DINNER PARTY RECIPES FOR FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Braised Chicken with Garlic, Fennel, and Walnuts 
For 4
1 3 1/2-pound whole chicken, each cut into 8 pieces
1/2 head of garlic, cloves separated (about 10), peeled and sliced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 very large fresh thyme sprigs
Salt and Pepper
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup walnut halves

Trim excess fat off chicken. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly smash garlic cloves just to flatten slightly and remove the paper.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add chicken and cook until brown on all sides, about 12 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to plate. Add fennel and onion to the pot. Stir until barely golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add wine and thyme; bring to boil. Return chicken to pot and add the broth and walnuts (the broth should not quite cover the chicken). Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through. about 20-30 minutes. Remove the chicken, turn the heat up to medium high, and reduce the liquid by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste. 

Transfer chicken to platter and drizzle sauce over. 






Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
5 cups quinoa, cooked (1 cup uncooked)
1 cup medium red bell pepper, diced
1 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup cucumber, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup parsley
Salt and Pepper

In a pot, cover the quinoa with 4 cups of room temp water and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Turn down to a simmer, cover,  and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until you can see the germ in the quinoa.  In small bowl, combine the lime juice, garlic, red onion, oil, and some salt and pepper.  Add all of the ingredients to thequinoa and dress with the red onion mixture.  Add salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste. 

Roasted Cauliflower with Salsa Verde
2 large cauliflower heads
5 tomatillos
1 poblano chili
4 garlic cloves
Hot Sauce
A handful of cilantro
1/4 cup grated parm
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Pre heat oven to 425 F. Clean the cauliflower and slice into halves. Break off the florets, slicing the big ones in half. Coat with olive oil (2 tablespoons-1/4 cup, depending on how much cauliflower you have) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pop in the oven for about 15 minutes, shake the pieces around, flipping them, and roast for another 10. You should think, "Oh crap I burnt it," when you pull them out. But try it, the more caramelized and crispy the better. Meanwhile, peel and broil the tomatillos for about 5-10 minutes, or until charred and juicy. Char the poblano over an open flame, then scrape off the skin and deseed it. Chop it roughly and pop it, the tomatillos, the garlic, cilantro, and hot sauce in a food processor. Pulse it and taste for season. Drizzle it over the cauliflower and top off with grated parm. Enjoy!






Cheese Platter: Playing with texture and flavor combinations
Cheddar
Brie
Aged gouda
Sliced figs
Whole grain mustard
Cornichon
Baguette
Honey
Your favorite nuts

Plate your favorite combination and serve with plenty of bread and crackers.







Affogato

The easiest of easy dinner party recipes.

4 espresso shots (use instant espresso if fresh espresso isn't an option)
4 scoops of ice cream
4 tablespoons chopped bittersweet chocolate

Put a scoop of ice cream in a bowl, top with one shot of espresso and a tablespoon of chopped bittersweet chocolate. Enjoy before it melts!