An Oscar Party For One

 The Oscars are a big deal. The Oscar parties are not - really. It's is fun to sit with friends but it's even nicer to sit in your jammies and enjoy goodies alone in front of the TV set. Ther'es nothing like a good old fashioned party for one. Eat what you want .Drink what you want. It's all up to you .

Surprisignly you can indulge on a budget.If you;re craving lush food but don't have the budget , try Lidl. The store features frozen lobster tail for around $14.99. Add some butter and grill some asparagus and you have a Hollywood worthy meal.LIdl also has excellent deals on shrimp and scallops too if you want something a little less rich. You could also get wings and nuggets and just pop them into your air fryer. Serve with a variety of different sauces, from ranch to barbecue. You could also buy  a rotisserie chicken, eat what you want and save the leftovers for either Monday's lunch or dinner. Buy a side of macaromi salad giardniera , pickled veggies for a tasty late supper. A simple pizza for one can also work. You can easily whip one up using already made dough and sauce. Toppings can be anything from spinach and onions to pepperoni and salami. a smaller version is an English muffin pizza, easily baked in a toaster oven.  One can satisfy anyone with a small appetite. You could also whip up a mini hero too, using your favorite cold cuts and cheese along with  sliced tomatoes and lettuce.

Of course an Oscar party means indulging on snack food too. You could use the air fryer again to make your own potato chips. It just takes Russet  potatoes  - use these because they are the best for not maintaining moisture). olive oil  and seasonings.After the slices have been soaked and  drie coat them in olive oil and air fry for twenty minutes at 325 degrees Farenheit.  A simple onion dip is perfect here.It;s just emptying a packet of French onion soup into sour cream ro plain Greek yogurt and stirring.If you use the Greekl yogurt for dipm you don;t have to worry about extra calories.Loaded nachos are another fun Oscar night snack.It;s just ouring queso cheese on nachos and then topping them with sliced jalapenos, black olives and tomatoes Microwave for a minute or two for the cheese to get all melted. Add some kidney or black beans for protein. Open a Corona and enjoy. If these are too much, then stick with that movie classic - popcorn. It pays to have a microwave popper like Colonel Popper to give you a better type of kernel without all those additives. Melt butter to drizzle over and enjoy.

It;s your Oscar party. Make the foods you love , sit back and root for your favorites to win. Enjoy any of these treats while you sit on the couch .

A Precooked Feast

 The worst paart about throwing a dinner party is prepping and cooking for it. Suppose you didn;;t have to? NO you don;t ahve to cater - everything can be made the day and night before.

Regular contributor Dave Tanis wrote about this easy fix in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Why make everything the day of, creating chaos and stress in an overworked kitchen. Do ti in stages and you can spend the time before cleaning the house and getting yourself ready. He gives spiced roasted lamb with whole wheat za'atar flatbeads. dessert is walnut sponge cake. The spicy lamb pot roast is a mash up between a North african tangine and a Western pot roast .it's fragrant redolent with spices that should be allowed to rest a day before serving. The meat used should be a three inch bone in lamb shoulder . There is a wide array of spices used, from fennel and all spice to ginger and cayenne. The veggies used are, turnips, chilies cabbage and carrots, They;re steamed last minute and served with the stew.  The za'aatar can be bought at any grocery store nowadays. Fresh parsley and thyme is sprinkled on the bread and then it'sbaked for twenty to thirty minutes.

 The whole whear flatbreads made from scratch are easy to bake.. These are an easy three ingrdient, water flour and yeast bread, topped with the equally fragrant za'aatar. Again this cna be made the bay before.dessert is the walnut sponge. This is a light airy cake, perfect after a spicy meal. there are two cups of walmut pieces that are ground into a type of flour in a food processor. It's rich with eggs, using six yolks anwhites spearated. The whites are beaten into a meringue then stirred into the egg mixture to lighten it. don;t overbeat and deflate the airness .A ew streaks are OK.It's baked in a springform pan in a 325Farenheir oven for forty minutes. Let cool and dust with confectioner's sugar. Mr. Tanisha serves it with whipped cream and strawberries but you could try this with ice cream too.Again this could be made not just a day in advance but two days too. It can be kept in a cake container until it's ready to be served.

Don;t spend the day cooking and baking. Do everything the day before.It;s a much easier way of having a dinner party/

Question Time Your Favorite Casserole

 With all this writing about casseroles  which is your favorite?

