3 gourmet recipes that you can prepare for your party

No matter what kind of party you’re hosting—holiday event, wedding, or baby shower—you can wow your guests with your culinary skills. You don’t have to be a CIA grad to make these recipes. All you need are quality ingredients, a little planning, and patience to present a magnificent plate of food. Here are two delicious entrees and a dessert that will complete your party or meal.

Paella

A quarter cup of olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

1/2 cup chorizo ​​sliced ​​into 1/2-inch pieces

Half a large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Cup and a half of Valencia rice

2 cups of chicken broth

A half cup of red wine

half pound mussels

Salt to taste

Bijol powder (found in the spice section)

1/2 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Half a pound of clams (littlenecks or cherrystones)

quarter pound scallops

Meat of 2 lobster tails, reserve the shells to decorate

Half a cup of frozen green peas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sautéed sausage. onions and garlic and sauté until softened but not overcooked. Add the chicken pieces and sauté for about 15 minutes until golden, but not completely cooked. Withdraw and reserve.

In a large pot, combine the rice, broth, wine, and mussels. Add salt for flavor and Bijol for color. Remove. Turn on high and bring to a boil and cover. Add the chicken and chorizo. Cover and simmer on the stove for 30 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Saute shrimp, clams, scallops, and lobster tails separately in the oil. Remove and keep warm. Add the shellfish to the rice mixture. Transfer to a large flat oven-safe dish to serve. Top with peas. Place in the oven for about 5 minutes to warm through. Garnish with lobster shells.

rooster in wine

1 bottle of red wine (not too sweet and not too dry; a Beaujolais or Pinot Noir works best)

1 cup chicken broth

6-8 boneless chicken thighs

1 cup frozen pearl onions

half a stick of butter

1 pound. fresh mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shitake variety)

6 strips of bacon, chopped

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. flour or cornstarch

salt and pepper to taste

several sprigs of fresh thyme

One medium spaghetti squash

In a large Dutch oven pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook frozen pearl onions and mushrooms until tender. Set aside. In the same pot, add chopped bacon bits and cook until all the fat is melted and the bacon is crisp, but not burnt. Strain the bacon onto a paper towel to drain.

Using the remaining bacon fat, brown the chicken thighs for about ten minutes on both sides until golden brown on the outside. Salt and pepper while cooking. Add chicken broth, red wine, and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes or until chicken is extremely tender.

In a preheated 425 degree oven, place the halved and seeded spaghetti squash skin side up on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes. Remove and let it cool. Then, using a fork, rake the squash into a bowl. It will look like thick spaghetti.

Remove one cup of cooking liquid to a separate bowl. Combine the flour and two tablespoons of butter then mix with the cooking liquid to form a thick sauce. Pour back into a larger pot and stir well to thicken the rest of the sauce. Allow to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. Then add the onions and mushrooms again and finally the bacon. Serve the mixture on a bed of spaghetti squash.

Nova Scotia Blueberry Buckl

A quarter cup of butter

half a cup of sugar

1 egg

1 cup of flour

half a teaspoon baking powder

One third cup of milk

2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the sugar and butter and then add the egg and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add alternately with the milk and the first mixture. Then, add everything together and stir. Pour into a well-greased square mold. Spread the blueberries evenly over the top.

In a separate bowl, add a half cup of sugar, a third cup of flour, a half teaspoon of cinnamon, and a quarter cup of butter. Cut all the ingredients with a fork, then spread the topping over the blueberries. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Serve with gourmet vanilla ice cream.