Tag Archives: dinner-party

  1. Slow Cooker Fall Carnitas Tacos {Grain-free}

    Disclosure: Post sponsored by Crock-Pot® brand slow cooker & Mirum Shopper, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure.

    Slow Cooker Fall Carnitas Tacos {Grain-free}

    Slow Cooker Fall Carnitas Tacos {Grain-free}

    Besides the usual fall foods we all get excited about, pumpkin-spiced everything, apples everywhere and of course, squash, I personally find most exciting, that fall once again opens the door to comfort food! Those soul-warming, hot, hearty meals that feel like a hug from your favorite family member.

    Fall always brings me back to aromatic, warming meals that celebrate the slowing down that comes with the cooler weather. I have always loved and admired that Mexican cuisine not only celebrates creative and powerful flavors, but also it’s the kind of food that brings family together with “oohs and ahhhs”. Meals featuring meats typically cooked all day, tended to with care in anticipation of the entire family coming together and celebrating. These Slow Cooker Fall Carnitas Tacos bring together classic flavors with an unexpected twist from traditional fall ingredients.

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  2. Restricted Diets: How To Be A Gracious Guest & an Accommodating Host

    Restricted Diets: How To Be A Gracious Guest & Host

    As part of my ongoing series with Free People on Restricted Diets, today I am sharing a quick how-to for both host and guest, when dealing with special dietary needs.

    Even if you yourself do not have a restricted diet, chances are you probably know someone who does. Whether by choice or due to food allergies or intolerances, more and more people are becoming aware of foods that don’t serve their bodies and are consequently removing them from their diet. This awareness allows people to live a much happier and healthier life. I am living proof of that!

    Restricted Diets: How To Be A Gracious Guest & Host

    If you choose to host a dinner party at your home, even one as casual as a backyard BBQ, having someone on the guest list with a limited diet can definitely be daunting and intimidating. Sometimes it probably even seems easier to just scratch them off the list and not invite them at all. The simple truth of the matter is, it isn’t easy, especially if you don’t have experience with their special dietary needs or choices. If you are making the choice to host them and accommodate their needs, the best advice I can give is to always ask them any and all questions that you have, so you can be educated on their diet limitations and provide for them, as best possible.

    Those of you with the restricted diets, as a guest, you owe it to your host to let them know of all of your restrictions – especially if they are offering to make food you can eat. Most of all, be as gracious as possible, especially if they are cooking and trying to accommodate you and your needs.

    This post was originally shared on the  Free People Blog, BLDG 25

    How To Be A Gracious Guest & an Accommodating Host

    Restricted Diets: How To Be A Gracious Guest & Host

    Below are my how-to lists for both host and guest, to hopefully help make your next dinner party or BBQ as successful and enjoyable as possible, for all.

    Host:

    Do your homework. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – ask about ALL of their restrictions. Don’t guess and don’t ignore.

    Ask what they CAN eat. Just as important as the things they cannot eat, ask about all of the foods your guest is able to eat. Sometimes this can help open your eyes to all of the possibilities instead of focusing on the restrictions.

    Ask specifically for recommendations or recipes. Ask about dishes that you could make that would be safe for your guest, enjoyed by all and easy for you to prepare.

    If you feel comfortable, ask the guest to bring a dish or dishes to share.

    Search the internet for recipes that fit into their restrictions. There are so many amazing blogs with incredible recipes that everyone can enjoy. Send them over to your guest ahead of time for their approval.

    Select a menu that is simple and enjoyable for all of your guests. There are so many foods that are naturally gluten-free, vegan, etc. Focus on those.

    Ask your guest to help you menu plan, cook and/or go shopping with you. This will insure you are selecting safe ingredients and you won’t put a ton of time into a dish they can’t end up eating.

    Be mindful of cross contamination and watch for hidden ingredients.

    Don’t try to guilt your guest into “just eat this or that”. If they aren’t interested in your cheese dip, even if they are just dairy-free by choice, it’s OK – I am sure your cheese dip is just fine, they probably just don’t want to spend the remainder of the evening in your bathroom. You probably don’t want this either.

    Restricted Diets: How To Be A Gracious Guest & Host

    Guests with Restricted Diets:

    Make sure to call ahead to let the host know of your restrictions. Some hosts may have more experience and awareness with your restrictions than you might realize.

    Kindly offer to bring a dish to share that everyone will enjoy or to bring your own meal entirely. Some people just might be uncomfortable with the daunting task of cooking for special dietary needs. Be prepared for that and don’t be put off.

