Hosting Idea: Havest Pasta Bar

Short on time? Host with a Pasta Bar!

I always try to be a good host, even when I'm at odds with time and energy.  So when I find easy ways to cater great events--so I spend less time in the kitchen and more time with my guests--I want to share those ideas with others.

I realize that not all of us are cut out for hosting.  There are even days when I doubt my own abilities, especially if my son had a sleepless night or my husband worked too many hours that week.  We've all been at those awkward parties where there wasn't enough food, or the hostess never made it into the shower, or worse of all: you show up at an event where you know only the hosts and no one introduces you to the unwelcoming circle of friends.  I vow to avoid all of the above to the best of my abilities.

So, a good place to start for a new host is an easy menu so you can focus on the other stuff.  This Halloween, I found a great way to host: with pasta!

I once heard from an Italian, "the longer the noodle, the better."  I believe she was talking about pasta.  In that case, these 8' noodles from World Market are perfect for a pasta party.

 

It was so easy, the night before, I made three sauces plus a side of turkey meatballs: Tomato/Basil, Pumpkin Sage Sausage, and Sweet Olive Tomato.  This gave me something fresh and homemade to serve, but without the chaos of the kitchen the next day.

The key to a good pasta party is lots of options.  I had three types of noodles, three sauces, a side of meatballs and lots of toppings so each person could create and discuss their pasta masterpiece.

On Halloween, I unwrapped my pre-made sauces, reheated them on the stove, threw the meatballs in the oven, and then boiled an assortment of pastas.  I had three kinds of fancy, colorful (yet inexpensive) pastas that I purchased from World Market.  I had a long, harvest-colored spaghetti noodles, leaf-shaped macaronis, and a whole wheat pasta for the health-conscience.  Then I took little dishes and put a selection of toppings in each one: fresh basil, shredded Parmesan, fresh tomatoes, ground pepper, and garlic.  Add a bowl full of meatballs, and there were hundreds of pasta/sauce/topping combinations that could be created from this simple little pasta bar!

These pumpkin and leaf-shaped pastas from World Market gave my party the harvest flair I was looking for.

Among all the creations, the Pumpkin Sage Sausage sauce with the harvest-shaped noodles was the most popular combination.  The recipe is below.

Pumpkin Sage Sauce

 Pumpkin Sage Sausage Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound sage-flavored sausage (Johnsonville)
4 TBSP fresh garlic
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup cream or milk
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound pasta
Fresh Romano/Parmigiano blend (Trader Joes)

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Remove sausage from pan (drain if desired). Add to pan the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

PS - The side of meatballs were a real hit!  I highly recommend making your meatballs from turkey, as they absorb the taste of the sauce better than red meat.  Plus, they are so much healthier and the leftovers freeze well.

--

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My Secret Talent for Grilled Cheese

Did you miss me?  Probably not, because either a) you rarely come to this site; or b) you were one of my loyal followers which means you were also probably one of the friends or family riding the waves alongside me on a Mexican Rivera cruise last week (there was 50 of us total for my brother's wedding along the Carnival Splendor).

We got in last night, unpacked, and headed straight to bed.  Since the life of a social media consultant is not the most lucrative position in the world, I'm pretty cautious about our spending, and made sure we did not spend a penny on groceries for the week and half prior to the cruise.  So late this morning, when I realized I hadn't eaten anything more than a frozen springroll in 24 hours, I opened the fridge for some grub and this is what I found:

The story in the pantry was not much better...

Now, at this point, most people would have chosen to hit the Jack 'n the Box, Starbucks, or Deli for lunch.  But after a solid week of processed food and take out, I'm three pounds heavier and feel like crap, so no take out for me.

Luckily, I have a secret talent: Making creative food concoctions from practically nothing.  Case and point?  What do you do with pepper jack cheese, Parmesan, olive oil, a can of soup, and two slices of bread?  Make an olive oil pepper jack panini with tomoto soup!  And to be honest, this may have been my favorite grilled cheese sandwich EVER!

