Here are the last two recipes for your easy entertaining dinner party with your in-laws. Now that you have all of the recipes for the dinner party, in my next post, I will give you the step by step checklist. If you follow it, it will help you to pull off your first dinner party seamlessly. In future posts I’ll give you some hints on Mistakes to Avoid and Tips to Ensure Success.
Haricots Verts with Garlic and Almonds
Makes 4 servings
1 pound fresh haricots verts or regular green beans
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 or 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Wash the beans. Cut off the stem on the end of each bean. Put the beans in a large sauté pan with the water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Check the water level once, and add a little more if needed. Stick a fork in a bean. When done, it should be crispy tender—not too hard and not too mushy. If you use regular green beans, you will have to increase the cooking time by 2 or 3 minutes. Empty the beans into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well, cover, and put in the refrigerator until ready to stir-fry at the last minute.
To stir-fry the beans, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 or 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic get brown; it should only become fragrant and flavor the oil. Add the reserved green beans and stir to coat with the oil and garlic. Continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the almonds, and serve.
Tip: What is a haricot vert? It is essentially a French green bean, picked while young and tender. If you can’t find these, regular green beans can be substituted.
Kahlúa Fudge Brownie Pie
Makes 6 servings
1/2 box fudge brownie mix (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 large egg
Nonstick cooking spray
1 small jar fudge ice cream topping
3/4 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)
1 package (3.9 ounces) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix
3 cups whipped topping, divided
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the brownie mix, hot water, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, and the egg. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray, and pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely. When cooled, spread the fudge ice cream topping on top of the brownie crust, about 1/4 inch thick.
Combine the milk, 2 tablespoons of the Kahlúa, the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla, and pudding mix in a small bowl. Whisk or beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Spread the pudding mixture over the brownie crust.
Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon Kahlúa and 1 1/2 cups whipped topping and spread over the pudding mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