    Make it clear that you aren’t expecting them to bend over backwards for you. Let them know you are totally willing to bring your own food if that makes them more comfortable.

    Offer your advice if they have any questions. Let them know to contact you with any and all things they are uncertain about.

    Have a snack (or a full meal, if necessary) before you go. If you are staying with someone for a length of time, bring plenty of snacks and foods to have on hand for in between meals or making your own meals.

    Be as gracious as possible, no matter what the circumstances. When there isn’t much for you to eat and the host is feeling guilty, let them know you appreciate their effort, be grateful and appreciative.

    If you are headed to a formal event like a wedding, make note of your restrictions on the reply card if you feel comfortable. If you don’t, eat a decent sized meal before you leave in the event you cannot eat. If you can’t eat anything being served, don’t make a big deal at the event. Most people won’t even notice if you aren’t eating.

     

     

     

    (dinner party photos courtesy of Free People)

  3. Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Peppers and White Beans – Gluten-free + Vegan

    Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Peppers and White Beans - Gluten-free + Vegan

    I made this recipe last weekend for a fun fall party at our friends Erika and Devin’s. Even though many of the fun fall events they had planned got cancelled due to rainy cold weather, it was still a really fun night, my sweater still smells like yummy camp fire! My favorite.

    They made some meat-eater friendly dishes, so I decided to make and bring something gluten-free that I could eat, but that would also be great for any vegetarians or vegans. This pasta dish was really delicious warm, but it was equally as yummy when it cooled off a bit and was more of a pasta salad.

    A little FYI, if you are a cheese-lover, this would be super delicious with some grated sharp Parmigiano-Reggiano and/or Romano cheeses. It’s been many months since I cooked with cheese at home, or really even thought about adding it to a dish I was making, but the thought definitely crossed my mind with this one.

    Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Peppers and White Beans - Gluten-free + Vegan

    Besides being full of so many of my very favorite foods, I think what I liked the most about this is the nice crunch from the toasted pumpkin seeds and all of the beautiful colors. You will notice in the recipe below I used 3 different kinds of peppers, we have an insane amount of peppers right now from our CSA so I was using up what we had a lot of, feel free to use whatever peppers you have on hand, even if it is just one of two of your standard bell pepper. It will be good either way.

    On a side note, the weather is definitely quite icky here due to Hurricane Sandy (I am located in Buffalo, NY). Supposed to be the worse tonight and into tomorrow (I am writing this on Monday night). I hope all of my East Coast readers are staying safe and get through this storm without incident! I am anticipating lots of wind and rain over the next few days and I have my fingers crossed that we have no flooding (there is a river at the end of our dead end street). I made a huge pot of soup, my perfect comfort food for the super windy, cold and rainy times like this.

    How is the weather near you? Are you experiencing Sandy’s wrath? Stay safe everyone!

    Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Peppers and White Beans - Gluten-free + Vegan

    [print_this]Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Peppers and White Beans – Gluten-free + Vegan
    Serves 6-8

    • 1 small pie pumpkin (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch cubes
    • 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram, roughly chopped
    • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
    • 6 tablespoons olive oil, split in half, plus possibly a bit more
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 red bell pepper, diced*
    • 1 red carmen pepper, diced*
    • 1 poblano pepper, diced*
    • 1 can organic white beans, drained and rinsed
    • 16 ounces organic gluten-free brown rice penne pasta
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • additional fresh marjoram and thyme
    • 1/2 cup hulled pepitas, lightly toasted

    *These were the peppers I had on hand from our CSA, we have a lot of peppers right now so I have been getting creative with adding them to recipes, feel free to use whatever pepper(s) you want.

    Preheat your oven to 425ºF, toss the pumpkin cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the fresh herbs and salt on a large baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer and roast for about 15-20 minutes, then take the pan out and add the diced peppers, white beans and garlic, continue baking another 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin and peppers are tender and browned.

    While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare your pasta. Cook your pasta according to package directions and place in a large serving dish once cooked and drained. You can reserve a bit (approx 1/4 cup) of the cooking liquid if you want to add it to the pasta dish, which I like to do.

    Once the pumpkin, white beans and peppers are cooked, add that to the serving bowl with the pasta. Add some fresh herbs, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (pasta cooking liquid if you are using it) and half of the toasted pepitas, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine and taste, see if it needs any salt, pepper, or additional herbs. Serve topped with toasted pepitas.

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