Festive Cocktail Party

Just the other day, right after baking Christmas cookies and preparing customers gift bags I thought it’s been awhile since I hosted a true cocktail party. Like a little kid who sees candy in the store, I had an overwhelming feeling of I want this. Not sure of how it would pan out on such short notice, especially during the holidays, I was hoping that a few friends would be available. As it turned out, most were and thrilled to join. And so began the quick list making of what to make and how to serve.

This post is going to be down and dirty. First, because that is how it came about and also because if you want to pull this together for New Year’s Eve or the upcoming weekend, you don’t need alot of hoopla. I will warn you there are a lot of dishes. And you don’t have to serve all of them. Choose the ones you like or able to tackle. Honestly, I didn’t even realize how many dishes I had put on the table until my hubby, Juancarlos, said ‘Honey, we definitely do not need the spicy chorizo. You have 17 plates out there!”

The good thing about this menu is that some of these platters were store bought which take a load off. It’s as simple as open a container and find a nice platter. Others required some time. I started prepping at 10am that day and finished right as guests were arriving at 5pm, minus the time to shower, dress and blow dry my curls.

I also needed some holiday decor since our house was not decorated for the Christmas. I made a stop at Trader Joe’s for some florals the day before but didn’t arrange until the same day. Lazy stupidity on my part when I certainly could have prepped the flowers the day before. I choose the simplicity and holiday tradition of white and red with some greenery. I kept the arrangements small and low so they could be a part of the table-scape without being in the way.

White Roses with sprigs of eucalyptus. Simple and elegant.

Mini Red Mums for the Christmas holiday spirit.

Because there were so many offerings, the easiest way to share this with you is to show the platter and give you a quick instruction rundown or the link to the full recipe. Quantities will be up to how many guests you are expecting. I made this for 10 people. We didn’t have many leftovers at all, since people came at 5p and left at 9:30p. I would say it was successful last minute soiree.

Here’s the menu:

• Goat Cheese Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

• Cheese/Charcuterie Board

• Farro Salad with Roasted Spiced Butternut Squash, Pepitas & Dried Cranberries

• Boquerones

• Fennel with Oil, Coarse Salt &. Cracked Pepper

• Marinated Feta with Fried Rice Cakes

• Radish Slices with Herb Salted Butter

• Crudités with Orange Yogurt Dip

• Smoked Salmon with Watercress

• Oven Roasted Grape Tomatoes with toasted bread

• Dana’s Nuts: Spiced & Candied (Obviously, these are my own brand but you can easily just buy some nuts and add this one to the store bought list, as well as the cookies & cake below)

• Cookie Tray

• Orange Loaf Cakes

  Store Bought

• Spanish Tinned Mackerel

• Pickled Mushrooms

• Marinated Artichoke Hearts

• Caponata with Sourdough Bread
  

Ok, ok I know this seems like a ton. But I had small amounts of each. Truth be told, as I was making one dish, I noticed items in the fridge that I could easily make something out of. And that is how I arrived at 17 different plates.
Modify as you see fit. Here goes…

PIquillo Peppers Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Goat Cheese

Cheese & charcuterie board

The ubiquitous Cheese & Charcuterie board is a must. Grapes, Machego Cheese, Pickled Garlic, Sopresatta, Mortadella, Piave Cow’s Cheese, Coppa, Black Cured Olives, Goat Cheese Aged with Pimenton, Cucumbers

farro salad with Spiced roasted butternut squash

This is a riff off my Bibb & Butternut Squash Salad. I just swap the lettuce for Farro.

Boquerones

Boquerones are fresh anchovies. Do not say YUCK, they are delicious, delicate fish. Served here with parsley, garlic oil.

Marinated Fennel

Simple & refreshing. Cut fennel in bite sized chunks, drizzle with Olive Oil, coarse sea salt & crushed black pepper.

