“The $50 Dinner Party” Dinner - October 2009

Keeping with the theme of my last dinner night I have been trying to utilize cookbooks on my shelf that have not been cracked open in awhile. This time I looked to “The $50 Dinner Party: 26 dinner parties that won’t break your bank, your back, or your schedule”. I have used this book in the past with pretty good results, and thought that it was worthy of the monthly dinner night group. I chose Menu Sixteen, which was complete with a soup, salad, fish, side, and dessert.

Chilled Corn Soup with Tomatoes, Red Peppers and Cilantro

Nicole – This recipe was a multiple step process with the cooking/pureeing/cooling, but worth the effort. It was the perfect dish for a warm summer evening.

K: Thumbs up.

R: Thumbs up.

N: Thumbs up – good cold and fresh dish for summer.

H: Thumbs up.

Spice-Rubbed Catfish

Nicole – The catfish was easy enough to make, although the amount of seasoning that the recipe called for was a bit overpowering overall. It was a bit spicy for our tastes, and we did not even put in the entire required 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper.

K: Thumbs sideways, there was nothing wrong with it per say, I just think there are better recipes out there for this fish.

R: Thumbs up.

N: Thumbs sideways – after having catfish for lunch the day before I may have OD’d a bit on this fish.

H: Thumbs sideways.

Polenta Triangles

Nicole – I mistakenly chose yet another polenta recipe after we had cooked it in the last dinner night rotation, so I think that the repetition did not help this dish. The taste was fine, but the fact that we did not refrigerate the polenta overnight made for some pretty interesting frying pan action – take it from us, browning soft polenta does not really work.

K: Thumbs sideway.

R: Thumbs sideways - polenta is very hit or miss for me.

N: Thumbs sideways – the taste was great, but it didn’t look very pretty (we served it soft).

H: Thumbs down – I was expecting a little more crust around the polenta but this still had the mushy consistency that I don’t particularly enjoy.

Grilled Pineapple and Avocado Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

Rissa - Salads can be boring after a while, so finding one like this is always nice! Avocado is super delicious in any salad and the vinaigrette was simple to make but a great compliment to the recipe. I don’t remember if we used watercress..being that I’m not a big fan of watercress I would think we used something else considering how much I loved it! Make again for sure.

K: Thumbs up! This was amazing.

R: Thumbs up!

N: Thumbs way up! This was a delicious salad, and I found myself eating the pineapple and avocado in the bottom of the bowl. I have made this a couple times since the dinner night with repeated success.

H: Thumbs up!

Jake and Earl’s Six-Layer Bars with Chocolate, Pecans, and Coconut

I make 7-layer bars almost every Christmas so they are definitely a favorite of mine. The only difference between the ones I usually make and this recipe was the missing butterscotch chips. Although, these bars still turned out great, I did miss the rich taste of butterscotch. Overall, a good and simple recipe.

K: Thumbs sideways, just not really my cup of tea.

R: Thumbs up. I actually don’t care for butterscotch too much, so this was perfect for me.

N: Thumbs up – gooey and yummy.

H: Thumbs up

Notes from the cookbook:

-make the chilled corn soup the day before

-assemble or make the six-layer bars the day before; if just assembling, bake 4 hours before

-grill the pineapple the day before

-rub the spices on the catfish the night before

-make but do not cook the polenta the day before

RECIPES

Chilled Corn Soup with Tomatoes, Red Peppers, and Cilantro

1 T. olive oil

1 small Spanish onion, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

8 large ears of corn, kernels scraped off (about 5-6 cups)

1 beefsteak tomato, diced

½ t. black pepper

6-7 cups chicken broth

½ red bell pepper, diced, for garnish

2-3 T. chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Place a large stockpot over medium heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until they are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn, tomato, and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Raise the heat to high, add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.

Transfer half the solids to a blender and puree. Transfer all the soup (pureed and chunky) to a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Garnish with the red bell pepper and cilantro.

Spice-Rubbed Catfish

1 T. dried Greek oregano

2 t. cayenne pepper

1 heaping T. garlic powder

2 t. dried thyme

2 t. Hungarian paprika

1 ½ t. kosher salt

1 t. black pepper

six 6-8 oz. catfish fillets, about 2 ½ - 3 pounds

1 T. olive oil

1 ½ lemons or limes, cut into six slices, for garnish

To make the spice rub: Place the oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl and combine well.

