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!

What I Wanna Try Fridays

I am going to dedicate Fridays to a post for what I want to try in the coming few weeks.

This week, let's revisit Megan's blog. I really want to try this recipe for Honey Oat Quick Bread, mmmm!!

Honey Oat Quick Bread

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats, or quick-cooking (not instant) oats, divided
2 1/3 cups white whole-wheat flour (or use half white, half whole-wheat flour)
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
8 ounces (scant 1 cup) plain yogurt
1 large egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup clover honey, or other mild honey
3/4 cup milk

Position rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. Generously coat a 9-by-5-inch (or similar size) loaf pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon oats in the pan. Tip the pan back and forth to coat the sides and bottom with oats.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork, beat the remaining 1 cup oats, yogurt, egg, oil and honey in a medium bowl until well blended. Stir in milk. Gently stir the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture just until thoroughly incorporated but not overmixed (don't overmix or the bread will be tough). Scrape the batter into the pan, spreading evenly to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon oats over the top.

Bake the loaf until well browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. (It’s normal for the top to crack.) Let stand in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a table knife around and under the loaf to loosen it and turn it out onto the rack. Let cool until barely warm, about 45 minutes.

The only substitution I am going to make is to use vegetable oil instead of canola, just because that's what I have on hand. But, when I do groceries next week, honey and plain yogurt will be on the list!

Happy Fourth of July Weekend everyone!