Baked mac your way or original

Lasagna  vegan or non vegan

Breakfast stratas - from cheesy to downright maple-y

Anything with tuma or chicken and a Campbell's soup added

Classic green bean

Let us know here. There may be a recipe and how to in the near future. In the mean time chew on this.

Roasted To Perfection

 What is the best way to cook any kind of veggie? Try roasting. The extreme heat brings out anot just the flavor but a sweetness and crunchiness to any green. This is a method that once tried will be a favorite.

Regular contributor Ali slagle wrote about this in today's New York Times food section. She suggests the sheet pan method .This gives all veggies a nice even cook and golden color afterwards. It's also good when comining a protein like chicken or fish with any kind of veggie. Keep in mind that roasting can occur any time of year. summer's harvests of tomatoes and string beans are just as good cooked this way as winter parsnips and cabbage. How to ensure a good roast. firstly cut the veggies all the same size in uniform pieces. Keep in mind that smaller pieces get crunchy while larger ones have a creaminess to their centers.Thne season and oil generously. What's the best oil to use? Try olive oil. It's then roasting them on the lowest rach of the oven. You should set the oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. This  caramelizes the outside while retaining a soft exterior. One good thing about roasting that skillet cooking demands is flipping the veggies halfway through the cooking.

The recipes Ms. slagle supplies can be the main course or a tasty side. There are roasted root veggies with hot honey. She combines such root vegetables as carrots, potatoe rutabegas , parsnips and sweet potatoes along with turnips with a hot honey sauce that's spiked with cayenne pepper. The veggies are roasted first after a bath in olive oil and then the sauce is poured on at the end. There is also cheddar roasted broccoli, a new spin on this meal time classic. The cheese is added at the end to make a crispy chewy coating. Theres also roasted sweet potatoes and kale with eggs. The eggs nest on kale and sweet potatoes. Harissa paste and peanut butter are mixed together and drizzled over it. If you;re looking for a tasty spup then try Ms. Slagle;s roasted cauliflower with garlic. This is a super easy soup that just needs water and a good food processor to make.One head of garlic is added for a true flavor experieince.

If you like veggies then roasting them will just rampup their likability.Try these recipes for a tasty intro to them. They are perfect for a good meal.

Hot Meals For A Blustery Night

 With March comes blustery winds and cold nights. This is the time for hot meals that are ribsticking and tasty. What to make? Anything from soups to casseroles,

Stock your pantry with a variety of different broths. These will act as the base for soups and chowders. You can make chicke, beef  and/or vegetable broths if you have the time. Store them in the freezer until they're ready to us. What is a good soup? Try a fragrant leek and potato soup.  This is an easy cook. You can add either freshly boiled potatoes or canned. Leeks are abundant right now. Use all parts of them for a tastier potage. A baked potato soup is also a good recipe to make, Top with shredded cheddar or a blob of sour cream.A good miestrone soup is another hearty broth to try. Add a variety of different veggies, from tomatoes to parsnips and carrots. Add beans for more protein. Try a mix of cannelini and kidnesy beans for color and flavor. Do you add pasta? Yes! Try smaller pasta like ditalini or shells. for a heartier fare try stews.Like soups all sorts of ingredients can be added. Try a beef stew with carrots and parsnips along with potatoes and corn. A chicken stew can resemble a pot pie without the soggy pastry bottom. Have a rich creamy gravy that's perfect with dumplings.

Cassaroles are a tasty and filling dish on a cold March night. The most famous and well liked is lasagna. This can be made several different ways. It can be filled with beef crumbles or it can be vegan, Add plant based crumbles or sausage for a different flavor. Ricotta gives it a creaminess but you don;t have to have it. Try a layer of vegan or regular Parmesan for a different flavor. Try adding sliced eggplant, and bell peppers. Another crowd pleaser is baked Macaroni and cheese. Again you can bake the classic or. vary it. The traditional recipe calls for elbow macaroni and a good sharp cheddar. Butter flour and milk gives it a creaminess and velvetiness. A layer of breadcrumbs is added to give it a nice crunchiness and crispness. You can  vary this with crumbled bacon or have laors of bacon between the macaroni and cheese sauce. You also can sub in other cheeses like a mix of Parmesan and Asiago  - sort of like what Panera offers. If the family is craving breakfast for dinner then try a cheesy strata. This is layering French or Italian bread with egg and cheese. You could add strips of ham ro bacon to it for a more flavorful bite.

A cold March night deserves a hot , filling meal. It can be a soup, stew or cassarole.Try any to warm up the family.

