Smooth Sailing Through a Dinner Party: A Thanksgiving Special

In lieu of the Thanksgiving holiday I have begun to prepare my home and my mind for the festivities and the amount of work to come. This entry is all about the recipe of smooth sailing through a dinner party. Here are some simple steps you can follow for this Thanksgiving and any holiday party to come. These are the 10 steps I have followed and will follow this Thursday. I might be missing some steps that you might find helpful so please add them below in the comment section. Thanks!

1. De-cluttering your home. My house is spacey for two but cluttered for 18. Since we are having a few families and children over I want to get rid of any nick-knacks that make a clutter or are dangerous to the little ones. Get rid of any candle sticks, souvenirs, pictures, etc. that are in children and pet reach. Also anything fragile should be put away. Don’t leave the crystal vase your great grandmother gave you out in the open on such a cluttered day. My advice, get a big storage box and pile everything in there. Shove it in the close or on the balcony for the night and feel the space just OPEN up. Also if you have a small kitchen, like I do, get ride of anything on the countertop that isn't needed. You'll need as much counterspace as possible and the air in the kitchen for this day.

2. Prepare ahead what you can, in terms of decorations, tables capes, silverware, etc. I already curled up all my napkins and stuck some rings on them. I already printed out all the table seating cards and have them ready to go. I prepared my centerpieces and votives on a tray so I can get them to the table as soon as needed. These little things can be done a week ahead and just be there waiting for you.

3. As much as you are dying to use your fancy china and crystals leave those to small dinner affairs and invest in some beautiful disposable settings. I went to Amazing Savings and picked up everything from napkins, utensils, serving plates, plates and soup bowls for my big crowd. Yes it cost about $100.00 but the clean up with be quick and we will all have a ton of time to relax and enjoy our company. I don’t have a dishwasher so I really need this, but even if you do—use the dishwasher for the wine glasses, the large serving trays and the pots and pans. Trust me your clean up will be there with or without the real plates and cups.

4. Know your menu. Don’t try to come up with your menu the day of. Sit down a few days before and really map out your menu. Write down what you need and guy out a few days before to pick up as much of the goods as possible. Some things are better bought the day of, but don’t keep everything to the night before or the day of, chances are things will run out on such holidays or you’ll end up not finding what you need.

5. Don’t experiment too much with new recipes on such days. The last thing you need is 18 people NOT eating your food because you screwed up the recipe. If you have a chance, try the recipe before to make sure it’s good and that you know how to make it successful. Also, a holiday like thanksgiving is all about traditional foods so make things you’re good at and you know will come out successful. Also, don’t make a bunch of foods that have no connection and don’t make too much of the same thing. My mission is to make a little of everything so at the end of the night nothing is left over. I’d rather people get a taste of everything on the table than just eat once dish and then me have one huge bowl of cranberry jelly left.

6. When deciding on recipes, consider how many people you have to fill. If it’s a small crowd then it’s not an issue but if you are planning to feed 15-20 + people you want to be conscious of the foods you choose. Why? Because you don’t want food that will cost you an arm and a leg. I almost spent $20.00 on brussel sprouts today and was like um never mind I’ll go for the zucchini instead. Look at your prices and make some conscious decisions. Even simple things like buying spinach. You have bunches spinach, bagged spinach and boxed baby spinach- which one would you choose? I do an entire math calculation in my head to get my money’s worth and you should too. See how much you are getting per pound and see what’s a better value. Don’t just grab and go like many people do.

7. On the night before plan out what takes the longest to prepare, the longest to cook, etc. Plan out what to do first, second and third. Check to see if you have everything you need. If you still need to run to the supermarket in the morning for one last fresh ingredient make not of it so it can be your first run in the morning.

8. The night before would be a perfect night to set your table as well. Arrange your seating. This way if you realize you need more chairs, more cups, or an additional table you still have time to call a friend and ask them to borrow. (My cousin Raya does this and so I realized what a wonderful idea it is and stole it. Thanks Raya =)

9. An hour before your guests arrive make sure the kitchen sink is clear, the counter tops are cleared of clutter and that the garbage cans are empties and refreshed with a new bag. This will really help with the clean up during and after dinner.

