Ok...so I'm not super excited about the Superbowl this year. I mean my Pats were only one game away from making it in, and let's be honest, it wasn't a very respectable loss. So while I certainly go big for the Superbowl when the Pats are in it, this year I'm trying my best to keep it a bit simpler and healthier. My Pats are worth the calories and effort...the Niners and the Ravens, not so much. So I thought I'd include a few more veggies in our spread this year. Yes, some will be smothered with cheese, but hey, it's a start.

So first up...those delicious looking Spicy Broccoli Rabe & Provolone Grinders above. Yes, Grinders. I'm from MA, after all...no Subs or Hoagies here!. I made these for the first time this year and while they may slightly disappoint that guest who sees them and excitedly asks if they're Cheesesteaks, they are pretty fabulous.

The soft french rolls are slathered with a homemade spicy white bean spread (store-bought spicy hummus will do in a pinch), piled high with crispy oven roasted broccoli rabe, smothered in melty provolone and sprinkled with red jalapenos. Yum.  I know I certainly didn't miss the meat. The original recipe can be found here...but, like I said you can simplify buy using store-bought spicy hummus instead of making your own spread (although the homemade stuff is yummy). I also simplified by oven roasting the rapini rather than cooking it the way they suggested.  I think it works even better (adds some crisp!) and dirties way fewer dishes, which I always like. C'mon...you know you want to grab one!

Next up...some snack-y finger food without all the calories of nuts. Pan fried shishito peppers!  These little peppers are relatively easy to find these days since they've really grown in popularity.  They're not spicy peppers, but slightly sweet and so delicious when cooked up this way. So simple and easy...they're best warm, but they go fast so cook up a big batch!

Sunday:	Mini Buffalo Chicken Meatballs & Broccoli Rabe Provolone Grinders for the Pats Game!
Monday:	Halibut on Mashed Fava Beans with Mint and Roasted Red Pepper Salad
Tuesday:	Leftovers: Mini Buffalo Chicken Meatballs & Broccoli Rabe Grinders
Wednesday:	Curried Red Lentil & Swiss Chard Stew
Thursday:	Leftovers: Lentil & Swiss Chard Stew
Friday:	Breakfast for Dinner
Saturday:	Eat Out

Pats game, baby! Sunday's a big day with our boys in the AFC Championship so we're having some of our fellow Massholes over (yes I consider that a term of endearment!) to root them on. We'll be having my now famous Mini Buffalo Chicken Meatballs that I originally saw way back when on a Martha Stewart show...who knew Martha knows football party food! In addition to these spicy, yummy little meatballs we'll also be making Broccoli Rabe Provolone Grinders...that's right people, grinders. Not hoagies, not subs...grinders. That's the way we roll in Massachusetts. Of course we'll have other snacks as well but those are our main dishes along with good 'ole Sam Adams beer. Go Pats!!

The rest of the week we'll get back in our healthy groove with a new fish recipe...Halibut on Mashed Fava Beans with Mint and a  Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach Salad. Then on Wednesday we'll make one of our old winter standbys, Curried Red Lentil & Swiss Chard Stew. We'll finish off the week with an easy breakfast for dinner as we head into our weekend.

Most importantly...Go Pats!!!!!!!!

There's no better way to start the new year off with good friends at an intimate yet festive house party. I know some like to go out on the town and get crazy...trust me, I've had my fair share of those New Year's Eve celebrations as well. But over the years I've always ended up feeling like the hassle of transportation, cost of the entire night and ultimate hellacious hangover aren't entirely worth it. To be honest, there's nothing more depressing to me than feeling completely awful and bad about myself on January 1st...so now my celebration of preference is one that lends itself to at least a slightly lesser hangover. Enter, the house party.

Every good house party, particularly on New Year's Eve, has at least one specialty cocktail. On this special night, those cocktails should definitely include champagne so I thought I would share a couple of my favorite champagne cocktails to help you start 2013 off right. Most are very basic...but the basic yet delicious cocktail is the best friend of a party hostess!

The Henricksen Holiday Cookie Party is a long-standing, fabulous tradition. Christian's mom has been hosting her own holiday cookie party since the mid-90s and I was introduced to it back in 2002 when I started dating Christian.  I thought it was such a fun idea and Christian loves cookies so much that we decided to continue with the tradition for our own little family of friends. It's a fantastic way to gather friends together, sample a dazzling array of cookies and imbibe in festive drinks while listening to the Carpenters croon Christmas carols. Be forewarned though, it's a party that almost guarantees a sugar hangover!

 

So, what's on the menu?  You'll be happy to see it's super easy and low key!