Mackerel

When you buy great quality tinned fish the only thing to do is let it shine. These are Cabo de Peñas Mackerel with fennel fronds for decor.

marinated feta with rice cakes

I almost always serve up my Marinated Feta because it’s a tried and true winner. It goes great on almost anything (rice, pasta, salads, crackers, bread, roasted veggies… the list goes on). I made rice cakes. Combine cooked rice with flour, egg and form into small squares or rounds. I added sautéd kale to the mix. Refrigerate to let set, then fry in oil until golden brown. You can make these ahead of time then warm in the oven to serve.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes with Sourdough bread

Oh the delicious sweetness of oven roasted tomatoes with grilled sourdough bread

Radishes with Salted Herb Butter

So simple yet so different. This dish confuses then amazes guests. The peppery, crisp bite of the radish against the sweet, saltiness of herb butter is a winner every time. Herb Butter: leave butter at room temp. Chop your favorite herbs (I used parsely & basil). Mix in course sea salt and voilá.

Crudités with orange yogurt dip

Pick your favorite veggies for dipping. I like to mix it up with soft, like Endive and crunchy like Snap Peas, sweet like Red Pepper and clean and crisp like cucumber. For the dip, use full fat Greek yogurt. Mix in orange zest, the juice for orange.

smoked salmon with watercress

Another no cook dish. Arrange watercress on bottom of the platter. Roll pieces of smoked salmon around the platter. Top with shaved fennel, sliced scallions and chopped watercress stems. Finish with lemon zest, squeeze of lemon juice & olive oil.

marinated artichoke hearts

Store bought, and yummy.

Dana’s nuts: spiced & candied

I love crunch, so it’s natural to offer nuts. You can buy any kind of nut you like. I hope you try mine. Dana’s Nuts: Spiced & Candied The pickled mushrooms are store bought. Easy peasy.

Homemade cookies

Of course you can put out whatever dessert you like. A store bought cake cut into bite size pieces. I just finished making the Christmas cookies, so naturally I put them out.

I placed everything out on the dining room table. Moved the chairs out of the way. People made their plates then we gathered in the living room to sit and chat warmed by the fire. I hope this inspires you to throw a last minute cocktail party. You don’t need 17 platters. Just a few, some wine and cocktails and good company.

Danny & Maria seem pleased with the selection.

Andrea & Jim happy deciding what to get first.

A lovely group gathered for an impromptu cocktail party. It was a great evening indeed.

Happy New Year. Here’s to Abundance…
Health
Wealth
Joy
Peace
And every good thing the universe has to offer.

Bibb, Arugula & Butternut Squash Salad

Bibb, Arugula & Butternut Squash Salad

I’m usually known as the queen of entertaining. (Mind you, that is not a self dubbed title but one others have bestowed upon me.) That said, I’ve been out of practice. The pandemic, and other life situations (all good ones) have thrown a monkey wrench into our usual hosting schedule. And so, coming up with new recipes has been put on the back burner. However, a couple weekends ago we took the leap and hosted our friends/family for a small backyard lunch.

JuanCarlos had his mind set on making a paella ‘a la parilla’, which means on the grill, thus forcing us to be outside. We lucked out in the middle of NY October with glorious, sunny, warm weather. JuanCarlos has been making paellas for years but continues to research and study master paella makers in order to perfect his. Each one gets better and better. He loves making outdoor fires, and then hanging out with good friends to enjoy a glass of wine or two while he cooks.

