Entertaining On The Cheap Part II

Angie Says:

Earlier I told you about a little get together that I was having. Everything went over really well (as long as you don't as about the pie. Just don't ask). In a couple of weeks I'm having another little crafty get together and thought that I should start thinking about what inexpensive but fantastic foods I might whip up.
It got me thinking about a certain recipe. I don't think that the show is on anymore but on the Food Network there was a show called Good Deal with Dave Lieberman where he showed you how to entertain on a budget. Even though his budget was often larger than what I would spend his ideas were fantastic. The following is an adaptation of one of his recipes.

Cannellini Bean, Red Onion, and Basil Salad

4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed, washed and dried
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Handful washed basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt 20 grinds black pepper

Empty the cans of beans into a colander and rinse them briefly under cold water. Drain thoroughly and empty the colander into a large serving bowl. Toss the beans together with the red onion and arugula. Shake the olive oil, vinegar, chopped basil, salt and pepper in a sealable container until the salt is dissolved. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. It's best to make and dress the salad about an hour before you serve it. Let it stand at room temperature, tossing every time you think about it. Just before serving, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

So that is EXACTLY his recipe. You know that here in Alaska it's often hard to find certain food items. I hardly ever make this recipe with Cannellini beans because they're hard to find. I use navy beans and it's just as good. I also hardly ever find arugala so I just skip it. It's still very tasty and pretty inexpensive to make.

His recipe makes a lot (because it's for entertaining) so you can halve it, or quarter it really. In my book, it's just plain tasty.

A few things:

1. Make sure you rinse the beans and drain them well.

2. Make sure you're using a brand of canned beans that are still firm when you open them. Canned or not, they should still be fairly firm.

Entertaining on the Cheap

I'm having a little get together this weekend. A little crafting time with the girls. My husband and I usually go all out when we host events. Not this time. I'm trying to be thrifty right? So, my guests are expecting spectacular but I don't' want to spend very much money. What to do?

I've decided to only use what I already have in the house to entertain. My inventory includes mozzarella, and pepperoni, canned diced tomatoes, a bit of red wine left over, and basil growing in my window=Pizza. It also includes some pasta, italian dressing and frozen peas=pasta salad. And for the finally I have flour, butter, and frozen fruit=pie.

A while ago I learned a very nice trick for canned tomatoes. If you have to use canned (and here in Alaska you usually do) a nice trick is to open the can, drain it (reserve the liquid if you need it later), place tomatoes in a roasting pan and on the center rack of the oven broil for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to brown around the edges. Then remove the pan and add a bit of red wine and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes to deglaze the pan.
This sort of revives the tomatoes and gives it a much "fresher" taste. I dont' mind doing the extra work because I make a LOT of sauce and freeze it.

I'll give an update on how the party goes.