• Cookies of course...some of your own and a batch from every group of guests!
• A savory table with decadent cheese & charcuterie platters along with all of the requisite accompaniments such as nuts, olives, figs, etc...
• A crudité platter
• Homemade Gløgg (mulled wine)
• Warm spiked apple cider with homemade whipped cream

But first, let's talk about the cookies.  This is a cookie pot luck, if you will.  So I usually bake 3 cookies and guests are required to bring 1 dish of cookies of their own as well.  It's fun because you often get a peek into their family traditions or discover a fabulous new cookie for your own repertoire. Since we've been doing this for so many years and have many repeat guests, our party tends to get a bit competitive...those who show up with store-bought cookies are ridiculed a bit :)

The Fourth of July has been one of my favorite holidays for as long as I can remember...but the funny thing is that it's one of the few holidays that I love that isn't all about the food for me.  Thanksgiving?  Definitely about the food.  Christmas Season? Cookie Party,  Fondue and Roast Beast. Easter?  A delicious brunch.  New Year's Eve?  Osso Bucco. New Year's Day? Black Eyed Peas.  You see, the thing that keeps me up the night before most holidays is child-like excitement over what I'm going to be cooking and/or eating the next day.  Of course it's about family and friends (and let's be honest...presents) as well but food always plays a central character on holidays for me and it has since I was a child.

The Fourth of July, however, was always a bit different.  I grew up having a big family picnic in a local park every Fourth of July...so it was the one holiday where my mom and I weren't cooking at home and weren't responsible for the entire meal.  Sure we'd make a few nice dishes to bring along but other members of the family chipped in too so it was casual, easy and really more about being in the park and hanging out with family that we really only saw on this one day a year.  Well, it was also about my Aunt Nixa's amazing Puerto Rican rice that she made every year...but I've yet to wrangle that recipe from her!

Sunday:	Superbowl!  Mini Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Monday:	Vegetarian Cassoulet with Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach Salad
Tuesday:	Grilled Halibut with Lemon Sauce, Bulgur & Mustard Greens
Wednesday:	Leftovers: Cassoulet
Thursday:	Coriander Chicken Tostadas with Grilled Fennel
Friday:	Eat Out
Saturday:	Leftovers: Chicken Tostadas

Oh, the big day is here!  Time for lots of screaming at the T.V., nervous drinking and indulgent eating while we watch our Pat's in their 7th Super Bowl.  Since I'm a New Englander I actually want to watch the game, which means that I need relatively easy food for our Super Bowl party.

So for Super Bowl Sunday I'm making some ridiculously good (and somewhat healthier than wings) Mini Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs since I can make them in advance and then just cook them off at the last minute.  I'll also probably make a slow cooker Mac & Cheese, chips and homemade guacamole decorated like a football field and put out a veggie plate.  Add some beer, bubbly, Pat's gear and good friends and you have yourself a Super Bowl party!

To make up for the Sunday indulgence we're trying to keep the rest of the week relatively light.  So instead of a traditional meat-laden cassoulet we're making a vegetarian version and then a nice, simple fish dinner with healthy grains and greens.  Then we're finishing the week off with a bit of Mexican flair....this recipe calls for homemade refried beans, which are easy enough and yummy but feel free to use low-fat canned ones if you're in a rush.

Go Pat's!

We have two Christmas Eve traditions in our household:  We each get to open one small gift and we celebrate the night before Christmas with a 3-course small family fondue party, complete with board games, crackling T.V. fireplace and all!  The first tradition is from my family and the second is from Christian's so it's a nice combination of our two upbringings that makes Christmas Eve feel extra special. So, I know a 3-course fondue party sounds like it may be a bit of an effort, but to be honest, beyond cutting up all of the things you want to dip in the fondue it's a super easy meal.

Traditional Thai Condiments (along with fish sauce and palm sugar of course!)

 

Before vacation slipped too far from our memory, we decided to put our newfound Thai cooking skills to the test and throw a Thai party for our friends.  With of course, the “cost” to our friends of having to sit through a slideshow of 300 of our favorite pictures from Thailand and Cambodia...he he.  If I do say so myself though, we earned their viewership...the food we made was GOOD!

This year it’s just the two of us, which is pretty rare.  But to be honest, it’s pretty rare that our Pat’s aren’t in it and we’re not super invested, so we’re keeping it low key.  That being said, we still want to feel like it’s the Super Bowl so I’m making the following relatively simple snacking menu:

We are fondue lovers in our household...so much so that we even had our rehearsal dinner for our wedding at a fondue restaurant!  I love anything that slows down a meal and let's you play with your food while you have good conversation and fun.  Christian loves it for those reasons too...but I think he also has a lot of fond family memories of fondue since he grew up having fondue with family and friends every Christmas Eve, a tradition we've continued together.  So Christmas Eve is really our one time of year when we make fondue...and when we do it it's a full meal so this cheese fondue is followed by a meat/seafood fondue and a chocolate fondue.  But to be honest, the appetizer cheese course has always been my favorite!

When it comes to cheese fondue, I'm a traditionalist.  There are lots of recipes out there for Mexican cheese fondue or other versions but I absolutley love the traditional European style fondue which is what the recipe is for below.  This is another one of those recipes that I'm sure I got from somewhere, but I've been making it for so long that I'm not sure what the original source was and I think I've modified it a bit over the years.  Enjoy!