Place the catfish on a large plate and rub both sides with the spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Prepare the grill or place a large skillet over high heat. If you are grilling, lightly rub each side with the olive oil and place the fish, skin side down, on the grill and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. If you are panfrying, place a large skillet over high heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the fish, skin side down, one at a time, allowing the pan to reheat for about 30 seconds between additions. Cook until deeply browned and cooked throughout, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a large platter and serve immediately. Garnish with the lemon.

Polenta Triangles

6 cups water

½ - 1 t. kosher salt

1 ¾ - 2 cups stone-ground cornmeal

½ cup heavy cream

1 T. unsalted butter

1 bunch scallion greens, chopped (optional)

1 T. olive oil

Lightly butter a 9-inch round baking pan.

Place the water and salt in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Gradually pour in the cornmeal, whisking all the while.

When the mixture begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and book until the cornmeal begins to thicken, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Slowly whisk in the cream, butter, and if desired, the scallions. Continue the cooking until the polenta just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Pour the polenta into the prepared pan, cover and refrigerate up to overnight. Just before serving, cut into 6 triangles. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Place the triangles on the skillet and cook until browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

If you want to serve the polenta soft, skip the last step and serve immediately.

Grilled Pineapple and Avocado Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

2 t. olive oil

2 t. walnut oil

1 T plus 1 t. red wine vinegar or lemon or orange juice

1 t. kosher salt

¼ - ½ t. black pepper

1 pineapple, cut into 12 slices

2 bunches watercress, well washed and torn

3 avocadoes, halved and cut into large dice

To make the vinaigrette: Place the oils, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl and mix well.

Prepare the grill or preheat the broiler.

Place the pineapple slices 4 inches from the heat source and cook until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Cut each slice into 8 triangles.

Divide the watercress between 6 salad plates and top with equal amounts of avocado and pineapple. Drizzle lightly with the vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

Jake and Earl’s Six-Layer Bars with Chocolate, Pecans and Coconut

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

12 whole graham crackers (do not use low-fat), crumbled into a powder

¾ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened is fine)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the butter and graham cracker crumbs in an 8-inch square pan and combine until they are well incorporated. Press down in an even layer.

Sprinkle ½ cup coconut on the graham cracker crust.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the coconut.

Drizzle the condensed milk over the chocolate chips.

Sprinkle the pecans over the condensed milk.

Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup coconut over the pecans and lightly press down. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Cut into 9 squares.

Transfer to a platter and serve immediately or cover and store at room temperature overnight.

Rissa's "Beachside" BBQ

In the summer, I try to use my bbq as much as possible. Who says a 3x5 foot "backyard" (aka enclosed patio) can stop me from cooking out?! So when it comes to my dinner night in this season, it's usually incorporated. I wanted to do something summer-y in general so a gorgeous pink torpoedo with grilled apps was the right start. A Los Angeles summer fav for me is Duke's Restaurant in Malibu. This dinner night basically tried to mimick that beach feel with fish tacos, Spanish rice, etc. I'm just catching on to how seasonal corn on the cob is..I used to always shortcut corn by getting it out of the can, but now I know there's no substitute! So I had to incorporate this realization into my veggie dish. A good choice at that. Lots of colors and zest in this meal, which set the tone I was looking for!

Pink Torpoedoes




Kristin- These were fairly easy to make and incorpated two of my favorite things every- vodka and strawberries! Because of this, I think my expectations were really high and the drink fell slightly short. A decent summer time drink by all means, it just seemed like it was missing something. Maybe more sweetness would do the trick?

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs sideways.
N: Thumbs sideways.
R: Thumbs up - I thought it was great.

Grilled Drumsticks with Herb Dipping Sauce



Nicole - These were super easy and delicious too! I am still a complete beginner on the grill, and this recipe was a good one for me to get some practice in.

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs up- the sauce was a great compliment to the smokeyness of the chicken.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs sideways - anytime I eat this kind of app, I can’t help but expect buffalo sauce somewhere!


Margarita Fish Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Mayo and Arugula




These were easy enough to put together but the chipotle flavor overwhelmed all the other flavors in the tacos. If I were to make these again, I’d cut back on the chipotle.

H: Thumbs down – there are better fish taco recipes out there.
K: Thumbs down- little flavor to the fish and the sauce was too spicy for even me!
N: Thumbs sideways – a bit spicy for me too.
R: Thumbs down. Not the one..

