Selfy Snacks

The holiday pot luck/entertaining season is upon us, and our waistlines.  You can't control what everyone else brings (looking at you, hot spinach artichoke dip made with cheese and mayo and a million other calorie laden delicious things), but you can certainly bring something you know you can eat without consuming enough calories to sustain a village for a month.  Self sent out an email to their subscribers featuring plenty of holiday tipples and treats that will probably wow your friends and family, while still allowing you to button your pants.
Thank God leggings and big oversized tunics are in this season.

Because I know avocados are ac/dcs of the fruit and vegetable world (going well both sweet and savory; I actually made an avocado pie for my first Iron Chef battle - and WON), I am totally into the idea of incorporating fruit into my guac.  The mangoes and pomegranate seeds make it both gorgeous, and even more Mexican than it was before (imho).
113 calories per serving (with 10 chips), 6.9 g fat (1 g saturated), 3.9 g fiber, 14 g carbs, 1.7 g protein  - not counting the millions of calories in chips, of course; try it on fish tacos or with baked flour tortilla chips instead; maybe even with a little sprinkling of cinnamon sugar!

Having made some variation on prosciutto wrapped dates or figs for ages, I was happy to see them considered "healthy" AND to see them combined with my greatest love - goat cheese - even if I know that having 10 of them sort of negates that.
187 calories per 2 dates, 3 g fat (1.9 g saturated), 36 g carbs, 3.3 g fiber, 6 g protein

I actually want this shrimp dish for dinner; I love the sour/sweet tang of Tamarind and I think with some steamed or stir fried veggies and brown rice?  Nom.  As an app at a party, it doesn't get much easier - salt and pepper on the shrimp, grill them on both sides for a couple of minutes and serve with a dipping sauce?  Easy peasy tamarind squeezy.  For the sauce:  
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1/4 cup tamarind paste (found in Asian markets) 
1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce 
1 to 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes 
1 tablespoon sugar 
156 calories per serving, 3.8 g fat (0.6 g saturated), 5.9 g carbs, 0.2 g fiber, 23.5 g protein

These are just gorgeous.  And adorable.  And I'm already planning a Dr. Seuss themed party where my eggs are green with basil or pesto perhaps, and I think you know where I'm going. Vegetable oil cooking spray 
4 slices prosciutto, fat trimmed, halved 
2 egg whites 
1 whole egg 
3 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt 
1 tablespoon chopped black olives 
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
27 calories per serving, 1.1 g fat (0.3 g saturated), 0.4 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 3.6 g protein

Heat oven to 400°. Coat a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Press 1 piece prosciutto into each of 8 cups. Whisk egg whites and whole egg until smooth. Whisk in yogurt, olives, rosemary, salt and pepper. Divide mixture among cups. Bake, uncovered, until quiches are cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish with rosemary.

27 calories per serving, 1.1 g fat (0.3 g saturated), 0.4 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 3.6 g protein

I love crispy potatoes, and I love sweet potatoes, so hooray!   
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled 
2 1/2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 cup) 
2 egg whites 
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 
3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper 
Parchment paper




Heat oven to 425˚. Finely grate sweet potatoes into a bowl. Squeeze grated sweet potatoes in batches to release as much moisture as possible and place in another bowl; fluff with a fork. Stir in cheese, egg whites, rosemary and pepper. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spoon 1 rounded tbsp batter onto cookie sheet and flatten into a thin, 2- to 2 1/2-inch round. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving 1 inch between rounds. Bake until edges and underside are crisp and browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and remove from parchment. Serve warm with Rosemary-Balsamic Cream.

144 calories per 3 crisps with cream, 5.2 g fat (3.2 g saturated), 17 g carbs, 1.8 g fiber, 6 g protein

Rosemary Balsamic Cream  
1 teaspoon canola oil 
4 shallots, finely chopped 
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream 
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallots until translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a high simmer. Cook until 2/3 of liquid has evaporated and shallots are very dark, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine sour cream, rosemary and 2 tsp water in a bowl. Spoon balsamic-shallot sauce into center of sour cream and swirl with a toothpick. Serve with crisps.

It's not all food my friends - no no, it's also drinks!  And this one sounds delightful, while being equally at home in the winter, or in warmer weather.  I think I might simplify it a bit though (do I really want five spice powder on the rim of my glass?).  
Make a ginger simple syrup with equal parts of sugar and water, plus 1/2 cup of chopped fresh ginger.
Then, easy enough - one star anise, a piece of candied ginger, and a tablespoon or so of syrup, all topped with your favorite sparkler.  Gorgeous, gingery, fizzy and sweet.  Perfect for your next celebratory sushi dinner.
150 calories per cocktail, 0 g fat, 23 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein


Surely you knew I wouldn't ignore their stab at summertime sangria, which uses white wine, pulpless oj, triple sec, apricot brandy, sprite, apples and grapes (and CUCUMBER?!  erm. . .)

