Showing posts with label simple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simple. Show all posts

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Easy Entertaining For The Holidays

(NAPSI)-One way to keep the season merry for both partygoers and party throwers is to keep things simple.

When you serve dishes that are easy to create, you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time providing guests the gift of your presence.

You can serve:

• Crisp vegetables with festive dips such as salsa and hummus, chips and crackers.

• Traditional popcorn balls and trendy salty snacks.

• Gourmet cheese and fruit.

• Simple but flavorful recipes such as these:

BACARDI® Rum Garlic Shrimp

1 to 1½ pounds extra-large (21- to 25-count) shrimp, peeled with tails left on, deveined and patted dry

3 Tbsp. BACARDI® Superior Rum

3 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Arrange shrimp in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Heat remaining ingredients, except parsley, in a small saucepan until butter is melted. Drizzle mixture over shrimp. Bake at 425° F until shrimp become opaque, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Serve with piña colada sauce. For an extra hint of festive color, decorate platter with fresh strawberries.

Yield: 4 entrée or 10 appetizer servings

BACARDI® Rum Piña Colada Sauce

1 cup light sour cream

½ cup cream of coconut

½ cup crushed pineapple, undrained

⅓ cup BACARDI® Superior Rum

Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill until served.

Yield: 2 cups sauce

BACARDI® Dragon Berry™ & Ginger Ale

3 parts BACARDI® Dragon

Berry™

1 part ginger ale

Pour over ice in glass.

Garnish with lime wedge.

You can find more great recipes and entertaining ideas online at Bacardi.com.

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Thursday, October 29, 2009

'The Ultimate Simple Holiday Cookie' Recipe!

/PRNewswire/ -- "The Ultimate Simple Holiday Cookie" recipe was unveiled today by Stone-Buhr Flour -- the nation's leading producer of sustainable flour. "This mouth-watering butter cookie was developed by one of America's top chefs, Chef Thierry Rautureau," announced Josh Dorf, the CEO of Stone-Buhr. Rautureau is the acclaimed owner of Seattle's four star restaurant Rover's, cookbook author and frequent guest on radio and TV. Under Dorf's leadership, Stone-Buhr has become the first flour company to distribute and promote "sustainable" flour. "We think of this as the ultimate 'green' holiday cookie. It's good for farmers, for the land and perfect way to spread the joy and good will of the season," Dorf added.

Stone-Buhr's All Purpose Flour is from wheat grown and certified as sustainable under the strict guidelines of the nonprofit The Food Alliance. Working with a small group of wheat farmers in the Pacific Northwest (Shepherds Grain) the wheat in Stone-Buhr's "Washington White All-Purpose Flour" is grown in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Through their use of "no-till" practices, these farmers have been able to dramatically reduce soil erosion and enhance water retention as no-till farming requires less fossil fuel and preserves the soil's ability to trap and keep carbon out of the atmosphere.

"By following this simple recipe you'll be making both the planet and your stomach happy," said Chef Rautureau.

The Ultimate Simple Holiday Cookie

1 cup finely ground, toasted hazelnuts (You can substitute toasted and ground almonds or pecans.)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups Stone-Buhr All Purpose flour


Combine the nuts, butter, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix at medium speed until well blended. Gradually add the flour to the dough, with the mixer at medium-low speed. Blend until the mixture forms a smooth dough.

Form the dough into 2 flat disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Set 1 of the dough disks on a lightly floured work surface and let sit for a few minutes to soften slightly. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/16 inch. Using a small knife or cookie cutter, cut the dough into preferred shapes. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets with an inch between them. Bake until the cookies are firm and lightly browned around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue with any remaining dough.

Decorate with your own festive and creative toppings!

Makes 2 to 4 dozen (depending on the size and shape).

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