Spanish Rice



Kristin- I was excited to tackle this recipe since I had never made spanish rice before. I believe I accidently added too many diced tomatoes, but I didn’t mind since I love tomatoes! Overall, solid rice recipe that wasn’t too bland (some of them can be!)

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs up
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs sideways.



Zesty 3 Bean and Roasted Corn Salad




Rissa - This recipe was one of the hits of the night. Full of flavor and spices. This is where I also learned about fresh vs. can corn. Major difference! I snuck in a smidge more avocado of course, but you just can’t waste any. And as for browning the corn and green beans in a pan, that was a good tip. Very easy and super tasty dish.

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs up!
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.


Caramel Banana Cupcakes



Even though these required a lot of manual labor in unwrapping all the caramels, it was well worth the effort! I love the flavor combination of banana and caramel and you could really taste both in these cupcakes. The only thing I didn’t like about this and would definitely change next time was the frosting. It tasted like straight up butter. I would do a sweeter, less buttery frosting or even a cream cheese frosting next time.

H: Thumbs sideways.
K: Thumbs up- such a fun surprise inside! Though best when served immediately.
N: Thumbs up – yum!
R: Thumbs down.

Heather's Summer Seasonal Night

My inspiration for this dinner night was the fresh ingredients I see all the time at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market. I wanted to do a simple menu based on summer ingredients since many of them are only in season for a few months.

Grilled Shrimp with Corn, Tomato and Basil (Courtesy of Glamour Magazine)


Place 16 large cleaned, deveined shrimp (tails on!) in a bowl with 3 tbsp. olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic; marinate 30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil 3 ears husked corn in a pot for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut kernels from cobs. Mix with 2 cups chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 8 slivered basil leaves, salt and pepper. Remove shrimp from marinade; season with salt and pepper. Grill shrimp until cooked through, and place over salad. Serves 4.

K: Thumbs up. It was so light and refreshing.
N: Thumbs up! Who knew such a great recipe would come from Glamour.
R: Thumbs up. I’m giving magazine recipes a chance now.
H: Thumbs up – Absolutely delicious!

Peach-Strawberry Margarita (Courtesy of Margaritas, Mojitos & More by Jessica Strand)

1 lime wedge
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup crushed ice
¼ cup peeled, cubed peach, plus 1 slice for garnish
2 teaspoons Simple Syrup
¼ cup hulled, quartered strawberries, plus 2 whole for garnish
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce gold tequila
1 ounce peach schnapps

Moisten the outer rim of a chilled margarita glass with the lime wedge. Spread the salt on a shallow plate and dip the glass in the salt, covering it with a light band. Set the glass aside.
In a blender, combine the ice, peach cubes, simple syrup, quartered strawberries, lime juice, tequila, and schnapps. Blend at high speed until smooth. Pour into prepared glass. Spear a strawberry, then the peach slice, then a strawberry. Garnish with the fruit spear.

Heather – These were so fresh and summery. I felt like I was on vacation drinking them. They were easy to make as well.

K: Thumbs up.
N: Thumbs up – loved the summer fruits.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up


Fresh Mozzarella and Stacked Heirloom Tomato Salad with Green Chile-Cilantro Oil and Chipotle Vinegar (Courtesy of food network)

Heather – So we’ve done the tomato, mozzarella and basil combo a few times now but never with heirloom tomatoes and since they are only in season during the summer months, I thought it would be a perfect addition to the menu. These were very easy to put together and looked really professional and tasted great! I couldn’t really taste the chipotle too much in the vinegar.

K: Thumbs up the sauces were an interesting combo.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up

Couscous with summer vegetables and herbs (Courtesy of Seasonal Food by Susannah Blake)

Serves 4.
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into large chunks
2 red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
9 oz cherry tomatoes
2 zucchinis, thickly sliced
5 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
1 cup couscous
1 cup boiling water
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
Large handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Large handful of fresh basil, torn

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchinis in a large baking dish, drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil over them, season well with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing once or twice, until tender and slightly charred.
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, and 2 ½ tablespoons of the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Put the couscous in a large bowl, blend in the remaining oil and a pinch of salt using a fork, then pour in the boiling water. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork. Add the roasted vegetables and any juices from the dish to the couscous along with the feta, and sprinkle with the mint, parsley and basil. Pour in the dressing, then toss to combine well and serve either warm or room temperature.