With paella in the driver’s seat, the appetizers were riding shotgun and followed along in Spanish Tapas style. I made Stuffed Piquillo Peppers, Boquerones Skewers, Charcuterie/Cheese Board, Radishes with Salted Butter

But when it came to the salad, I veered off the Iberian road, and glad I did. It’s Fall and I felt like leaning into that season using roasted butternut squash. I make roasted spiced butternut squash slabs as side dish for my customers and decided to use similar spices but cut the squash into cubes and added a touch of maple syrup. In composing the salad in my head, I thought about all the other Fall inspired accompaniments that would not only pair well with the squash but would also provide a visual wow. So, a pop of dark red from dried cranberries, a toasty brown from pecans, a lovely green from pepitas, and slivers of red onion would all do the trick nicely. These don’t just deliver on the visual impact, each one also provides a different textual element that is key to making a salad, or any dish, interesting on the palate. Arugula was still fresh at the farmer’s market so I grabbed that for a hint of peppery punch that would counter balance the sweetness. For the dressing I borrowed the idea of using dates from another recipe, but of course changed it up a bit.

Can I just say how much I love this salad. It’s crisp. It’s earthy. It’s sweet. It’s peppery. It’s damn good, and I’m damn glad I made a ton so I could have leftovers for the next day.

I’m posting this now because I think it would make a wonderful salad for Thanksgiving. It hits all the marks and is the perfect counterpoint to the heaviness of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Please give it try either as a green salad or swap out the lettuce with quinoa as the base. It could also work with pearl couscous as well.

Ingredients

2 Bibb/Boston lettuce
1 Arugula, bunch
1 medium Butternut Squash, approx 4 c cubed
1 c Dried Cranberries
1 c Pecans, toasted
1 c Pepitas, toasted
1/2 c Red Onion, thinly sliced
1/8 t Cayenne
1/8 t Cumin
1/8 t Cinnamon
2 T Maple Syrup
2 T oil

Dressing
4-5 Dates
3 T Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 t Honey (optional)
1 Garlic clove, crushed
lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
3 T water
salt, pepper to taste

Date Dressing Setup: Dates, lemon, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Peel and cube the butternut squash. Place on a roasting pan and season with oil, salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin and cinnamon.

2. Roast at 425 degrees until golden on one side. Then flip them and add the maple syrup and roast until golden on the other side. Remove from oven and let cool.

Roast until squash is tender and edges are browned.

3. Meanwhile, wash the Bibb lettuce and Arugula and dry them well.

4. Roast the pecans and pepitas slightly to enhance their nutty flavors. This can be done in 300 degree oven or on the stove. Just make sure to keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.

5. Make the dressing by first rough chopping the dates, crushing the garlic and adding to a mini food processor along with lemon zest, salt and pepper. Blend until the dates are a small crumb.

6. Then add vinegar, oil, and lemon juice and blend until emulsified. Then drizzle in a bit of honey and blend again. Add water to thin out.

Place chopped dates, crushed garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper into a mini food processor.

Blend until dates are small crumbs.

Once you add the oil and vinegar the dates will break down even more to create a creamy consistency.

7. Assemble the salad by placing the lettuces on a big platter and then sprinkle the sliced red onions, butternut squash, pecans, dried cranberries and pepitas all over the top of the lettuces.

I sometimes hold off on dressing an entire platter of salad in case there are leftovers I don’t want the remaining salad to get soggy. So, I let the guests add the amount of dressing they want to their plate. Do what feels right or works for you. But always serve it up with love.

Bibb, arugula salad with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, pecans, pepitas & date dressing

Serving it up with dressing on the side, and with plenty of love

I loved it so much that I expanded the idea to use it with quinoa for a customer side dish. Which by the way was such a hit, they texted me to say it was another winner. I just love getting those texts messages.

Quinoa with all the same ingredients as the salad… minus the lettuce.

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Goat Cheese Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Yes, these vibrant and delicious wonders make the perfect appetizer. They are red pockets of yum. But fair warning, these are not entirely my recipe.  The Spanish are famous for stuffing piquillo peppers, and goat cheese is one of the most popular fillings. I made some alterations to the stuffing to create my own version plus added a little dressing to coat them.  

