5 to 9 Foodies

May 2, 2013
by 5to9foodies 2 Comments

InstaFaves: A few things

Well, this is awkward. Have you ever planned a really fabulous dinner party and then had to cancel it because you got WAY TOO BUSY?! No? Oh…

Well. Me neither. The Spring Soiree is still on! It’s just going to take a bit longer for it to come into fruition. I hope in the meantime you can be patient and satisfy your appetites with lots of grilled things (gorgeous weather, hip hip hooray!). In the meantime, I thought I would share a few recent favorite discoveries, edited with Instagram (of course). Enjoy!

Let’s start with this incredible buffalo chicken salad from Jessica at How Sweet Eats — made this over the weekend and it was a huge hit and SO EASY!
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/04/crunchy-buffalo-chicken-salads-with-bacon-and-spicy-ranch/

Cannot go wrong with root beer — especially when it’s HARD root beer! This is going to be a popular summer beverage for patio parties!

Sharon’s Coconut Sorbet — seriously people. This stuff is creamy like ice cream — but it’s sorbet! No dairy! Lactose Intolerants rejoice! The sad part…it’s been discontinued. We are going to snag as many pints as we can this week. Please, someone tell me there’s another coconut sorbet out there that I can try?! I’m going to develop a recipe for this sorbet asap!

RAAW juice and vegetable blends. The one on the left is cranberry ginger (yum) and the one on the right is raspberry lemongrass (double yum!) They have tons of other flavors, including pineapple cucumber — which, you guessed it, was yum.

I think I’m late to the party on this one — but I just tried Coco Cafe — which is a coconut water espresso, and I must say. I’m in LOVE. Perfect amount of sweetness provided by some evaporated cane juice, and they use organic fair trade coffee!

Who doesn’t love ketchup, right? This ketchup will give you a kick in the pants! Don’t be scared away by the ghost pepper — I was easily able to eat this and I usually like my foods as hot as Frank’s. The flavor is amazing. Recipe to come for this one some time soon!

What are some of YOUR favorites?

xox Jaime

April 16, 2013
by 5to9foodies 1 Comment

Dinner Party Side: Roasted Asparagus with Bacon

Hi. It’s me again. I know it’s been awhile, and I know it’s sort of still cold out. So I thought maybe I should remind you (and Spring) that we’re supposed to be having a Spring dinner soiree! This is one of two side dish options for your dinner party-to-be. To help encourage Spring to show it’s good side (not the unpredictable weather patterns and muddiness but the grass and tulips and robins) I made something green. With bacon on it. It can’t hurt, right? Just trying to do my part!

If you’d like to make it without the bacon you are most certainly welcome – just use 3 tablespoons olive oil instead of two, and add just a bit more salt. But really, the bacon (and bacon grease) adds a salty, smoky flavor that cannot be beat . My husband RAVED over this and it’s a vegetable, in fact, he’s demanding that it’s the only kind of asparagus we ever eat again. And that we eat it twice a day. Which is sweet, but is definitely not going to happen. Sorry, dear!

Roasted Asparagus with Bacon
{Modified from AllRecipes}

1 bunch asparagus spears (about 1 pound), trimmed
3 slices smoked, uncured bacon (I used Oscar Mayer)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon bacon grease (reserve from bacon after cooking)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan-Romano cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or juice from 1/2 a lemon)

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Using kitchen shears, cut 3 slices of bacon into 1/4 inch strips vertically to make small pieces. Fry in a small saute pan over medium heat until partially cooked — about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove bacon pieces onto a plate that’s been covered with two sheets of paper towel, reserving the bacon grease for the next step.

3. Place your trimmed asparagus in a large bowl. Top with reserved bacon grease (there should be about 1 tablespoon), 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 cloves chopped garlic. Toss to coat.

4. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Spread your asparagus out onto the sheet in a single layer, pouring any excess oil over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, sea salt, black pepper, and bacon pieces as evenly as possible.

5. Bake asparagus for 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. Once it’s tender, pull it out and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the top. The lemon brightens up the asparagus and balances the bacon flavor. Serve immediately. Or I can imagine chopping up leftover and topping a salad! IF you have leftovers…

Stay tuned for our second side option…another delicious treat that’s sure to help usher in Spring if this doesn’t!

xo Jaime

#PrayersforBoston

April 5, 2013
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Dinner Party Salad: Blueberry Arugula Salad with Orange-Mint Dressing

A few years ago I was introduced to arugula and it has been serious love ever since. If you haven’t tried it I would highly recommend it! It has a subtle flavor that adds an extra little something to any salad.