K: Thumbs sideways. I would leave out the mint next time.
N: Thumbs up! Loved the combo of couscous and veggies, and have made this a couple times since.
R: Thumbs up minus the mint. I usually don’t care for couscous, but this was really good.
H: Thumbs up – minus the mint and parsley.

Grilled Skirt Steak and Peaches (Courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine)

Rissa - I typically don’t like fruit in general unless it’s in a dessert with some sort of cake, SO I had to gear up for this dinner night! When I heard about steak with peaches, that was pretty odd to me. Heather is privileged to work right next to an amazing farmers market so the peaches looked perfect for this recipe (even to me). The sauce was really good and you don’t even need to marinade overnight which is nice (I would probably not scrape it off the steak before grilling). Because it was pretty zesty and with a little spice from the jalapeno, I think it actually paired well with the peaches! My only thing is that we used a grill pan for this recipe which I would not recommend. There is no substitute and the peaches and steak did not “char” as much as I would prefer if done on a regular grill.

K: Thumbs up- I thought the sauce was so yummy. However, I agree with the other girls, I would use a different cut of meat…perhaps filet.
N: Thumbs sideways – I liked the meat and peaches combo, although the meat was a bit tough for me too. I tried it again with chicken for better results, and a different cut of beef would probably work better.
R: Thumbs up..would try flank steak next time!
H: Thumbs down – The meat was way too tough for my preference.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Ice Cream (Courtesy of Rachael Ray Magazine)

Nicole – This is a delicious and an easy ice cream recipe, and a good way to use up a lot of strawberries. The recipe says to mash the strawberries with a fork, but I found it much easier using a potato masher.

K: Thumbs up.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up

Blueberry Pie (Courtesy of AllRecipes.com)

Nicole – This pie was extremely easy to make – just mix everything together, and pour it into the crust.

K: Thumbs down (Disclaimer- I would say that to almost any fruit pie)
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up. I liked it and it was so easy!
H: Thumbs sideways – This was a little soggy. I’m sure I could find a better recipe for blueberry pie.

Kristin's Spicy Rebound Night

After the disaster I had at my apt in December’s dinner night, I decided I needed to redeem myself before people began to think I wasn’t a foodie anymore! With Cinco De Mayo on the way, I opted for a Mexican-southwest fusion style menu. We had our work cut out for us with the amount of recipes we had to make and sangria that needed to be drank! Only a few of us even made it to the dessert round late night since we were so full from appetizers and entree. At the end of the night, I could confidently say I’m still a foodie- a foxy one at that.

Sangria- Recipezaar.com, Reviewed by Kristin
This is now my go to recipe. I loved the fact the recipe called for vodka instead of brandy since I typically keep vodka on hand. I was nervous about how it would taste, but it’s actually better than other recipes I’ve made. I highly suggest it since it's yummy and easy!
H- Thumbs up. Delicious! Couldn’t stop drinking it.
K- Thumbs up.
N- Thumbs up.
R- Thumbs up.

Roasted poblano guacamole with garlic and parsley: Food Network

Reviewed by Rissa: This guacamole was enticing by the roasted peppers, tomatoes, and garlic in the recipe. The peppers and garlic are then blended in the food processor and added to the chopped tomatoes. Then this mixture is added to your more typical guacamole recipe. I thought the roasted ingredients would make the recipe WAY more flavorful, but I still felt it lacked the punch. And using cilantro is a must, but that’s an easy swap. It was decent, but needed something more for me. (judging from the opinion below, maybe I shouldn’t be the one to review this!)
H – Thumbs up – I just would not use the parsley next time – cilantro instead!
K- Thumbs up but mainly because I haven’t ate a guacamole I didn’t like.
N – Thumbs up.
R - Thumbs sideways.

Sunset Low fat Jalapeno Poppers: Reviewed by Heather
These were relatively simple to put together. Make sure you do wear gloves when handling the chilies so you don’t burn your eyes. Using the cornflake crumbs were tough because they weren’t finely crushed so there were some bigger chunks that wouldn’t stick to the jalapeno. Next time, I would crush them in the food processor so they are all the same consistency. These needed a little extra baking time as well.
H– Thumbs sideways. Ain’t nothing like the real thing.
K- Thumbs up, next time I would skip the cornflakes
N – Thumbs sideways – a decent attempt at a popper, but the process was a bit flawed.
R - Thumbs sideways..not “the” popper recipe that I’m looking for, but still decent.

