December 2010 Eat-n-Greet Menu and Recipes

December 2010

This month, it was all things "merry" for the Eat-n-Greet at St. Hilary.  We are excited that this new ministry is so well received---the food was gone in record time and everyone raved over the recipes.

December  2010 Menu

Roast Beef,  Arugula and Blue Cheese Toppers
Basil-Roasted Red Pepper Spread (with crackers)
Water Chestnuts with Bacon (and a sweet sauce)
Black Forest Brownies
Sparkling Cranberry Punch

Roast Beef, Arugula and Blue Cheese Toppers

12 Triscuit Rosemary & Olive Oil Crackers
12 baby arugula leaves
3 thin slices of deli roast beef
1 tablespoon Blue Cheese dressing
3 green grapes (halved)
3 cherry tomatoes (halved)


(this recipe above makes 12 appetizers)


Top crackers with arugula and roast beef. Drizzle with the blue cheese dressing and top with either a cherry tomato or grape half.

Basil-Roasted Red Pepper Spread

1/4 cup drained roasted red peppers, sliced into strips
5 pitted black olives, halved
1 tub (12 oz) cream cheese spread (room temp)
1/4 cup lightly packed FRESH basil (only use fresh for the best results)
1 garlic clove, finely minced (use FRESH)
2 tablespoons of sliced almonds, toasted
RITZ or other favorite assorted crackers


(this recipe makes 1-1/2 cups of spread)


Mix cream cheese, basil, and garlic in a bowl. Spread a nice rounded teaspoon on each cracker, top with olive half, strip of red pepper and an almond.


*****using FRESH basil and mincing the garlic yourself is the key to the great taste.  This alone is an excellent cracker spread, and is also delicious spread on bread (use in place of mayo) for a vegetable sandwich, and can be used as a bagel spread.

Water Chestnuts with Bacon (and a sweet sauce)

1 can of WHOLE water chestnuts
1-1/2 pounds of sliced bacon


(for the sauce, whisk all of these together)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup of mayonnaise (do not use Miracle whip)
1/2 cup chili sauce


Cut the bacon strips in half, lay on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees until the bacon starts to turn slightly golden--DO NOT COOK TOO LONG!  The bacon strips will still need to be pliable to work with, you will finish cooking the bacon to crispy in the second baking!


Wrap each chestnut with one of the half sliced of par-cooked bacon, and secure with a wood toothpick. Dip into the sauce and lay back on the cookie sheet (drain excess bacon fat off the foil).   Bake for 5-7 minutes, to allow the sauce to become a glaze on the bacon wrapped chestnuts.  Serve either hot or room temp.  Makes approx. 30

Black Forest Brownies (with a Christmas coloring!)

(these are ooey-gooey, decadent brownies, so cut them small!)

1 box of your favorite brownie mix
4 cups of mini marshmallows
20 maraschino cherries, drained & chopped-1/2 cup
1 cup Candy coating, either chocolate, or to get that Christmas color effect, red and green (Merkins or Wilton melting candy chocolate)

Bake brownies as directed on box for the "fudgey" recipe.  Immediately from the oven spread the marshmallows over the top of the baked brownies, and place back into the oven and allow the marshmallows to puff and turn a light golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool.

When cooled, place 1 cup of the candy coating into a ziptop freezer bag and heat in microwave in 30 second increments until melted and smooth (this will be hot so handle carefully)  Remove from microwave and knead the melted candy coating in the bag.  Snip off one corner of the bag and drizzle the coating over the pan of brownies.

You can do multi colors like we did, just repeat melting for the second color.   Allow the brownies to cool down completely and cut.  Brownies will be sticky because of the marshmallows, we found that spraying a large knife with butter spray, and cutting straight down (rather than sawing back and forth) really helped minimize the mess!

Sparkling Cranberry Punch

(by popular request, we did this punch again!)

2 qts cranberry cocktail, chilled

1 qt sparkling water (unflavored and unsweetend seltzer water), chilled

1 can (6oz) frozen pink lemonade concentrate thawed

In a large bowl, combine cranberry cocktail and lemonade concentrate. Stir in sparkling water. Serve Immediately.

25 Servings (about ½ cup each)

November 2010 Eat-n-Greet Menu and Recipes

November 2010

This month, we focused on family traditions and the harvest season for the Eat-n-Greet at St. Hilary.

November  2010 Menu

Berry & Smoked Turkey Pinwheels
Pumpkin Dip

Sparkling Cranberry Punch

The food and fellowship was a smashing success!

