House Beautiful

Archive for the 'Eat & Drink' Category

Page 22 of 23

Recipe of the Week: Spring Succotash

Published on April 30, 2010 in Eat & Drink. 4 Comments

Ahhh… Spring.  As invitations for BBQs and picnics start showing up in our inboxes and visions of bathing suit shopping (…gulp…) appear in our heads, now is the perfect time to start integrating some lighter fare into our diets for the coming months. (That means you, Stephanie.  Easter is over… time to put away the Reese’s peanut butter bunnies.)  This time of year, there’s nothing better than discovering an easy, healthy and delicious dish that can be whipped up in no time.

This Mayan succotash is so simple to make.  A perfect alternative to traditional salads, succotash is an incredibly light, tangy dish to be eaten on its own or as a side dish.  It’s PERFECT for all the upcoming BBQs and picnics this spring and summer.  Everyone else will bring (SNORE) chips & salsa to the party.  Or grocery-bought cookies and mini-cupcakes.  Or worse yet…  potato salad.  But YOU can bring something delightful and refreshing that pairs perfectly with anything from the grill – and sends people home with their waistlines intact.

(Picture-perfect BBQs… brought to you by succotash.)

BONUS!  This succotash is great ALL year-round!  Case in point:  Just as me and my family were about to drift into Holiday carb comas this Christmas and were reaching in slow-mo to unbutton our pants, my beloved Uncle Frank threw this little ditty called succotash into the carb-y, buttery, casserole-y mix.   We all took a break from devouring inordinate amounts of turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, to study it…  Hmmm…  what IS that? Is that…  candy corn?  Are those jelly beans?  It doesn’t LOOK like it has 400 fat grams in it.  It’s not made up almost entirely of butter…  We don’t get it.

And then we tried it.  And had some more.  And then we were hooked.

Recipe courtesy of Uncle Frank:

To start:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Italian red wine vinegar
5 drops Tabasco Habanero Sauce
Splash of soy sauce
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Whisk the above ingredients together in a bowl, then add:

1/3 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh jalapeno
1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 can Whole Foods “no salt added” Kidney Beans
1 can Whole Foods “no salt added” Garbanzo Beans
1 can Whole Foods “no salt added” Whole Kernel Corn

Mix everything with a big spoon and enjoy!

4 Comments

Low-Key Weekend: Movie Night!

Published on April 23, 2010 in Eat & Drink, Entertaining and Recessionista. 4 Comments

If it were about 25 degrees warmer, I’d be amped to spend Saturday Funday marinating outdoors, decked out in flip flops and some cute flowy dress, with the sun and the breeze on my face, whoopin’ it up with an ice cold Orangina in hand…  But this weekend, it’s gonna be cold and rainy.  Wahnnnt-waaahhhhhhh.  The silver lining is, however, that it almost just makes me want to hole up with a heap of movies, some tasty treats, my big fuzzy blanket, and a coupla good friends.  Oh, crummy weather.  Sometimes you make me secretly glad I have an excuse to wear sweats and do next-to-nothing.

That said, I will NOT allow this weekend to completely sideline my social calendar and turn me into a hermit.  Instead, I think I’ll host a spring-has-almost-sprung movie night (!)  Because summer is right around the corner and soon (deep breath), there’ll be more travel, weddings, and work on my plate than I can handle.  So I don’t know about you, but I could stand a low-key, low-cost, low-maintenance weekend.  Here’s what’s gonna happen…

I’m gonna suit up in something that’s comfy without being sloppy.  Like-ah zeese:

(*Linen Sweatshirt at J.Crew * Vintage Jeans by Seven * Plush Blanket, similar to shown, at TJ Maxx * Mocs at LL Bean *)

Then, I’m gonna invite some friends over, and rent some combination of these:

(And if you haven’t seen this one, it’s a subtitled delight!  Here’s the trailer):

For some easy twists on classic movie grub, I’ll whip up some Spicy-and-Sweet-Popcorn and Vanilla Rum Colas (courtesy of Martha Stewart):

…And maybe some Hot Spinach Dip (but sub out all that bread for fresh veggies – carrots, celery, and red pepper…  bathing suit season’s around the corner…  yikes!)

As a non-alcoholic drink alternative, fill a glass 3/4 full of Diet Sprite, then fill the remainder with a hefty splash of POM juice.

For dessert, grab the Ciao Bella (blood orange = my favorite flavor) and some spoons…  you’re all set!

Quick Entertaining Tips to Remember:

1.  Get yourself ready first, THEN make sure your beverages are prepped & handy, THEN start cooking.  Nobody wants to walk in and find you scrambling around the kitchen wearing a bath towel…  At which point, you’ll have to leave the room to change and get ready, and they’ll be standing around in your kitchen with their fingers up their noses – sans you and sans a drink.  So get ready first.  You can chop the last few veggies after they get there, and while you guys catch up.  No one will mind.

2.  Have music playing before guests arrive.  It feels funny to walk into a place that’s silent, doesn’t it?  Something about having music playing puts people at ease.

3.  Make sure you have extra throw pillows and blankets on hand…  fuzzy socks…  sweatshirts…  anything that might make people feel more at home.

Happy Weekend!!!  XOXO

4 Comments