planetdanika

Last night we celebrated my 30th birthday in style. We had elegant appetizers, fancy cocktails (both regular and non-alcoholic), and cake from Macrina. Most guests arrived well-heeled and many came bearing gifts, flowers and limericks. I thoroughly enjoyed myself- many thanks to my husband for pulling so much of it off. Our friend, RoseMarie, commented upon leaving that he is among “the elite” (of husbands) for being so thoughtful, diligent, and well-prepared. I couldn’t agree more, but I won’t bore you with my praises. Suffice it to say, the party was that much more impressive for the hired help, printed drink menus, photo displays/decorations and playlists that he organized.

The recipes for my 2 favorite appetizers from the evening appear below. I strangely ended the evening having eaten little of the food, but a tremendous quantity of cake. G’s ham was also a hit, both last night and this morning when we had leftovers for breakfast.

Thanks to all of you who made it a most memorable birthday!

Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
Source: Cooking Light, September 2001

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons honey, divided
Cooking spray
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
16 Belgian endive leaves (about 2 heads)
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese
16 small orange sections (about 2 navel oranges)
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine walnuts and 1 tablespoon honey; spread on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.

Combine 1 tablespoon honey, vinegar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

Fill each endive leaf with 1 orange section. Top each section with 1 teaspoon cheese and 1 teaspoon walnuts; arrange on a plate. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over leaves, and sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed leaves)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 92(44% from fat); FAT 4.5g (sat 1.1g,mono 0.7g,poly 2.4g); PROTEIN 2.5g; CHOLESTEROL 3mg; CALCIUM 43mg; SODIUM 29mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.9g

Chipotle-Lime Crab Crisps
Source: Cooking Light, March 2006

48 baked tortilla chips
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled jicama
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 medium avocado, peeled and diced

Preheat oven to 350.

Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on 2 baking sheets.

Combine mayonnaise, chile, and juice, stirring with a whisk.

Combine crab and next 6 ingredients (through celery) in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture, stirring until well combined. Spoon about 1 tablespoon crab mixture onto each chip. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated; top the chips evenly with avocado.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 3 crisps)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 85(35% from fat); FAT 3.3g (sat 0.6g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 5.1g; CHOLESTEROL 18mg; CALCIUM 44mg; SODIUM 211mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 0.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.1g