by Sharm | Feb 21, 2016 | Articles, Food & Drink, Kansas City, Restaurants, What You're Missing KC!
February is American Heart Month and KC can residents can participate by dining out and eating heart-healthy. Thanks to Shawnee Mission Health’s (SMH) partnership with several area restaurants, diners will be able to order dishes that are deliciously good for the heart.
Throughout the month of February, Grand Street Café, Blue Moose Bar & Grill, Barley’s Brewhaus, Story, Tavern at Mission Farms, Tavern in the Village and YaYa’s Euro Bistro will offer dishes that are low in fat and sodium and other ingredients that may increase risk of heart disease.
For each heart-healthy dish enjoyed by consumers, these restaurants will donate 10 percent to the Shawnee Mission Heart & Vascular Center to support various programs throughout the community, including CPR education in schools, women’s heart health and more.
The heart-healthy dishes being featured by SMH’s restaurant partners throughout February include:
· Roasted Beet Panzanella Salad with spiced cider braised apples, candied walnuts, goat cheese, toasted walnut raisin bread, arugula with an apple cider vinaigrette (Grand Street Café, Lenexa and Plaza)
· Superfood Kale Salad with Grilled Salmon with tender kale, carrots and cherry tomatoes tossed in homemade sesame soy ginger vinaigrette, topped with soy ginger quinoa, blueberries, dried nori and grilled salmon (Blue Moose Bar & Grill and Barley’s Brewhaus Kansas City metro locations)
· Arctic Char with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, broccoli, jasmine rice and a mushroom cream sauce (Story, Prairie Village)
· Fresh Grilled Salmon topped with pineapple salsa over a bed of sautéed kale and quinoa with grilled asparagus and red bell peppers (Tavern at Mission Farms and Tavern in the Village)
· 5 Grain Idaho Trout Salad with quinoa, amaranth, kaniwa, millet, farro, curry vinaigrette, lacinato kale, baby spinach, orange supreme, blood orange gastique, roasted butternut squash and grilled Idaho trout fillet (YaYa’s Euro Bistro, Overland Park)
by Sharm | Feb 20, 2016 | Entertaining, Food & Drink, Recipes, Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market makes entertaining easy so if you are planning a red carpet get together with friends to watch the Oscars on February 28, Whole Foods Market can help you make an award winning spread.
My favorite dishes to make when hosting an event with friends is an elegant charcuterie board and caprese salad with crostini toasts. These are finger friendly dishes that allow guest to mingle and visit while enjoying a selection of cured meats, cheeses and complimenting foods.
For the caprese salad Whole Foods Market has a great selection of tomatoes. I like using the plum variety as they are the perfect size.
Their fresh mozzarella is delicious and the house made crostini toasts make the perfect vessel for enjoying this appetizer.
Charcuterie boards are elegant looking and easy to customize using your favorite cured meats and cheeses. Whole Foods Market has a wide variety of cheese from all over the world and natural cured meats that are free from antibiotics, nitrates and MSG.
The in-house relish bar is has a wide variety of olives and pickled items to amp up the flavor of the board.
I will admit I really do not measure anything. So the recipes below are not really recipes but more of ideas of what I use to put things together. I usually just guesstimate on the amount I need for the crowd.
Caprese Salad with Crostini Toasts
Caprese Salad
Plum Tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Fresh Mozzarella
Directions:
Slice plum tomatoes into 1/4″ slices. Slice fresh mozzarella into 1/4″ slices. Rinse fresh basil and pluck leaves from stem. On a serving platter, layer a slice of the fresh mozzarella a basil leaf and then tomato. Follow this pattern until tray is filled to your liking. I sometimes drizzle a balsamic glaze over the top. This can be made by reducing balsamic vinegar in a pan on the stove top or there are companies that make it and it can be found in the isle with vinegars and dressing at the grocery store.
Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie Board
Assorted cured meats of choice
Assorted cheeses of choice
Assorted olives or pickled vegetables
Grapes or apple slices
Assorted crackers
This can be arranged however you like. Sometimes I will use platters and serving dishes as pictured. I also have a large wood cutting board that I will sometimes arrange the ingredients on.
Below are some tips and recipes from Whole Foods Market that you can use to put together a red carpet worthy spread while not breaking the bank! I wish to thank Whole Foods Market for supplying me a gift card to purchase the ingredients.
BLOCKBUSTER ENTERTAINING ON AN INDIE BUDGET
Awards season is even better when you can throw a blockbuster party on an indie budget. Here are a few insider tips from Whole Foods Market experts for a budget-friendly, buzzworthy viewing party:
• Think like craft service –Not only is it easier and more fun to graze on small bites throughout the show, but swapping an entrée for heavy appetizers can save a few bucks. Let Whole Foods Market’s prepared foods team do the cooking with Sriracha chicken wontons or wings. Our meat department also has ready-to-cook, crowd-pleasing meatballs from Nature’s Rancher, raised with no added growth hormones and no antibiotics, ever.
• Have one big star – Just like a red carpet, if your buffet has one big star, the whole scene feels fancy. There’s no bigger star than the King of Cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano. This very special Italian cheese is known for its intensely complex, nutty, sweet, grassy, creamy flavor. Whole Foods Market only offers Parm that’s been aged a full 24 months, which means this bold flavor will steal the show in the best way.
• Keep them entertained – When the show lulls, have an activity to keep things lively, like a blind wine tasting. This is a fun exercise for novice and expert wine drinkers alike, and Whole Foods Market’s Criterion wines make it easy to do. This collection is intended to be classic, benchmark examples of wine styles from important wine regions around the world. Simply choose 3 varietals from Criterion’s roster to serve as the standard, and pair it against a popular bottle of the same variety (for a total of 6 bottles). Cover them both with paper bags and have guests compare. For extra points, create an awards ballot of your own to choose a winning wine.
• Best actor goes to citrus! – Vibrant, sweet and tangy citrus is a true chameleon when it comes to entertaining. Abundant bowls of clementines serves as a centerpiece and a snack or dessert, so no need to spend extra on flowers. Citrus also makes water a party-worthy beverage. Slice rings to put in a clear drink dispenser, or add small slices and wedges to individual glasses. Skip the fancy sparkling waters or juices with this seasonal star.
RECIPES
· Blue Cheese Herb Popcorn
· Herbed Garlic Parmigiano Reggiano Popcorn
· Sweet and Smoky Popcorn and Nut Mix
· Brie Toasts With Spiced Sundried Tomato Compote
