Lindsay's Birthday Dinner

I'm not cooking! Seriously I'm not. The girls and I took a trip to whole foods and went a wee bit crazy. I stood in the middle of the store gazing at the crazy amounts of pre-prepared gourmet foods and not so gourmet and heard myself saying "A person would never have to cook again in their life!" NOT that I have any desire to give up my awesome kitchen gadgets and tools, but it is an intriguing thought.

Tonight we are having an eclectic assortment at the birthday girl's request.
Sushi (a variety of types)
Tequila lime spiced shrimp
Spicy Asian Noodles with peppers and tofu
Snow peas/carrot salad
Old Fashioned Yellow Cake.

Photos to follow.

The Refrigerator

Before I had a job in Food Service(I think perhaps being immersed in food and the like, takes away the thrill of caring for the fridge and food at home sometimes.) my fridge could count on a regular cleaning; every Wednesday just like the FlyLady taught me, I would clean out my refrigerator. We called it Time to 'boogie' the fridge. Meah and Andrew were here with me and Meah thought that term was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. She would help me faithfully on Wednesdays. While we sorted through mystery bowls and expiration dates, she would regale me with her Meahisms.

My poor refrigerator now gets cleaned mostly every week, but not on a set day of the week. It has to start screaming at us that it needs attention. This is one of the things my girls just won't jump in and do; I think for fear of tossing out something that I will question the rhyme and reason behind. Lindsay did it a few times and purged my garlic and ginger. I complained loudly because I didn't realize they were gone until I needed them for a recipe. She hasn't done the weekly clean out since.

So; while this isn't a recipe or even thoughts about food tasted or cooked. It is about food. Do yourself a favor like I'm going to. Set a regular date with your fridge, purge anything that is questionable. Check your expiration dates. Make a list of condiments or spices that you toss so you can replenish. It takes less than fifteen minutes to do this! You'll be glad you did.

Recipes from tonight

This recipe came from Growlies for groups. Just google it.


Chicken-Nut Pate

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Makes 3 cups
"A party favorite. It is usually the first thing on the hors d' oeuvre table to go."
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1 cup Pecan halves
2 Tbsp. Minced ginger
1 cup Walnut halves
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
2 cups Chicken breasts, cooked, skinned, boneless
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. White wine vinegar
2 Cloves garlic
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Green onion
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Combine pecans and walnuts in a food processor bowl. Process until
coarsely ground. Remove and set aside.
Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Combine chicken and garlic in food
processor bowl; process until very finely ground. Add mayonnaise, ginger,
soy sauce, Worcestershire, and vinegar; process, using start/stop
technique, until well blended. Stir in onion and nuts.
Spoon mixture into a crock or bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight for
flavors to blend. Serve with crackers or bread sticks.

THIS recipe came from ALLRECIPES.com
INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, chopped 1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, onions, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the Swiss cheese. Transfer to small ovenproof glass bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 of the almonds on top.
3. Bake for 7 minutes. Stir, and bake for an additional 8 minutes. Sprinkle remaining almonds on top, and serve.

Mark's Birthday Dinner

The plan for dinner tonight is now: Crab Cakes (My own recipe and I MAY just share it with you!) Homemade tartar sauce, Roasted corn and basil salad, Asparagus with garlic butter and Butternut squash and SHRIMP risotto. I'm excited about the risotto because it is a new recipe and you KNOW I won't follow it exactly; I never leave a recipe alone. I might just toss some bread into the bread machine too; but it depends on when I actually get home today. The day is NOT cooperating!

I'll post photos and recipes as we go through the evening.

I'm thinking dinner tonight

In the spirit of trying to be forward thinking; I've decided on dinner tonight. I will of course need to make a run to Kroger (No Martin's for me; three ho hum experiences and I'm done.)
Here is what the Dunnavant's are eating tonight.

Tandoori-Style Chicken Burgers

Prep: 40 minutes Total: 40 minutes







To keep burgers juicy, resist the urge to press patties down during grilling.



INGREDIENTS

Serves 4.

1 1/2 pounds (4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough chunks
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates
4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1 cucumber (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
Cumin yogurt sauce (see recipe below)
Watermelon slices (optional)
DIRECTIONS

Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, place chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.
Transfer chicken mixture to a food processor; pulse until roughly chopped, but not pasty, 10 to 12 times. Gently form mixture into sixteen 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 3 tablespoons each).
Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grates. Season patties with salt and pepper; grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
For the Cumin Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.
Halve pitas crosswise (toast on grill, if you like). Into each pocket, place 2 chicken patties, cucumber slices, and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Cumin Yogurt Sauce