheat oven to 375.
5. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying), place phyllo sheet on large cutting board or work surface. Cut sheet in half lengthwise; lightly coat with cooking spray. Fold phyllo piece in half lengthwise to form a (3 1/2-inch wide) strip. Spoon a level tablespoon of mushroom mixture onto 1 short end of strip, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold 1 corner of edge with 1-inch border over mixture, forming a triangle; continue folding back and forth into a triangle to end of strip. Place triangles, seam side down, on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat tops with cooking spray.
6. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta (Cooking Light, September 2008)
These were definitely the hit of the party. We were completely out of these (and most everything else) when the party ended. We are continuing to use the remaining fig preserves on toast. It is best with goat cheese though.
1 1/4 cups chopped dried Mission figs (about 9 oz.)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup coarsely chopped orange sections
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
40 (1/2-inch-thick) slices Fresh bread baguette, toasted (about 8 oz.)
1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) crumbled goat cheese
5 tsp. finely chopped walnuts
1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until figs are tender. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat broiler.
3. Top each bread slice with 1 1/2 tsp. fig mixture and 1 1/2 tsp. goat cheese. Arrange bruschetta on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with walnuts. Broil 2 minutes or until nuts begin to brown. Serve warm.
Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Cooking Light, August 2008)
The recipe has shrimp in the rolls, but I omitted them to make it vegetarian. You could certainly add tofu or avocado for an added punch. I think these were slightly underappreciated at the party. But that's just fine with me, because I got to eat all the leftovers!
Rolls
1 cup thinly sliced Bibb lettuce
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup cooked bean threads (cellophane noodles, about 1 oz. uncooked)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 2)
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
1/4 cup chopped mint
6 oz. cooked peeled and deveined shrimp, coarsely chopped
8 (8-inch) round sheets rice paper
Dipping Sauce
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1. To prepare rolls, combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add hot water to a large, shallow dish to a depth of 1 inch. Place 1 rice paper in dish; let stand 30 seconds or just until soft. Place sheet on a flat surface. Arrange 1/3 cup shrimp mixture over half of sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Folding sides of sheet over filling and starting with filled side, roll up jelly-roll fashion. Gently press seam to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a serving platter (cover to keep from drying). Repeat procedure with remaining shrimp mixture and rice paper sheets.
3. To prepare dipping sauce, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients; stir with a whisk. Serve with summer rolls.
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