CL Cornmeal crust tilapia with tomatillo salsa: Reviewed by Nicole
I like tilapia, but have to admit that I had never made it at home before. This recipe was pretty simple – just coat the fish in the cornmeal mixture, sauté it in the pan, and you’re done. I agree with Kristin’s suggestion of using pre-made salsa verde if you want to save time – the salsa was good, but Herdez in a can or even the Trader Joe’s version in a bottle taste just as good.
H – Thumbs up.
K- Thumbs sideways. I would replace the salsa with Herdez salsa verde to save time.
N – Thumbs up – I even had tilapia for lunch that day, and it was good at dinner too.
R - Thumbs sideways..not sure I’m a cornmeal on fish gal.

Cheesy polenta- green tomato gratin: Cooking Light, Reviewed by Kristin
This was a very unique twist on a side that can be some what bland. The polenta is loaded with queso fresco cheese and lots of yummy spices. We used tomatillos since at the time I thought green tomatoes were tomatillos- oops! Anyways, it still turned out delish.
H – Thumbs up – For once polenta tastes good!
K- Thumbs up.
N – Thumbs up.
R - Thumbs way up. So so good.

CL Cinnamon crepes with peaches and cream cheese: Reviewed by Rissa

I was the piglet who insisted on making these after we came back from the nearby bar. In fact, we ended up skipping the second bar with anticipation of dessert back at home. You know where our priorities are! Anyway, crepes are always easy and fun to make. The batter is just like pancake batter but so much thinner..no question of knowing when it’s done. The filling was easy to make as well. Unfortunately, our peaches were too ripe to use with the recipe, but we and the fellas still managed to polish them off! (oink oink)
H- N/A – I was too full to try these.
K- Thumbs up. I had several!
N – NA – I was too full, and I never turn down dessert!
R - Thumbs up. Good and easy.

“Good Food, Good Life” Dinner Night

Nicole - A couple years ago at work every employee received a copy of the Nestle Cookbook, and I have to admit that it had been collecting dust on my bookshelf. I’m not sure why since I eat quite a few Nestle products, and it was time to crack the book open and give some recipes a try. I am sure that after the disastrous Juicy Juice Mango soup at last summer’s fruit dinner night the Foxy Ladies may have had some reservations, but how could we go wrong with “hundreds of triple-tested, easy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert from the largest food company in the world!” (Disclosure: three of the four Foxy Foodies work for Nestle)

Corn Chowder

Heather – This was an easy corn chowder recipe and turned out delicious. I wasn’t sure about how the evaporated milk would make it taste but you really couldn’t tell the difference and it was much healthier than a version made with half-and-half or cream. The fresh rosemary is a must!



K: Thumbs up - really tasty!
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs up
H: Thumbs up.

Baked Pesto Chicken

Kristin - This recipe was simple and delicious. The key to it was smoothering the chicken with pesto. I topped it with tomatoes (generously!) and mozzarella cheese. A good quick week night meal.



K: Thumbs up
N: Thumbs up – easy and yummy!
R: Thumbs up - yes, great weeknight meal.
H: Thumbs up.

Broccoli Pesto Angel Hair

Nicole - The reviews on the meals.com website all raved about this recipe (mostly 5 star's), so I'm not exactly sure how we ended up with a so-so dish. Were our expectations too high since we liked everything else so much? Was it just too healthy, a la Cooking Light? I would give it a try again just to see if I can get better results.

K: Thumbs sideways- While it was a healthy version, I’ve actually made much better with spinach before.
N: Thumbs sideways – sauce was okay.
R: Thumbs sideways - I think I’d just go with pesto pasta and skip the broccoli. ;)
H: Thumbs up.

Raisin Bread Pudding

Rissa - Raisin Bread Pudding sounds fancy to me...in the sense that it’s hard to pull off my most fave restaurant editions. Nicole had a great idea to buy Hawaiian bread instead of just regular french bread. That is key. And soaking the bread pieces in evap milk for as long as you can is probably another good idea (I guess the only watch out would be to ensure it’s not tooooo soggy, but is that possible?). Add in all the spices and raisins, throw it in a pan, and you’re done! Only complaint or just a difference from the restaurants is that I need some rum sauce on top. But it was still very, very tasty and I would make again.



