Please tell me that summer isn’t over!

If it must come to an end, I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the long weekend than celebrating with friends; sitting by the pool and sipping cocktails. Oh and of course, eating amazing foods.

Labor Day Weekend Eats

Snacks & Starters: 

• Burrata Cheese
• Veggies and hummus
• Cheese and crackers (duh)
• Smoked Salmon Dip 
• Pimento Cheese 
• Grilled Vegetable Crostini

Main: 

• Grilled Chicken Za’atar
• Bahn Mi Hot Dogs
• Salmon Burgers with Greek Salsa
• Brats (on our menu)
• Crispy Shrimp Sandwiches (How Sweet It Is)
• Peach Whiskey Barbecue Chicken (The Pioneer Woman)

Sides: 

• Orange & Ale Vinaigrette & Arugula Salad
• Greek Potato Salad
• Spicy Crunchy Asian Slaw (Eat, Live, Run)
• Sweetcorn, Bacon and Tomato Saute (Eating for England)

Cocktails/Desserts: 

• Mango Cucumber Wine Cooler
• Cucumber, Basil & Mint Vodka Spritzer
• Coffee-spiked Chocolate Caramel Bars (Satisfy My Sweet Tooth)
• Grilled Peaches and Pound Cake (Fake Food Free)

Add your favorite links/ideas below!

The making of this video was interesting to say the least.

It was one of those evenings where almost everything that could go wrong went wrong (think broken flip cam, no batteries, missing files, etc.) but eventually a video was made – bonus points if you can spot the mistakes! Hehe.

Enjoy!

Thanks to Newman’s Own for the opportunity! 

Hummus is great on it’s own, but when it’s topped with feta, roasted red peppers, artichokes and kalamata olives it is downright delicious. (It would also be a good way to serve hummus with a non-believer crowd. )

I’ve wanted to make a dip like this for quite some time so I jumped at the chance to bring an appetizer to the first cookout of the year. (True Minnesota story: it has snowed since that first cookout and may snow again tonight!) It is essentially Greece’s version of taco dip and is wonderfulwith pita chips and cucumber slices.

Lucky enough to have some leftovers? It made a great lunch stuffed in a pita with a tomato and cucumber salad.

Layered Hummus Dip - 8 appetizer servings – inspiration from Whole Foods Market

• 1 batch of hummus (or 16 oz prepared)
• 1 – 14 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained
• 3/4 cup roasted red pepper
• 3/4 cup kalamata olives
• 1 cup feta crumbles

Prepare hummus if making it from scratch.

Chop artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and olives.

Layer hummus on the bottom of glass dish. Sprinkle artichoke hearts, red peppers, feta cheese and olives over top.

Serve with pita chips, cucumber slices and any other vegetables.  You could also add chopped red onions or tomatoes if desired. A healthy, different crowd pleaser perfect for spring and summer afternoons!

Appetizers are my favorite part of any meal, and I would be more than content with a Thanksgiving meal comprised of all appetizers. Seriously, I don’t even need the turkey, stuffing or mashed potatoes – just pass the apps and I’m happy. If artichoke dip is involved, I’m even happier.

When I came across this recipe that included green olives, I had to give it a try. One problem: the Taster doesn’t enjoy olives like I do. One solution: add them anyway and see if he notices He wasn’t crazy about it, but thankfully it wasn’t too overpowering and I loved the salty flavor the olives bring to the dip so much, I think they’ll be in every artichoke dip from now on – sorry Taster! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Green Olive & Artichoke Dip - 6-8 servings adapted from Bon Appétit

• 2 cans artichoke hearts
• 3/4 cup green olives (I used large ones from olive bar)
• 1 round (5.2 oz) Garlic & Find Herb Boursin cheese (or other soft cheese)
• 5 oz shredded parmesan (1 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped
• naan for dipping

Pre-heat oven to 375°.

Add artichoke hearts and olives to food processor. Pulse until chunky. *Be careful to not over process!*

In a medium sized bowl, combine artichoke and olive mixture, Boursin cheese, 1/2 of parmesan cheese and basil. Stir to combine.

Press into 8×8 glass dish and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with warm naan or baguette slices.