Olive Oil Pepper Jack Panini

Ingredients:
Italian Bread (100 calories/slice)
Olive Oil (I have a Misto so I can use sparingly)
Pepper Jack Cheese
Specialty Salt granules (I have a seasoning salt blend from Savory Spice Shop that I LOVE)
Can of Tomato Soup
Pepper (from a mill)
Parmesan Cheese

Spritz the olive oil lightly over the inside of two pieces of bread.  Add the pepper jack cheese, and salt granules and make into a sandwich, oiled sides in.  Coat your pan with a light coating of olive oil and cook over medium high heat until pan is warm.  Add sandwich and cook approx. three minutes on each side.  Meanwhile, heat up tomato soup.  Top with fresh pepper and Parmesan.  Easy, delicious, and not-too-bad-for-you lunch.

Seven things you didn't know about coffee

Image via Wikipedia

So yesterday I posted an article on making the perfect cup of Joe.  Today, I wanted to follow up with some common Facts and Myths about coffee preparation.

In case you were wondering, my credentials on this topic include:

• Fifteen years experience in the preparation and consumption of coffee
• Membership in the Starbucks Rewards program
• Live-in sister/Starbucks Barista
• 10 years caffeine junkie

Seven things you may not know about coffee:

1. Bold roast does not mean more caffeine. It describes the flavor of the roast.
2. NEVER freeze coffee. Putting coffee in the freezer will allow the coffee to absorb the tastes of the freezer. Store in a cool, dry place instead.
3. Grinding beans right before brewing will guarantee the best, boldest taste. Beans loose flavor as they are exposed to air.
4. Different regions of coffee bean have different taste. Asian beans are spicier, Latin American beans are smoother.
5. ALL COFFEE is organic because it is grown at an altitude that doesn't require pestisides.
6. Good coffee is sifted numerous times. Bad coffee is the portion of beans sifted out. So put simply, Folders is the rejected Starbucks beans.
7. Coffee is freshest within the first 30 minutes of brewing.

So, there you have it.  Real tips from a real addict.

 --

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Coffee Snob Diaries: How to make a killer cup of coffee

It makes my mornings brighter.  It helps me get through a wild weekend when my brother comes to visit.  It's the only thing I can digest before 10am.  And, it's the perfect way to finish off a slice of pie.

Coffee is possibly my best friend.  I love it.  I drink it by the gallon.  I know the password to Starbucks WiFi by heart.  I even have my own personalized Starbucks gift card which I frequently reload in order to get the free syrup with purchase.

My custom Starbucks Card

Which brings me to the purpose of this post.  If you do not like coffee, you either a) are impossible to please, b) universally grumpy, or c) don't know how to make a great cup of coffee.

Have no fear!  I'm here to teach you how to make the perfect cup of drip coffee.

Here's my tips for the perfect cup of Joe:

Start with a good coffee beans.
Coffee is a very personal thing.  Some people like bold roasts.  Some like flavored.  But I found the following to be good entertaining roasts that everyone seems to like.  The bad part?  Good coffee costs good money.  It's just a fact.  You can not make cheap cup of coffee taste good.  For best results, buy these roasts in whole bean form and store in a cool, dry place (NOT your freezer/fridge). Here are a few roasts I recommend:

• Starbucks Sumatra, Pikes Place, or Morning Joe
• Dunkin Donuts Dark Roast
• Sisters Coffee Company (any roast)
• Hawaiian Isles Kona Chocolate Macadamia

Grind you beans.
For the best flavor, you should grind your beans just before brewing. As beans are exposed to air, they lose flavor.  For best results, invest in a good grinder that lets you select the desired coarseness.  Cheap grinders are messy, only have one setting, and don't grind with any consistency.  I used to have a Cuisinart Supreme Grind and Automatic Burr Mill I bought at Costco for $30, but it broke last month and I replaced it with a similar something else which is not similar at all and sucks.  So I recommend just getting a good one from the start.  This one is the best:

Splurge on a good coffee maker.
Have you ever purchased an $8 Walmart iron that leaked brown water all over your clothes and then burnt the fabric?  Well, and $8 coffee maker pretty much does the same thing.  There are two coffee makers I recommend:

The Hamilton Beach Brew Station
I have this coffee maker (it's my third one).  I recommend it because it has an insulated internal carafe that keeps coffee fresh and flavor consistent up to two hours.  Remember that air is coffee's enemy, giving it that bitter taste.  With this coffeemaker, each cup tastes as good as the first.

