What I Wanna Try Fridays

I love planning and I love entertaining. I am hoping to do an Italian themed dinner night pretty soon for friends. So, here are the recipes I want to try.

Drinks:
Best Party Sangria

1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja, Zinfandel, Shiraz)
1 Lemon cut into wedges
1 Orange cut into wedges
1 Lime cut into wedges
2 Tbsp sugar
Splash of orange juice or lemonade
1 Cup of raspberries or strawberries (may use thawed or frozen)
1 Small can of diced pineapples (with juice)
4 Cups ginger ale

Pour wine into a large pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and pineapple then add sugar, orange juice and gin. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale, berries and ice just before serving. If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice. However, remember that the best Sangrias are chilled around 24 hours in the refrigerator - allowing the flavors to really marinate into each other.

Note: The original recipe called for gin or triple sec, but I will be leaving it out (it did say optional). We aren't huge drinkers except for wine or a beer now and then, so I don't want to buy something that will just sit and collect dust until one of us pours it out!

(recipe from about.com)


Appetizers:
Fried Ravioli and Stuffed Mushrooms

Fried Ravioli

1/2 lb. frozen ravioli, thawed
1 egg beaten
1 Tbsp milk
1 Cup bread crumbs
Vegetable Oil

Beat the egg with the milk. Fill a Dutch oven with two inches of oil. Dip ravioli into eggs and then coat with bread crumbs. Bring oil to about 300 degrees and fry about 4 to 6 ravioli at a time. Serve with marinara sauce.

Note: Recipe originally called for corn oil, but I am going to use vegetable oil instead because it's what we have in the house. I also cut the recipe in half because I will be serving 2 appetizers, but I want my guests to save room for the main meal and dessert!

(Recipe Adapted from culinarycafe.com)

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound of bacon

8 ounces of softened cream cheese

2 tablespoons of chopped green onions

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

18 large (stems removed) mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces. Fry until crisp and drain on a paper towel.

Mix bacon, cream cheese, green onion, oregano. Wipe mushrooms and remove stems. Fill mushroom caps with cream cheese mixture and place in baking dish. Bake 18-21 minutes or until fork tender.

Note: Original recipe calls for hot sauce, which I don't keep on hand because we never use it. Also, it says to "wash" mushrooms in directions. I was always taught to just wipe the mushrooms with a kitchen towel, so I adjusted the directions. Also, you should know I am very excited to try this recipe because I am allergic to shellfish (specifically lobster and oysters) and almost every other recipe I have come across calls for shellfish!

(Recipe Adapted from startcooking.com)

Also on the menu will be a tossed salad, garlic bread, spaghetti and meatballs (which is a family recipe), and possibly Tiramisu. I have attempted Tiramisu once before and it didn't come out. If any of my readers have a good basic recipe, please share! Otherwise, I might cheat and buy some from our local Italian Bakery!