I had a party….

I know!!!!! Real people came and everything.

It was my friend Michelle’s birthday and she likes green….and I like pink and since I used her as an excuse to have a party-the theme was pink and green. Originally this was going to be an outside party-it was great it finally made the man finish the patio we started in the beginning of summer. But you see it rained on my parade. It rained a lot!!! Not so much the day before, or the day after-Just on Tuesday. We moved the party inside and bid good to a wet tee-shirt contest.

The menu went something like this:

Guava-Vodka cocktails

Shrimp cakes with chipotle mayo

Quesidillias with chorizo, green onion, roasted pablano and jack cheese.

A dessert tray (This was on the appetizer table-I have a dessert addiction and my friends are all ok with it)

Shredded chicken and beef tacos

Pine apple ginger rice

Black beans

Apple and cabbage Slaw with Ancho vinaigrette

Desserts: Key lime pie and Chocolate-Peanut butter Cheese Cakes.

Head over to http://haverecipes-willcook.blogspot.com/ for the dilla’ recipe.

And try this: Add green apple slices and lime slices to a pitcher of water; it’s super cute because apple float and limes sink-and the water tastes refreshing and sweet!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Goat cheese and artichoke stuffed chicken with a mushroom pan ‘gravy’

“What is the gravy crap you’re feeding me?” A few bites into dinner, “This is pretty good. It can’t be healthy.”

I took it as a compliment. Some day I wish he’ll come to realize that good tasting food can be healthy as well.

This was LOOSELY based on this recipe from cooking light: Artichoke-and-Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I added couldn’t find the shallot hiding n the onion bin so I used a white onion. I seasoned the chicken with herbs before searing. I used canned artichokes hearts because I don’t like the frozen ones. Added mushroom to the pan before making the sauce. I used about a cup of stock and added a few crumbles of goat cheese to the sauce for some extra goat cheesey-ness….

Incase you’re wondering this escaped untainted by ketchup.

Fish and Potatoes

Halibut with roasted pablano pepper pesto and roasted smoked paprika sweet potatoes to be exact.

Smoked Paprika Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato, chopped into  1/2 inch cubes

1 tea onion powder

1 TBL  EVOO

1 tea garlic salt

1 TBL smoked paprika

1 tea honey

1 tea apple cider vinegar

Heat the oven to 450, with a baking sheet in it.

Whisk everything together, except the potatoes, in a microwavable bowl.

Add the potatoes, toss to cover potatoes with the dressing.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, microwave for 2 minutes.

Transfer the potatoes to the heated baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Pablano Pesto-

1 cup roasted and chopped pablano peppers

1/4 cup silvered, toasted almonds

1/4 cup EVOO

1 tea. onion powder

1/2 cup green onion

1/4 cup cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Add everything in a food processor and turn it on until the desired consistency is reached.

I seasoned the fish with garlic salt and pepper, dredged it in corn starch and pan seared each side. Topped  one side with the pablano pesto and into the oven at 450 for 15 minutes.

The anti fish eater even ate it:

Please pay special attention to his secret ingredient, for everything, ketchup.