Mr. Coffee Grind and Brew
I've heard bad things about "Grind and Brew" coffee makers.  But I bought this one for my parents two years ago and it is wonderful!  Coincidentally, it's one of the cheapest on the market, only $56 at Walmart.  The best cup of coffee means freshly ground beans.  So why not grind and brew you coffee in one step, without the mess?  I wish Hamilton Beach would come out with a grind and brew version of their coffee pot!  That would be coffee heaven!

Get a good filter.
It is very "green" to get a reusable filter.  It is also very disgusting.  I understand why people use reusable filters, but who wants to deal with coffee sludge from the metal mesh filters?  This is probably the only time you will hear me argue against "green", but it's just not worth it. Instead, I recommend the natural, unbleached paper filters.  I don't know why, but they just taste the best.

Try a French Press.
If spending $60 on a coffee maker just doesn't justify itself, consider making "cowboy coffee" with a french press.  A good french press (I have the one from Starbucks), will set you back about $15 - 20.  French pressing brings out the natural aromas and stregnth of the coffee, because it will never burn and the flavor-preserving oils are not absorbed by the filter.  It's the tastiest way to brew good coffee.  Just remember to grind your bean on a coarse setting and invest in a good press to avoid the "sludge" effect.

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New Recipe - Grilled Chicken Francese-Style

Grilled Checken Fancese-Style with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I made this Grilled Chicken Francese-Style (inspired by the recipe in the Oct issue of Family Circle).  I chose it because it is 356 calories but looked way more scrumptious than that.

You can check out the recipe here.  I suggest adding mushrooms to the sauce as I did.  I also don't like polenta, so I went with roasted sweet potatoes on a bed of greens instead.  Also very delicious.  You can find that recipe here!

I'm beginning to think that sweet potatoes are getting an unfair reputation.  I've cooked them twice now and I heart them!  Or maybe I just heart the olive oil I put on them. 

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Painted Pumpkins Are Less Messy

Because my son is only two, I can get away with not going ballistic for the holidays.  This means I don't have to jingle bells outside his window during Christmas, I don't have to have 20 kids over for his birthday yet, nor do I have to carve pumpkins.

Call me a buzz kill if you must, but I actually hate carving pumpkins.  It's messy, gooey, and I have to clean up dried pumpkin off the floor for weeks.  Plus, the pumpkins always seem to rot pre-Halloween, and then I have a big orange stain on the cement outside my door.

So, this year, we decided to "paint" pumpkins instead of carve them.  It was cleaner, more fun, and a lot less messy.  We got the idea from Country Living and Family Circle. 

We started out our pumpkin painting day as we do with so many events: with wine, cheese, olives, and fruit on the back deck.

I painted the front and back of my pumpkins so I could enjoy the view of them from both sides

This was inspired by the creepy Raven poem (Edger Allen Poe, I think?)

This is my son's pumpkin.  He's already an artist!

My husband--a huge Oregon Duck's Fan--painted his pumpkin green.  Then he put glittery gems in the shape of an "O" on it.  It reminds me of Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz.

My sister painted a creepy brown recluse on one side, and painted the backside black then carved out another web.

An easy idea for the non-artistic.  All you need is a white pumpkin and black paint.

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Is That My House in the Oregonian?

My mom saw an article about a home makeover in the Oregonian a few weeks ago. I think I'm seeing double. Does anyone else see it? Well, I must compliment them on their taste!

The Oregonian House

My House

The Oregonian House

My House

The Oregonian House

My House

One last mention.  The owner of this home, Sarah Lorenz, is a Realtor and Blogger on a home decorating blog.  I'm subscribing to her blog now.

Music to My Eyes - A story about a piano

My piano is finally here!  Where has it been, you may ask?  Well, let me tell you a little story about a piano.

In December 2005, my dad was painting a building that used to be an old YMCA and my husband offered to help work on this job since money for Christmas that year was a little tight. 

