Dinner Party/What I Could Be Capable Of As A Childless Housewife

The Original- Cooking Light, October 2007

I can't think of a better day off than the kind that involves cooking at my own pace. CVDJ had arranged our meet-up a bit back and since I've been on a legit cooking kick (fresh ingredients, new recipes etc.) I figured a dinner party was in order.

Kick off included some roasted garlic hummus with sugar snap peas and toasted pita triangles. The hummus was store bought but delicious and I have a new trick for pita tri's. Pick up pita flatbread rather than the pockets. Cut into triangles like a pizza, place on cookie sheet. Spray the tops liberally with PAM Olive Oil Cooking Spray then sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper. Toast in the oven till golden (about 6 minutes at 400 but my oven is archaic so just keep an eye on it). Delicious and added a warm homemade touch to very simple starter.

Dinner was (pictured above) chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and roasted garlic, twice-baked sweet potatoes, a Sugar Shack house salad and sauteed asparagus with herbes de Provence and EVOO.

TKTC Notes:
- The chicken recipe says horizontal slit for a goat cheese pocket. I take this to mean across the longest part of the chicken. That's the only way you're gonna fit two teaspoons of filling in. And you want as much of that goodness as you can cram in.

-Roasted garlic is the easiest, most delicious item ever. I need to do it more often. And by "it" I mean wrap a head of garlic in tinfoil and throw it in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. It's that easy.

- The sweet potatoes are so so good and a touch more elegant than doing it in a casserole dish. Skip the marshmallows though and make a crumble. In a food processor: 1/4 cup sliced almonds, 2 TB butter, 1 TB flour, 1.5 TB brown sugar. Pulse till you have a crumble then sprinkle on top of refilled sweet potato shells to bake. I had the sole leftover for dinner tonight.- Try to invite someone who really loves doing dishes. Colleen went to town and my kitchen is clean. It's amazing.
- Try to invite someone who isn't "setting the flash" on her fancy camera every ten minutes. CVDJ- I knooow you were taking candids you little sneak. I hate them. Although the ones frm broomball are funny. I don't often get caught being athletic.
- Try to invite someone who's shopping habits allow you to live vicariously through them. Abby, when would you like to debut this new ensemble?

Dessert- See previous post. I may or may not have had a bite at breakfast:)

Raspberry Sauce for the Cake:
1/2 pint raspberries
2 TB granulated sugar
2 TB water
2 TB Triple Sec
Pinch cornstarch (personal preference to thicken a bit)

Put all in a saucepan to simmer and stir until the raspberries have deconstructed. ABout 10 minutes. Put a strainer or sieve over a bowl and mash the concoction through until it is seedless. Yes, this takes awhile. Dip your finger in the bowl every once and awhile if you need to stay motivated.

I'm going out now. On the West side. It may get rowdy. Don't wait up.