Dinner Party

Yesterday we did a  progressive style dinner with a couple up the street. Appetizers at our house, main course and sides at theirs, and dessert with after dinner cocktails at ours again. Sally says that next time she wants appetizers. I'm good with that, it's always fun to switch things up.

First up, appetizers! I knew we were having steak for dinner so I wanted appetizers that wouldn't leave us too full to enjoy the meat and sides. I also wanted the appetizers to complement the main dish, not compete with it. After a good deal of contemplating and searching, I decided on bruschetta and Thai shrimp bites.

There are a zillion bruschetta recipes on the web, but my favorite came from the Pioneer Woman. She slices her baguette and toasts the pieces on the stove top in butter. We (and by we I mean my niece) sliced our loaf as you would for garlic bread, brushed it with olive oil and toasted it on the grill. Not what I planned, but with delicious results.

Bruschetta

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

5 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced

1 pint Red Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise

1 pint Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

16 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)

Salt And Pepper To Taste

1 whole Baguette

8 Tablespoons Butter for stove top toasting, or olive oil to brush on for grill toasting

1. To chiffonade the basil: Pile the basil leaves on top of each other, roll up and slice. You end up with nice long thin strings of basil. Pretty cool.
2. Put the tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar in a large bowl
3. Saute the minced garlic in olive oil until golden. Be careful not to overdo this, burned garlic is bitter and not what you want.
4. Add the garlic to the bowl and toss well. I also added the oil the garlic was sauteed in, but not until after it cooled. At this point I set it aside for a couple of hours to let the flavors develop. However, it can be served right away.
5. When you're ready to serve, slice the bread lengthwise, brush with olive oil and toast on the grill. Then slice into pieces large enough to support the tomatoes.
6. Take the topping out of the refrigerator and spoon on to bread. If you have any of the balsamic still in the bowl, drizzle it over the bread and serve.

Thai Shrimp Bites

• 1 pkg fillo mini shells
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound peeled deveined shrimp, tails removed - chopped in small pieces (so it will fit the shells)
• 2 leaves from a head of baby bok choy - finely chopped
• 2 layers from a piece of lemongrass - finely chopped
• 1/2 sm. red bell pepper - finely chopped
• 2 good sized cloves garlic - finely chopped (use more if you like, our cloves were tiny. So we used 8)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp hot chili sauce (I use sriracha)
• 1/4 c finely chopped cashews (optional)

1. Combine lime juice, fish or soy sauce, brown sugar and chili sauce. Set aside.
2. In a wok or large skillet, saute garlic and pepper until garlic is golden but not brown.
3. Add shrimp and saute until pink
4. Add bok choy, lemongrass, and liquid ingredients. Saute for 30 seconds and remove from heat.
5. If serving right away, fill mini shells, sprinkle with cashews and serve
6. If making ahead, put the filling in the refrigerator until you're ready to reheat it in the oven. Preheat oven to 350, fill shells, top with cashews and bake for 5-10 minutes until heated through.

These were great appetizers for our steak dinner. Oh, and let's talk about that steak! Beautifully seasoned, perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. New York strips served alongside a fantastic medley of mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and pearl onions. Yummy. It will be a challenge to compete with that when my turn for main dish comes around!

When it came to dessert, I wanted something I could make ahead that wouldn't be too heavy after those great steaks. I settled on berry lemon trifles served in stemless wine glasses. I'm getting hungry just thinking about them! We also had after dinner cocktails, raspberry limoncello martinis. If your family doesn't drink alcohol, serve up some coffee, tea or a berry lemonade.

Berry Lemon Trifle

• 1-6 oz package blackberries
• 1-6 oz package blueberries
• 1-6 oz package raspberries
• Strawberries (I just had some leftover in the frig and used them up....maybe 8-10 berries)
• 1-10 oz. jar lemon curd
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 2-3 tbsp sugar
• 1 pound cake, cubed (recipe below)
• 1/4 cup limoncello liqueur (optional)

When I make whipped cream, I always put the bowl and whisk attachment of my mixer in the freezer for at least 10 minutes first. Cream just whips better when its cold.

1. While your bowl is chilling, thin-slice the strawberries then place all the berries in a bowl, toss to combine and set aside.
2. Lightly brush the pound cake cubes with limoncello liqueur
3. Start whipping the cream in your chilled mixing bowl, add sugar and whip until soft peaks form.
4. Add lemon curd and continue whipping until mixture looks like mousse.
5. In individual dessert dishes layer the ingredients as follows: cake, cream, berries. The dessert is prettiest if the top layer is berries.
6. Serve immediately or chill for up to 4 hours.

Pound Cake (from Joy of Baking)

• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons milk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 13 tablespoons (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and preheat oven to 350
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), place the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar) and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended.
3. Add the butter and half of the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about one minute to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Gradually add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the egg and strengthen the cake's structure. 
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 55 to 65 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the cake browning too much as it bakes, cover with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil after about 30 minutes.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a lightly buttered wire rack.

Raspberry-Limoncello Martini

(recipe makes one. I may have learned the hard way that making more than one at a time overfills my shaker and well, let's just leave it at that.)

• 3 oz raspberry vodka
• 1 oz limoncello
• 1 tsp simple syrup
• 1 lemon
• Ice 

1. Fill martini shaker with ice.
2. Add vodka, limoncello and simple syrup.
3. Shake well and pour in over-sized martini glass
4. Serve with a twist of lemon.