Berry-n-Smoked Turkey Pinwheels

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 cup Mexican cheese blend (shredded)
1/4 pound thinly sliced smoked turkey, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries (we used Craisins)
2 tablespoons of pimiento stuffed olives
2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
4 flour tortillas (10 inch size)



In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, (it helps if the cream cheese is room temp). Stir in Mexican cheese blend, turkey, cranberries, olives, salsa, and chili powder.

Spread 1/4 of the mixture on each of the tortillas, roll up tightly.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.

Unwrap the plastic wrap, and cut into 1" thick slices. You can serve cold at this point, OR place 1" apart on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes until heated through.

Sparkling Cranberry Punch

2 qts cranberry cocktail, chilled

1 qt sparkling water (unflavored and unsweetend seltzer water), chilled

1 can (6oz) frozen pink lemonade concentrate thawed

In a large bowl, combine cranberry cocktail and lemonade concentrate. Stir in sparkling water. Serve Immediately.

25 Servings (about ½ cup each)

Pumpkin Dip

(This is one of Kelley's favorites every Fall!)

1 small box of Jell-O Pumpkin Spice Pudding Mix
3 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened

Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature, or slightly soften in microwave.   Mix box of pudding into the cream cheese, stirring until all is blended. Serve with assorted cookies.

This makes a great dollop for the tops of vanilla wafers, gingersnaps and other spicy cookies.  Also great spread between graham crackers and it makes a great bagel spread.

October 2010 Eat-n-Greet Menu and Recipes

October 2010

This month, it was all about "Oktoberfest" at St. Hilary's Eat-n-Greet!  We centered our menu around foods that would appeal to the theme and satisfy the kids too!

October 2010 Menu

Oktoberfest Pizza
Apple Dippers
Cheese Quesadilla's
Spinach Balls

Surprisingly, the kids, even small ones, LOVED the Oktoberfest Pizza.

Oktoberfest Pizza

INGREDIENTS

• Pre-baked stone pizza crust (such as Boboli or other brand)
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups Prepared mashed potatoes (either homemade or store bought)
• 2 cups of prepared sauerkraut (either canned, jarred, or bagged) 
• 1 (1 pound) package of Polska Kielbasa
• 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds
• 2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese (or mozzarella)

PREPARATION
Spread mashed potatoes on top of crust all the way to the edge.  Squeeze the sauerkraut until dry (almost all liquid removed) and spread to the edge, on top of the mashed potatoes.   Cut the kielbasa into coins then into 4ths, (small diced) and in a skillet, saute the the kielbasa until heated through and nicely browned.  Sprinkle on top of the sauerkraut.   Sprinkle the pizza with the caraway seeds followed by the cheese. Press the toppings down a bit firmly towards the crust.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12-18 minutes until cheese is a nice golden brown.  Slice and enjoy!

Spinach Balls with Honey Mustard Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry                             

1 cup Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing Mix, Crushed                        

½ cup parmesan cheese                                                                              

¼ cup butter, melted                                                                                    

2 small green onions, finely chopped

2 medium eggs

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion powder

PREPARATION

Combine first (8) ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. At this point you may cover and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. To Bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set balls on ungreased baking sheet ( I use tin foil on bottom of pan—spray the tin foil to avoid sticking) until golden brown about 15-20 minutes. Makes 30 to 35 balls. Serve with Honey Mustard Sauce (recipe below)

Honey Mustard Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cup Helllmans Mayonnaise                                                                 

¼ cup sugar                                                                                                          

¼ cup honey                                                                                                     

3 Tabl prepared mustard (Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard)

2 Tabl white vinegar

1 Table minced onion

½ cup salad oil


PREPARATION

To prepare sauce, combine mayonnaise, sugar, honey, mustard, vinegar and onion. Blend in oil.  Makes about 2 cups.

There are two ways to serve. First arrange spinach balls in an attractive serving dish and the sauce in a gravy boat with a spoon. Spoon sauce over balls when served. Second, place spinach balls in sauce with toothpicks to serve.  Good to serve cold.


Apple Dippers

 INGREDIENTS
Fresh apples, whatever kind you prefer, each apple cored and sliced into 8 wedges
Smooth and creamy peanut butter, 4-5 tablespoons per apple
Chex Brand Honey Nut cereal, 1/2 cup per apple
Optional/Alternative   Marzetti's Caramel Apple Dip





PREPARATION
Slice/core the apples into 8 wedges (each apple).  Using paper towels or clean kitchen towel, dry cut sides of the apple (if you skip this step, the peanut butter and/or caramel will  not stick).  In a ziptop bag, place the cereal and small into small pieces, pour into a shallow dish. Using a knife, spread a good amount of peanut butter to each of the cut sides of the apple.  Immediately dip the apple into the crushed cereal.