285 calories per serving, 0.2 g fat (0.1 g saturated), 35 g carbs, 1.5 g fiber, 1 g protein

Cocktails from The Spir.it

I don't know if any of you subscribe to Snooth, or their sister publication The Spir.it, but if you like to drink, you should.  I do, but I almost never ever ever have time to actually read them so they pile up in my inbox (I currently have over 1700 emails from various mailing lists that I have not yet filed away or dealt with).  Then, every once in a while, when you've been in Mexico for an eternity, and your boyfriend is still asleep but you are dreadfully awake, you can find the time and space needed to deal with some of those things.  Here I bring you some of the more fun cocktails The Spirit has sent over (I think these cosmo thingies or something similar might be showing up at Halloween. . . maybe a layered shot as well. . . )

Edible Cosmopolitans
1 cup Cranberry juice
1 cup Vodka
1/4 cup Lime juice
1 Tsp Simple syrup
1/4 cup Cointreau
2 1/2 packages of Knox Gelatine 

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberry and lime juice, and simple syrup (add additional syrup to taste). Stir in gelatin. Place over low heat, stirring rapidly, until gelatin fully dissolves. Stir in Cointreau and vodka. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into a parchment-lined pan or individual cups (depending on the desire depth of the completed edible cocktail). Chill overnight. To serve, cut into small cubes. Garnish with coarse sugar or lime zest.

Tip: You can turn just about any single spirit or cocktail recipe into a shot by combining one package of Knox gelatine (7 grams) to every 8 oz of liquid spirit or mixture.

Green Tea Infused Vodka
Combine 1 teaspoon organic green tea leaves or 1 tea bag of organic green tea with 1 cup organic vodka and let steep for two hours. Strain or remove the tea bag; the vodka will keep in an airtight container in a cool place or the fridge for up to 6 months.

Pear Tea Martini
2 oz Green tea-infused organic vodka
2 oz Pear cider
1 slice Pear, unpeeled
Combine the infused vodka and cider in an ice-cube filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously, then strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass. Gently drop in the pear slice.

Earl Grey Infused Rum
Combine 1 tea bag Earl Grey tea and 8 oz of rum and let steep for 1 hour. Remove the tea bag, then pour the mixture into an airtight container. The infused rum can be stored in a cool place or refrigerated for up to 6 months.

Earl Grey Boxcar
1 1/2 oz Earl Grey infused Rum
1/2 oz Punt e Mes Italian vermouth
1/2 oz fresh organic pineapple juice
1/2 oz freshly squeezed organic lemon juice
1/2 oz freshly squeezed organic lime juice
1/4 oz apricot brandy
Dash of Angostura bitters
1 thin slice of organic lemon
Pour the infused rum, vermouth, fruit juices, brandy, and bitters into an ice cube-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously, then strain the mixture into a martini glass and garnish with the lemon slice.

Green Tea Simple Syrup

1/2 cup Jasmine green tea

1/2 cup Organic sugar 

Brew the Jasmine green tea. In a small saucepan, combine the tea with the sugar, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer until sugar is fully dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container.

I know some folks that'll probably be getting this for Christmas this year. . . 

Coffee Liqueur (aka homemade Kahlua)
4 cups Water
4 cups Sugar
1/2 cup Instant coffee
1 quart vodka
1 vanilla bean, sliced in half.
Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat, boil until dissolved. Stir in instant coffee. Remove from heat. Add vodka and vanilla bean. Pour into individual bottles and leave in a dark place (a closet works nicely) for three weeks.   

Cucumber Gimlet
Adapted from Epicurious
2 large cucumbers
1/2 cup gin
4 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon simple syrup
Lime wedges, for garnish
Peel and cut cucumbers, place in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Mix 1 cup cucumber juice, lime juice, and simple sugar in a shaker filed 3/4 with cracked ice. Shake vigorously, double strain into chilled cocktail glasses.

Basil Gimlet
2 oz gin
4 pieces fresh basil
2/3 oz fresh lime juice
Cracked ice
In a mixing glass, muddle basil in lime juice. Add ice and gin. Shake vigorously, strain into chilled cocktail glasses.

