Cocktail Party Recipes

Two appetizer recipes and a simple drink to consider adding to your next Cocktail Party!  You'll find my post here at SheKnows:  Grammy Party Menu

*If you don't like chorizo, consider replacing it with sausage and serving with a tangy, creamy mustard dip!

Cheers! Carolyn :)

Parsley-Walnut Pesto Over Angel Hair Pasta

This versatile Parsley-Walnut Pesto can be used in so many different ways.

Here, I simply mixed the pesto into some freshly cooked pasta...but potatoes, soups, eggs, grilled meats and seafood ALL come to mind...

Chorizo & Potato Soft Tacos with a Simple Homemade Salsa ...and Photograph Talk

You know what bothers me about this picture above?

That the corner of the white square plate with the tortillas is almost touching the wooden board rather than completely running parallel to the board and the grains of the wood.  My eye focuses on that particular spot in the photo and I find it distracting. Weird? Maybe.  WAIT. WAIT. Look again!  Now it's driving you crazy too! Right?!

Anyway... it makes me realize how when you're standing (or in this case sitting/crouching) behind a lens you don't necessarily notice such minor imperfections.  That's not to say all photos need to be in complete balance...how boring would that be?!  It's just in the photo above with such pronounced geometric shapes and lines...that one crooked plate throws my entire picture off.  Just my honest, overly self-critical, non-expert opinion.  (I decided to soften the boarder of the photo above in an attempt to draw your eyes out...not sure I was successful ...but I'm practicing...)

Roasted Peppers stuffed with Black Beans, Corn, Chorizo and Cheese

Part 2 of Stuffed Peppers Two Ways

(Part 1 can be found here: Roasted Green Peppers stuffed with Curried Chickpeas and Raisins)

Here we have a simple Mexican inspired green stuffed pepper....

Purposely leaving out the rice...I wanted a quick and easy, low carb stuffed pepper that didn't involve a whole lot of chopping and fuss!





I served the stuffed peppers with a side of sour cream and low sodium blue corn tortilla chips.

Akin to a large plate of restaurant style nachos (as far as taste)...what you'll appreciate about these individual stuffed pepper servings...is that your family and friends won't be jockeying to see who gets the last bite!

But be warned...they will be back for seconds!

(some of the peppers I topped with additional cheese before baking...some I did not)


Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Black Beans, Corn, Chorizo and Cheese

4 medium to large green peppers
12 oz. Mexican Chorizo Sausage, out of its casing and cooked thru, drained of its grease BUT reserve the little leftover grease that remains in the pan (see photo above)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed well
3 cups shredded Colby Jack (or Mexican style cheese)
2 cups frozen corn

Directions:

Prepare the Peppers (about 4 med-large peppers)

Take your peppers and cut off their tops and clean out the insides

Blanch peppers in large pot of boiling water for 10-12 minutes or until just soft but still able to stand on their own. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375.

After cooking up the chorizo, pour the chorizo out of its pan and into a strainer to drain most of the grease. Discard the grease that leaves the pan w/the chorizo. Reserve the little bit of grease that remains in the pan.

Add black beans and corn to the same pan and cook up, stirring about 4-5 minutes, until well incorporated.

Add black bean and corn mixture to a large blow and stir in your cheese until mixed well.

Stuff your already blanched green peppers and bake in the oven for 12 minutes. (You can also top the peppers with additional cheese if desired...photo above)

Remove from the oven and serve with chips, sour cream, etc!

Roasted Poblano, Black Bean, Queso and Chorizo Casserole

As if I need an excuse to have a party...with Cinco de Mayo this coming Thursday and The Kentucky Derby on Saturday afternoon...I thought why not begin celebrating Monday night...with this fun and festive Mexican dish!

Plus all you'll need is Queso Cheese...




Poblano Peppers...



Roasted and seeded...

There are so many ways to do this, but here I placed my six poblano peppers in a cast iron skillet and placed it in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Next, I placed the charred peppers in a brown paper bag and sealed it up for 10 minutes.

Last, I easily peeled the charred skin off the outside of the poblanos and seeded the peppers.




Layered with Mexican chorizo and black beans...be sure to cook and drain the chorizo prior to baking the casserole!

then baked in a glass casserole dish at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes...be sure to top it with more cheese!




All that's missing below are come crunchy tortilla chips and a lime margarita! (Maybe homemade guacamole and sour cream too!!!)

