Making drool-worthy party appetizers is a snap with this easy recipe,

compliments of Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets

I’ve raved on about the versatility and yum factor of Picadillo before… and here I go again. This Cuban classic, which combines ground beef with raisins and olives in a thick, spicy tomato sauce, can be used to make a variety of dishes. Keep a container of it in your freezer and you’ll always be ready for a party! Picadillo can be stuffed into taco shells, rolled into burritos, spooned over pasta, rice or polenta, or used as a filling for empanadas.

To simplify things I’ve made the instructions below for just one tostada, but you’ll need to make more… even if it’s just for a party of one!

Click here for my recipe for Picadillo

PICADILLO TOSTADAS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To make one tostada, place a large flour tortilla on a nonstick baking sheet. Spread about 1/3 cup of cooled Picadillo on top. Sprinkle with shredded Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar cheese. Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is beginning to brown around the edges. Transfer tostada to a cutting board and sprinkle with chopped lettuce and thinly sliced scallions. Slice into small wedges and serve immediately.

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Celebrate the coming of spring with this fresh, green dip recipe from

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SPINACH-WALNUT DIP

Party dips never go out of style. Popular ingredients and combinations come and go (remember the old sour cream & onion soup mix classic?) but dip as a crowd-pleasing staple remains year after year. This yummy-masquerading-as-healthy dip is delicious with potato chips, pita chips  tortilla chips, breadsticks, or as a dip for crudites. Substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream, if you prefer.

Unless you squeeze every drop of liquid out of the spinach, the dip may separate a little after being refrigerated overnight. No worries. Just give it a quick stir before serving.  If you need directions for roasting garlic, you can find them here.

INGREDIENTS

1 large clove roasted garlic

¾ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 (16-ounce) tub sour cream

¼ cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted, plus more for garnish

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mash the roasted garlic with a fork. Squeeze the thawed spinach in you hands over the sink to remove all the liquid. Add drained spinach to the bowl.
2. Stir in the sour cream, chopped walnuts, sliced scallion, cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Garnish with chopped walnuts and serve immediately or store, covered in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Stir well before serving.

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Knock their socks off with this easy, impressive appetizer recipe,

compliments of Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!

Happy Entertaining!

CRISPY PIEROGI BITES

These cheesy, crispy potato bites look pretty fancy, but are a snap to prepare. They start with purchased fresh or frozen pierogies from the super market. The artful toppings are optional, but worth the extra effort if you want a showy, colorful platter. The toppings shown here (thinly sliced yellow tomato, chopped scallions, sliced cheddar, red pepper triangles, and pickled peppers) are just suggestions. Below is a list of alternatives. Olive or salad bars in large grocery stores or gourmet shops are a great place to find “grab & go” toppings. These irresistible appetizers also taste wonderful just plain. Either way, serve them warm from the oven with a variety of dips. My favorites are sour cream with chives, salsa, and pesto.

For the photo, I used Mrs. T’s frozen, low fat Potato and Cheddar pierogies. Don’t let the low fat part throw you. These pierogies are plump, rich and flavorful… just the way a pierogie should be.

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 24)

24 purchased fresh or frozen pierogies, prepared al dente according to package directions and patted dry

1 large egg and 1 egg white, beaten together

1 cup Italian dry breadcrumbs

Olive oil cooking spray

Assorted (optional) toppings such as colored pepper strips, pitted green and black olives, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cheese, pickled peppers, halved fresh mini mozzarella balls, chopped fresh herbs, pimento strips, chopped scallions and crumbled crisp bacon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the breadcrumbs out in a shallow bowl. Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil baking spray. Dip prepared pierogies into the beaten eggs, coating both sides, then into the breadcrumbs, coating both sides.
2. Place coated pierogies on the baking sheet and spray the tops lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. Add assorted toppings, if using, and serve immediately.

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Delight your party guests with this grownup cupcake recipe,

compliments of Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets.

Happy entertaining!

LEMON-COCONUT CUPCAKES

I developed this recipe a few years back for a Chronicle book I coauthored called, Lemons – Growing, Cooking, Crafting. These beauties are rich and dense but not too sweet, making them the perfect cupcake for grownup parties.

