Well I'm just plain exhausted. Today is my first day off in 2 weeks! I suppose I can't complain because I was in beautiful California for some of that time! Anyhow the reason I've been so busy is because a couple of months ago I was asked to plan and execute a menu for a wine club party. The event is called "Burgers & Burgundy" and is held every year in New Orleans at my boss's house. It is normally catered because around 8o guests are invited. This year however, they asked me to cook. I was honored and also slightly terrified because I have never cooked for that many people at once before by myself. For the past few weeks, I've been testing recipes, doing trial runs, making many trips to various stores, and making prep lists for my lists. The big day finally arrived on Sunday, and I am happy to report that they LOVED the burgers and the rest of the food, and were so pleased with the entire event. I am my own worst critic and thought there were areas of improvement, but they absolutely raved about the everything and I couldn't be more relieved. Now that I know what to expect, I'm already looking forward to and planning for next year!
This is the backyard before the party during the day.....
This is the set up at night, a little blurry, but it was very pretty with the string lights!
Below is the menu of what was served. Some of the items were picked out by those planning the party, and some were chosen by me.
Duck on sweet potato biscuits
Bacon-wrapped Asparagus
Cupcakes, rice pudding, & madeleines
So I'm guessing October must be busy for everyone else as well and so I thought I would share some of the dinners I have been making lately to give you some ideas! I know sometimes the last thing you want to do, or have time for is planning meals, especially during the week. These dinners are not only very tasty, but also on the healthy side. I hope these meals leave you inspired!
Lemon Herb Chicken, Cauliflower Gratin, and Sautéed Carrots- Here is a link for a cauliflower recipe that is similar to the one I made. I marinated the chicken with garlic, lemon juice, thyme, & olive oil. The carrots were cooke in a little bit of butter, and finished with honey and salt & pepper.
Whole wheat quesadillas filled with shrimp, peppers, onions, and cheese. Served with roasted, spicy sweet potatoes, salsa, & avocado. This is one that Court & I make on the regular.
I got the idea for this dinner HERE. I used a different recipe for the chicken meatballs, I didn't use tomato paste or pancetta, just garlic, onions, herbs, breadcrumbs, milk, & seasoning. I also added sliced garlic and onions to the pepperonata. I highly recommend trying this, it was a great combination. I served the dish with couscous and zucchini.
Sautéed chicken, black beans, steamed broccoli, and fresh tomato salsa with lime and cilantro, and avocado.
Spicy roasted pork, green rice, squash, mango & avocado salsa. I got the inspiration for the pork from The Pioneer Woman. The recipe that I used for the green rice is similar to this one HERE.
Happy Cooking!
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