Ginger Gimlet
Adapted from Ming Tsai
3 oz vodka
2 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz ginger syrup
Cracked ice
In a shaker half-filled with ice, combine all ingredients. Shake vigorously, strain into chilled cocktail glasses. To make your own ginger syrup, combine two parts raw sugar and one part water. Grate a piece of fresh ginger into the mix (to taste), and boil for 2 minutes. Lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes, then cool. Reserve the fresh ginger, it can be grated directly into the drink, or sliced as a garnish. 

The Sake’d Saint
4 star fruit slices
2 lemon wheels
Ice cubes
3 oz Junmai or extra dry sake
3 oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1/2 ounce apricot brandy
1. Add 2 star fruit slices and the lemon wheels to a cocktail shaker. Using a muddler or a wooden tiger, muddle well.
2. Fill the cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the sake, St-Germain, and apricot brandy. Shake extra well.
3. Strain equally into 2 cocktail glasses. Garnish each with a star fruit slice and serve.


The Gong
Ice cubes
5 oz sake
3 oz pomegranate liqueur
Chilled ginger ale
2 orange slices for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the sake and pomegranate liqueur. Shake well (as if you feared being gonged).
2. Fill two highball or comparable glasses with ice cubes. Strain the sake-pomegranate mixture over the ice into the glasses (carefully, again as if you feared gonging).
3. Top off each glass with ginger ale, filling the glass almost to the top. Stir briefly with a thin mallet or long spoon. Garnish each with an orange slice and serve.

The B52

1/2 oz Coffee liqueur
1/2 oz Irish cream
1/2 oz Grand Marnier

In a shot glass, layer the coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and Grand Marnier in that order.

Check out The Spir.it's alcohol by density chart for more layering fun! 

I sense a little Mexican (tequila) twist on sangria for my homecoming from Mexico party could be in order:

1800 Tequila Sunrise Sangria

1 Orange
1 Lime
1 full bottle of Prosecco
1 cup Tequila
2 cups Ginger ale
1/2 pint Raspberries

Slice half the oranges and limes into circles, then slice in half to form half moons. Squeeze the other halves of both fruits into a large pitcher filled with ice. Add the Prosecco, ginger ale, and tequila. Stir, adding whole raspberries and remaining orange and lemon pieces. 

Dead Man's Ball - revisited

Oh lordy, that swamp water drink I tried to make? Did NOT go well. If anyone would like three bottles of green juice (featuring powdered broccoli and spinach), please let me know. I have some.
I did use the rest of the open bottle and a bunch of water to fill a glass apothecary jar with a creepy, sludgy, green liquid which I floated eyeballs in. So it was at least good for that; everyone kept asking me what it was.
The TruBlood however was a hit!
TruBlood
I took one bottle of fruit punch (the 365 Organic brand from Whole Foods was nice and dark)
1 1/2 c brandy
2 bottles cab sauv
lemon flavored fuzzy water if desired

I admit to drinking most of it myself, but those that I allowed to sample it seemed to like it or they're excellent liars. I think I just lost out to DJ AM's insanely fally cinnamony fruity vat o'sangria.
I had a major fail on the cupcakes thinking that I had spice cake mix at home and only realizing I didn't an hour before guests were supposed to begin arriving. Whole Foods had some "gluten free" stuff that my roomie was kind enough to pick up for me, but really? Do I want to hustle to try to make and clean up cupcakes in that kind of time crunch only to find out they suck? No. I was stressed out enough.
The other nibbles were hits though. I thought the fire roasted salsa was DIVINE and the mushroom/goat cheese bruschetta was gone really quickly. The pear blue cheese bites are SO easy to make (I didn't even end up roasting them! Just cut them into little pieces and topped with cheese; skewered with a toothpick), I think they'll be a new standard.

Next year I won't make the mistake of saying how much time I have and all that I've gotten done before the party. . . .

Prep for the Dead Man's Ball - Halloween 2009

The kitchn has a great offering of Halloween appropriate wines which I LOVE. I picked up some Sinister Hand myself, but the others are great options to bring along to a party.
I tried not to let myself go too crazy with food on Halloween, but omg, I've already spent way too much money, so what's a little more? And if I don't make something I thought I might, no big deal, right? Right.

Let's start with drinks. Aside from the standard beer and wine people bring (and I have that appropriately covered as well - pun definitely intended - or you can always make your own a la etsy), we'll have:
Sangria a la Buzzie & Billy Bob
I'm also making a couple of cocktails, one very sangria like, one a little more. . . . uh. . . weird and margarita-esque.
Swamp Water (thanks to inspiration from Martha, of course)
(exact recipe to follow)
tequila
lime juice
green fruit juice blend
perhaps rimmed with a spicy salt
TruBlood (also inspired by Martha)
recipe to follow; I can't decide if I'm going sangria-esque or sticking with the brandy punch option. I'm just PRAYING it is as inky dark red as it looks in the photo.