OPTION would be to substitute the caramel for the peanut butter.


Cheese Quesadillas

INGREDIENTS

Flour Tortillas (either 6", 8", or 10")
3/4 to 1 cup of cheese per quesadilla
Butter spray or butter for pan

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT--a Quesadilla maker, if you do not have one, you can still make, see directions below!



 PREPARATION
 To make using a Quesadilla Maker, heat the equipment up, and spray the teflon insides with butter spray. Lay one tortilla on the bottom, spread the cheese around to within 3/4" of the edges and lay a second tortilla on top.  Close the equipment and heat until cheese is melted.  Remove from equipment, and allow to cool slightly. Following the indents made by the machine, cut the wedges apart with a pizza cutter, knife or kitchen scissors.

Stove top method.
This works best with the 6" size tortilla's.   In a large skillet, melt one teaspoon of butter over medium to med-hi heat.   Lay one tortilla in butter in pan.  Quickly add the cheese (3/4 cup) laying over half the tortilla, and spreading to within 1/2" of the edge.  Let heat for approx 1-2 minutes checking to make sure that the butter is not burning. Fold the "empty" half of the tortilla ontop of the cheese side. Flip the entire tortilla over to allow the other side to turn a nice golden color.
Let the tortilla set on a cutting board for a few minutes to allow the cheese to "set" and then cut into 4 wedges.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

You can make a large batch of these and freeze to reheat later.

September 2010 Eat-n-Greet Menu and Recipes

September 2010. The first of a new ministry at St. Hilary, Eat-n-Greet!  We have been repeatedly asked for the recipes that we prepare and serve at Eat-n-Greet, so here is a place where they will all be, arranged by month!


September 2010 Eat-n-Greet Menu

Bagel Bites
Caprese Salad
Meatballs in Sauce
Bruschetta

The Bagel Bites are just the OreIda brand as pictured:

 

Caprese Salad

Such a fresh salad, usually sliced tomatoes, mozzerella, and basil, however in order for it to be a "finger food" or appetizer, we had to get creative!









INGREDIENTS

• Cherry tomatoes (grape, pear, and small heirloom tomatoes work as well)
• Mozzarella Cheese, cut in to 1/2" to 3/4" cubes (you can also cut up string cheese or use bocconcini (little balls of fresh mozzarella in liquid)
• Fresh Basil leaves (one for each serving)
• Toothpicks
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

PREPARATION
Cube the cheese, and thread one tomato, a basil leaf, and cheese onto each toothpick. Lay on platter and drizzle with a good quality, Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Meatballs In Sauce

For this recipe, we used prepared meatballs, purchased at GFS in bulk (approx 120 meatballs for $11), they are the Rosina Brand Meatballs that are also sold in Giant Eagle and ACME and Buehler's in the frozen food section.

INGREDIENTS

• Rosina brand meatballs
• Favorite tomato or spaghetti sauce (we like Mid's very much and it is made local to St. Hilary)

PREPARATION
Place meatballs (either frozen or thawed) into a baking pan. Cover with the sauce and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees until the meatballs and sauce are hot and heated through.

Linda's Famous and ABSOLUTELY DELISH Bruschetta

This was such a fresh and delicious bruschetta--the best that I have ever tasted!

I know that I consumed like 20 pieces over the course of the weekend, it was THAT good!








INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper

(mix these until dissolved and reserve for the tomato mixture)

• 6 firm and ripe Roma tomatoes, diced small
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 12 (1/2" thick) slices of Italian style sourdough or French bread or baguette

PREPARATION
Stir 1/2 of the olive oil with the tomatoes, add chives and parsley and 1/2 the garlic. Pour the "reserve" basalmic mixture onto the tomatoes and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining oil and garlic and brush this mixture on the slices of bread. Grill or broil the bread until golden brown. (2-3 minutes, watch closely--this can easily burn!)

Heap the tomato mixture onto the toasted bread slices and serve immediately. (do not do this too far in advance as the tomato mixture will make the bread soggy quickly)

Manga!

These recipes are for a "normal" serving, we have increased the recipes for the Eat-n-Greet!

Enjoy them!
Linda & Kelley