Easy Summer Entertaining!

Another fun and interactive "Lunch and Learn" this past Wednesday with the employees at Sesame Workshop!
We discussed easy and refreshing ideas for summer entertaining and I made a few of my favorite summertime foods for the group.
Here are a few pictures from our lunch. See below for all of the recipes! 

A Duo of Rustic Bruschetta

Spanish Gazpacho 

Mason Jar Shortcakes

This is such a fun presentation for dessert. 

I found these small 4 oz mason jars at the hardware store and they are the perfect size for a dainty, easy to eat dessert. See below for the shortcake recipe. Instead of cutting out the dough, spoon it into mini muffin tins (see pic below.) After baking, slice the mini shortcakes in half. The bottom half goes into the mason jar followed by berries and whip cream. The top half of the shortcake goes on top and the whole jar gets dusted with powdered sugar. 

Bruschetta:

Rustic Hearty Bread, thinly sliced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Pepper

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lay slices of bread on a baking sheet and brush top side with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes until just brown. 

Organic Tomato Basil Bruschetta: 

Organic Tomatoes, diced

Fresh Basil Leaves, torn 

Green Onions, thinly sliced

Balsamic Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Pepper

-Dice ripe organic tomatoes and drain in a strainer for a few minutes to remove extra liquid. Transfer to a bowl and mix with green onions and basil leaves. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 

Fresh Corn and Ricotta Bruschetta:

Shallots, thinly sliced

Fresh Corn, taken off the cob

Whole Milk Ricotta

Lemon, juiced

Kosher Salt and Pepper

Fresh Thyme

-Saute shallots in olive oil until soft and starting to brown. Add corn and sauté a few more minutes. Taste and season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme. 

Mix together ricotta with lemon juice. Taste and  season with salt and pepper.

Spanish Gazpacho:

Puree in a blender or food processor:

6 Ripe Organic Tomatoes (slice off tops and squeeze out seeds)

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Cucumber (peel, slice in half and use a spoon to scoop out seeds)

1/2 Red Onion

1 Clove Garlic

3/4 C Orange Juice

2 T Rice Wine Vinegar

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Pepper

Blend, taste and season well. Chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving. Garnish with chopped cucumber, green onions, bell pepper, fresh cilantro, toasted pepitas, sour cream....

Mason Jar Shortcakes

Mini Shortcakes:

2 C Cake Flour

1 t Salt

4 t Baking Powder

4 T Sugar

5 T Ice Cold Butter, cut into very small pieces

3 Eggs

3/4 C Heavy Cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, fork or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, mix eggs and cream together and pour over dry ingredients. Using a spatula, bring everything together. Don't over mix. Spoon shortcake dough into greased mini muffin tins. Brush with a bit more cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes until shortcakes are lightly brown. Remove from tin, let cool and slice in half. 

Berries:

Wash and slice organic strawberries. If desired, mix with fresh blueberries. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Stir together. 

Vanilla Whip Cream:

1 Pint Cold Heavy Cream

1/4-1/2 C Powdered Sugar

1t Pure Vanilla

Whip together cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. 

Organic Tomato Tarts with Ricotta and Basil

These  summertime organic 
tomato tarts are one of my favorite 
hors d'oeuvres.
They are so fresh, colorful 
and delicious.
Check out 
the pics below!

Slice ripe organic grape tomatoes in quarters. Toss with fresh organic basil, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Make sure to give them a taste and season well. 

Mix fresh whole milk or part skim ricotta with 1 large organic egg, grated imported Parmigiano Reggiano, a squeeze of fresh lemon, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Again, taste to make sure the ricotta is seasoned well. 

Use homemade pie crust or a higher quality store bought crust (in a pinch, I really like the pie crust from Trader Joe's) A mini muffin tin will make an hors d'oeuvres size tart. You can use a regular muffin tin to make a perfect 1st course or appetizer tart. 

Fill each tart shell with a heaping teaspoon of ricotta and top with a generous pile of tomatoes. Press tomatoes down slightly. Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes until crust is light brown. 

Garnish with tiny basil leaves. Serve at room temperature or warm gently in the oven before serving. 