While he was painting, my husband noticed an old leather-bound piano in the corner of the old auditorium, under a tarp.  He had nothing to give me for Christmas and remembered I had always said how beautiful I thought pianos were.  So, he approached the lady that owned the building and asked if he could barter some labor for the piano.  She said yes, and Josh came home with this 1950's Wurlitzer upright piano.

My husband exchanged painting a hallway for a 1950's Wurlizer

On the outside, the leather was peeling, the stain was damaged, the bench was broken.  But on the inside, the piano looked like it had never even been played.  All the parts were like new!

Josh and I spent the next six months sanding and deconstructing this piano, then my dad--conveniently an excellent painter with fabulous tools--came over and sprayed it a glossy, beautiful ivory color. 

After six years and lots of paint and sanding, the piano now resides in my entry, waiting for my son to be old enough to play it

So I had this beautiful piano, in great condition, and you would think that was the end of the story, right?  Well, two weeks after finishing "the Piano Project", we actually sold our house and moved onto a houseboat.  The piano, which has a 500lb brass plate in it, was too heavy for the houseboat.  I believe the contractor's words were, "It might not break the floor, but it might sink the house."  So, we sent it to my mom's house where it lived for the next six years.

A couple months ago, after my parent's moved and the snow cleared away from the pass, we decided it was time to bring the piano back to it's rightful owner.  So a trailer, some tie downs, a dolly, six men, and a long drive later, here it is, in my entry.

I must disclose, I can not play the piano.  In fact, I can not even read music.  I took guitar lessons a few years ago, but almost failed the course because I can not decyfer the notes on the lines.  Luckily, God did not punish my son for my shortcomings, and I can already tell he's extremely musical like my husband.  So piano lessons are in his future and hopefully my house will someday be filled with beautiful piano music.

So, until this piano can be music to my ears, it will have to remain music to my eyes!

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My Alter-Ego Is Asian

Image by sweis78 via FlickrWhen I tell people I like to cook, they often ask, "What do you like to cook?" I think they are really surprised to find out that my niche is actually healthy Asian food.  Yup, I take my favorite Asian recipes and ingredients and make my own healthy concoctions from them.

I'm pretty good at Asian, which is weird because I have no training in it, never ate much of it as a kid, and have no Asian relatives to teach me.  Although I do have a sister-in-law named Tai, but counter to intuition, she's actually Mexican and not Thai at all!

Here's my theory: You cook well what you love.  I love Asian food, therefore I cook it well.  I don't like, per-say, pie; and predictably don't bake it well, either.  My husband loves sweets, and bakes the best darn pie, cake, cookie you've ever seen.  So, cook what you love, and love what you cook.

If you like Asian food, here's a few thing you must always have around.  I use these ingredients in almost every recipe and they are awesome on flavor, and not on calories.

• Sesame Oil
• Rice Vinegar
• Soy Sauce
• Fresh Cilantro
• Mustard Seed
• Garlic Chili Sauce
• Honey
• Green Onions
• Sesame Seeds
• Ginger

Once you have the basics in your cupboard, there is endless possibilities: Thai Fried Rice, Asian Chicken Salad, Thai Noodles, Pad Thai, Noodles in Peanut Sauce, Teriyaki Chicken, Stir Fry, Spring Rolls...I'm going to share two recipes with you today.

Ok, so on to the recipes.  The reason I'm sharing these two recipes with you is because yesterday was my sister's birthday.  I told her I would make her anything she wants.  She chose my Asian Noodles and Egg Flower Soup (yes, really).  It's incredibly easy, and incredibly spicy.  So if you like red hot Asian, give this a try!

Easy Egg Flower Soup (1-2 points/serving)

Ingredients:

1 Box of Chicken Broth
2-4 Green Onions, sliced
1 Clove of Garlic
1TSP Sesame Oil
2 Egg Whites, Beaten
Salt, to taste
Soy Sauce, to taste

Optional:
10-12 Leaves of Cilantro
1 Can of Water Chestnuts
Fresh Carrots (sliced)
1/4C Frozen Peas
Mushrooms

Bring chicken broth, green onions, garlic, sesame oil, and optional ingredients to a boil.  Add optional ingredients and boil for 2-3 minutes.  Add beaten egg whites to boil, stirring as you add.  Voila!  Soup.

