14 Days of Romance: A Sweet Treat: Day 6

It's definitely not Valentine's Day without Sweets.  

Chocolate Covered Strawberries with Pretzels and Almonds.... EASY!!! EASY!!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup pretzel rods
• 1 cup almonds
• 3 (4-ounce) bars semisweet chocolate, melted (recommended: Valrhona chocolate)
• 8 long-stemmed strawberries

Directions

Chop pretzels and nuts and place in 2 separate bowls. Chop chocolate.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate until smooth and velvety.

Dip strawberries in chocolate and then in pretzels or nuts.

Place covered strawberries on a 1/2 sheet tray lined with waxed paper. Allow to set at room temperature and serve

EASY Entertaining: Putting together a cheese board

I am known for the impromptu little get togethers at my house... it may be two friends, it could be six...

BUT - whom ever it is, or for what.... it's a celebration to me!

So, last week was Hanukkah and on the short notice, two of my best friends came over and here's what I whipped up real quick!

An easy cheese board

- I like a variety of cheeses with different flavors and textures: sharp cheddar, brie, smokey gouda, and Jarlesburg (the Jarlesburg was the favorite of the evening)

- I also like to mix in fruit, so 1 package of blackberries, two apples cut, and a bunch of grapes.

-The entire plate cost $27 at the market, which for fast entertaining I think is great!

(For 3 girls, this was pretty much dinner, and some cupcakes but that's not the point!)

I then laid out a vintage table cloth, brought out the Vera linen napkins and wooden block napkin rings and a simple little party was made.

** The plate used for serving is vintage Fire King.

Amazing, Healthy Recipe for Multiple Occasions.

Last weekend at my dinner party one of the best dishes of the night (if I must toot a horn here) would be the Mango Shrimp in Endive.  First off - this is by far the absolute easiest thing in the world to make.  There is no measuring or cooking - its all cutting and chopping.

The other great thing about this recipe is that you can do a lot of things with it.  I made it last night for dinner - and it was amazing, and I didn't spoon the mixture into lettuce cups - I just ate it straight up as a salad.  So -- you can make this as an appetizer for entertaining, or your own yummy meal.

Above, would be the salad version before mixing it and before adding olive oil.

It's the Mango Shrimp (in Endive Lettuce Cups - if you want)


1/2 lb. cooked, cleaned, devained cold shrimp. Chopped
1/2 mango (approx. 1 cup). Chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro. Chopped
1/4 cup green union. Chopped.
2 tablespoons Olive oil. Just whirl it around the bowl two times... it worked for me!
1 tablesspoon fresh lime juice. Squeeze a quarter cut slice of a lime (you don't need to measure this either).
2 teaspoons grated ginger.
Kosher Salt (just a few shakes was good for me)
Black pepper - to taste.
24 endive leaves (optional or you can chop them up and add to it to be salad)

Mix all ingredients together (minus endive, unless you want it chopped and mixed in). Either spoon into the individual lettuce cups, or leave as a salad. You can make this up to an hour before serving.

Above would be the endive cup version

Keep me posted if you ever end up making it! 

I want to make this

I am definitely going to make this salad. It looks so yummy and refreshing.

Mixed Citrus Salad with Feta, Onion and Mint

3 to 4 tablespoons red onion, cut into tiny bits

4 pieces of citrus, preferably a mix of grapefruits and oranges but use what you can get, and what you like to eat

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice

1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 to 4 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) feta cheese, chopped or crumbled

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped or cut into tiny slivers

Place your red onion in the bottom of a medium bowl. Nest a strainer over the bowl.
Prepare your citrus fruits by beveling the stem end of one, cutting enough off that you reveal the pith-free flesh of the fruit. Repeat on the other end. Rest your fruit on one of its now-flat surface and begin cutting the peel and pith off in large, vertical pieces. You want the fruit’s exterior to be “white”-free.
Turn the fruit back on its side and cut it into 1/4-inch thick wheels, removing any seeds and thick white stem as you do. Place the wheels and any collected juices from the cutting board in the strainer over the bowl with onion. Repeat with remaining citrus fruits. (As the extra juices drip over the bowl, it will soften the raw onion bite.)

Spread the fruit slices out on a platter. Scoop out the onion bits (a slotted spoon or fork does the trick) and sprinkle them over, leaving the juice in the bowl. Whisk one tablespoon of juice (this is all I had accumulated) with red wine vinegar or lemon juice, Dijon and olive oil. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the citrus, sprinkle with feta and mint, adjust salt and pepper to taste, serve immediately and daydream of warmer places.

recipe via: www.smittenkitchen.com

Tobi Fairley's Watermelon and Mozzarella Recipe

How good does this look?! This is from Interior Designer, Tobi Fairley's blog. Besides being one of my favorite Interior Designers, she also seems to be a great cook too.

It's quite a simple recipe. All you need to do is grab some skewers, chopped watermelon, basil, and mozzarella and assemble. Then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

For more information on Tobi Fairley check out her blog - www.tobifairley.com/blog