Unfortunately for the sake of time, my lunches are rarely simple sandwiches like peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes I wish they were.  Instead, I make salads, pastas and other meals that while generally can be made ahead, are sometimes a little time consuming, although delicious.

Every once in a while though, something comes over me and a sandwich is all I want.  This most recent sandwich craving left me wanting specifically sprouted bread, tapenade, goat cheese and grilled and fresh veggies.

And this sandwich satisfied just that craving.

Loaded Veggie Sandwich - 2 servings

• Sprouted Bread or Buns
• 4 small zucchini
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 5 oz arugula or spinach
• 2 roasted red pepper slices
• 2 oz goat cheese
• 2 Tbsp tapenade

Prepare zucchini and onion. Heat pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and then into 1/2 inch thick slices. Add to pan and cook for about 2 minutes, flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. Repeating until all zucchini has been cooked. Set aside and let cool.

Heat small pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil and onion slices. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and browned. Set aside and let cool.

While pan is still hot add spinach or arugula if you prefer it wilted.

Layer bread with goat cheese, tapenade and veggies.

Devour your delicious and very healthy lunch.

All good meals start with prosecco. Don’t believe me? Try it.

Luxury Dinner Parties conjure up an array of memories – I think of my Aunt Frances whose parties always included champagne and caviar. I think of Dinner Club, my parents group of 4 couples who have dinner together once a month and have been doing so for almost 30 years. I’d say they know a thing or two about dinner parties. I think of my friend Mercedes who always has the perfect place settings and exceptional desserts.

But I haven’t hosted many dinner parties on my own. I generally fall back on cocktail party type get togethers. I’m not sure why – maybe because our table only seats 4, our dishes are terrible and honestly, I don’t particularly like having to leave the party to finish a meal in the kitchen!

Challenge #3 was about to change that. Hosting a Luxury Dinner Party for at least 4 was the challenge and I have to say that planning, preparing and enjoying the company of family over dinner was just that – enjoyable. You can expect to see more dinner parties from me!

Planning Ahead:

• Theme: pick a theme and carry it out throughout all courses, drinks and decor
• Timing: dinner parties require time management and planning ahead. Sure I would have loved to make the gnocchi from scratch but yoga, work and a drive to Wisconsin did not allow that time – my meal needed to come together quickly. I also know that not everyone has full days to spend on dinner parties. I had about an hour to prep for my meal, and sometimes you may only have an hour (or worse!) but you can make it work!
• Place Settings: I prefer white plates and cloth napkins with simple decor. Fresh flowers are always a nice touch.

The Menu:

• Courses: I rarely make a dessert but this occasion called for one. Decide how many courses you will serve.
• Food: I started with the gnocchi to go along with my Italian theme and since that would be somewhat rich, I wanted the other courses to remain light. Feeling stuffed may mean the food was fantastic but it certainly isn’t an enjoyable way to end the evening. Let’s also not forget that I’m a Nutritionist and a strong believer in portion control.
• Drinks: I always like to start with prosecco, whether the meal is an Italian one or not. I also served Italian Red & White wines as well as beer.

Antipasti: Antipasto Platter: Olives, Artichokes, Roasted Red Peppers, Prosciutto & Pecorino Romano

Insalata: Garden Lettuce & Parsley Salad with Lemon Viniagrette

Gnocchi: Potato Gnocchi with Olive Oil & Parmesan

Dolci: Cannoli Cream with Fresh Berries

Most importantly however is that the host should never be stuck in the kitchen the whole night. You should choose dishes that can easily be made ahead of time, or can be thrown together rather quickly at the end. It’s imperative that the majority of the prep is complete by the time your guests arrive. Oh, and have fun! That’s what it’s all about anyway – sure lucious food makes for a great party, but it all comes down to the company you share it with!

Buon Appetito!

Thanks for your support in getting me to the next round! Voting starts tomorrow for Challenge #3!

