Serving Piece Solutions

Name: Wild Rice Chicken Salad
Yield: 5-6 Servings (1 cup servings)
Ingredients: 1 (6-ounce) box Uncle Ben’s long grain wild rice, cooked and cooled; 4 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced; 1 bunch green onions, chopped; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 2 medium avocados; Juice of 1 lemon; 1 cup pecans, toasted; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon sugar; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 1/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar; 1/3 cup vegetable oil

On April 4, 2018April 4, 2018 By Leslie Byars RegisterIn Ask Leslie, Buy the Book, The Parties1 Comment

With warm weather approaching, I can’t think of a better time to discuss serving piece solutions. For easy, foolproof entertaining, stock up on all of these items now.

I can’t have a party because I don’t have all the stuff.

I bet I’ve heard this a million times: “I can’t entertain because I don’t have enough plates.” Huh? Surely, in your house you can put two sets together and come up with a solution. Some restaurants mix them up on purpose. There are some really cute paper plates out there nowadays. That’s not an excuse. Sorry.

Then the next excuse I hear is “I don’t have the proper serving pieces.” I use the same key ones over and over. Look through my book if you don’t believe me.

Everyone can entertain.

Be on the lookout for these if you plan to entertain once in your lifetime. You will need them and be glad they are in the cabinet.

10 Serving Piece Solutions

Two Is Better Than One: Buy two matching 3-quart bakers. I have several pairs of these. When feeding more than 8 or 10 people, you will most likely have to double a recipe. It looks prettier to have a matching pair on the buffet.
Versatile Trio Dish (which I call the Ritz-Carlton Trio in Leslie’s Party Diaries, because they use a dish similar to these in their bar area while serving cocktails): For a quick emergency appetizer, you will need a dish like this. Any nibbles from the pantry can be thrown in at the last minute. I have a nice collection now. Thanks, Elizabeth.
The Perfect Dip Bowl and Platter: An attractive, flat platter that comfortably holds a 2- to 3-cup bowl. You will use this all the time. Keep it handy.
Grilling Platters: I love enamel or any lightweight platter for grilling. Pottery can get too heavy when going in and out to the grill.
Spoons, Forks, and Spreaders: I keep mine all in one handy place in my kitchen drawer. I can easily go grab a decorative spreader or spoon. I pick these up whenever I see them, and I often give these as hostess gifts.
Cutting Boards: Nothing is easier (I’m not saying it’s inexpensive, but it is quick and impressive) than pulling out a cutting board and filling it up with cheeses and other nibbles. Keep several sizes on hand, depending on the crowd you are having.
Company Pot Holders and Dishtowels: Yes, hide these from your family and pull them out when company is coming.
The Bread Basket and Washable Napkin Liner: Know where these are at all times. Hot bread coming out of the oven is the final dinner party step. There is no room for error here. Also, the linen should be washable and replaceable. Some biscuits and breads leave greasy, unremovable stains.
The Dessert Pedestal: A store-bought cookie quickly looks more impressive on a decorative pedestal. I’ve been collecting these for years. Bring it to the dinner table, or place at the end of a buffet. For a crowd I will stack them and serve an assortment of desserts.
The Everyday Object: Anything can be a serving piece as long as it’s food safe. Look around your house and use any unexpected object at your next dinner party. I once lined a wooden wine crate with parchment and served beef tenderloin, rolls, and horseradish sauce in it.

Mother’s Day Special (It’s May 13^th)

Now that spring break and Easter have passed, it’s time to be thinking about Mother’s Day! For a limited time only I’ll be doing complimentary gift wrap for all website orders of Leslie’s Party Diaries. Order before April 22^nd for all shipped orders. In-town delivery within Birmingham is available until May 11^th.

Each book will be wrapped in a glossy white paper and topped with a bistro cotton tea towel and a set of stainless measuring spoons. Leslie’s Party Diaries also makes a great bridesmaid, wedding, hostess, and birthday gift.

Click here to shop, lesliespartydiaries.com

I would love to hear from you. Don’t be shy about making comments or asking questions. I love getting mail! Leslie

Recipes That Travel

On March 21, 2018January 2, 2019 By Leslie Byars RegisterIn appetizers, beverages, Buy the Book, mains, salads, sides8 Comments

When I’m headed to the lake or beach for the weekend, I like to do my prep on the front end. The last thing I want to do when I arrive is get back in the car and go to the grocery store.

All of these recipes can be made ahead, or prepped in advance, to ensure less toting and a more relaxing weekend.

The lemon juice brightens up the canned artichokes to give them a fresher taste. This dip can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Make-Ahead Hot Artichoke Dip

Makes 4 cups

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, chopped

1 (4-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

8 ounces good-quality feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup light mayo

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of half lemon

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Garnish with basil (optional)

Assorted crackers

In a medium-size bowl combine first 7 ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to bake. (This can be done up to 48 hours in advance.)

Place in a lightly greased 1½-quart baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Garnish if desired. Serve with crackers.

Learn from Leslie: For a small crowd, I like to bake only half at a time.

I always have these ingredients on hand to whip this up the night or two before a trip. It’s a nice alternative to soft drinks. At breakfast time in the summer, I drink this instead of coffee!