Enjoy!  We did!

White Beans with Creamy Red Sauce, Chorizo, Onions and Peppers

I know. Chorizo. Again. What can I say...if the price is right, there are times I buy in bulk.

It's the same woman who was standing in that boutique fish market a few weeks back - handing far too much money over to a boy in an apron in exchange for a half pound chunk of glistening Chilean Sea Bass!

For every .5 lb. specialty fish I buy...comes five plus pounds of a moderate to low priced spiced pork product! Because in my world...it's all about balance!



And...anyone who follows my blog will be disheartened to hear...I still have two links of chorizo left.

In this post, I did spare you however, the "photo op" of my serrated knife slicing through the sausage on a bias...because really...haven't we all seen enough?  So here's Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese instead. Equally Sexy.



This rustic White Beans with Creamy Red Sauce, Chorizo, Onions and Peppers was on the table in under 40 minutes.

Perfect for a weeknight meal or a Saturday afternoon with friends...just don't forget the wine and the bread!

White Beans with Creamy Red Sauce, Chorizo, Onions and Peppers

Ingredients:
2 cans small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 large or 2 smaller green peppers, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1 large or 2 smaller onions, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
4 large cloves of garlic, diced
4-6 chorizo sausage links, sliced on a bias into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups tomato sauce (here I used San Marzano diced tomatoes)
1 tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream
Lots of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
A few handfuls of fresh arugula and/or baby spinach (I used arugula because I had it, think I would prefer baby spinach but either will do just fine!)
Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a hot cast iron skillet brown your chorizo until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Turn off pan and leave them in there to sit. (Do not drain)

In another large pan, heat up olive oil and add onion and garlic and saute 3-4 minutes.

Add green pepper and continue cooking until vegetables begin to soften. 

Add tomato sauce, anchovy paste and heavy cream and mix together well until the sauce lightens.

Take the chorizo pieces that are sitting in their pan and place them one by one into the vegetable/sauce mixture pan. Cook another minute or two until all ingredients are folder together well.

In a separate pot, add about a tablespoon or two of the chorizo grease to the bottom. Add your white beans and cook over medium heat just a few minutes to warm and coat with that delicious chorizo flavor.

Add the vegetable/chorizo pan contents to the pot of white beans and stir together well.

Stir in and garnish with lots of cheese (and *greens too if you want) and serve.

*Greens can also be served on the side - whatever floats your boat! :)

Chickpea Cakes stuffed with Chorizo and Goat Cheese

My daughter was at preschool and the boy was down for his nap...



There was a pile of laundry to do upstairs and a house that needed dusting...



There were phone calls to return and bills that needed to be paid...



There was a treadmill sitting idle in the basement...



But with leftover chorizo sitting in the fridge and cans of chickpeas too plentiful to count...



I was overcome with a sense of urgency... so the responsible adult that I am...here's what I did...

because...isn't productivity all relative?

Chickpea Cakes stuffed with Chorizo and Goat Cheese
yields about 22, 2 inch cakes

Ingredients:
2 cans Chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 heaping tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup goat cheese
1/3 cup cilantro
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour
2 links chorizo, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces, cooked thru and blotted dry
Goat cheese for filling
Oil for frying

Dipping Sauce:
Equal parts Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and a prepared red pepper spread or simply chopped roasted red peppers....mix well. A nice contrast to the chorizo and cheese.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Place first 5 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well blended and smooth. Place contents into a large bowl.

Add egg and flour and mix well with spoon.

Form the mixture into round disks. With your finger or kitchen tool, place a divot in the center of the disk, place some goat cheese and one piece of cooked chorizo in the center. Form the chickpea mixture around the opening and close up to form the cake.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan until hot. Brown cakes on both sides about 2-3 minutes per side.

Transfer cakes to a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 5-8 minutes to warm throughout.

Serve with yogurt dipping sauce (see above).

Chilean Sea Bass on Bed of Roasted Potatoes, Chorizo, Fennel, Onion and Tomato - Plate to Impress!

Here's an impressive meal to serve the next time you have dinner guests - assuming Chilean Sea Bass is south of $40 a pound!

Really any seafood would do...I imagine it would be equally delicious with the likes of halibut, salmon or shrimp.



What I love about the dish is how beautiful it looks when all plated up, yet couldn't be easier to make!