K: Thumbs sideways- slightly dry but overall good flavor
N: Thumbs up! Bread pudding is one my favorite desserts and this did not disappoint.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up.

“Kir Royale”

Nicole - There was no real recipe for this one, we just filled champagne flutes halfway with Prosecco, and then added about an equal amout of Juicy Juice Berry. My friend who works on Juicy Juice had said that the product is a great mixer, and she was right!


K: Thumbs up- gotta love the bubbly
N: Thumbs up – it is hard for me not to like a bubbly drink.
R: Thumbs up
H: Thumbs up! So delicious and easy

Back to Basics, Barefoot Style (February Dinner Night)

Just a few years ago, I didn’t appreciate the Food Network much. I hardly watched it and certainly didn’t know many of the famous chefs. Then one birthday, Heather bought me a Barefoot Contessa cookbook that changed my life. J I remember her mentioning that she’s known for her home cooking and that is right up my alley! After trying one recipe out of the book, I was hooked. Since then, I have made quite a few things, watched her show, researched her online, etc. The only thing left was to plan a dinner night around the ones I hadn’t made! Almost everything I’ve made has come out terrific and this night was no different.

Pesto Pea Salad

This salad was very simple to make and turned out tasty. We actually used Buitoni pesto, instead of making our own and it still turned out good. I thought initially that the pesto would be clumpy but it was actually a nice smooth compliment to the salad. Just mix up the ingredients and you’re good to go! A good summer picnic salad.

K: Thumbs up
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs sideways.
H: Thumbs up – I was surprised I liked this. It didn’t sound as appealing as it tasted.


Mexican Tortilla Soup


I had big expectations for this soup because of the raving reviews it gets. After we put it together, I could see why! It is critical to get bone-in chicken breasts. I usually would not bother, but it was the best and most simple piece of chicken ever. The rest of the soup was pretty easy and full of fresh veggies (good way to use up leftover cucumber!). I wondered what it would be like to add fresh corn tortillas instead of just topping the soup with chips at the end, and it resulted in an amazing thickened, fresh and tasty Mexican Tortilla Soup. Wonder what it would be like if I had the patience to make my own broth?

K: Thumbs up- one of my favorite soups ever!
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs up!
H: Thumbs up.


Chicken Picatta with Angel Hair Pasta


I remember thinking that this looked like an easy dish to make but it was a little misleading. You just have to set-up an assembly line so that you can easily dip the chicken into the flour mixture, dunk it in the egg bath, and then sprinkle it in the bread crumbs. As always, it was tough to get all the bread crumbs to stick to the entire piece of chicken. All in all, this turned out pretty delicious.

K: Thumbs up- this turned out good, though I prefer my picatta with capers.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up - I liked the lemon added to this.
H: Thumbs sideways – This was pretty good, just not sure that it would be made again in my kitchen.


Garlic and Herb Tomatoes

When I first saw this recipe I had never heard of grape tomatoes being cooked on the stove, but after tasting the dish my response was “Wow!”. The dish was very simple and delicious, and a great side for the meal. I imagine that any leftovers would make a great tomato salad if served cold.

K: Thumbs up- can never go wrong with sauteed tomatoes
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs sideways. I liked it but I guess the night had overwhelming flavor!
H: Thumbs up – so simple and delicious!

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

My roommate made this recipe and made it look so easy for how delicious it tasted! It was extremely moist and full of chocolate, but not overwhelmingly so. I imagine the boiling water helped somewhere with that? It was very, very tasty and thinking of it now makes me want to make it again…soon!

K: Thumbs up
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs way up.
H: Thumbs up – Again, I was surprised I liked this because I’m not a big fan of chocolate anything.


Chocolate Cookie Buttercream Frosting

Another roommate specialty of the night. It’s meant for cookies, so she doubled the recipe and softened it with powdered sugar and milk to make it less thick. Very yum and looked terrific on the cake.

K: Thumbs up- the frosting wasn’t too rich which I loved.
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs sideways - not sure if I would know how to adjust it as well as Jessalyn did!!
H:Thumbs up.

5-Star Restaurant Cuisine (January Dinner Night)

I was feeling inspired by some of the 5-star restaurants in LA and wanted to pick recipes that I thought would have been served in one of these restaurants. Fittingly, my theme was “5-star restaurant cuisine”. We had never cooked Cornish hens so I knew that I wanted to design the menu around that entrée. The other picks just fell into place and all in all, the meal was really successful.

