Sunday, November 05, 2006

Christmas Potluck Question-What to bring? (feta cheese ball and chicken wings)

You've been invited to a Christmas party and it's pot luck. First of all, celebrate because pot luck is not only easier on your host/hostess than a full serve menu, but it's a great way to see what your friends are up to in a culinary sense. You want to bring something that will be a hit and make you look like the next "Martha" but you don't want to spend the day in the kitchen. Here's a tip (this one's for free) double the recipe and save some for your own family, entertaining or another pot luck.

Feta Cheese Ball with Pita Chips
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese - softened
8 oz feta cheese-crumbled
4 Tbsp olive oil
5 green onions-finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp dried dill
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cracked black pepper
Mix well and shape into 2 balls. To get a nice shape, line 2 small dessert bowls with plastic wrap and stuff the cheese mixture in them, then chill. This will give you nice half-rounds to put in the middle of a platter and surround with crackers or pita chips.
Make your own pita chips by cutting small pita bread into wedges, place on a baking sheet in a single layer, then spray with vegetable oil, sprinkle with salt and toast in a 450F oven for 8-10 minutes. Watch them carefully-they will burn before you know it.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings
2 pounds of chicken wings
Salt and pepper the wings, then bake in the oven until fully cooked.

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
Mix together in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling.

1 14oz can pineapple chunks
1 green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp cornstarch
Combine 1/2 cup of the juice from the pineapple with the cornstarch and stir into boiling mixture, simmer until thick. Stir in the pineapples and green pepper. Pour the sauce over the wings and serve hot as an appetizer or over rice as a main course.
You could use meat balls, pork cubes or chicken cubes and create skewers with a meatball, a piece of green pepper and a pineapple chunk.
When toting this dish to your party you could carry the sauce and meat separately, then assemble and warm it up when you arrive or have it all in a crock pot ready to plug in.

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