Courtesy of Specialtyproduce.com

What is a Piquillo you ask?  And that would be a good question because it looks just like a regular red pepper, and it is.  But these are a variety of chili peppers in the capsicum annuum family.  Although, this chili pepper is sweet and doesn't harbor any heat, much akin to a traditional red bell pepper.  They are grown in Northern Spain near the town of Lodosa, and have a real reason for being called piquillo.  Simple answer.  In Spanish it means "little beak" which is exactly what these look like due to their small size, making them ideal for stuffing.  If you used a traditional red bell pepper and stuffed it with goat cheese it would be quite the grotesque amount of filling. Unless you are a cheese monster in which case you would be in goat heaven.

(I use the Dantza brand whole piquillo peppers from Despaña.  The round can shown below was specifically designed by request of Despaña.  All of the peppers are selected for their size and packed by hand to ensure all peppers remain whole, as that is the key for a stuffing pepper. Some piquillos come in strips for other uses. )

Speaking of stuffing, because of their sweet and supple flavor they are compatible with so many stuffing options. You can create a stuffing out of anything you like really, but I like cheese. Whenever I have had a goat cheese stuffed piquillo in a restaurant I have found the straight up goat cheese to be a bit dense and just one flavor note. That is why I decided to create my own version combining goat cheese with whipped cream cheese, parsley and some lemon zest.  I also went another step and added a little dressing to pour over top.  I think it adds to the overall freshness of the dish as the acidity combines well with the peppers. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have some dressing to soak up with the piece of bread you serve alongside these.   Your guests can also place an entire pepper on the bread which aids in delivering this tasty bite directly into the mouth.  Which I highly recommend.

These aren't hard to make, just a few ingredients.  They can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to dress and serve. The only slightly slippery part of assembling these is filling them.

Goat cheese, whipped cream cheese, parsley, lemon, shallot, and of course, the star, piquillo peppers. I buy mine from Despaña.  

ingredients

yields approx. 25 peppers

16.6 oz can whole piquillo peppers        
10.5 oz goat cheese log           
8 oz. whipped cream cheese        
1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh parsley        
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest                  
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper  

 

Dressing
1/3 c Oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 full tbsp shallots, minced
splash of lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
Basil to garnish, optional

The mixture: goat cheese, whipped cream cheese, chopped parsley and lemon zest, salt.

To aid in the filling, I use a piping bag.  I use piping bags for a lot of things.  It just makes it easier, especially for this recipe since the filling is too dense to spoon in. Plus if you use a decorative tip, you can create a lovely little flourish at the top of the pepper. Isn't that special. Sometimes it's the little things that mark the difference, and it doesn't take any more effort than if you didn't use a decorative tip.

The easiest way to stuffing anything... a piping bag!!

instructions

• When using these or any roasted peppers often times there are seeds.  Try to remove as many as possible being as careful as possible since the peppers are delicate. 
• Using a hand mixer, whip the goat cheese, cream cheese together, then add the parsley and lemon zest. You can also add shallots to this mixture, as I have done in the past.
• Fill the piping with the cheese mixture and using a wide tip, begin filling each pepper.
• Place them on a decorative serving platter.  If serving immediately, then drizzle the dressing over top.  If you are making them ahead of time, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then dress them before serving. These should be served at room temperature so remove them from the fridge 1/2 hour prior.

You can also stuff these with cod, or a mixture of tuna and piquillo blended together to create a mousse.  Those are a few traditional ones to get you going.  I leave it up to you and your imagination to create some more. Whatever you choose, cheese, cod, tuna, spinach, etc these make the most vibrant and tasty appetizer platter that works all year long.  There are a thousand ways to use these peppers, many of which don't require stuffing them at all. I will have more recipes in the future with these delicious tiny red babies, so keep on the look out.

I recently served a bountiful platter alongside my homemade flatbreads at an outdoor dinner party. In the end, not a one was left.. of either.

Post note:  In the set up picture you may notice that I included endive. That is because you can also use fill the endive leaves with the goat cheese mixture and then lay a piquillo pepper on top.  In the coming weeks, I will be posting Endless Endive, which showcases several ways to serve them.

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