The chorizo in the recipe allows you to go a little lighter on the fish portion (something you'll appreciate while standing in the seafood store reading sticker prices so high ...you begin formulating ways you'll remortgage your house!)



It's how I know I'm a woman obsessed with food and not shoes...I passed a COACH, a MACY'S and an Ann Taylor Loft...all before arriving upon my final destination...a small boutique seafood store with first rate fish at exorbitant prices! Nevertheless...I was a kid in a candy store!

The fussiest thing you'll have to do is make this aluminum foil ring (about 5-6 inches in diameter)...



After you remove the ring you will have created this tidy little bed for your fish...



Just add some fresh herbs of your choice....



Then place your seafood on top! Voila!  Beautiful presentation and over the top delicious!

Chilean Sea Bass on Bed of Roasted Potatoes, Chorizo, Fennel, Onion and Tomato

Ingredients:
1-2 fennel bulbs, top stalks removed and discarded, the rest trimmed into one inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into one inch pieces
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, left whole
4 chorizo sausage links, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
10-12 tri-colored fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (regular potatoes are fine too)
Olive oil for roasting
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. of your favorite fish, cooked perfectly!

Directions:

In a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil, toss fennel, red onion and cherry tomatoes with a few tablespoons olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

If there's room in the oven, in a separate pan also lined with aluminum foil, toss your potatoes and chorizo with just a touch a olive oil and also roast for 20-25 minutes.

The roasting can all be done ahead of time and reheated before plating - simple!

When you're ready to plate, place the aluminum ring in the center of the dish.

Place a steady layer of potatoes and chorizo at the base of the ring.

Next, pile your roasted vegetables on top.

Carefully remove ring.

Top with fresh herbs and then your favorite fish!

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Black Beans and Cheese and Once again...Easy for Bobby

I didn't use Bobby’s exact recipe, but ever since watching him make a version of these Stuffed Poblano Peppers, I knew it was only a matter of time. Actually, when it comes to Bobby's shows... I'm really very easy. I need only see a glimpse of that audacious culinary smile to instantly crave the myriad flavors associated with American Southwestern cuisine.

I swear there have been times I've been so mesmerized by one of Bobby's shows, I find myself in the pepper section of the supermarket having no recollection of how I got there. The next thing I know, I'm blindly handing money over to a woman behind a conveyor belt full of beans, cheese, hot peppers, mustard, spices, honey, chips and two dozen limes. (What on earth does a girl need with two dozen limes?!)

At last, I'm purchasing a six-pack of Negro Modelo, large bag of ice, Blue Agave Tequila... and like a wet noodle to the face....twenty-four limes make perfect sense! I spend the entire trip back euphorically daydreaming that Bobby's at home prepping our kitchen, anxiously waiting my arrival. (I truly am in love with my husband, he's aware of my crush and knows that to love me... means acceptance.)
These Poblano peppers 'snugly' stuffed with basmati rice, cotija cheese, black beans, tomatoes, scallion, and chorizo were exquisite! Lightly charred on the outside, easy to bite into and a cheesy bean explosion in the center - I loved them even more than I expected! My first one was especially spicy, so be sure when cleaning out the inside of the poblano, you do your due diligence in removing the seeds. My second one was perfect, hot and spicy, but not overly so. The red sauce (an afterthought by my husband the "hot saucier") truly made the dish come together. (Recipe follows) Last, while we incorporated 4 oz. chorizo sausage, which certainly added that extra little something, these stuffed poblano peppers would be equally delicious and obviously healthier - left vegetarian.

Stuffed Poblanos with Black Beans and Cheese
By Kate Ramos, on CHOWHOUND.com

INGREDIENTS
•1 cup uncooked basmati rice
•1 1/2 cups water
•3 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
•6 medium poblano peppers
•1 cup cooked black beans
We also added 4oz. cooked and crumbled chorizo sausage
•1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
We did this but am sure 1 tsp cumin powder would work too
•3/4 cup sour cream
•3/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (about 4 ounces)
We used closer to 1 cup cotija. (Monterey jack would make a fine substitution)
•1/2 cup chopped cilantro (about 1/2 bunch)
•1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (about 2 small tomatoes)
We used 1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes instead
•2/3 cup chopped scallions (about 1/2 bunch)
•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place rice in a colander or a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Combine rice, water, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low; cook until water has been completely absorbed, about 10 minutes (rice will be slightly undercooked). Remove the lid and set the pan aside to let rice cool.