A Slew Of Healthy Recipes

 As much as anyone wants to celebrate this month with corned beef and Easter candy , it's importantt eat healthy. Luckily The  New York Times sectionhad a soecial inset inside their Sunday issue yestrday. This keeper issue is chock full of healthy recipes that are also chock full of flavor.

This Cooking + Well section has dishes for every meal, from breakfast to dinner. This is an issue you can use all year round.It's divided into six sections, whole grains, fruits and vegetables,nuts and seeds and healthy fats. Dani Blum,a health writer for The Times wrote the intro and stated that these recipes are the bedrock of a healthy diet.The recipes are the Meditrrenean diet which is alsways important for heart health.It should be the inspiration ofr a long term shift in food shopping and eating. According ot one study done in Italy, most Italins have relatively little health problems. There are also suggestions, especially when it comes to gtains. Yes, you can keep bread in your diet but nix the refined white loaves. Eat breads that are rich in ribr. Fiber  slows digests and creates a dip in blood sugar.Use this kin of bread for theit chickpea and celery sandwich.This is sort of like tuna or egg salad but with healthy chickpeas and tahini for that mayonaise like creaminess. This is what I'll b making tomorrow for dinner and can;'t wait to try it.

The other reciupes seem just as good.The edamame pesto pasta is another must try dish.It's combining the traditional herbs like basil used in pesto and adding edammae for a tasty yet nutritional variation.Another must make is a cashew celery stir fry, rich with not only celery bit kal and spinach stir fried with fresh ginr and cashews The recipes calls for tofu but you can also sub in plant based beef crumbles or steak bits for a Chinese  take out vibe.Healthy fish like salmon is vital to any  diet. Thre is a recipe for a slow recipe citrus salmon  , flavored with blood orange juice.It's served with an herb salad that compliments the fish's sweetness. for a simpler salmon dish Try the one with just olive oil and a variety of herbs like rosemary, garlic and chives.Of course there is avocado toast , perfect on it's' own but The Times suggests jazzing it up by adding a poached egg. peppers, red onions or herbs. If you're wondering about sweets there is an oliv e oil and fresh orange juice  rich Moroccan or Meskouta orange cake made dense with the addition of Greek yogurt.

Healthy eating leads to healthy living. Start with these recipes to begin. You'll feel better with tasty dishes.

Celebrating St David's Day

 March first was Saint David 's Day , patron saint of Wales. it was definitely a time to celebrate teh rich and flavorful foods of this ancient land whose proper name is Cymru. It is a varied table celebrating the land and sea of this amazing country.

The leek is the symbol of Cymru and it is a versatile green. Its at its best pairing with potatoes in a rich soup. Cawn Cnnin (the Welsh name) easy to make and great for the still cold days ahead. Unlike the french version vichyoisse, this had the tasty addition of Canadian bacon. The bacon and leeks are cooked forst with the leeks being fried in the bacon fat first.Chicken broth is added along with cut up potatoes that are mashed into the soup. A cup of milk is added for creaminess. Another hearty meal is  the Welsh onion cake made with Caerphilly cheese. Caerphilly is made in the town of the same name and is a rich , crumbly fromage. The cheese is baked on top of the sliced potatoes and onions and then flipped over to be served. it's sort of like scalloped potatoes  with a creamy, cheesy bottom. Of course mashed potatoes figure in another dish that also features boiled leeks  hard boiled eggs and cheese sauce. wyau ynis mon has half and half in it along with nutmeg for flavor.

Yes,Cymru or Wales, also has it's most famous dish - rarebit. This is a delicious mix of ale. cheddar and butter. As you melt the butter warm the ale in abnother saucepan over a low flame.  To thicken it whisk in three  and a half tabkespoons of flour. Combine together and add cheese and Worcester sauce along with english mustard powder. Spoon over  thich slices of toasted  sourdough bread. Another Saint David's day treat that can be baked all year round is  an English muffin like scone called picau ar y maen. They're made from flour lard, currents and eggs and cooked on a griddle. This gives them a crispy exterior while having a melty inside. Usually suagr is sprinkled on top but you could als serve  with a fat pat of butter. Bara brith ro welsh tea cak loaf is another tasty baked tret.It's  a spiced loaf bread that can go well slathered with butter and served with hot tea. Mixed dried fruit is also added to it as well

Welsh food is a flavorful and robust cuisine, much like the countyr itself. Try the cuisine of Cymru and enjoy the flavor of rich cheeses and tasty cakes.  These are the flavors of a brave country with brave people.