Zomppin’ with Z: Hello Dolly!
When you have a beautiful young lady like this over for a party, what do you serve?
This photo, by the way, is specially for my sister who has an inexplicable fear of Barbie dolls. It was of one of the entries at the NC State Fair – creative!
Back to parties – appetizers and desserts are always fun for me to consider: who is my audience? how much time do I have to prep? what ingredients do I have? Chef Z had a party event to cater for 50 people, so I helped out with some dips, appetizers, and desserts. Here are a few EASY recipes and ideas to follow when you don’t have too much time and a lot of people to impress and feed.
First, Zacki’s Tip of the Day: Never put brownies or cakes in the refrigerator: it dehydrates the dessert.
Spanakopita Cups
Have some frozen chopped spinach in your freezer? Here’s an easy way to present it beautifully.
Spinach fillings with sour cream are fairly easy to make and everyone seems to have their favorite recipe (if you need one, see our free e-book for my Spinach Balls). Instead of making them into balls or even a dip, buy a package of little pastry puff shells (unless you have time to roll out your own), and voila, a pretty and alternative way to present them.
Chutney Cheese Dip
This is a super easy alternative to hummus or other dips. Perfect with thick pieces of pita. I personally like chutney with a bit of kick to it.
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
4 oz. cheddar cheese
2 TB sherry
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup chutney
4 green onions, chopped
1. Mix in food processor.
2. Enjoy!
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
Next up, for something a little heavier, take some grilled chicken skewers (you can simply marinate them in sesame oil, soy sauce, little ginger) and dip them in this fabulous easy dipping sauce that tastes more complicated that it is to make.
1/2 cup peanut butter (fresh peanuts are okay as well)
1/3 cup chicken stock
3 TB soy sauce
1 1/2 TB brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
2 TB chopped ginger
2 TB lime juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp red chili paste
1 shallot, minced
1. Mix all together in food processor.
2. Enjoy!
Hello Dolly Bar
Finally, dessert. This is a wonderfully, deceivingly simple-to-make dessert. At first, the recipe seems as it would be too sweet, but surprisingly, the coconut and pecans temper it to a really chewy, satisfying dessert. It’s not the prettiest because it is sticky, but cut into bars and sprinkle powdered sugar to make it a little more attractive.
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 TB butter, melted
2 TB water
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch morsels
2/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 can (15 oz.) condensed milk
1. Preheat to 350F
2. Line 9×9 pan with parchment paper (this is really sticky so you want to be sure sides are covered as well)
3. Put crackers in bowl. Drizzle butter and oil and toss with fork until moist (you want this fairly together so it sticks to the bars).
4. Pat into pan but don’t squish it
5. Distribute chips and morsels evenly
6. Distribute coconut and pecans
7. Drizzle with condensed milk
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is nice and brown and toasty
These dishes are simple to make but full in flavor. These party foods will impress even Pumpkin Barbie.
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