]]> http://anutritionisteats.com/project-food-blog-3-luxury-dinner-party/feed/ 37 http://anutritionisteats.com/entertaining-tapenade/ http://anutritionisteats.com/entertaining-tapenade/#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:02 +0000 Emily http://anutritionisteats.com/?p=4812

Like most things in life, tapenade from a jar doesn’t even come close to that of home made tapenade. And considering that from prep to clean up it takes less than 5 minutes to make, there really are no excuses to even buy it. I don’t judge though

Creamy goat cheese is my favorite accompianment to the salty olive tapenade. But it also brings wonderful flavor to sandwiches or water crackers.

Tapenade - makes about 1 1/2 cups

• 2 cups olives from olive bar (I use mostly kalamata with green olives and some roasted garlic)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Place olives and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until it reaches desired consistency. I like to keep mine a little chunky.

Serve with crackers, bread slices, on sandwiches, with hummus, etc.

This may be my favorite tomato recipe to date. And that’s saying something when you consider recipes like simple summer pasta, moussaka, and grilled bruschetta.

I went through a bloody mary phase, a few years back (clearly I’m in the wine phase now) and it was the only thing I drank for a some time. A little odd yes, but I also owe my love of olives to bloody marys. I was never a fan until I started nibbling the green olives that customarily come with bloody marys. I certainly don’t drink them very often anymore, but organic bloody marys and an over abundance of heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market got me thinking about them again.

But this bloody mary was so very different than any others made with a mix.  I’m not sure I’ll be able to go back – oh fresh tomatoes, please don’t leave me yet, I’m not ready to give you up!

Heirloom Tomato Bloody Mary – 4 servings

• 2 large heirloom tomatoes
• 2 small yellow tomatoes
• 1 small green zebra tomato
• juice from one lemon
• 1 poblano pepper
• 4 oz vodka
• seasonings: A1 sauce, worcestershire sauce, celery salt, pickle juice, dash of cholula
• garnishes: pickle, lime wedges, olives, pickled asparagus, celery, shrimp, cheese/beef stick

Roughly chop the tomatoes and pepper, discarding stems. Process with lemon juice until desired consistency. Chill.

Combine vodka, tomato mixture and desired seasonings. Stir to combine.

Fill 4 glasses with ice. Pour bloody mary mixture over ice and top with desired garnishes.

So grab some heirloom tomatoes and make this bloody mary, it’s Friday after all!

I’m not quite sure why I don’t cook with couscous more often. I love the shape and nutty flavor, but even more so, I love how quickly it cooks. Can you seriously beat 5 minutes?

This salad was just what I was after – bright, flavorful, packed with veggies and a filling make-ahead lunch. I’m trying to pack in as many summer flavors as I can because I’m already anxiously awaiting fall.  :)

Summer Couscous Salad - 2 large servings

• 2 servings couscous
• 1-2 peppers (I used 1 green, 1/2 red)
• 2 cucumbers
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
• Dressing: 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt & pepper

Prepare couscous as directed. Let cool.

Chop all veggies to desired size. I did small pieces – easier to eat!

Toss all ingredients together and eat out of Tupperware!

My Mother is the Queen of pasta salads. Literally. She has enough pasta salads in her arsenal to get through the whole summer without repeats. Many of them are worth repeating however, so she’ll find a way to squeeze them in.

As a child, I remember being fond of some, like chicken curry pasta salad, and not so fond of others, presumably this one as I hated both blue cheese and olives at that young stage of life. Now I’ll take the blue cheese & olive combo anyway - fried, in a salad, a martini or preferably all three at the same time.

I’m finally starting to understand the great meal that is the pasta salad. Easy to throw together, tastes even better the next day and no oven required. Just thinking about pasta salads reminds me of summer dinners as a kid, eating on the porch. While I rarely eat on my balcony these days, I may just serve up a bowl of this and head out to the sun for a summer lunch worth dreaming about.

Blue Cheese & Olive Pasta Salad - 6-8 servings

• 2 cups farfalle pasta (I used Barilla PLUS)
• 6 oz can of black olives, halved
• 2 cups green grapes, halved
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 oz blue cheese crumbled
• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• juice of one lemon
• salt & pepper

Cook pasta as directed. Set aside in large bowl and let cool.

Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt & pepper until smooth in small bowl. When pasta is cool, add other ingredients and dressing to bowl. Toss to combine.

Refrigerate overnight if possible. Serve cool or at room temperature.