2 Minute Tostadas

This is one of my favorite "dinners in a pinch" 
Spread re-fried beans on a flour or corn tortilla and sprinkle with grated cheese. Toast tortillas over medium heat in a non stick pan until tortillas are crispy and cheese melts. Top with TONS of fresh chopped veggies, salsas, sour cream and if desired, grilled chicken, shrimp, roast pork, beef, fried egg...... 
In this pic, I topped our tostadas with a homemade chimichurri (made with fresh herbs, garlic and jalapenos,) a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Eating Family Style

Just a few pics from Easter dinner. I love eating (and cooking) like this: Great food cooked simply and presented beautifully. We ate our meal "family style." It's such a great experience to gather around the food and share. I find it much more intimate than a buffet or an individual entree. 

We lingered around the food (and then dessert) for hours!

Spring Has Sprung!

Great day at Sesame Workshop for our Spring Lunch and Learn!

We celebrated the 3 A's of early Spring: Asparagus, Artichokes and Avocado. 

Thanks to all of the wonderful people at Sesame who helped make the lunch so fun and interactive!

Pictured above is the Spring salad I made for the lunch. 

It's one of my favorites this time of year: Mixed Organic Greens with Mango, Hass Avocado, Seedless Navel Oranges and Toasted Cashews.  Perfectly ripe mango and avocado are ESSENTIAL here. 

I tossed the salad with a homemade orange vinaigrette.

Fresh, pretty and delicious! 

Orange Vinaigrette:

1t Dijon Mustard

1t Honey

1 Navel Orange, zest and juice

1/4C Rice Wine Vinegar

1/2C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt, Pepper 

Minced Shallot, Garlic, Fresh Herbs (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a mason jar or recycled jam jar. Shake well and enjoy! This vinaigrette also makes a delicious marinade for chicken, fish or drizzled atop roasted veggies.

I also made a few fresh and healthy Spring dips served alongside crunchy, homemade tortilla chips (see below for recipes.)

On the left is a light and delicious California Asparagus, White Bean Dip and on the right is a tangy Baby Artichoke, Roasted Pepper Salsa.
I love making fresh, healthy dips like these. Most will last up to a week in the fridge and you can use them a bunch of different ways-  serve with chips at a party, spread on your favorite sandwich or dollop on chicken, fish or a baked potato!

California Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Dip:

1 Bunch Asparagus

1 Can Cannellini Beans, rinsed well (or soak and cook equivalent amount of dried beans)

1 Handful Fresh Dill (or Basil, Cilantro, Parsley)

1 Lemon, Zest and Juice

Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Pepper

Bring small pot of salted water to a boil and fill a medium size bowl with water and ice.

Remove bottom 2 inches from asparagus and discard. Cut up remaining asparagus into 1 inch pieces. 

Cook asparagus in boiling water until just soft-approx 10-15 min. Remove with a slotted spoon and submerge pieces into ice cold water bath. Remove and put into blender or food processor. Add beans, fresh herbs, lemon zest and juice. Turn on blender or processor and drizzle in just enough olive oil to bring together. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to incorporate seasoning. 

Baby Artichoke and Roasted Pepper Salsa:

2C Sliced, Raw Artichoke Hearts (cleaned from large globe artichokes or baby artichokes)

1 Jar Roasted Peppers (red, yellow or both)

1 Handful Parsley (or Basil, Cilantro, Dill)

2 Lemons, Zest and Juice

Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Pepper

Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Squeeze one lemon into pot and add raw artichoke hearts. Cook until tender- approx 10 minutes. Remove hearts, let cool and add to blender or food processor. Add peppers, herbs, lemon zest and juice. Turn on blender or processor and drizzle in just enough olive oil to bring together. Don't over process, leave it a bit chunky. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to incorporate seasoning.

Homemade Tortilla Chips:

1 Package Wheat Tortillas

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 325. Cut tortilla rounds in half and then into small wedges. Lay evenly on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in oven 10-15 minutes until lightly brown. They will crisp up as they cool.

One of My Favorite Places! The Manhattan Fruit Exchange at Chelsea Market.

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Dried Apricots

Another post about steel cut oats. What can I say? I love them! 

They are full of protein, low in fat and will definitely fill you up. 

I make a big batch on Sunday and separate it into glass containers (here I'm using recycled jam jars.) We just grab them from the fridge and microwave uncovered for about a minute until warm. Planning ahead like this really makes it easier to eat a quick and healthy breakfast all week long.

Cook the oats in water with a pinch of salt. When they are done, stir in a generous amount of chopped dried apricots and a splash of skim milk (milk is optional.) It's sweet enough as is but feel free to drizzle with honey or maple syrup!