Chips and Salsa

A few weeks ago my husband came up with a brilliant idea (and I'm not being sacarstic...yet) to host an adults only get together at our house. So, I diligently sent out the evite for our "Drop The Kids, Pick Up The Beer Party" to all of our friends. Within seconds I received several "YES" RSVPs-which lead me to believe that everyone, myself included, was desperate for a night out without having to carry a diaper bag, talk over a screaming newborn, or answer a preschooler's one thousand questions all starting with "Why?"

The night before the party, my hubby opened the fridge and asked me what all of the food in the fridge was for. I looked at him as if he's crazy and responded somewhat snottily: "um, for the party we're hosting tomorrow night". Naturally, he showed me his contribution--which included industrial size bags of tortilla and potato chips with a side of salsa. I, on the other hand, made the following quick and easy appetizers which when paired with my husband's chips and salsa, were FABULOUS.

Mexican Bread Bowl

Grocery List:
1 Pane Di Casa (round Italian bread)
1 Large Seeded "Il Forno" Bread (This is my absolute favorite bread. It is crusty and sinfully delicious. It can be found at North End Meats in Eastchester only on Fridays and Saturdays, however, if you know you will be needing it, call Anna an order yourself a loaf the day before)
however, if you cannot get your hands on this bread, any crusty loaf will do, but I can't make any promises that it will be as delish.)
1 large container of sour cream
1 block of cheddar cheese or a bag of shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar of salsa

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut a circle into the top of the pane di casa; gently pull the top off the bread and proceed to hollow out the middle creating a simple "bread bowl".

In a separate bowl mix the sour cream, jar of salsa and shredded cheddar cheese. Pour mixture into the bread bowl. Put the bread lid back on top to cover the mixture. Wrap the entire pane di casa in aluminum foil and place in oven for about 1 1/2-2 hours.

Take the Il Forno bread (or other crusty loaf) and cut into cubes. Use the cubed bread to dip into the Mexican Dip.

Be sure to serve this dish HOT.

Spinach and Feta Wontons

Grocery List:

2 packages frozen spinach
1 container of crumbled feta cheese
1 package of wonton wrappers (found next to the tofu in the fruits and veggie aisle)
Chopped Garlic

Assembly:

Wontons should be at room temperature
Defrost/Thaw Spinach. Wring out all excess water.
Coat a pan with olive oil and saute the chopped garlic until golden brown. Add the spinach and cook until spinach is warm and well coated with olive oil and garlic. Let the spinach cool down before adding the crumbled feta. Set aside.

Get yourself a small bowl of water. You'll use the water to seal the wonton wrappers.
Gently peel the wrappers apart to make sure you're only using one at a time, then spoon the spinach and feta mixture into the middle of the wonton-follow the instructions on the package on how to properly fold and seal the wonton.

Next, heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan. Gently place a batch of the wontons into the pan and saute for approximately 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Cucumber, Hummus and Tabbouleh Bites

Grocery List:

1 large English Cucumber (the one in the cellophane wrapper)
1 large container of hummus (my favorite is the Roasted Pine Nut by Sabra)
1 large container of Tabbouleh

Assembly:

Cut cucumber into slice. Place a dollop of Hummus on the Cucumber. Place a spoonful of Tabbouleh on the hummus. Serve. (Could it be any easier?)

Sweet Potato Rounds with Feta & Chives

Grocery List:

4-5 thin sweet potatoes
1 block of Feta Cheese
1 package of chives

Assembly:

Peel sweet potatoes. Slice sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds - just thick enough to be able to scoop out a little pocket. I use the small side of a melon-baller to scoop out a tiny little pocket or indent really, in each sweet potato round. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until just before they are soft. Timing all depends on the size of the sweet potatoes, so keep a close eye on them. You don't want to cook them all the way through because they will go back in the oven for another 10-15 with the feta and chive mixture.

In the meantime, finely chop the chives. Then mix the feta and chives together in a bowl. After the sweet potatoes have baked, assemble by placing a small spoonful into the center of each sweet potato round. Place back on the cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until the feta melts. Serve HOT. Tiny bits of heaven I tell you.

To save time, I usually make all of the mixtures, i.e. mexican bread bowl dip, feta and chives, the night before. I also bake the sweet potatoes the night before so that on the day of the party, all I have to do is assemble and place in the oven.

Olive Roll Ups

Grocery List:
1 large jar of green olives with pimentos
2 cans black olives
1 package of cream cheese
1 bunch of scallions
1-2 packages of whole wheat tortillas

Assembly:

Slice all olives. Chop scallions, (use both the green stem and white bulb.) Place cream cheese in a bowl and mix. Fold in olives and scallions. Spread mixture evenly over an entire tortilla. Roll tortilla like a cigar, then slice into rounds. These make tasty, colorful, sophisticated looking, pinwheels.

Red Sangria
While the boys are drinking their beer, I served Yago Sant'gria for the ladies. This can be found at any liquor store and you can't miss it b/c it is brightly colored purple bottle. Slice up some oranges, lemons and apples and drop them into the sangria to make it look like you made it all yourself.

These recipes are simple, but delicious, and will not disappoint your crowd.

Our party went until about 3am, which is super duper late for us parents, however, it was just what we needed. Good friends, good times and just a little more than chips and salsa.

Enjoy!

P.S. I must give credit where credit is due, so thank you to my sister in law Tiffany for teaching me how to make and serve a mean appetizer!