My dinner party salad starts with arugula as the base and is topped with fresh spring flavors: orange and blueberry, creamy goat cheese and almonds. But I have to say – it is the orange-mint dress that really pulls this salad together. Enjoy!

Blueberry Arugula Salad with Orange-Mint Dressing

Ingredients

Salad
10 oz. arugula
6 oz. fresh blueberries
1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 c. sliced almonds
2 tbsp. diced red onion
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Orange-Mint Dressing
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsp. orange juice
2 tbsp. fresh mint, very finely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place all dressing ingredients into a mason jar or other air-tight container and shake for 1 minute to combine.

2. Fill bowl with arugula, top with blueberries, mandarin oranges, almonds, onion and goat cheese. Top with dressing.

XO - Rae

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April 2, 2013
by 5to9foodies 3 Comments

Dinner Party Salad: Beet-Orange-Avocado Salad with Homemade Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely adore salads.

A salad can be an appetizer, a main dish, or a side dish. I’m sure it could be a dessert, too. But let’s not go there (I need chocolate). You can make it vegetarian or vegan. You can pile on slices of steak or chicken or shredded pork. Nuts? Sure. Fruit? Why not! Every different topping makes a unique flavor profile.

Because plain salad can get a bit boring, I like to load my greens with tons of toppings — that way I get something different and flavorful in every bite. This salad has earthy beets, sweet oranges, buttery avocado. Walnuts and green onions add crunch, the cheese adds a salty tang. The dressing, with the balsamic and smoky cumin and dijon, is the perfect compliment (probably something like “Oh Salad, you’re beautiful! You’re delicious!”). Another perk? You can use many of the same vinaigrette ingredients listed below for one of the entrees we’ll be sharing next week! So here is just one of MANY salad options for your spring dinner party; enjoy!

Ingredients

Beet-Orange-Avocado Salad
Serves 4-5

5 ounces Spring/Baby Spinach Salad Mix
1 package (8 ounces) Melissa’s baby beets (or about 5 baby beets, cooked, peeled and cooled), sliced
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 to 2 navel orange(s), peeled, segmented and chopped into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
3 stalks green onions, chopped (both white and green parts)
1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette
{Modified from Emeril Lagasse’s Basic Balsamic}
Makes about 1 cup

3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon shallot salt (I like Penzey’s)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place all dressing ingredients into a mason jar or other air-tight container and shake for 1 minute to combine. Chill in fridge.

2. Fill bowl with salad mix and top with your salad ingredients: beets, orange pieces, avocado, green onion, walnuts and feta or goat cheese. Top with dressing.

What are some of YOUR favorite salad toppings? I love me some banana peppers…

xo Jaime

March 30, 2013
by 5to9foodies Leave a comment

Dinner Party Appetizer: Lemon Garlic Shrimp

When I’ve planned dinner parties in the past I’ve always started planning with the main course first (which makes sense, right?) and then built a plan for side dishes and dessert. After all this main-meal planning, however, I have often found myself deciding the appetizers at the last minute! Or throwing something together with what I have in the cupboards. This is not a recommended method – not only can it be stressful and disappointing but an appetizer can really set the tone for the whole meal! That’s why we thought we would start with appetizer’s this week.

Below is a super-simple recipe for lemon garlic shrimp. Sure to please a crowd and it won’t require a lot of extra time from you the day of (and extra time the day-of is always helpful)!

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients

1 pound raw frozen shrimp, deveined, shells on, thawed
1/2 c. butter, melted
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, minced
1 lemon, juice of
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a bowl combine melted butter, garlic, green onion, lemon juice and zest, salt, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Whisk together.

3. Placed thawed shrimp in a 9″x13″ pan. Pour butter mixture over the top making sure all the shrimp are coated.

4. Cook 8-10 minutes, turning once, until shrimp are pink.

5. Spoon some addition butter mixture over the top of the shrimp before serving. Yum.

XO – Rae

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5 to 9 Foodies

It's all in a day's work!

InstaFaves: A few things

Dinner Party Side: Roasted Asparagus with Bacon

Dinner Party Salad: Blueberry Arugula Salad with Orange-Mint Dressing

Dinner Party Salad: Beet-Orange-Avocado Salad with Homemade Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette

Dinner Party Appetizer: Lemon Garlic Shrimp

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