Onto the nibbles. . .
Halloween candy, of course
Pumpkin spice cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting (appropriately spooked out with spiders or spider webs or eerie faces)
Guacamole - I'm thinking I'll let it go all brown and gross looking and call it swamp sludge or something; ooh, Soylent Green!!
Fire roasted salsa - I've been wanting to make this for a while, and I think fire roasted salsa will look spookier than my standard pico de gallo. I'm going to make it using all the same ingredients I usually do, but I'm going to roast all of the veggies and then blend them in food processor. Pureed people perhaps?
Mushroom and goat cheese bruschetta - aka Innards on Toast or something
- for this one I'm going to roast up a bunch of wild mushrooms and toast some baguette slices (rubbed with garlic). A smear of goat cheese on the toast, a dollop of yummy roasted mushrooms and a drop of truffle oil - ce magnifique!
Maybe some Pear and roquefort cheese bites - Moldy something or others no doubt
- roasted pear til it's soft, topped with a chunk of cheese and speared with a toothpick
Or maybe just a cheese plate if I start running out of time, which is most likely.

I ordered up a ton of stuff from Safeway that's getting delivered tomorrow, and Saturday morning is going to be busy busy busy!!!

Sangria

Have I seriously never shared my sangria recipe here? Ever? But, that's MADNESS. I make it all the time! In the case of a sudden zombie apocalypse wherein we are trapped in this apartment unable to go outside for food or beverage, we will always be able to subsist on canned goods and sangria because I ALWAYS have the fixins on hand (and I have a bit of a canned food hording problem).
While I'm sure this sangria is very good based on its 400 plus rave reviews, it's a bit labor intensive for me.

I'm pretty sure my sangria goes likes this:
2 bottles of inexpensive red wine (I seriously grab whatever looks familiar and is under $10 a bottle)
1/2 - 1 cup of brandy
1 cup of orange juice
1 small bottle of fuzzy water - lemon, lime or orange flavored work well
sugar
apple - sliced or cut into small cubes or wedges
orange - sliced
lime - sliced
lemon - sliced

If you have time, combine the oj and brandy and let the sliced fruit sit in this mix in the fridge for a couple of hours ahead of time, stirring occasionally. Add the red wine, taste and add sugar if you'd like; (I typically don't, but every once in a while it could use a couple of tablespoons) and refrigerate for another couple of hours. Add the fuzzy water just before serving and there you go. Sangria.

For white peach sangria:
2 bottles of white wine - I typically go with a pinot grigio, but again, whatever is inexpensive or on hand
1/2 - 1 c peach vodka
1 c peach nectar
1/2 bag of frozen peaches
1/2 bag of frozen mangoes
1 small bottle of fuzzy water - lemon or orange

For this one I combine the vodka, wine and nectar and refrigerate for a couple of hours, adding the frozen fruit and fuzzy water just before serving.

I also do white "antioxidant" sangria which is similar to the above but I use raspberry or blueberry flavored vodka, with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries as my fruit; the mixed berry fuzzy water and maybe some strawberry nectar or blueberry pom as the juice. This isn't so much a traditional sangria, but because it's made in the same style, I go with it on the nomenclature.

Finally, we have what I'll call "camping" sangria. This is for when you're making your sangria elsewhere and you don't want to be lugging 80 thousand ingredients around with you. Shockingly enough, it tastes just like sangria I've had at restaurants the world over, particularly in Mexico where they prefer it sweeter and more citrusy.

2 bottles of red
1 20 oz. bottle of Sierra Mist or other way too sweet lemon/limey soda
1 c of oj (most people have this in their fridge for you to pilfer, or you can get a small container of it easily)

Combine ingredients.
Aaaaaand that's it. Garnish again with the sliced fruit, but this is all that's necessary for a completely passable sangria. Shocking, I know. It doesn't pack the punch of the sangria with the added alcohol, but it's still tasty and refreshing, and let's face it, we don't always need extra alcohol.

*** Updated to include this recipe my stepmother found, which I clearly did not write since I would never suggest such a thing as adding more juice to get "less alcohol per glass" ***
Party-in-a-Pitcher Sangria

PER SERVING (1 generous cup): 125 calories, 0g fat, 5mg sodium, 13g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 0.5g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

This sangria is CHOCK-FULL of fruit and deliciousness. Just don't underestimate the alcoholic intensity of fruit chunks that have been chilling in there for a while -- they're POTENT, people!

