Rissa's A Little of This and That

This dinner night didn't have a big theme or any obvious coordination in the menu, but was just a good excuse to pick out some wonderful recipes as always. In general, I was pleased..I'm always thankful to have two extra sets of hands when it comes to these menus!

Cumin-Scented Samosas with Mint Raita

I'm a big fan of samosas and realize that they can be made into a healthy version. Although anything 'individualized' becomes labor-intensive. That combined with phyllo dough (hence how these were made lowfat) takes some care in assembly! But the end result was just plain yummy. Make the filling - warning: lots of ingredients - assemble the phyllo dough and bake in oven. The mint raita is a must. From what I recall, I think this is one sauce you should actually make extra. It's a terrific compliment.

Hot and Hot Tomato Salad

I saw this recipe and just knew it was dinner night worthy. I will say it's labor intensive though! Some steps not worth it (the black eyed peas roasted in the ham hock with onions, etc). The salad is terrific because it used very fresh and unusual ingredients. Heirloom tomatoes are always great and the baby okra was something new to try for all of us. A little 'different' in the way it was fried, but I liked it. Hands down - the dressing was one of the best homemade dressings I have ever had! Beautiful once assembled and very filling and delicious, this salad is a hit. Though I would not venture to make it for more than a few people..

Fresh Corn Tart with Chipotle Cream

First thought that comes to mind is that there's nothing like good ol' Mexican chorizo. "Soyriso" just doesn't cut it! But once you get past that, this was decent. Not the biggest hit of the night, but a good pairing with the rest of the menu. Also yielded a lot of food and heated up well as leftovers. Good way to use my cast-iron skillet, too!

Oven-Fried Chicken

The Cooking Light version of oven-fried chicken is expected to just not be 'the same' as umm..KFC. The most common complaint is that it doesn't turn out with that "fried" crust (bread is soft versus crunchy). Sure, this was no Southern fried chicken, but I think a decent attempt. And not too difficult. The recipe tries to get the full crunch by having you turn the pieces halfway in between cooking. We forgot to do that part. Woops!

Chocolate-Raspberry Layer Cake Although the cake doesn't LOOK like the gorgeous Bon Appetit photo in the magazine, it sure tasted wonderful! This is chocolate on chocolate on chocolate with some raspberries. And some milk might be nice to serve with it! Not sure what went wrong on the ganache..it was not the smooth, spreadable consistency as is the cake in the photo. Something easy to try again though..just boil lots of heavy whipping cream and pour it over the chocolate to melt. Other than that, this cake is restaurant quality..because it's so rich, a little goes a long way.

Southern with a Modern Flair

My inspiration for this menu was the pulled pork sandwiches. I saw a recipe in a Cooking Light magazine and knew I wanted to try it at my next dinner night. Since pulled pork is a traditional dish from the South, I decided to go with a Southern theme with a Modern twist.

Bruschetta with Peach Salsa and Melted Brie (Courtesy of Cooking Light)

This was a simple dish to throw together and turned out pretty delicious. The peaches were sweet and fresh which paired well with the rich and creamy Brie. Anyway, how can you go wrong with melted Brie? I would make this recipe again with no variations.

Vodka Berry Fizzes (Courtesy of Rachael Ray)
Vodka + Sprite + Berries = Adult Koolaid. Be careful, you can drink a lot of this quickly and can't really taste the alcohol but it may catch up with you!
Alabama Pulled Pork Sandwiches with White Barbecue Sauce (Courtesy of Cooking Light)
Yummm my mouth is watering thinking about these little guys. I always thought pulled pork was one of those things that had to slow-roast for hours in order to be tender and juicy but this recipe proves that you can do it in about an hour. The pork is delicious and sweet because of the apple cider vinegar. The sauce is very vinegary but white barbecue sauces often are. I love vinegar so this was no problem for but don't expect a traditional bbq sauce. The only thing I wouldn't make again are the biscuits. Why bother when you can just buy mini buns for less work and a better taste?

Barbecued Baked Beans - Unfortunately, I can't remember where we found this recipe but the beans were traditional barbecue baked beans, with a little bacon. Delicious!

Lemon-Lime Layer Cake (Courtesy of Cooking Light)
This was pretty moist considering it didn't have too many liquid ingredients. The citrus flavor paired really well with a home-made white chocolate ice cream that we also made. This cake isn't for everyone but I loved it! If you're a fan of lemon or lime flavors, then definitely give it a try.