Amber's Asian Noodles (Makes 8 Servings, 7 points/serving)

Ingredients:

8 Chicken Tenders or 3 Large Breasts
1/2C Soy Sauce
4TBSP Honey
2 Packets of Sugar Substitute
2TBSP Low Fat Margarine
2 TBSP Garlic Chili Sauce
1TSP Ground Ginger
1/2TSP Garlic Salt
2C of Coleslaw Mix, Cabbage, or Celery
Cashews (Optional)
Sesame Seeds
1 Package Japanese Noodles (I use Nanka Seimen Kishimen Rice Noodles available at Kroger/Fred Meyer) or Whole Wheat Pasta

Slice chicken into small pieces.  In a bowl, mix soy sauce, honey, sugar, margarine, chili sauce, ginger, and garlic sauce.  Add chicken and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Cook the noodles per the instructions.  Rice noodles require that you bring a small amount of water to a boil, add noodles, allow to boil over, add one cup of cold water, allow to boil over again, repeat three times and then cover and set aside for five minutes.

Once you have covered and set aside the noodles, bring a wok to high heat and add chicken mixture.  Cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked, then add cabbage/celery until slightly soft.  Drain noodles.  Add cashews and drained noodles and stir fry over high heat for a minute or two.  Top with sesame seeds.

OMG Delicious (and low in points) Harvest Stuffed Shells

I love the Fall.  The leaves, the chilly nights, and the food!  I was very inspired by all the Autumn recipes in the various magazines this months.  One, in particular, was a pumpkin pasta recipe I was dying to try.

So I headed down to Fred Meyer to buy some canned pumpkin, but couldn't find it anywhere.  I asked the clerk and she said they don't carry it because it's "seasonal."  Okay, forgive me, but isn't Fall the "season" for said sqwash?  So, then I headed to Trader Joes...same story. 

So here I am wondering why I can buy a Halloween costume in August, but I can't find canned pumpkin in mid-September at the very same store.  Completely out of character, however, I turned this minus into a plus.  I remembered this awesome ravioli I had with Butternut Squash and toasted Sage from Pastini's one time and decided to modify the Pumpkin Pasta recipe to create a new Butternut Squash recipe.  And I have to say, it was probably the most delicious pasta I've made this season!

The topper?  Because squash is both low calorie and juicy, this pasta has about a third of the fat and calories of normal stuffed shells.  Three stuffed shells are about 6 Weight Watcher Points (8 Points Plus)!

So, here it is:  OMG Delicious Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

24 Jumbo Pasta Shells (I couldn't find high fiber ones, but if anyone knows where I can find them, let me know)
1 to 1-1/2C of Fat Free Ricotta
1/2 a Butternut Squash, cooked and mashed (I just cooked it in the microwave)
1/2C Grated Romano/Parmesan Blend
1 Egg White
2 Cloves of Garlic (I used minced garlic in the jar, 2TBSP)
1C Fresh Basil, chopped
1TBSP Fresh Sage, minced, plus a 5 leaves
1/4C of Walnuts (Hazelnuts would be delicious too!)
1TSP Salt
1TSP Pepper
1 Jar of Spaghetti Sauce

Directions:

1. Cook pasta shells according to instructions.  Rinse with cool water and drain. 
2. Coat the bottom of a baking pan with spaghetti sauce.  Set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix ricotta, romano/parmesan, egg white, garlic, basil, and chopped sage together.  Add squash and walnuts, salt and pepper.
4. Spoon a portion of the stuffing into each of the cooked pasta shells, and layer in the pan atop the spaghetti sauce.  Drizzle or spray a light amount of olive oil over the shells.
5. At this point, you could refrigerate the dish until ready to cook or cook immediately.
6. Cook covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  
7. While the pasta is cooking, spritz a small amount of butter or olive oil and garlic salt in a pan and brown.  Add the leaves of fresh sage and crisp.  Lightly salt.
8. After 30 minutes of cooking the pasta, the original recipe calls for 15 more minutes uncovered, but I think that would dry it out, so I didn't and it was wonderful!  Top with the sage leaves and enjoy!

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