Ingredients:
1 bottle red wine
1 can Sprite Zero (or 1 1/2 cups of any diet lemon-lime soda)
1 cup Diet Ocean Spray Cranberry Pomegranate (or another flavor of Diet Ocean Spray)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 small orange, peeled and chopped
Half a Fuji apple, chopped
Half a slightly under-ripe banana, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pineapple chunks (if canned, packed in juice)

Directions:
Place fruit in a large container that will not stain easily (like a glass pitcher or a high-quality plastic one). Cover fruit with wine and cranberry drink, and give mixture a good stir.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours. (It's TOTALLY worth it. Quit whining.)

Once ready to serve, add soda and give it a good stir. Pour and be sure to get a nice amount of fruit in each glass. Enjoy!

P.S. If you like your sangria with less alcohol per glass, add more of the cranberry drink until it tastes juuuuuust right.

MAKES 7 SERVINGS

Margaritas

Margaritas are pretty awesome and I typically kind of suck at making them. The one exception to this rule so far are my Pomegranate Margaritas, but even those usually require an insane amount of tasting and tweaking. I think I overdo the bitter aspect since I try not to add sugar - juice, yes, simple syrup no.
Sangria is my drink. Probably explains why I tend to like sangritas, even if they are ridiculous and probably stemmed from some poor restaurant not having enough to serve someone a full margarita or sangria so they combined them. Swamp water it may be, but it's delicious swamp water.

ANYWAY, the next time it's margarita o'clock, I'm reaching for this tasty little recipe. That Ina Garten, boy, she knows how to party.

Pineapple Margaritas

nocoupons

• 2 cups lime juice, about 20 limes
• 2 cups white tequila
• 2 cups Triple Sec
• 2 1/2 cups fresh pineapple juice
• Fresh pineapple slices, for garnish

Combine the lime juice, tequila, Triple Sec, and pineapple juice. Fill a cocktail shaker 1/2-way with ice and fill 2/3 full with the margarita mixture. Shake for 30 seconds and pour into glasses. Decorate with fresh pineapple slices and serve ice cold.

The Oscars

Long ago, in a land far away, some of my lovely lady friends and I started a tradition of snacks, snark, and the Academy Awards. It fell by the wayside, but I brought it back, even though the ladies that started it all were unable to attend.
Next year, I will record the event a bit more carefully so we don't miss Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Motion Picture. * sigh *
One of our traditions is a Best Picture nominee themed cocktail (The Million Dollar Baby, The Blood Diamond, etc.). This year, I went a little further and themed some of the food as well.
We had Slumdog Sangria (which I have decided will be the Apple Blossom the rest of the time), Benjamin Buttoncakes, and Oroville Readerbacher Popcorn Mix. Lots of other food too, yes, but these were the only themey ones worth mentioning in this here blog.

Slumdog Sangria/Apple Blossom
A take on the classic beverage which I'll make for any situation if given half a chance. It was cold and stormy and sort of fall-esque, so I was craving apples. I found this recipe on Design*Sponge and it was love at first site.
2 Pink Lady apples - I slice them super thin so that I get those beautiful center segments with the little star/flower in the middle; then I sliced the rest into thin strips that were maybe half an inch wide, keeping the pretty ones for garnish.
1/2 cup Calvados
2 bottles Pinot Grigio
1 bottle sparkling apple cider

I soaked the apples in the Calvados in the fridge for about an hour, then put them in a pitcher with two bottles of Barefoot Pinot Grigio and then let that sit for another hour or two. I considered adding apple juice, or apple cider, but worried about muddying the flavor or making it too sweet.
I placed one of the pretty slices in a glass, poured in the sangria leaving about an inch and a half of room at the top, then adding in some sparkling cider.
It was tasty and went down way too easily, as sangria tends to do.

Benjamin Buttoncakes
Okay, these were a total cheat based on what I had on hand, and again, my apple craving. I totally Sandra Lee'd some spice cake mix by adding apples, and frosting with cream cheese frosting. But then I shook a bunch of round sprinkles out of the container, and matched up four of each color to decorate the tops of the cupcakes to look like buttons.

Oroville Readerbacher Popcorn Mix
Again, based on what I had on hand, which unfortunately did not include Worcestershire sauce, which the recipe called for. I made do with soy and balsamic.
I popped my own popcorn, maybe 1/2 cup of kernels. I combined the popcorn with small pretzels in a baggie and added the flavoring. Because I was using more, I upped the amounts a bit.
5 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp garlic garni
1 tsp onion powder
soy sauce - maybe 2 or 3 tsps?
balsamic - maybe 1 or 2 tsps?

I poured it over the popcorn and pretzels and shook the living daylights out of it. Then I spread it out on a cookie sheet and baked it at 350 for 10 minutes or so.