New Year's Party Recipes

The next few posts offer recipes for easy to prepare party foods. They're perfect for a large bash on New Year's Eve or a small gathering of intimate friends.

May the New Year bring health, prosperity, and happiness for you and yours.

Remain safe.

Baked Brie with Pecans

If I was forced at gunpoint to choose one favorite cheese, it just might have to be brie, and being born and raised in the South, the pecan has a special place in my heart. My ninety-one year old father raised pecan trees from saplings that are still bearing nuts. So when I was looking for New Year's recipes to share, I couldn't resist this one. I hope you enjoy it.

Toasted pecans and maple syrup complement the creamy Brie in this hors d'oeuvre. For the best texture, let the cheese cool before topping it with the syrup mixture.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1 small wheel of Brie or Camembert (about 9 ounces)
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• crackers or sliced baguette, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cheese on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate; cool about 20 minutes.
2. While cheese cools, place nuts on a clean baking sheet; bake until toasted and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle nuts over cheese.
3. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and maple syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle warm sauce over slightly cooled cheese and nuts; serve with crackers or baguette.

This recipe is by Everyday Food reader Kathy Quinn of Montclair, New Jersey.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 45 minutes

Source: Martha Stewart

Blue Cheese and Walnut Spread

Ingredients

• 4-ounce bar of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 ounces (1 cup) cold crumbled blue cheese, such as Stilton
• Crackers or crostini, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir cream cheese with a wooden spoon until softened. Mix in walnuts; season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in blue cheese, breaking up as little as possible. Transfer mixture to a small bowl; smooth top. Serve with crackers or crostini. To store: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, up to 1 week.

This spread is also delicious served on apple or pear wedges. Rub them first with lemon juice to prevent discoloration.

Source: Martha Stewart

Spiced-Up Hummus

The ginger, cumin, and cilantro in this recipe are anti-inflammatory, and the chickpeas are full of fiber. Toasted whole-grain pita is great for scooping up hummus.

Per serving: 187 calories; 13 grams fat; 14 grams carbs; 5 grams protein

Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Makes 3 cups

• 15 (1 can) ounces chickpeas, drained, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground star anise (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped, plus whole leaves for garnish (optional)
• 1 plum tomato, peeled, seeded, and very finely chopped
• 2 scallions, very thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a food processor combine beans and reserved bean liquid, tahini, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, star anise (if using), ginger, and cumin; puree until smooth.
2. Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in cilantro, tomato, and scallions; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the top of the hummus. Before serving, garnish with cilantro leaves if desired.

Source: Martha Stewart

Tips For Easy Holiday Entertaining

Photo: Charles Walton IV

• Plan your menu at least a week in advance. That will give you time to locate hard-to-find items and shop the sales. To avoid long checkout lines, visit the grocery during weekdays or off-peak hours.
• • Skip the experiments. Prepare items you've successfully made before. Besides, guests may be looking forward to your specialties.
• • Use a few convenience foods. For a quick appetizer, top a whole Brie wheel with prepared mango chutney and serve with plenty of thin ginger snaps.
• • Set out plates, serving pieces, glasses, and flatware the night before. It's less stressful to search for that stray serving spoon without an audience.
• • Clean as you cook. Unless you've enlisted a kitchen helper, stopping to wash and put away pots and pans will save time at the end of the day (when you're most tired).
• • Don't overclean your house. Remove clutter, dust large items, dim the lights, and set out a few candles and perhaps some poinsettias or other bright floral arrangements. That's all you need to create a festive ambience. Focus cleaning time on the guest bath―it's brighter in there.

By Julia Dowling Rutland
Source: Coastal Living

Make-Ahead Appetizers for the Holidays

Unexpected guests are part of the holiday season. Be prepared with these make-ahead appetizers when the doorbell rings. Keep apple cider, eggnog, or a bottle of wine at the ready. Offer your guests some already prepared tidbits, pour a cup of cheer, and relax. Keep it simple, and don't miss out on the best part of the season - friends and family.

Walnut Red Pepper Dip

Annabelle Breakey, Karen Shinto

Perfect for those unexpected guests, this ultra simple dip only takes 10 minutes to prepare and kicks up the flavor with roasted red peppers and walnuts. Serve it with your favorite bread rounds or pita chips.

Prep Time: 10 minutes.

Yield

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups shelled walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers, drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation

In a food processor, pulse walnuts, cumin, sugar, and salt until walnuts are finely ground. Add peppers, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Whirl until smooth.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per tbsp.

Lynn Lloyd, Santa Cruz, CA, Sunset, DECEMBER 2007

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Jan Gautro

Hot Artichoke-Cheese Dip
This warm dip is just the thing when you hanker for a creamy, cheesy snack. And because you are likely to have the ingredients on hand in the fridge and freezer, it's also great for impromptu entertaining.

Yield

12 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 tablespoons dip and 2 baguette slices)

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 green onion, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
• Cooking spray
• 24 (1/2-ounce) slices baguette, toasted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place garlic and onion in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); process until almost smooth. Add artichoke hearts; pulse until artichoke hearts are coarsely chopped. Spoon mixture into a 3-cup gratin dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated and bubbly. Serve hot with baguette.

Photo: Jean Allsopp
Marinated Olives and Manchego

Yield

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup kalamata olives, rinsed
• 1 cup manzanilla olives, rinsed
• 1 cup diced manchego cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Preparation

Toss ingredients together gently. Let stand in glass jar 1 day.

Coastal Living, APRIL 2007

Find more recipes at Coastal Living.

Cozy Christmas Dinner?

Photo William Dickey / Styling Buffy Hargett / Food styling Angela Sellers, By Scott Jones

Though Southern Living bills this menu of pork loin roast with Carolina apple compote, butternut squash risitto, and bacon-brown sugar brussels sprouts as a "cozy Christmas dinner," you may be a traditionalist who would never give up your holiday turkey, ham, and Grandma's candied yams. Still, this is a dinner that could be enjoyed on any occasion when you want your guests to feel special. Click on the links to get the recipes.

photo: Pinecone candles give the dinner table a warm glow. Use extra serving pieces to complement the color palette and provide protection, if needed, from dripping wax.

Healthy Tips For Surviving The Holidays

Apricot Canapes

I used to subscribe to Eating Well Magazine. Yesterday morning, I knew that I would spend several hours sitting in a waiting room while my husband underwent a routine procedure - a procedure all too familiar to those over fifty years of age. Just before leaving the house, I noticed several out-of-date copies of Eating Well sitting in a basket in the corner of my bedroom. I grabbed a few issues, envisioning myself thumbing through the glossy pages, hoping to divert my attention from the results of my husband's procedure while I sat waiting in a room filled with strangers.

As I thumbed through the slick and colorful pages, looking at beautiful photos of appetizing and healthful foods, I recalled why I subscribed to Eating Well in the first place. The recipes are simple and healthful, the articles are informative, and the topics are inspirational - inspiring the reader to choose healthful alternatives which can lead to a lifestyle that enhances quality of life.

The following article is only one example of the tips and recipes you will find.

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Holiday celebrations can be a major obstacle for people watching their weight. So how to avoid gaining weight, but still have fun? These tips and recipes will help you eat healthfully and deliciously all season long.

Read the entire article about healthy tips for surviving the holidays.