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 12 cupcakes)

For the cupcakes:

1 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon each baking soda and baking powder

pinch of salt

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

3 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup sour cream

½ cup sweetened, shredded coconut

For the frosting:

½ cup sweetened, shredded coconut, divided

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon each pure vanilla extract and freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

Make the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the lemon zest and vanilla.
3. Alternately add the flour mixture and the sour cream to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined. Fold in the coconut.
4. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and transfer the individual cupcakes from the muffin tin to a rack to cool.

Make the frosting:

1. Spread half of the coconut on a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, blend together the cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, vanilla, and lemon juice. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in the remaining (un-toasted) coconut. Spread a thick layer of the frosting on the cupcakes and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.

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Wow your guests with this sweet-salty hors d’oeuvre recipe,

compliments of Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets.

Happy Entertaining!

BACON, FIG JAM, & GOUDA ON SPICY CORN MUFFINS

My sister recently brought me a jar of fig & lime jam she bought at a farmer’s market in Charlottesville, Virginia. Jam According to Daniel is a Charlottesville based artisan producer whose motto is “one pound of local fruit in every jar – no pectin added!” All I know is, the guy makes superb jam. For a delightful one-bite appetizer make my spicy, corn-studded muffins in a mini muffin tin, slather with jam, and top with cheese and crumbled bacon. I used Gouda, but goat cheese or Brie would be equally delicious.

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 6 regular or 12 mini muffins)

1 (8.5 ounce) package corn muffin mix, such as “Jiffy”

1 egg

½ cup whole milk

½ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

generous pinch of sugar (optional)

3 to 5 slices crisp bacon

sliced gouda cheese

fig jam

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray nonstick muffin tin with baking spray. Stir together the muffin mix, egg, milk, corn, melted butter, crushed red pepper, and sugar. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.
2. Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes for regular muffins or 10 to 12 minutes for mini muffins. Let muffins cool in tin for about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
3. Split muffins in half. Slather each half with fig jam. Top with a slice of Gouda cheese and a piece of crisp bacon. Arrange muffin halves on a platter and serve immediately.

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Make a Valentine’s Day gift for someone you love with this simple recipe from

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PREACHER COOKIES

This teeth-chatteringly sweet, yet irresistible cross between a cookie and chocolate fudge goes by many names. My mom called her version “Preacher Cookies” because they could be whipped up quickly, and with common pantry staples, to serve when the preacher came a-calling unexpectedly. I don’t think preachers drop by unannounced anymore, but this simple recipe still provides almost instant gratification, making it the perfect recipe for cooking with kids. Let them line the cookie sheets with waxed paper, measure the ingredients, and put them in the pot. However, make sure an adult does the boiling and stirring part! Omit the coconut and just use 3 cups of oatmeal, if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS

(Makes about 2 dozen)

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup milk

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups uncooked old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick-cooking)

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Cover 2 large baking sheets with waxed paper. Combine the sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and butter in a medium sized heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Bring to a full boil and boil for exactly 3 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the oatmeal and coconut and stir to combine.
3. Working quickly, drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets. Let sit for about 10 minutes until the cookies become firm. (Cookies can be stored at a cool room temperature in a covered tin for up to 2 days.)

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Make all 17 of the recipes on these Super Bowl party menus, or just pick a few favorites like the Bacon & Caramelized Onion Dip with Oven Roasted Fries pictured above.

Wow your Super Bowl guests with delicious recipes and menus,

from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets.

Party On!

Since I blog about party recipes and celebration tips, I thought it would be fun to pull together a couple of Super Bowl menus using Shindig411 recipes. All the recipes in the following menus can be found in this blog and are linked for your convenience.

Of course, you don’t have to make every item on the menu. I just happen to prefer cooking to watching the game. My idea of a fun Super Bowl is hanging out in the kitchen cooking, sipping wine and chatting with other guests who share my preference. If you do decide to make everything, you’ll be surprised at how many dishes can be made ahead of time. I’ve listed the make-aheads at the end of each menu.