10. Make sure to shower before dinner, do your hair and makeup. You want to be a part of the dinner and not the servant. This is why time management is key here. Thanksgiving lunch/dinner is typically done at an early time than typical dinner parties so you want to make sure you have time for yourself.

*Thanksgiving Recipes will be shared after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Chili and Garlic Take Over!

I wanted to see what can be done with one set of ingredients and a few different main ingredients. I decided to take the chili and garlic combination and apply them to vegetables, poultry and seafood. I served them all during dinner last night to see the reactions. They all work amazingly well together and apply to each of these foods. The chili paste is from the Asian supermarket and it is very strong and spicy. I do not use as much because I don’t want to burn my mouth. However, if you love the spice feel free to add more. It might seem that you are putting a lot of garlic, but it is indeed a chili and garlic dish so do not deny the garlic breath! Perhaps this isn’t a first date kind of meal, but once you all get over the garlic breath this is a delicious meal. With the shrimp, you want to try to serve it right away. Once it gets warm, it doesn’t have the same kick to it. It’s a very quick dish to make so once your guests arrive you can make it and in 15 minutes your meal is ready! I’d like to confess that I have NEVER ever cooked shrimp and it was an interesting experience. I didn’t know how to take the shells off, I wasn’t sure how to devein them and so I goggled it and saw a YouTube video which helped me a lot. So if you are a shrimp virgin like me, just goggle how to clean shrimp and it will take you some great information!

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Steamed Chili and Garlic

Cauliflower and Broccoli

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 Minutes
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

1 Small head of cauliflower (about 3 cups)
1 small head of broccoli (about 3 cups)
1 large pot
About 1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of chili paste
¼ cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 tablespoon of salt to season steamed veggies
1 teaspoon of salt for sauce

Directions:

Cut off the stalks from both the cauliflower and broccoli. You want to leave very little to just hold the cali/broc together. Take these stalks and wash them and then cut them in even sizes. Layer them flat into a soup bowl. This bowl should be large enough to hold all the cauliflower and broccoli. Fill the pot up with water, enough to cover the stalks. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into mouthful sizes. Wash the cauliflower and broccoli. Place them in the pot sprinkling salt over each layer. Cover the pot and put it on medium heat. Allow it to cook for about 15- 20 minutes. You will see the cover begin to sweat. This is a nice easy method to steam your vegetables if you do not have a steamer. If you have microwavable steam bags, you can use those instead but I like this method. I like mine very crisp so I don’t cook them for too long but if you don’t like them as raw, keep steaming them till you like the texture.

At the same time, in a sauce pan, heat up the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, about 4-5 minutes place the rest of the ingredients (chili paste, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper). Mix all of the ingredients well and keep on a low flame. When you are vegetables are steamed to your liking, place as many as you can into the put and turn them I the sauce and then place them in your serving dish. Repeat till you have coated all of the vegetables. Once you are done take the remaining sauce and drizzle it over the vegetables.

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Chili and Garlic Chicken Wings

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 4-6 People

Ingredients:

14-16 chicken wings, tips cut off, washed and paper towel dried
2 tablespoon of chili paste
1/3 cup of olive oil
5 tablespoons of garlic, minced
2 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 tablespoon of salt
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl mix all of the ingredients together. I would first put everything together and then throw in the chicken and mix the chicken wings in. Use your hands, don’t be afraid. I use disposable gloves to mix them so I don’t feel so icky. Take a flat baking sheet and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the chicken wings flat. Put in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 20 minutes or until a little crispy and golden brown. Serve with some sticky white rice or some steamed vegetables (or both!)

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Chili and Garlic Shrimp

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 Minutes
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

¼ cup of olive oil
1 pound of large shrimp, tail on
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
½ teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon of chili paste
6 tablespoons of garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash your shrimp and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, heat the pan for 4 minutes on high heat, then lower the heat to medium and add the ¼ cup of olive oil. Give it another 3 minutes and throw in the garlic. Let it cook for about 4-5 minutes till they begin to get a little brown. Add the chili paste, sweet paprika and smoked paprika and stir. Let it simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes allowing all the flavors to infuse. Add the shrimp and stir constantly. You are not drying to fry them, but rather sauté them. The shrimps will curl up and turn a solid white/pink color. Flip the shrimp back and forth making sure to cook both sides. This will be quick, about 5-8 minutes. If you are not sure, take out one shrimp and taste the texture. If it is still a little raw give it another minute and it should be ready. Do not overcook it, because you can’t go back and you will have hard chewy shrimp that are not so great to enjoy.

