Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!

Well Superbowl Sunday is just around the corner and it is time to start getting ready for the feast.  For me that is what it is all about.  A great excuse for chips and dip!  Oh yeah a game is on TV also.... for me the more people the merrier! After all it is just a game for entertainment and an excuse for DIP and a party. I read somewhere that some parties have two TV areas, one quiet zone for the people who want to hear every word (Mike) and one for those that are there for the DIP which is actually a great idea.  Currently I really don't have a plan for a party but we will see.   What am I going to make even if it is just for a small group?   Dessert, dip (most likely artichoke dip, onion dip and layered bean dip), possibly some chicken wings and some baked beans. I started this weekend with some dessert.  Cut out cookies in the shape of Footballs.   I made all the cookies, frosted a few and put a bunch in the freezer to frost for Sunday.

I have a good sugar cookie recipe which follows and they are frosted with canned frosting.  I bought 2 cans of frosting one vanilla and one chocolate.  I mixed some red and yellow food coloring in the vanilla to make it orange then added a little of the chocolate to get a brown orange, the base color of the footballs.  Then did the laces in the chocolate.   Here is the recipe.  They are good for any occasion that you want to make shaped/cookie cutter cookies.

Soft Sugar Cookies

            For cookie cutters

1 ½ c sugar

1 c shortening

2 eggs

1 c sour cream

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

4 c flour

Cream together all ingredients.  Use enough flour to handle (4 c). Refrigerate for a fe minutes so it is sticky. Divide dough into 3 balls.  Dip each ball in a small amount of flour so it won’t stick to board.  Roll out each ball on a floured board 3/8 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.  Should be light in color.  Frost and decorate.

What do you do with an eggplant?

A beautiful eggplant came in our Full Circle Box this week and we are not really eggplant people.  I have never cooked one before so I got on my favorite recipe site and started looking.  Knowing that it was just going to be Chris and I eating it as Mike's limited palate  was not going like it or even want to try it.    I found this recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/rigatoni-with-eggplant-and-dried-tomatoes-139306/, and then started modifying it.   I had some cooked spaghetti noodles in the fridge from the night before so decided  they would be used in lieu of rigatoni, and I began.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a 13x9 inch glass baking dish, pour in approximately 2T olive oil.  Cut up one onion into wedges, break apart and mix in with the olive oil in the baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Cut  the eggplant in half after cutting off the stem.  Rub the inside of the eggplant with olive oil.   In the baking dish move the onion over and place the eggplant in the pan cut side down.  Roast with the onions for another 15-25 minutes until the onions are golden brown and eggplant is just tender.

Next work on the tomato pesto:
In a blender add
4 oz sun dried tomatoes in oil (mine Italian seasoned already)
1/4 c almonds (I used whole almonds)
3 cloves of garlic
6 kalamata olives (pitted)
Turn on the blender and mince up.
Add 2T olive oil
and about 1/4 cup of half and half.
Mix with the blender and puree to a thick chunky pesto.

Mix with the cooked pasta. 

I then microwaved the pasta and pesto for 4 minutes as I did not like the flavor of the raw garlic.  When the onion and the eggplant was done roasting take out the eggplant.  Put the pasta mixture in the baking dish with the onion. Cut the eggplant into bite size pieces and mix with the pasta and onions.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and stick it back in the oven with the oven turned off to melt the cheese, and keep it warm while finishing up the rest of the meal.  This could be the whole meal.  Of interest  I found a bag of seafood medley at Costco today for $5 something a pound with scallops, prawns and a variety of seafood in it.  Chris asked if I added the seafood to this.  I did not but you sure could and it would be great. So another idea.