SKINS & SLIDERS MENU

KICK-OFF

Cayenne-Cheddar Cocktail Cookies

Almond-Coconut Chicken Bites with Dipping Sauce

Pizza Dip with Warm Breadsticks

Crudites

HALF TIME

Sweet & Spicy Barbeque Sliders

Pimento Cheese Canapes

Potato Skins with Assorted Toppings

Cole Slaw

FINAL QUARTER

Banana Cupcakes

Brownie Cookies

Vanilla Ice Cream

Drink Suggestions:

Amber Ale

Pinot Grigio

Cabernet Sauvignon

The following menu items can be made ahead of time so you don’t have so much to do on game day.

Cayenne-Cheddar Cocktail Cookies – Make up to a day ahead and store at room temperature in a tightly covered tin.

Pizza Dip with Warm Breadsticks – Mix the dip ingredients and transfer to a baking dish up to a day ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator. Bake just before serving.

Sweet & Spicy Barbeque Sliders – Make the barbeque up to 3 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator or freeze up to 3 months. Spoon reheated barbeque on small, soft rolls just before serving.

Pimento Cheese Canapes – Make the pimento cheese spread up to 2 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator.

Cole Slaw – Buy prepared cole slaw from the deli or grocery and store in refrigerator until serving time.

Banana Cupcakes – Make the cupcakes up to a day ahead and store at room temperature in a covered container or freeze up to 2 months. Frost on the day of the party.

Brownie Cookies – Make up to 2 days ahead and store at room temperature in a tightly covered tin. Or, make dough up to 2 months ahead, shape into a log and freeze. (Thaw slightly before slicing and baking.)

NACHO NOSHING MENU

KICK-OFF

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Dip with Oven Roasted Fries

Picadillo Empanaditas (mini empanadas)

Pepperoni Popcorn with Roasted Wasabi Edamame

Crudites

HALF TIME

Mile High Quesadilla Pie

Super Bowl Super Nachos

Polenta Bites

Green Salad with Sliced Avocado & Orange Segments

Chips & Salsa

FINAL QUARTER

Warm Chocolate-Strawberry Stuffed Breadsticks

Coconut-Pecan Blondies

Mango Sorbet

Drink Suggestions:

Mexican Beer

Chardonnay

Pinot Noir

The following menu items can be made ahead of time so you don’t have so much to do on game day.

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Dip with Oven Roasted Fries – Make the dip up to 2 days ahead and store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.

Picadillo Empanaditas – Assemble unbaked empanaditas up to 3 months ahead and freeze. Bake just before serving. (Do not thaw before baking.)

Mile High Quesidilla Pie – Prepare fillings for the pie a day ahead and store in the refrigerator. Assemble and bake the pie just before serving.

Super Bowl Super Nachos – Make the giant nacho chips up to 3 days ahead and store at room temperature in a tightly covered tin. Prepare refried beans up to 3 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator, or freeze up to 3 months.

Polenta Bites – Make the polenta up to 2 days ahead and store in the refrigerator. Or, use storebought polenta logs.

Coconut-Pecan Blondies – Make up to 2 days ahead and store at room temperature in a tightly covered tin or freeze up to 3 months.

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compliments of Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!

If you only make one of my recipes for Super Bowl, this is the one to make! It’s great rolled into flour tortillas or stuffed into small soft rolls to make sliders. As far as I know, the original version was developed by my friend, Marcia Keisel many years ago in the test kitchen of Food & Wine magazine. I may have tweaked it here and there, but it remains my all time favorite pulled pork recipe. (Actually, I usually make it with beef.) Either way, I guarantee you can’t go wrong with this dish.

SWEET & SPICY BARBECUE

This recipe serves 4, but can easily be doubled. It freezes beautifully, so it’s a great make-ahead party  dish.

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons  dark molasses

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon each paprika, ground coriander and salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1-1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or stew beef ,  cut into 2-inch cubes

2 bay leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together the molasses, vinegar, tomato paste and spices. Place the meat cubes in a large, shallow, non-aluminum baking dish. Add the molasses mixture and stir well to coat. Cover with foil and bake until the meat is very tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

2. Remove the meat from the sauce and shred it with a knife or two forks. Return the shredded meat to the baking dish and mix with the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature in buns, on slices of baguette, or rolled into flour tortillas.

