Time Management for Easter Meals

Now that Easter is just around the corner, it's time to talk about good food and managing that meal if you are the host.

Having a large group of people over can be overwhelming.  You are cooking for more people than normal.  You want everything to go well.

And wouldn't you rather be less stressed than more stressed?  I know I would be.

So here are some tips to making a tasty and flavorful meal without driving yourself completely batty - I hope!

1.  Plan ahead. 
What can you make now, or other the next week than can be safely stored in ziploc bags or frozen for quick thawing for the big meal?

2. Ask people to bring items.
Everyone loves to share food.  Odds are, you usually get asked, "What can I bring?" anyway.  So take those volunteers up on their offer.  Let them bring the bread, the salad, the dessert.  Give up some of those items and make your life a little easier.

3. Prep outside the box.
What I mean by this is don't think you have to have everything in the kitchen.  The stovetop and oven are not your only options.  If the weather is going to be nice, consider grilling that ham or turkey!  If you have a roaster oven, put that main dish in there and let it do it's thing.  It's one less thing you have to babysit.  The plus to this is that means your oven is open for other side dishes or desserts and not tied up all day with the main entree.

Planning Ahead:

* Make your mashed potatoes now.  Place them in a ziploc bag, flatten and freeze.  The day before the big meal, put it in the refrigerator to thaw.  Then all you have to do is place them in a pot and re-heat.  Seriously, this makes the best mashed potatoes ever!  And you don't have to worry about peeling, chopping and cleaning on Easter.

* Pre-measure your vegetables in containers or ziploc bags.  Measure out what you need right now.  Trim and chop now so that all you have to do is open the container and either bake, steam or place in a bowl.


One more thing to ask yourself...Do you REALLY need to use the formal china?

This is a very personal thing, but if you are only using china because you think you have to, not because you want to, then don't.  There are so many nice, heavy options for paper plates out there that can coordinate with your decor.  Keep the regular silverware ~ it probably will be needed for cutting meat.  Beverages again can be handled as you see fit.

If you aren't tied to your china, make your life easier for these larger occasions and get the paper plates.  Easier cleanup for everyone all the way around.

I'll post some fun, Spring-ish recipes that you can add to your Easter table later this week.

I'm still here!

I know I have dropped off the face of the earth here and haven't posted in a couple weeks.  It's just been a bit crazy with all my homework and then we had my son's Eagle Scout ceremony to prep for and put on. 

Then I sponsored a networking lunch this past Monday, had class, prepped for two cooking shows and I have a radio interview tomorrow!

But I wanted to get back to Lent since we are on the second to last Friday before Easter!

Here's my deal for today:  Baja Shrimp Tostadas

Now I know some of you may not be shrimp fans, but I highly encourage you to give this a try!

Baja Shrimp Tostadas

12 tostada shells - or use corn tortillas if needed
2 T snipped fresh cilantro
1 med. avocado, diced up
1/2 C salsa verde - green salsa - it's usually pretty mild
1 garlic clove pressed
1 lb (about 30) cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
1/2 t chili powder
2 Roma tomatoes
1 C Co-Jack cheese, grated
3 C angel hair cole slaw mix
1/3 C sliced olives
More salsa verde (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.  Arrange 6 tostada shells overlapping on a large bar pan or cookie sheet. Bake 4-5 minutes or till crisp. Remove from pan to cooking rack.  Cook remaining shells.

Snip cilantro. Combine cilantro, avocado, salsa verde and garlic in bowl.  Mash until smooth.

Mix shrimp and chili powder.  Heat 2-3 minutes.

Seed tomatoes and dice.

On each tostada, layer avocado mixture, cole slaw mix, tomatoes and three shrimp. Top with alives and cheese.

Note: You could easily swap the shrimp out for chicken or other protein.

Enjoy!

Lenten Recipe - Southwest Taco Pie

Taco Pie?  What the heck is that?  Aren't we supposed to be talking about Lent?

Well, I fell off the blogging bandwagon as it's just been a crazy past few days. I realized that I didn't get a recipe out here this week.

So this week's offering actually has ground beef in it, but I'm substituting refried beans.  If no-meat isn't your thing, keep the ground beef.   You just need 1lb cooked with Southwestern Seasoning before you start.

Southwest Taco Pie

Crust:
1/4C plus 1T cornmeal, divided
3/4 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking pwder
1/2 t salt
1/3 C milk
1 T oil

Filling
1 can refried beans (or 1lb ground beef, cooked)
1 C chunky salsa
1 C (4oz) shredded co-jack cheese
1 C shredded lettuce
1 small chopped Roma tomato
1/4 C sliced ripe pitted black olives
Sour Cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 450. Spray stoneware pie plate or metal pie tin with olive oil. Sprinkle 1 T of cornmeal evenly onto bottom and sides of pie plate. For crust, combine remaining dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add milk and oil and stir with a fork until mixture forms a ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface.  Roll out into a 10-inch circle. Place in pie plate.  Shape edge to form a rim.

For filling, mix up refried beans and salsa and carefully spread over crust. Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.  Top pie with lettuce, tomato and olives.  Serve with more salsa and sour cream if you like.

Very easy.  Very filling.  Enjoy!

Thai Fish Fillets with Cucumber Salsa

Let's file this dinner time recipe under ridiculously easy.


Have you ever had Cucumber Salsa?  Homemade Cucumber Salsa is a-may-zing!  Pair that with some fish and you have a meal fit for Lent, or any other time of year.

This particular recipe has a bit of a Thai bent to it.  Given that Thai is a popular type of food nowadays, I thought this might peak your interest.

This is a freezer meal that you can easily prep ahead of time.  Thaw during the day.  Put in the oven when you get home from work or are ready to make dinner.

Thai Fish Fillets with Cucumber Salsa

Fish and Marinade
1 T peeled fresh ginger root, finely chopped - if you can't use fresh, substitute 1 t ground ginger
2 T sesame oil - olive oil works in a pinch, but the sesame oil has great flavor
1 T fresh snipped cilantro
1/4 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
4-6 fish fillets - tilapia, salmon, orange roughy

Salsa
1 C cucumber, seeded and coarsely chopped
1-2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 T olive or grapeseed oil
3 T white vinegar
1/4 t sugar
Pinch of salt

Finely chop ginger root. Combine ginger, sesame oil, cilantro, salt and pepper in bowl.  Mix well.  Place fish in ziploc bag and add marinade. Freeze for later.  If you plan to make the same day, allow to marinate 30 minutes.

To make salsa, cut cucumber in sections and remove seeds.  Coarsely chop with a knife.  You want it to be somewhat chunky.  Cut tomatoes in half and remove seeds.  Coarsely chop. Add cucumbers and tomatoes to mixing bowl.  Press garlic into bowl.  Add oil, vinegar, sugar and salt.  Mix well.  

To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove fish from ziploc bag.  Discard marinade.  Place fish in 9x13 baker.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve salsa with fish.

Note:  Salsa can be made ahead of time and stored in refrigerator for a couple days.

Enjoy!