Hi Everyone!
This is the last installment of bridal shower DIY Wednesday posts. Since I will be busy with school, packing and driving tomorrow for the holiday, I thought I would go ahead and post this today. This post is going to center around the food I created for the shower.
First of all, I'm not a foodie. At all. I'm not a good cook either. I am competent (most of the time). However, these recipes are very easy and taste great (according me...a not foodie).
The Menu
The first item on the menu is the Garden Salad. I was going to be all creative and do a plated Caesar salad. Then, when I evaluated the time I had, I decided to do something fast since I was going to be cooking all the food. So, I got Dole salad, used my salad spinner and put it in some nice bowls. I favor more modern clean line dishes so all my serving dishes are white. Most were gifts as part of my Pampered Chef bridal shower a few years ago.
I tried to make signs to go with all my food. I used the same fonts and colors as previous posts, and I cleaned everything up with my round edge paper cutter.
The meat of the meal was a tenderloin recipe I found. I served it on a white serving dish.
Pork Tenderloin Crusted in Italian Seasonings
Recipe comes from All Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Mix bread crumbs and olive oil in bowl to reach consistency that would be moist enough to stick to the meat when pressed. Place pork on a shallow cooking sheet. Press the crumb mixture onto all sides of the meat until there is no pink showing, usually 1/4 inch thick.
- Bake for at least 35 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) or until there is no pink when the pork is cut. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes, then cut into 1/2 inch slices.
After the Pork Tenderloin, I found a recipe for mashed potatoes. This recipe is a bit heavy on the garlic, so when I made it for the shower, I didn't use much at all. I served this in a round silver chaffing dish.
Garlic-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Recipe is from Food Network.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
- 16 fluid ounces (2 cups) half-and-half
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 6 ounces grated Parmesan
Peel and dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.
Heat the half-and-half and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.
Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream mixture, salt, and Parmesan; stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.
I couldn't decide between two green bean recipes. I did a modified version of both mixed together. I personally liked the blue cheese recipe more, but I know blue cheese is an acquired taste.
Blue Cheese-Walnut Green Beans
Recipe is from Delish.
Ingredients
- 1 pound(s) green beans, trimmed
- 1/4 cup(s) water
- 2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 cup(s) crumbled blue cheese
- 1/3 cup(s) toasted chopped walnuts
- Bring green beans and water to a boil in a large skillet. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are just tender, 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Add oil, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and toss with blue cheese until well coated. Sprinkle each serving with walnuts.
Recipe from Delish.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon(s) canola oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 pound(s) green beans, trimmed
- 1/2 cup(s) water
- 2 slice(s) bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 tablespoon(s) chopped toasted hazelnuts, (see Tip)
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until starting to brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add green beans and cook, stirring often, until seared in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water; cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes for tender-crisp or 6 minutes for tender. Remove from heat and stir in bacon, hazelnuts and salt.
In addition to these recipes, I did get a few things from the store (including the salad). I got the rolls and brownies from a local grocery store bakery. The punch was a simple mixture. I got Dole fruit juice (I believe Pineapple-Orange juice) and mixed it evenly with ginger ale. I added fresh fruit to the juice to add a bit of decoration and flavor.
