FIRST KITCHEN BLOGS

Still don’t have a dish to bring to your New Year’s Party? Well look no further because this recipe is SO good! I created it about a year ago using some leftover ingredients in my fridge but since then it’s been a staple to bring to parties, make for a simple dinner or even toss with pasta and ground beef for a hearty meal.  It is one of those dishes where you can be creative and improvise so, if you don’t have one of the ingredients I list, its ok- substitute something else (I will say, garlic, onion and tomato are essential!!)

Using olive oil and an array of veggies makes this dish not only delicious but healthy too!!

Italian Bruchetta

Serves 6-8(more if used as appetizer)

Prep Time: 20 minutes *chop chop chop

Cook Time: 40 minutes

You will need:

2 lbs fresh tomatoes, diced (with juices)

1 lb mushrooms, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 medium onions (I use yellow), chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (use more if desired)

½ cup celery, chopped

1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped

¼ cup capers

½ cup green olives (use more if desired)

½ cup olive oil

¼ to ½  cup dry red wine (white is ok if you don’t have red, just make sure dry)

½ to ¾ tsp salt

2 tsp dried oregano

Dash cayenne peppers

2 loaves French bread, sliced

Olive oil for drizzle over bread

Directions:

Sauté the onions, celery, peppers in olive oil over medium heat until soft (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and cook a few minutes (don’t let the garlic burn!) Add in mushrooms and let soften (about 2 minutes). Add tomatoes and artichokes as well as seasonings and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add wine, capers, olives. Cover and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and allow simmering for at least ½ hour to let the wine cook down.

Meanwhile, slice French bread into thin (1/4 inch or so) slices. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until golden brown and a little crunchy.

Serve alongside the bruschetta (can use as a dip or pre-make the bruschetta by putting about 1-2 spoonful’s on each piece of bread).

What are y'all making to ring in the New Year? 

ENJOY and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
STAY SAFE

Spring has sprung here in Minneapolis but in a blink we’ll find ourselves in the middle of a hot steamy summer.  Since the nice days are few and far between we decided to host an impromptu soiree to celebrate the weather with our good friends and food!  

Parties don’t always have to take weeks to plan, sometimes these unplanned get-to-gathers are the most fun and can be much less expensive.   So, we took a couple of hours on Saturday to clean the house, sweep the patio and run to the store.  All in all the food was under $40! 

We included the essentials that you need for any party: food, atmosphere, entertainment, and beverages.  Since the party started later in the evening we decided to have a fruit and cheese theme and kept the decorations simple with fresh flowers and candles.  

Cheese is perfect for entertaining because you can choose a variety for your guests to try and almost everyone will like at least one kind.  We suggest you get at least 4 kinds and try to get a mixture of soft and hard cheeses.  Remember: I’m not talking about the sliced cheese you get from the deli, this is “specialty” cheeses.   For instance we decided on Brie, Sharp Cheddar, Gouda, and Bleu Cheese.  Grab a few French baguettes to slice up as well as a box of crackers, your choice, to serve along side the cheese. Next, head to the produce isle to pick up some fresh fruit such as grapes, apples or strawberries. Try to buy seasonal if you can to save money.   You could also pick up some dried fruit like apricots and some nuts like almonds or cashews. 

Usually your grocer will have a variety of fresh flowers for sale so grab a few that you like on your way to the check-out, these make for a beautiful spring decoration.  Beverages are up to your discretion.  It is nice to have non-alcoholic on hand such as sparkling water with fresh lemon slices or iced tea.  Good old water can be fancied up with lemon or cucumber slices to make for an inexpensive and refreshing beverage option. 

When you get home, create a killer ipod mix (and listen to it while you get ready for the party).  Make sure you include some songs to dance to!  Pull aside furniture to have space for mingling and need we say, dancing!  Arrange your food/beverage table to your desire…get creative!

We’d like to hear your ideas for hosting an impromptu par-lay! 

Keep it simple…don’t forget to enjoy the weather AND the company of good friends.  CHEERS!