Posts Tagged ‘party food’

Monday, July 26, 2010

Cucumber and Feta Salad (that also makes an amazing dip!) And a GIVEAWAY!

I trust most anything David Lebovitz does. And during my search for feta salad recipes, I came across his recreation of Joanne Weir’s cucumber and feta salad. It looked so beautiful, I just had to try it. It was a wonderful salad, but also makes an awesome party dip. It’s also pretty simple, but packed full of flavor!

I did make a few changes to the recipe… I used more cucumber than it called for. And I kept the peel on and seeds in, since a cucumber is not a cucumber without (at least to me). But like David recommended, I served the salad with some baked pita chips.

Enjoy the recipe, but also make sure you read to the end of this post to see a fun, Gap giveaway!

Cucumber and Feta Salad:

  • 2 medium cucumbers, diced into pea-sized pieces
  • Coarse salt
  • 8 oz. Athenos feta cheese (I used half cracked black pepper and half traditional)
  • 1/4 C olive oil
  • 2-3 T freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 T water
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and finely-diced
  • 1 T fresh mint
  • 1 T fresh parsley
  • 1 T fresh dill

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After chopping my cucumbers, I put them in a colander with some salt and let them drain for about 30 minutes, shaking the colander from time to time.

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I crumbled the feta in a medium bowl and mixed together with olive oil, lemon juice, water, and some black pepper.

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Then mixed in the onion and herbs.

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And the cucumber, too!

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And mixed it all together.

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I kept the salad in the fridge, while I baked my pita chips. I simply cut whole wheat pita bread into triangles, brushed some olive oil on them, sprinkled salt on them, and baked them for about 8 minutes at 375 degrees.

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Perfection!

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I served the salad in a smaller bowl.

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With the pita chips.

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And piled a bit of the cucumber feta salad on some of the pita chips.

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This would be a great little hors d’oeuvres for a party.

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Or you could just serve the salad and pita chips separately and let guests dip the chips themselves.

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Chels came over to enjoy the salad (she’s not sick of feta salads either!). And then we headed out to see our friends’ band at the Middle East in Cambridge. They band is called The Timberfakes and they’re a Justin Timberlake cover band!

They’re pretty awesome and you should definitely check them out at their upcoming shows.

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We had a blast… The Timberfakes sold out the Middle East, which is absolutely amazing!!

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And now for the giveaway! Remember when I had that Gap Born to Fit party last year? Well I’m still a Gap brand enthusiast and I still get lovely presents from them and Brand About Town in the mail every so often. They recently sent me this super cute faded denim jacket. I never ever ever thought I would be a fan of faded denim (especially in jacket form), but I love this!

It’s super lightweight and perfect to throw on over a summer outfit. But could also actually be worn as a button-up shirt.

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Anyway, since they sent me this cute jacket, I wanted to do something for you guys, too! They also gave me a gift certificate for a free pair of Gap jeans! And I’m, of course, giving it to one of you lucky readers.

Want a chance to win? All you have to do is give me your best moving tip. I’m moving this Friday, for the first time in 5 years, and I’m welcoming all moving advice.

You have until Friday, July 30, at 11:59 p.m. to enter. And you can get extra entries by tweeting about the giveaway and referencing @wearenotmartha and/or blogging about it.

Good luck!! And wish me luck on a super crazy busy week, during which I also have to finish packing my life up!

[Sues]

Related Posts: Pesto Cheesecake, Minted Pea Mash, Avocado Toasts, Zesty Baked Chicken Wings, Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese,
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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Ever since my dinner at Max & Dylan’s a few weeks ago, I’ve had buffalo chicken mac and cheese on my mind. Like, way more than is normal. I decided I needed to re-create my own version. I did a little bit of research, added my own touches, and was on my way to heaven. I’ll tell you right here this dish is NOT good for you. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s the opposite of nutritious. I did do a few things to try to make it a little bit better than most recipes were telling me. Like I used whole wheat macaroni, 2% milk instead of whole, and 50% reduced fat Cabot Cheddar. Yes, I said a little.

