Tag Archives: entertaining

Mar14

Pizza!

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I have been craving pizza for weeks, and we picked up some burrata at the farmer’s market on Sunday, so we had to make pizza with it.

For the dough, you can buy some pre-made from the store.  We used The Pioneer Woman’s recipe. I have tried others before, but they did not rise as successfully.

To make the sauce, I simmered half of an onion (diced), 3 cloves of garlic, 1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes (pureed in the food processor), a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil, and butter, for an hour.  You can also use a jarred marinara.

We made a few different types of pizza, using a mix of the following toppings:

  • Burrata
  • Shredded mozzarella
  • Jalapeno-infused olive oil, jalapenos
  • Sweet Italian chicken sausage
  • Salami
  • Mushrooms
  • Red onion
  • Fresh basil

They were delicious!  We love thin-crust pizza, so we baked them at 500 degrees for 12 minutes and they were crisp and delightful.  If you are making yours thin-crust, resist the urge to use a ton of sauce, cheese, and toppings.  You will end up with soggy pizza!

Mar9

Dr. Pepper pulled pork sliders

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One of Paco’s best friends, Matt, is coming to visit tonight.  He is getting here on the later side, so I thought it would be fun to make something easy to eat and guy-friendly (but still tiny and perfect!) to eat before we head out to meet friends.

I have posted about my love of pulled pork and how to make it in the slow cooker before, but this time I decided to try The Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork. I served it with my go-to cole slaw on the mini sweet Hawaiian rolls. I took this picture before I put the tops on so that you would be able to see the filling.

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
Inspired by The Pioneer Woman

3 1/2 lbs pork butt
1/2 onion, sliced
1-2 cans Dr. Pepper
5 chipotles in adobo
kosher salt
pepper
2 T maple syrup
1/3 c barbeque sauce
1 T mustard

Season the pork butt liberally with salt and pepper. Place in a slow-cooker with the onion, Dr. Pepper, and chipotles in adobo. (Pour enough Dr. Pepper in to cover the pork about 3/4 of the way.)  Allow to cook on high setting for 4-5 hours, or low setting for 8-10 hours.

When the pork is tender, remove it from the sauce and shred. Strain the onions and chipotles from the cooking liquid, and skim off as much of the fat as possible. Pour into a saucepan, then reduce the cooking liquid by half. Add the barbeque sauce, sugar, and mustard, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Put the sauce and the shredded pork back into the slow-cooker or a large pot, and allow the pork to heat through.

Feb27

Olive-crusted lamb chops

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My parents came over for lunch on Sunday, so I thought I’d try out Anne Burrell’s olive-crusted lamb recipe, from Cook Like a Rock Star.  Make the olive paste ahead of time, and it’s an easy meal to entertain with. I served these with sauteed zucchini with almonds and crash hot potatoes.

Olive-Crusted Lamb Chops
Adapted from Anne Burrell’s Cook Like a Rock Star

4 thick lamb chops (the butcher had shoulder chops so they were big, if you use smaller chops you may want to serve 2 per person)
kosher salt
2/3 c pitted kalamata olives
zest of 1 lemon
10 springs of fresh oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place the lamb chops on a plate and allow to come to room temperature. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, blend the olives, lemon zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes in the food processor. Stream some olive oil in until it forms a paste.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the lamb, and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Sear the fat along the edge, as well.

Place the browned lamb chops on a baking sheet, and coat with the olive paste. Roast in the oven for 5-6 minutes, until medium rare.

Feb23

Grilled sweet potato salad

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On President’s Day, we decided to have a last-minute barbeque. Paco made ribs, and I made a grilled sweet potato salad and a broccoli salad.

When choosing sweet potatoes for this recipe, choose big fat ones. If you slice the smaller ones, they will fall through the slots in the grill. I followed the original recipe pretty closely, except I skipped par-cooking the sweet potatoes, and I added red pepper flakes for a little heat.

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad
Adapted from Bobby Flay

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
8 scallions
3/4 c olive oil
kosher salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T dijon mustard
1/2 c cider vinegar
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Put the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl, then toss with 1/4 c of olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Grill for a few minutes on each side, until they are fork tender.

Brush or spray the scallions with a little bit of olive oil, then grill until they have grill marks. Remove from the grill and slice.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the 1/2 c of olive oil, the apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey.

Combine the sweet potatoes, scallions, and dressing in a large bowl and toss to combine. Garnish with parsley and serve while still warm. (You could serve this cold, as well, but make sure to combine the ingredients while they’re still warm so that the potatoes absorb the dressing.)

Feb22

Broccoli and bacon salad

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A few weeks ago, our friend brought a broccoli salad that he had bought at a deli to our apartment. It was delicious, and I knew that I had to try to create something similar myself.  This version turned out quite well.  I didn’t use much mayo because I don’t really care for it, but you could definitely adjust the recipe to use more mayo and less vinegar and oil.

Broccoli and Bacon Salad

2 heads of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1/3 c slivered almonds
1/3 c dried cranberries
1/3 c finely chopped red onion
1/3 c (or more) diced bacon, about 5 strips
1/3 c mayonnaise
1/2 c olive oil
1 T sugar
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
kosher salt
black pepper

Combine the broccoli, almonds, cranberries, red onion, and 2/3 of the diced bacon in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, olive oil, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Taste the dressing and adjust seasoning.

Add the dressing to the broccoli mixture and toss to combine. Garnish with the remaining bacon.