But not the kind of party with fussy, complicated decorating or difficult recipes. I'm thinking simple elegance and a handful of close friends. Serve this simple menu, and you will be enjoying the party as much as your guests.
Welcoming your friends with an interesting, delicious cocktail always starts the night off on a fun note. One of my favorites is Citrus Mojitos by the Pitcher, which can also be easily made virgin for tea-totalers. (Get the recipe at fwtx.com.) Use the fabulous fresh fruit juices from Central Market to eliminate a lot of squeezing.
Fish is always nice as a first course. If you don't like last-minute scurrying around, plan on a dish that is delicious served chilled. This way you can arrange the plates an hour ahead, store them in the refrigerator, and voila! Simply, and with a grand flourish, serve them. A recipe that fits this bill is our Garlic Shrimp. Serve in the living room on decorative individual plates, and you are also covered for hors d"oeuvres.
To further herald spring, serve our Rosemary Roasted Rack of Lamb. Prep the day before and simply pop into the oven for a quick roast just before serving. Everyone loves risotto, but who wants to be stirring a pot when guests arrive? No problem, with our Make-Ahead Risotto with English Peas and Mushrooms.
To eliminate the need to clear the table in front of your guests, serve dessert from a coffee table, piano or other table in the den. Coupled with good coffee and champagne, this final touch will send your friends off with warm memories of a special evening.
Garlic Shrimp
Yield: Serves 4 - 6 as an appetizer or 4 as an entrée
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 – 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 pound shelled shrimp
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon mild paprika
• ¼ cup white wine or sherry
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• ½ cup shredded carrots
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until tender. Add shrimp and scallions and cook, stirring and tossing, 1 minute or until shrimp begin to turn pink.
Sprinkle with paprika and add wine. Cook and stir another minute. Sprinkle with parsley, and add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss lightly and serve on shredded cabbage and carrots.
Rocket Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Feta
Yield: 6 servings
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves Roasted Garlic, mashed *
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup olive oil
• 6 large handfuls rocket (arugula) or mesclun mix
• ½ cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
• ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese, crumbled feta or goat cheese
• Crouton Wafers*
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue whisking while slowly adding oil. Whisk until vinaigrette is emulsified. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.
To serve, toss rocket with mushrooms, radishes and cheese. Toss with dressing to taste. Serve with Crouton Wafers.*
*Find instructions for Roasted Garlic and Crouton Wafers at fwtx.com.
Rosemary Roasted Rack of Lamb on Spring Vegetables
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
• 2, 8-rib racks of lamb
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or as needed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 6 – 8 cloves garlic
• Warm Spring Vegetables (recipe follows)
Rub both racks with a little olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place rosemary leaves and garlic on a cutting board and chop together until finely minced. Pat this mixture onto both sides of racks.
Place racks, fat sides up, in a roasting pan and let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature (or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours).
Preheat oven to 400º.
Roast racks 20 minutes, until browned on the outside and 125º on the inside (using an instant-read thermometer). Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. To serve, cut between each bone to form chops. Serve chops on top of Warm Spring Vegetables.
Warm Spring Vegetables:
• 1 ½ cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
Place all vegetables on a large baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast 5 minutes at 400º.
Make-Ahead Risotto with English Peas and Mushrooms
Yield: 4 - 6 servings
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine or chicken stock or white grape juice
• 4 cups chicken stock, divided use
• 1 pound mushrooms of your choice, sliced or chopped
• 1 cup shelled English peas
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and sauté until transparent. Stir in rice. Simmer and stir for 2 minutes and then add wine. Cook for another 2 - 3 minutes or until wine is absorbed, then add 2 ¼ cups of the chicken stock, ¼ cup at a time, stirring between additions, for a total of 14 minutes cooking time. Stir in mushrooms and peas.
At this point, the risotto may be held. If serving within 1 hour, cover and keep at room temperature. Or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
To serve, let rice sit out to room temperature. In a large saucepan, heat remaining 1 ¾ cups chicken stock to a simmer. Stir rice into simmering stock. Heat and stir 5 minutes or until rice is tender but still firm.
Turn off heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.
Strawberry Rhubarb and Almond Crumble
Yield: 4 – 6 servings
Fruit filling:
• 6 – 7 stalks rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 ½ cups strawberries, cut in half
• zest and juice of one orange
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ - ¾ cup sugar, or to taste
• ¼ cup flour
Crumble topping:
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375º. Spray a 9 x 12-inch baking dish with non-stick coating.
Toss together rhubarb, strawberries, vanilla, orange zest and juice. Add sugar and flour on top and stir these two together slightly; toss completely with fruit. Spread into prepared baking dish.
For topping, stir together flour, almonds, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and stir to form crumbles. Spread evenly on top of fruit mixture.
Bake 25 minutes or until filling is bubbling hot and topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