Making Some Sides

If you ask me what my favorite part of any meal is, I’d have to say all the side dishes and salads. I can eat them and skip the fish and meat part. Not even desert wins over the side dishes. Luckily, Thanksgiving is coming up and I do believe that we really don’t like the turkey- because it’s generally dry or not as flavorful as we like to make it seem… What we really can’t wait for is all the side dishes. Here are three side dishes you can enjoy that are really easy and pretty quick to make. Enjoy!
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Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Serves: 4 People
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

14-16 small white potatoes- skin on, washed and quartered
1 large pot of water, enough to cover the potatoes
1 tablespoon of salt, to season the water for the potatoes
1 large white onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced thin
1 pack of mushrooms, stems left on, washed, patted dry, and sliced thin
¼ cup of light oil (canola, vegetable or an olive oil)
1 stick of butter (you can use less to reduce calories, and instead add water to make it looser, but it’s not my favorite choice)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In the large pot of water, place the quartered potatoes in with the tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Once a fork easily comes off the potatoes they are ready. It will take about 12-15 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a large frying pan with the 1/3 cup of oil. Let it heat for about 5 minutes. Place a handful of the mushrooms in and space them out. You do not want to crowd the mushrooms. Give them space to breath. This will insure crispy golden fried mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with a dash of salt and pepper. After 2-3 minutes, flip them over and give them another 1 or 2. Remove them onto a paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the mushrooms till you have finished all of them.
Afterwards, if you need a little more oil you can add it and let it warm up. If you have enough in your pot then don’t add. You will now fry your onions in the same manner. Take a handful of onions and break them up so they become loose. Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper. Fry your onions till they are tender and brown. If the heat is right they will also get a little crispy at the ends of the onions, that’s good =). Just don’t burn them. Remove them to same paper towel and repeat till you have finished frying all of the onions.

Once your potatoes have come to a boil, drain them well and put them back into the pot. With a potato masher, mashed them to your desired texture. I like them chunky so I don’t work them too hard. Add the mushrooms and potatoes. Slice the stick of butter into a few pieces and throw them in. Mix your potatoes with a spatula, large spoon, or large fork. You don’t want to mash the potatoes to a puree because then the mushroom and unions will have nowhere to belong. Add salt and pepper to your liking. I add about a teaspoon of each. If you like a creamer texture you add about ¼ of a cup of whipping cream or milk. ***Also, if you like cheese as much as I do, I really enjoy putting this an oven safe pan and mixing in cheese and then topping it with cheese and baking it for about 15-2 minutes till it’s golden brown. It takes the mashed potatoes to a whole other level!

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Tomato Almond Salad

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 3 Minutes
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

8-10 small red vine tomatoes (they sell mini ones in boxes now, too cute and tasty!) cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on the size even into 4 if they're real small.
½ cup of sliced almonds
¼ cup of balsamic vinaigrette
1/3 cup of dill, washed and removed from large stem parts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of black pepper
½ teaspoon of salt

Directions:

In a small frying pan, put it on a low flame and add the ½ cup of almonds. Let them toast, watching them carefully so they do not burn. Stir them every minute for about 3 minutes. Once they are toasted remove from heat and turn off.

In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, finely chop the dill, add the balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix together will and put into your serving dish. Sprinkle all the almonds on top and serve!

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Couscous Salad

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

1 cup of fine couscous, prepared by package’s direction
½ cup of cilantro, washed, removed from stems and finely chopped
1 lemon
2 small plum tomatoes, chopped into small cubes
1 small red onion, finely chopped into small cubes
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black ground pepper

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the couscous, cilantro, tomatoes, red onion, salt, pepper, and squeeze in the juice of one lemon very well. You want to grate out any lemon pieces from the lemon but make sure to pick out any seeds that might have fallen in. Mix all of the ingredients, place them in your serving dish.