Fried Cheese Bundles – Rachel Ray

I really enjoyed using Heather’s fancy deep fryer. I added it to my Christmas list after that, too! I find that recipes which require “individual assembly” take me a while even though it was so simple. Literally, just put a piece a string cheese in the middle of a wonton wrapper, edge the wonton with water, and then fold into a “bundle”. It would be different if it was just a triangle fold, but the bundle required technique. From there it was really easy. My only complaint is that the recipe didn’t have any sauce to accompany the bundles. I would definitely serve it with either a marinara or sweet and sour (preferred).


K: Thumbs down. A little too bland for me.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up!
H: Thumbs up! These were stringy, cheesy, and delicious.

Roasted Cornish Hens with Fennel and Peppers – Redbook Magazine

These were a bit heavy on the workload but well worth it. We first had to marinade the Cornish hens for a few hours. Once we got everything into the roasting pan and popped it into the oven, we just had to make the au jus. Not too complicated but a lot of steps. I would definitely recommend this recipe for a dinner party as it seems like a gourmet entrée and no one would guess how little you spent! J


K: Thumbs up. My first time eating cornish hen!
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up. I wasn’t sure if I would like Cornish hen but it was great and beautifully served.
H: Thumbs up – The Cornish hens were really flavorful but a few of the smaller pieces were a little over-cooked.

Au Gratin Potatoes – Weight Watchers

This was relatively easy to make but I would highly recommend using a mandolin to slice the potatoes if you have one. It makes it much easier to perfect the thin slices you might see in a restaurant’s au gratin. For being a Weight Watchers recipe, these potatoes were surprisingly decadent, great comfort food. Just a little too much salt, even for my taste.

K: Thumbs up. These were yummy.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up –


Green Salad with Feta, Candied Walnuts, and Dried Cranberries
(No recipe)
K: Thumbs up- thanks to Heather’s awesome impromptu vinaigrette
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up - a classic.
H: Thumbs up – I love the combination of flavors in this salad with the saltiness of the feta, the tartness of the cranberries, and the sweetness of the walnuts. Yum!

Apple Tartlets with Cinnamon-balsamic syrup and Butter-toffee ice cream
Bon Appétit

This recipe takes a lot of time because of the number of steps involved, but overall it was not too difficult. We did not have two hours to chill the ice cream mixture, and it worked fine to put it in the freezer for less than a third of that before putting in the ice cream maker. We used butterscotch liqueur since Heather had purchased it, but thought that it would work equally well with Scotch if one already has that. The results of this dish were fantastic, and this is a great special occasion dessert.

K: Thumbs sideways. I didn’t like the tarts but thought the ice cream was awesome.
N: Thumbs way up! My plate was completely clean after dessert.
R: Thumbs way up. I don’t care for ice cream much but the dessert altogether was amazing!
H: Thumbs up – This was delicious and definitely reminded me of something you would eat in a restaurant.

Butter-toffee ice cream
3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
½ cup half and half
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butterscotch liqueur or Scotch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup toffee bits (such as Skor)
Cinnamon-Balsamic Syrup
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
2 tablespoons water
Apple Tartlets
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Ice-cream: Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in sugar, then half and half and salt. Bring just to simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot half and half mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and finger leaves path on back of spoon when drawn across, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, butterscotch liqueur, and vanilla. Strain into medium bowl. Cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours.
Process cream mixture in ice cream maker according to instructions. Add toffee bits about 3 minutes before ice cream is done. Transfer to container; freeze.

Cinnamon-balsamic syrup: Bring all ingredients to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium and boil until syrupy and reduced to generous ½ cup, about 6 minutes.

Apple Tartlets: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar and butter to blend in small bowl. Divide mixture among four 1-cup ramekins or custard cups, pressing to cover bottom evenly. Layer apple slices over sugar mixtures, pressing slightly on apples to compact and almost filling cup. Open pastry sheet. Using biscuit cutter or small plate, cut out 4 rounds the same size as top diameter of ramekins. Using fork, pierce dough all over. Place 1 dough round atop apples in each ramekin. Brush tops with beaten egg. Bake tartlets until pastry is puffed and deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 5 minutes. Invert warm tartlets onto plates. Drizzle with syrup and serve with scoop of ice cream alongside.