*We cooked our basmati in the microwave and it comes out perfect every time! Place 1 cup rice and 2 cups water in a microwave safe round 2 quart bowl with lid. Cook covered on high for 5 minutes. Reduce power setting to 50% and cook an additional 15 minutes. Let sit a few minutes, then remove lid and fluff with fork. Done.

2.To prepare peppers for stuffing, use a paring knife to cut a wide circle around each stem (like when carving a jack-o’-lantern), so you end up with a cap that can be replaced once you have stuffed the peppers. Be careful not to puncture or rip the peppers. Clean any seeds and membranes from the cap and from the interior of each pepper; set aside.

3.Place beans in a large mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, lightly mash them (some whole beans will remain).

4.Stir cumin, sour cream, Cotija, cilantro, tomatoes, scallions, pepper, and remaining salt into mashed beans and mix until evenly combined. Gently mix in cooled rice. Taste mixture and, if necessary, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Note that the filling should be quite salty to compensate for there being no salt on the peppers.)

5.Divide rice mixture into 6 equal portions. Stuff each pepper with the filling and replace each cap, pressing caps into the stuffing so the peppers remain closed while on the grill; set aside until ready to cook. (If you’re stuffing the peppers more than 30 minutes before grilling, cover and refrigerate them. Let peppers sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes before grilling so that they cook faster and more evenly.)

6.Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium heat (about 350°F). Once the grill is heated, place stuffed peppers on their sides and close the lid. Roll each pepper a quarter turn every 7 minutes or so to cook all four sides. The peppers are finished once the filling is hot, the skins are well-charred, and the flesh is soft to the touch, about 30 minutes. If serving as a side dish, slice peppers in half lengthwise

Red Pepper Tomato Sauce:
In a small sauce pan he added one chopped tomato (seeds and all), 1 tablespoon of cilantro, 3 pinches kosher salt, 1 pinch black pepper, 1 T white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Brought it to a boil for about 4 to 5 minutes. Next he seeded and chopped up a medium red bell pepper. Last he added the heated tomato mixture and the raw red pepper to a blender and pureed until smooth. S&P to taste. Pour on the bottom of the plate and place stuffed poblano on top. Enjoy!

Linguine with Chorizo, Broccoli, Chickpeas, Garlic and Lemon

I feel the need to explain myself with the posting of a second, fairly simple pasta dish two days in a row. (Though they look similar, they are worlds apart!) Beneath the heading, Design Wine and Dine, I note how we try to live "simply" - this is just one example of what I mean...

About a year ago, I was laid off from a decent paying position and found myself home with our two children under four. While it never feels good to be 'let go' from a job where you've invested so much time and energy, it was just that..."a job." Perhaps a blessing in disguise, before the lay-off we were paying an arm and a leg for daycare, we could just barely justify. My days...that used to be spent running to drop-offs, packing diapers amongst spread sheets, and wiping milk off my black, tweed, Ann Taylor blazer... are now happily spent home with the kids - taking walks, playing, gardening, cooking and writing this blog. One salary, one car, two children, a hard working husband ...and a life I adore.

Which brings me to this dish, Linguine with Chorizo Sausage, Broccoli, Garlic, Chickpeas & Lemon, a result of not being able to get out of the house and so using ingredients on hand. ("On hand"...there's that phrase again...I think someone needs to get to the store!) Not a huge fan of pasta drenched and swimming in sauce...this flavorful dinner's slightly spicy, RUSTIC undertones looked beautiful and tasted worthy a spot on the menu at your favorite local Italian cafe!

Linguine with Chorizo, Broccoli,
Chickpeas, Garlic and Lemon

1 lb linguine
6-8 chorizo sausage links
2-4 tablespoons olive oil (plus more to drizzle on at the end)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 head of broccoli - most of the stems removed
1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
Approx 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Lemon juice
Fresh cracked pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Remove chorizo from castings and cook up over medium heat in a heavy pot, breaking up into small pieces - about 8-10 min. Remove Chorizo from pot and discard most, but not all, of the oil at the bottom of the pot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and chopped garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add chickpeas and broccoli, saute up for approx 8 minutes, add chorizo back to the pot and incorporate all ingredients. Let cool slightly and PULSE in a food processor - just a few times to your desired texture.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add the sausage mixture to the pasta, a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, squirt of lemon, olive oil and fresh cracked pepper. Toss with tongs and enjoy!