Kebab Party

Food and Wine Magazine had a great idea this month. It was for a “Kebab Party.” The basic idea is that you provide all the meat and veggies, along with a marinade and dipping sauce (or two), and your guests can make their own kebabs with whatever combination of ingredients they choose. They gave three themes: Mediterranean, Mexican, and Asian.

I chose the Mediterranean. (We weren’t actually having a party, it was just me and my husband, so we kept it simple.) We had combinations of Shrimp and Beef with Fennel, Red Onion, Cherry Tomato, Mushroom, and Zucchini. I’ve actually never had fennel before. I’m not sure if I’m really a fan, but it wasn’t too bad. The dipping sauce was excellent, especially on the beef.

Before grilling, brush on an oil:

Four-Herb Oil

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
10 sage leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
Salt
Black pepper
Hot pepper flakes

Directions:
In a processor, pulse the olive oil, garlic cloves, sage leaves, oregano, thyme and rosemary, until herbs are chopped. Season with salt, black pepper and hot pepper flakes.

  

Serve With:

Herb and Sundried Tomato Pesto

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
10 sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Crushed red pepper

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and herbs are minced.  

  

These were some of their suggested combinations:

Swordfish + Lemon + Bay Leaves
Tuna + Cherry Tomatoes + Bread Cubes
Lamb + Halloumi Cubes + Zucchini
Shrimp + Fennel + Orange + Red Onions
Pork + Red Peppers + Yellow Squash
Beef + Fennel + Tomatoes + Onions

 

A not so super bowl

At least spring training starts soon.Needless to say, I did not enjoy last night’s game. Aside from the game, however, my party was a great success. No one missed the gluten at all!

I must apologize though - I forgot to take pictures of everything because my guests started to show up before I was quite organized. So some of the following are not my own, but are to give you the idea.

My menu was completely New England themed, and as follows:

Cape Cod Potato Chips
Brie with Cranberry Apple Chutney
Crudites (vegetables) with Herb Dip
Clam Chowder
Maple Chicken Wings
Boston Baked Beans

Drinks included:

Cape Codder cocktail (vodka and cranberry)
Sam Adams beer (from MA)
Woodchuck cider (from VT and gf)

(I was supposed to be serving Boston Cream Pie, but my attempts at making the cake part failed. Twice. Oh well!)

Recipes:Brie with Cranberry Apple Chutney

This brie appetizer is really quite simple, yet looks impressive and is always a big hit. It can be made with any kind of chutney. I discovered that most of the Stonewall Kitchen chutneys are gluten free, and they had a cranberry apple flavor that sounded “New Englandish.”Step 1: take brie out of its wrapper and place on plate.

Step 2: spoon chutney over brie.

Step 3: heat in microwave about 45 seconds or until it just starts to get gooey.

Step 4: serve with your favorite gluten free crackers.

Crudites with Herb Dip

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitter with the paddle attachment and blend. Serve at room temperature with an assortment of vegetables.

*note - low fat cream cheese and low fat sour cream work fine in this*

 

Maple Chicken Wings and Baked Beans

Maple Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds chicken wings
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (gf)
1/2 cup lite soy sauce (gf)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 to 2 cups maple syrup

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 30 degrees F.

Cut off chicken wing tips and snip the skin between the joints. (Or just buy the frozen wing pieces and thaw.) Place in disposable large baking pan. Add the maple syrup, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Toss to coat. Place pan on baking sheet and bake for approximately 1 hour, tossing every 15 to 20 minutes. The liquid will gradually evaporate the longer you cook it. After 1 hour, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Turn wings to coat evenly and cook an additional 45 minutes.

Boston Baked Beans

Ingredients:

 

1 pound dried pinto or great northern beans
12 bacon slices cut into 1/2 inch pieces
8 cups water
1 1/3 cups chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup dry mustard
2 tablespoons molasses
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper

 

Directions:

Place beans in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover by 3 inches. Let stand overnight. Drain beans, set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook bacon in heavy large pot until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add beans and all remaining ingredients to pot. Bring to boil.

Transfer pot to oven. Bake uncovered until beans are tender and liquid thickens, stirring occasionally, about 4 hours. (**Mine cooked in only 3 hours, so check regularly.**)

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring beans to simmer before serving.)

 

Menu-Plan Monday January 28 (and pot pie pictures!)

I didn’t do very well following last week’s menu. My husband wasn’t too keen on the idea of the mushroom lasagna, so that idea was scrapped. However, he will be out of town on business this week, so I’m going to try making a small one for me. I’ll post the recipe if I get it to work right.

This week’s menu swap is hosted by Gluten Free Mommy, and the ingredient is vanilla. I wasn’t originally wasn’t planning on doing much baking (which is what I would normally use vanilla for), but then I decided that I could make a Boston Cream Pie for my Super Bowl party. I’m planning on an entire New England theme for my foods. The Boston Cream Pie really isn’t a pie at all, but a cake that is cut and half and filled with a vanilla cream/custard. Then drizzled in chocolate. Yum!

Monday
Mushroom Lasagna
(Food Network’s Ina Garten)

Tuesday
Out with Friends

Wednesday
Halibut with Parsley Lemon Sauce
(from Food and Wine Magazine, February 2008 )
Roasted Potatoes

Thursday
left-over lasagna

Friday
???
(something involving winter squash because the local produce market has a lot of very good, very cheap squash.)

A Look Ahead to the Super Bowl Party:
Crab/Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms
Brie with Cranberry Chutney
Veggie Platter with Roasted Garlic Aioli
Maple Glazed Wings
Boston Baked Beans
Boston Creme Pie

Sam Adams Beer (for those who can drink it)
Woodchuck Cider (for me!)

Here are some pictures of the Chicken Pot Pie that I made the other day. I promised that I’d post some pictures if I made it again, so here they are!