Category: Recipes

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Be Our Guest

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret of ours… most of the time if you walked in our house 30 minutes before our guests are to arrive, you would not think it was possible we were about to throw a shin-dig. A book may be in the works, “You Should Have Seen This House 30 Minutes Ago!”, we will see. We have become ninja masters at last minute quick clean up and simple but elegant food and drink.  

Let’s start with house prep. No, it is not fun and no one wants to do it, but it has to be done. First thing, music. Yes, turn your tunes on and get your body moving. It seriously makes everything better! We even will start with a 1 minute dance party. Now, just make sure the main living and entertaining areas are your priority. As you pick up, have a basket or bag for each room things belong in. We have children, so they are always in on this with us. We use this time to work as a team. We give everyone a specific job. Shoes, couch blankets, fluff the pillows, sweep the porch, dishes, and guest bathroom. It gets done quick and you get in the party mood with your groovy tunes!

Now, on to my favorite, the food and drink! We try to always have easy ingredients to put together a simple- but oh so good- charcuterie board. A crusty loaf of bread with white vinegar of Modena and balsamic for dipping; add a cluster of grapes, a basket of strawberries, and a handful of nuts. Butter crackers + red pepper jelly + havarti= heaven in your mouth! A crowd favorite is Goat Cheese Toasties (recipe below). I also keep artichoke hearts, stuffed olives, and pickles stocked up. As for drinks, red and white wine is on hand for an easy pour. My man likes to keep Corona or Dos Equis in the fridge, but he’s always ready to whip you up a yummy cocktail. Iced Tea, lemonade, and a pitcher of lemon cucumber (and mint if you have some) water are always a great addition to your beverage station. Shake up some lemonade with iced tea for an Arnold Palmer that kids and adults will love! However your family gathers, last minute or well planned, be yourself and INVITE! Everyone wants to be invited. Be that friend. Be that neighbor.

Boda Bing! It’s Party Time!

Goat Cheese Toasties

1 French or Cibatta Baguette

1 Goat Cheese Log

Balsamic Glaze

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

Cut your baguette into 1″ slices and lay out on cookies sheet. Spread goat cheese on each slice. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serve immediately.

Notes:

I have made these as croutons to top a simple spring mix salad tossed in a balsamic dressing.

You can use different flavors of goat cheese-especially for holidays and seasonally. My son loves the honey goat cheese and I love the onion and chive. In the winter and fall blueberry and cranberry goat cheese is amazing! You can also top with honey and fresh thyme instead or with the balsamic glaze. This is such and easy, but beautiful snack that’s perfect to make your own! I hope you enjoy!

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Crock Pot Chili Beans

Easiest and yummiest Chili recipe ever! I’m going to give you the base, but see in the notes below a list of ideas to make it to your liking. What I love about this meal is it’s so easy for each person to customize their bowl. You many have a large crowd with all different appetites. You will please all, as long as they like beans and tomatoes!

Ingredients:

1 15oz can pinto beans

1 15oz can white (navy) beans

1 15oz can kidney beans

2 15oz cans stewed tomatoes

1 10oz jar diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)

Directions:

Dump all (do not drain) into your crockpot. Set on low for 6 hours or 3 hours on high.

Notes:

A great and easy addition is a can of corn, drained. If you would like to add ground beef or ground turkey/chicken – brown it in a skillet and add to your crockpot with all your canned goods. If you want to add cooked chunked or shredded chicken – toss it on top when serving.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with Corn Bread and/or these toppings: Diced Onion, Avocado, Sour Cream, Cilantro, Jalepeno, Lettuce, Cheese/Vegan Cheese, Tortilla or Corn Chips.

It can be as simple as the base recipe or add lots of options for a Chili Bar. If you have leftovers, whip up some chili bean tacos! That’s our favorite!

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Artichoke Antipasto Pasta

This dish is my of my family’s absolute favorites. I hope it will become one of yours too! This plant based dish will appease any eater, is easily doubled to feed a crowd, and see the notes below for other suggestions on how to serve.

Ingredients:

1 12oz jar Trader Joe’s Artichoke Antipasto

1 16oz package of Brown Rice Pasta (I use Fusilli or Penne from Trader Joe’s)

1 medium yellow Onion minced

3-4 cloves Garlic minced

1 bunch Asparagus chopped

1 12oz jar Fire Roasted Red Peppers chopped

1/2 pint of Cherry Tomatoes cut in half

Sun-dried Tomatoes (in the bag, not packed in oil)

Directions:

Prep all your vegetables.

Prepare pasta according to directions, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

While your pasta is cooking, heat a deep edged pan on medium-high heat. Add a few tablespoons of water (it should sizzle), add onions, and reduce to medium heat. Sauté for about 3 minutes. You may need to add more as needed to keep the onions from sticking. Now add the garlic and continue to sauté until the onions are translucent and the garlic releases it’s glorious aroma, about 2-3 minutes. Add your chopped asparagus and more water if needed. Sauté until asparagus begins to tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the roasted red peppers and pour in your jar of Artichoke Antipasto. Let the flavors blend. Now add cherry tomatoes, we just want them to wrinkle a bit, not get mushy. Add your cooked pasta and combine gently. I add some pasta water at this point to make the dish nice and creamy. How much you add is up to you. Throw in some sun-dried tomatoes or add as a topping to the individual servings. ENJOY!

Notes:

This dish is plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, sugar-free, and soy-free. Our family eats this as a full course, but you can easily adjust to your liking. Add parmesan or mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, or seared steak. Serve with fresh-baked bread and a butter lettuce salad with balsamic vinaigrette.