Kale Salad minus the Kale

I know the following will sound like a really weird food combination, but for some strange reason these flavors work together.  There are no specific amounts of ingredients for this salad.  Just  throw together lima beans, yes I said lima beans, carrots, grape tomatoes sliced in half, blueberries, sunflower seeds and peanuts.  Then toss lightly with raspberry vinaigrette.  You can also add fresh kale, hence the name "Kale Salad", but I am not a fan of kale, the texture is too tough for me. I instead laid the salad on top of some lettuce, that my husband grew.  I did this for purely looks as I love salads and vegetables, just not lettuce.  I think you will find this to be, fresh and crunchy and definitely a different take on salad!

MY TIP:  You can find lima beans in the frozen food section.
MY OTHER TIP:  You can freeze the sunflower seeds for up to 6 months.

I love to entertain!  But I do agonize over the theme and type of food--there are so many choices!  I spend hours perusing cookbooks to find the perfect recipe, whether it's going to the library for cookbooks, or going though the too many books I own or stalking the internet for great reviewed recipes!  But my favorite part of entertaining  is setting the table.  I don't know why that is --perhaps, it the final part of my vision or just the excitement  that the event is final here.  For me I love putting the final touches on an event!  I want my guests to feel special.  It doesn't matter if it is for 300 guests or just four, the same consideration goes into both!

MY TIP:  I always set the table the night before, that way if I am not happy, I have a few hours before the event to make any necessary changes.

Mexican Dip

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!!  I love that this holiday is so festive!  But to me this holiday means summer is just around the corner!  My very favorite Mexican dip looks even better with won ton wrappers!. This is a great appetizer as that it not only looks good but taste fresh!  For the base--take won ton wrappers and spray a regular size muffin pan with pan and lay 2 wontons opposite each other, bake until golden. 

For the filling:

1 can Del Monte Corn (I use the small cans)
1 can Bush's black beans
! cup of FRESH salsa that you find in the produce department of your grocery (do not use jarred salsa!!)
cumin to taste
sour cream and cilantro to garnish

MY TIP:  You can make this as a dip without the wontons and serve tortilla chips instead.
MY OTHER TIP:  This is not a recipe to make ahead, as for some reason it does not taste fresh.  For best results make just before serving.  This is such a easy recipe it will not take time away from your guests!
MY OTHER TIP:  The wontons can be made in advanced and stored in an air tight tin.

Butter

My preferred style of entertaining is typically in the evening with drinks and appetizers or a summer BBQ outdoors or some themed event. But I recently hosted a weekend brunch.  I made a few recipes already in my blog--biscotti and frittatas.  I also served some fresh juice assortments, bacon, toast, muffins,  fruit, blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes and this very simple presentation for butter.

Seriously, this could not be simpler and can be made ahead, making them even more simple!.  Just soften butter and put into candy molds and freeze.  Unmold when ready to use.  (I have been doing this for years--Thanksgiving--turkey molds, Christmas--tree molds, Easter cross molds, well you get the idea!).  For some reason, people are really impressed with this very simple presentation.

MY TIP:  You may have to tap or even slam (well almost a slam) these to get them to release from the mold.

MY OTHER TIP: The colder these are, the easier they are to release. If they will not come out, put them back into the freeze to harden.

Pirogi Heaven

I love Chicago, any time of the year, even in the winter!  There is always so much to do!  On a spur of the moment trip, we took in a great lecture at the Cultural Center, spent hours at the Art Museum where we explored the Picasso exhibit and discovered an authentic Polish restaurant!  Chicago always has the unexpected!   I must prefix that we went to a very stylish, sophisticated, upscale looking Asian restaurant that had me at the first hello.  Unfortunately, the food was way to sweet for my taste, so I left hungry.  My daughter Google a restaurant near the Loop, which led us to Pirogi Heaven purely by accident. Definitely not upscale, but a simple, immaculate, authentic Polish restaurant that was wonderful and took me back to Krakow!

Sausage and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushroom

There is just something about mushrooms that I love.  I like them raw, sauteed and stuffed!  I have yet to met a stuffed mushroom that I don't like.  This one is very simple!

Remove mushroom caps
Cook 1/2 pound of sausage until no longer pink
Mix with cream cheese
Bake at 350 degrees until hot

MY TIP:  Use the reserved mushroom stems in an omelet the next morning!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

This is my youngest daughter's favorite appetizer recipe.  Simply chop chicken breast into 1 inch by 1 inch chunks and wrap them around one half strip of bacon and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. These are so simple even my youngest daughter who did not inherit the "cooking gene" makes these.  (I do have great hope for her, since she told me that "chopping vegetables is relaxing".  I told her if that is the case she will end up being a really good cook someday!  Here's to her getting out of restaurants and Whole Food's Hot Bar and into her own  kitchen where the best food is prepared!