Secrets to my Fete Success: Part Two

So I know I promised you the recipes from my party...forever ago!

Here they are...forever ago + 1 day...

We wanted this party to be a casual summer BBQ. But I wanted to make sure that it was special enough to celebrate Melanie and Jon's engagement, so I relied on BBQ staples with a twist for the menu.

Now when I say "I" what I really mean is my fabulous-chef of a sister, and my equally talented mother-in-law. I just made sure their food had pretty plates to live on.

Courtesy of High Street Market

Tip: If you are not a good cook, don't try to become one in time for the party. While I came up with the menu...the real cooks in my family (my sister and mother-in-law) totally deserve all the credit for their magnificent dishes!

Melanie & Jon's Summer Engagement BBQ Menu

Appetizers

Asparagus Roll Ups

(made by my mother-in-law, courtesy of Southern Living November 2001)

Ingredients:
24 fresh asparagus spears
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 4 ounce package crumbles bleu cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
12 slices thin bread, trimmed
12  slices sliced deli ham
1/4 can butter
paprika

Serving Size: 12 appetizer servings 

Garnishes: green onion curl, red bell pepper  

Preparation:
Snap off tough ends of asparagus, and remove scales from stalks with a vegetable peeler, if desired. Arrange asparagus in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 4 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from steamer, and cool on paper towels. 

Directions:  
Stir together cream cheese and next 3 ingredients.

• Roll each bread slice with a rolling pin to flatten. Spread 1 side of each slice with 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture; top each with 1 ham slice.
• Place 2 asparagus spears, tips pointed toward opposite ends, on 1 end of each bread slice; roll up, and place, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet. Brush with butter; sprinkle with paprika.

• Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until golden. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately.  
• Note: Freeze unbaked rollups up to 1 month in an airtight container. Thaw in refrigerator, and bake as directed.

Janet's Black Bean Salsa

(I am not kidding when I say every single time my mother-in-law makes this, every single person asks her for the recipe. This won't disappoint!)

Ingredients:
16 ounces cooked black beans
16 ounces fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped ripe tomatoes, drained


Serving Size: 8

Directions:

• In large bowl, combine beans, corn, cilantro, green onion, red onion, lime juice, oil and cumin.  
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.  
• Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.  
• Just before  serving, stir in tomatoes.  
• Serve with blue and white corn chips or the new Guacamole chips.

Sides

Avocado Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups

(created by my sister)

Kitchen Space

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts

2 Avocados

2 cups of grapes

2 tbsp. mayo

1/8 cup of sour cream

Salt/pepper

Garlic powder

Almonds

Roasted red pepper sauce

Gouda cheese

Directions:

• Cut raw chicken in bite sized pieces and cook in a skillet until cooked through
• Add salt, pepper, and chili powder to skillet
• Let cool
• Add 1-2 avocados cut into small pieces and grapes cut in half
• Mix in 2 tbsp. mayo, 1/8 c. sour cream
• Add salt, pepper and dash of garlic powder
• Lay on a bed of lettuce or scoop individual servings into lettuce cups
• Sprinkle sliced almonds on top and drizzle roasted red pepper sauce over top

Roasted red pepper sauce is made by blending one 8 oz. jar of roasted red peppers using only a little bit of the oil/water, 1/2 c. of Gouda cheese (chopped) and 1 cup. sour cream., salt & pepper. 

Watermelon Salad

(created by my sister)

Ingredients:

1 Whole watermelon

Olive oil

Salt/pepper

Whole mint leaves

Feta cheese

Peeled pistachios

Directions: 

• Slice half a watermelon into triangle wedges
• Sprinkle 1 tbsp olive oil and salt over top
• Add whole mint leaves, feta cheese, and peeled pistachios to taste

Main Dish

Wasabi Burgers

(made by my sister)

Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

4lbs ground beef/chicken

4 tbsp of soy sauce

2 tbsp wasabi powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

• Combine ingredients into patties
• Grill.

Served with avocado aioli: 

Ingredients:

1 avocado

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup sour cream, 

1 tsp garlic powder

salt & pepper

Also served with ginger sesame slaw: 

Ingredients:

1 package shredded cabbage

1/8 c. rice wine vinegar

1/8 c. soy sauce

1 tbsp. shredded ginger

1 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Salt & pepper

Signature Drink

White Sangria

(recipe by Rachel Ray)

Photography by Ian Wallace

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sugar
3 shots Calvados or other apple liquor
1 lime, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 ripe peaches, cut into wedges
3 ripe green apples seeded and cut into wedges 
1 bottle white Rioja Spanish wine or other dry white wine 
1 pint raspberries 
Sparkling soda water, for topping off glasses of sangria at table

Directions:

• Combine sugar, Calvados, lime, lemon, peaches and apples in a large pitcher. 
• Cover with 1 bottle of Rioja
• To serve, spoon fruits into glasses or goblets, adding a few fresh raspberries in each glass, pour wine over top of the fruit. 
• Top glasses of sangria off with a splash of soda water and serve.

Dessert

Lemon Cookies
(Made by my mother-in-law, recipe by Betty Crocker)

Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
1 Box of Betty Crocker SuperMoist lemon cake mix
1/3 Shortening
1/3 Cup butter or margarine, softened
1 Egg
1 Container Betty Crocker Whipped or Rich & Creamy lemon frosting

Directions:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, shortening, butter and egg on medium speed about 2 minutes or until blended
• Onto ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart
• Bake 9-12 minutes or until light brown around edges
• Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet; cool completely
• Frost with frosting

Carmel Brownies (created & made by my mother-in-law)

Bakeat350

Ingredients:

2/3 c. evaporated milk, divided

14 oz. pkg. caramels

3/4 c. butter, melted

1 pkg. German Chocolate cake mix

1 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.

Directions: 

• Melt caramels with 1/3 c. evaporated milk over low heat. (Unwrapping the caramels is the most tedious part of this recipe.)
• Combine the melted butter, remaining 1/3 c. evaporated milk and cake mix
• Spread 1/2 the batter into an ungreased 13 X 9" pan
• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes
• Sprinkle the top with pecans
• Spread melted caramels over the nuts
• Drop remaining cake batter on top. Don't worry about spreading the batter out--it will spread while baking
• Bake an additional 15-20 minutes

Enjoy!