However, this dish is SO worth it. Perfect if you’re going to a party or have a lot of people to feed (it makes A LOT). I made it last Thursday evening when I knew I had a busy weekend where I wasn’t going to have time to cook, but wanted some quick leftovers that would last. I also ended up freezing a lot of it.

Don’t be intimidated by this mega-ingredient list. You’ll have a lot of the ingredients already. And like I said, it’s worth it.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese:

  • 2 C unseasoned breadcrumbs
  • 11/2 T cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 T ground cumin
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 lb. chicken cutlets
  • 6 T canola oil
  • 1 lb. elbow macaroni (whole wheat if you want)
  • 8 T (1 stick) butter, divided (6 T and 2 T)
  • 3 C chopped onions
  • 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 C all-purpose flour
  • 4 C 2% milk
  • 1 C reduced fat cheddar cheese
  • 1 C crumbly blue cheese
  • 1 C buffalo spice cheese (use Monterey jack if you can’t find)
  • 2 T paprika
  • 1 C Frank’s RedHot Original (I used the extra hot variety)


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Chris happens to be obsessed with this cheese that he randomly found in Star Market. You don’t need it to make this mac and cheese, but if you can find a buffalo spicy cheese to add to the dish, it will definitely enhance it. If not, just use Monterey Jack (or maybe even a pepper jack).

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I, of course, chopped all my onions up with my VeggiChop. I saved about a million hours and a million tears (I ended up using 2 onions to get the 3 cups).

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Mix together the breadcrumbs, salt, cumin, cayenne, and pepper in one bowl.

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And beat the eggs together in a separate bowl.

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And you’re ready to make the chicken! Coat chicken cutlets with breadcrumbs, dip in eggs, and then coat again with more breadcrumbs. Put on a plate and repeat with all the cutlets.

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Now, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 C of canola oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken tenders and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.

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Repeat with all the chicken and move to paper towels to drain. When it cools a bit, you’ll need to cut into 1-inch pieces.

Yay chicken fingers!

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Now you’re ready to cook your macaroni. Boil it in a large pot until tender, but not cooked through (super al dente, if you will). Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

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Melt 6 T of butter in same pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, covered, for about 6 minutes. Onions should be soft, but not browned. Make sure you keep stirring.

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Now, add the flour and stir for 2 minutes.

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Then whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for about 2 minutes. Add all the cheeses, paprika, 1 t salt, and 1 t pepper. Whisk until all the cheeses melt and sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes.

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Remove from heat and mix cheese sauce in bowl with macaroni. Also, mix in half the chicken pieces.

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Now transfer the macaroni mixture into a 13x9x2 glass baking dish. I told you this is a lot of mac and cheese.

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake macaroni uncovered until heated through, for about 25 minutes.

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Now, stir the Frank’s RedHot and remaining 2 T of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter milks. Take macaroni out of oven, top with remaining chicken, and pout ReHot/butter mixture over the top (about 4 tablespoons).

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Bake 5-7 minutes more. And serve!

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We love things super spicy around here, so the buffalo spice cheese really helped amp up the spice. If you want the mac and cheese to be super spicy but don’t have the cheese, I would definitely add some Frank’s RedHot (or whatever you’re using) to the cheese mixture instead of just pouring it over the top. If you just want the subtle buffalo spice, just pouring it over the top as indicated should be fine.

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Really though, this was legitimately heaven. SO awesomely amazing. You’re basically combining 2 of Americans all-time favorite foods into one delicious dish. Like I said, bring this to the next party you go to and you’ll be a very popular person.

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Or just make it for yourself and have a big bowl when you’re having a sort of down day. It will cheer you right up. Not that I’m encouraging you to eat your emotions. Just try not to eat the whole thing at once, OK?

What’s your dream mac and cheese combination?

[Sues]

Related Posts: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Kale, Zesty Baked Chicken Wings, Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Buffalo Chicken Chili,
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