After missing two weeks of CEC 🙁 I was so happy to be well enough to go this week! YAY! 🙂 Twas so splendid to see all my foodie pals, and hear their familiar banter and teasing.

The theme was Italian, but was adhered to rather loosely. 🙂 I started things off with antipasti of roasted yellow bell peppers, dilled green beans, Kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts.

Darren cubed a selection of fabulous cheeses including one aged with whiskey. Yum!! Selwyn made wonderfully chewy and buttery garlic bread sprinkled with roasted garlic, parsley and parmesan cheese. It disappeared in short order, especially when Deb set out a pan of piping hot pizza dip layered all manner of cheesy, tomatoey ooey, gooey goodness.

The Main Course folks were running late, so the rest of us sipped wine, looked through Darren’s cookbook collection, and visited contentedly. We also plotted ideas for the next few weeks and I’m so excited and can’t wait to share them with you. 🙂

Kat and Cameron arrived and Kat hustled to the stove to make a divinely creamy Alfredo sauce to go with the bits and bobs being assembled in the smoker.

Cameron disappeared into the woods for a bit, returning with just the right branches to impart the best smoke flavor.

Darren wrapped prosciutto around scallops while Cameron shucked oysters, and Kat chopped bell peppers and onions while Toby chopped Italian parsley and Mike stirred Kat’s Alfredo sauce.

Kristin and Noah arrived with beaming smiles and bottles of Italian wine and Selwyn served us Chicken Parmesan bites – yummy little nibbles with a crispy, cracker coating topped with tomato sauce and provolone.

Then the back door opened and Cameron entered bearing platters. The Main Feast was ready! Smoked salmon drizzled with Alfredo sauce, tender scallops with salty prosciutto, oysters on the half shell, smoky and briny, and shiny smoked vegetables providing a sweet balance.

It’s good to be back. 🙂

Deborah’s Hot Pizza Dip 
(From Pampered Chef)

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 8-ounce can pizza sauce
2 Tbsp green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp green onion, sliced

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Combine cream cheese and Italian seasoning and spread into an 8″ glass pan. 
  • In a small bowl combine mozzarella and parmesan. Sprinkle 1/2 on top of the cream cheese. Spread pizza sauce over the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with bell pepper and green onion.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes. 
  • Serve with French bread or fresh vegetable dippers

Selwyn’s Chicken Parmesan Bites

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Breasts
Pasta Sauce, Sliced Provolone
2 eggs
1 cup breading of your choice (in this case I used about a cup of crushed gluten free crackers)
1 tsp of granulated garlic
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

  • Cut the chicken into half dollar size pieces.
  • Dip in egg then breading.
  • Place on baking sheet and cook at 350 for 10 minutes on one side. Turn pieces over, cook another 10 minutes.
  • Top with a tsp of pasta sauce and a quarter of a slice of provolone and broil until you get a nice golden brown color on top.