to set a table…

What is this large picture of you ask? This picture is of my dad’s birthday spread.  We just wanted to eat something light, so we decided on doing a few appetizers and drinks for the adults. Ina Garten always taught me that you should never fret over appetizers, buy some from the store and make a few from scratch. Given that, I whipped up a past Recipe of the Week and made my Roasted Shrimp Cocktail, and Buffalo Chicken Dip. Both delicious and pretty filling for appetizers, but an excellent combination! I served tortilla chips and celery sticks for a healthy alternative with the dip, which turned out fantastically. I also added a bowl alongside the shrimp for a place to put the tails. For a refresher, here are the two recipes…

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

• 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (12 oz)  jar of chili sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 3 tbsp prepared horseradish
• 1/2 of a  lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Rise and pat dry the shrimp with paper towels until very dry. In an even layer, spread shrimp onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, lemon pepper and salt to taste. Toss the shrimp and seasonings to coat  re-spread shrimp to an even layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the shrimp are pink and slightly firm to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet, onto a small platter with a bowl set in the middle. In a medium mixing bowl, combine chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish, lemon zest and juice, Worchestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.  Pour cocktail sauce into serving bowl and enjoy!

*This seafood hor devour can be paired with any citrus drink, whether it be a wine cooler or a Mojito to compliment the spiciness of the sauce and the lemony scent of the shrimp

Buffalo Chicken Dip

• 4 cups chopped, cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken works well for this)
• 2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup prepared Buffalo Wing sauce
• 1 cup prepared bottled ranch dressing (or if you like the pungent taste, try a bottle bleu cheese dressing)
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar & Monterey jack cheese blend (or if you are using the bleu cheese dressing try a Sharp White Cheddar to balance the spicy taste)
• Cayenne pepper, or paprika
• 1 large bag of golden tortilla chips, for dipping
• Celery sticks, for dipping

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and spread the two packages of cream cheese to one even layer, slightly going up the sides of the dish. Next, add the chicken in one even layer on top of the cream cheese. Drizzle evenly with the Buffalo sauce, then the ranch dressing. Top with the shredded cheese and spread to one even layer. Around the edge of the shredded cheese layer, sprinkle the cayenne pepper to add a darker appearance around the crust. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly, enjoy!

*Since this dip is a deconstruction of the New York style Buffalo Wings, any of your favorite cold beers pair well with this dish. A mixed drink that is cool and refreshing, would cleanse your palate after eating this spicy dip.

I also set out some fresh fruit, the grocery store part. The fresh strawberries the size of my head, and grapes were a sweet and clean add to my appetizers, which were on the rich and slightly salty edge. To add some variations in the heights on my platters, by placing a bowl(which a similar color to the platter) upside-down underneath. Having different heights adds dimension to any table for a dinner party or cocktail hour. I also made a batch of Triple Chocolate Cookies, they were substituted for a birthday cake. On the table I also set 3 cups for water, and 3 cups for wine, although mine was not going to be used of course, and three medium sizes plates for eating.

Overall, the appetizer dinner was a success, and completely delicious!

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