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Super easy, super delicious Super Bowl recipes,

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POTATO SKINS

It’s hard to believe, given my love for all things potato, but this is the first time I’ve ever made Potato Skins. I’ve had them at bars, but just never thought of making them myself until I read an article about them in Food Network magazine. Now I think about them way too much – forever contemplating the endless array of toppings for which the skin itself becomes a blank palette.

I haven’t given measurements for this recipe because your choice and amount of toppings depends on your own personal preference. Figure on about ¾ of a potato per person and unleash your creativity. Use the topping suggestions pictured above as a springboard for your own creations.

Pierce large baking potatoes with a fork and bake (without wrapping in foil) at 350 degrees for about an hour, until cooked through. Let cool. Cut each baked potato lengthwise into quarters. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the flesh of each quarter, leaving about  a ¼ inch shell. Brush each quarter all over with melted butter or olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange, skin side up, on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Flip over and top with your choice of cheese. Return to oven until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Add your choice of toppings and arrange on a platter. Serve immediately.

Topping combinations pictured above:

Cheddar cheese, apple butter & crumbled crisp bacon.

Jack cheese, warm refried beans, salsa & sour cream.

Provolone cheese, salsa & scallions.

Cheddar cheese, sour cream & crumbled bacon.

Swiss cheese, red & yellow pepper slices, pickled Jalapenos and scallions.

Other topping suggestions:

Guacamole and goat cheese.

Swiss cheese, strips of sliced deli ham & honey mustard.

Cheddar cheese & caramelized onions.

Mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, halved grape tomatoes & chopped basil.

Chunky blue cheese dressing, shredded chicken & hot sauce.

Cheddar cheese, chili with beans, sour cream & chopped onions.

Provolone, salami, & assorted chopped olives.

WE’VE GOT THE PERFECT GIFT FOR YOUR VALENTINE!

Impress your Super Bowl guests with these deliciously easy recipes,

compliments of Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets.

Happy entertaining!

PIZZA DIP

Two words. Crowd. Pleaser. I recently had a party with a guest list that included a fair number of teenagers. I thought they’d like this. And they did; on the rare occasions when they could push their way through the wall of gnarling, gnashing adults that were wolfing the stuff down like there was no tomorrow!

Ironically I found the inspiration for this rich, indulgent dip in a magazine in a cardiologist’s office! I had to leave before I could copy it all down so I had to improvise, but the result is a winner. I don’t think your cardiologist would recommend it, but if you only have it on special occasions, like Super Bowl parties, it shouldn’t kill you. (My words. Not the cardiologist’s.)

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 10 to 12)

12 ounces (1 ½ 8-ounce bars) cream cheese, softened

¾ cup lite mayonnaise

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella

8 ounces pepperoni slices, quartered or coarsely chopped

2 large plum tomatoes

12 black olives, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Scrape mixture into a deep dish glass pie plate or medium sized baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with warm soft breadsticks, focaccia fingers, or sliced baguette.

Note: When I made this for the photograph, I was in a rush and opted for storebought canned breadstick dough. It’s precut and all you do is twist the dough strips and bake. (I added a sprinkling of kosher salt.) The breadsticks were surprisingly good. Who knew? You can find canned breadstick dough in the refrigerated case at the grocery store.

Another Note: A dear friend of mine keeps asking for a Super Bowl “wings” recipe. The truth is, I am just not a wings person. However I’ve done a little research and this Paula Deen recipe from Food Network magazine looks pretty good to me. Give it a try, Richard!

PAULA DEEN’S UNCLE BUBBA’S WINGS

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 3 pounds wings)

For the Wings:

1 1/2 cups hot sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

3/4 tablespoon garlic powder

3 pounds chicken wings

Peanut oil, for frying

For the Sauces:

1 stick salted butter, softened

1/2 cup hot sauce

1 cup sweet Asian chili sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the wings: Combine the hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, cayenne and garlic powder in a large bowl and mix well. Add the wings and toss. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep fryer or deep-sided pot until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Remove the wings from the marinade and drain off excess moisture. Carefully add the wings to the hot oil in batches (the oil may splatter) and cook until crisp, about 10 minutes.

Make the sauces: Whisk the butter and hot sauce in a bowl. Mix the chili sauce and soy sauce in another bowl. Serve with the wings.

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