Refreshing Lemonade Tea

Makes 1 gallon

10 regular-size tea bags

8 cups of boiling water

1 cup of sugar

1 (12-ounce) can lemonade concentrate

Lemon wedges for garnish (optional)

Place tea bags in a 2-quart measuring cup or heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over tea bags and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Remove tea bags, and pour tea into a 1-gallon container. Add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Next add lemonade concentrate and water to fill container. Stir to combine. Chill and serve over ice with lemon wedges if desired.

Wild Rice Chicken Salad

I like to poach the chicken in water with a dash of salt and a drizzle of olive oil, instead of baking it, for this recipe. It stays moist and white. This makes an easy supper or a quick lunch. I often use this dressing on a green salad too. It’s that good.

Fresh lemon juice will keep the avocados from turning brown.

Wild Rice Chicken Salad

Serves 5 to 6 (1 cup servings)

1 (6-ounce) box Uncle Ben’s long grain wild rice, cooked and cooled

4 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 medium avocados

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup pecans, toasted

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Mix all salad ingredients, except avocado and pecans in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake until combined.

Toss salad mixture with dressing. Serve on a bed of leaf lettuce and garnish with avocado and toasted pecans. (The salad will keep several days once tossed.)

Leslie Byars Register

Yields 5-6 Servings (1 cup servings)

Wild Rice Chicken Salad

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Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) box Uncle Ben’s long grain wild rice, cooked and cooled
4 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 medium avocados
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup pecans, toasted

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Mix all salad ingredients, except avocado and pecans in a large bowl. Set aside.
Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake until combined.
Toss salad mixture with dressing. Serve on a bed of leaf lettuce and garnish with avocado and toasted pecans. (The salad will keep several days once tossed.)

https://dearpartydiary.com/have-food-will-travel/

It’s one less step when the marinade and sauce are the same. You can easily transport the flank steak in a ziplock bag. If there is any leftover Chimichurri sauce, it is tasty over grilled chicken or pasta for another meal.

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Serves 6

6 garlic cloves

2 large shallots

1 jalapeño

¾ cup red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)

3 cups fresh cilantro

1 ½ cups parsley

¾ cup oregano

1 ¼ cups olive oil

1 (2-pound) flank steak

Garnish with cilantro and grilled mini sweet peppers

Roughly chop the garlic, shallots, and jalapeño, and place into the bowl of a food processor. Add vinegar and salt; pulse 3 to 4 times (max) until evenly chopped.

With a knife, roughly chop next 3 ingredients (all herbs), and add to food processor. Add oil, and pulse 2 times; stop and stir mixture to ensure even chopping. Pulse 2 to 3 more times until coarsely and evenly chopped.

In a large ziplock bag, evenly coat flank steak with 1 cup of the Chimichurri marinade and sauce. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Remove flank steak from marinade, and pat dry. Grill at medium-high for 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining 2 cups of Chimichurri sauce.

Learn from Leslie: Grill the mini sweet peppers for 10 minutes while grilling the steak.

These sweet mini peppers are found in the produce section at most grocery stores.

Shake and Bake Parsley Potatoes

Do your prepping in the comfort of your own home, and place in bags ready to go. All there is left to do is quarter, toss, and bake when you arrive. This simple recipe not only tastes delicious with steak but pairs easily with shrimp and chicken too. It’s a real crowd-pleaser.

Shake and Bake Parsley Potatoes

Serves 8

3 pounds red potatoes

1 gallon ziplock bag

1 snack size ziplock bag

2 tablespoons garlic cloves, minced (about 4 to 5)

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash potatoes, pat dry, and put in a gallon zip lock bag. In a separate snack- size ziplock or small bag combine next 4 ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

Cut into quarters, and return to the bag; add seasonings and ¼ cup olive oil. Seal and shake until thoroughly coated.

Preheat baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and pour potato mixture out of bag onto the hot baking sheet. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown, stopping halfway through to flip potatoes. Serve immediately.

Checking In

On March 15, 2018March 15, 2018 By Leslie Byars RegisterIn Ask Leslie, Buy the Book2 Comments

Hey everybody!

Don’t think that I forgot you. It’s been crazy around here this month! I’ve been to Dallas for Mom’s Weekend to see Lily. Last weekend I was in Charleston with Sallie taking a second look at College of Charleston. Yes, it’s March 15th and she still hasn’t picked a college yet. Making me a little crazy!!

I’ve been shooting all week for the May/June issue of Birmingham Home and Garden. Stay tuned. Be sure to pick up a copy or go to their website for all of my recipes each issue. (The recipes are in the ENTERTAINING catagory in the menu bar.) birminghamhomeandgarden.com

Tomorrow I’m headed to New Orleans for a little R & R. hahaha The next two weekends after that are spring break. Nutty. (I’m not complaining.) I can’t wait to get there and send photos. I’m going to one of my favorite spots!!!

I love spring and being away from a computer. It’s time for us all to put our hands in the sand or some dirt. Get outside and breathe some fresh air. So, the posts may be spaced out a little more these next few weeks, so bare with me.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram. I have two accounts–one for personal and the other for business, but they ususally overlap a lot! So follow both! I’m going to be doing lots of posts on them while I’m traveling. I may even throw in a few recipes here and there. Think of it as my “summer style” mini mini magazine.

leslie.register

lesliespartydiaries

See you next week!

Leslie

P.S. Okay, I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed no one asked me about this week’s post. I got a ton of views yesterday which makes me think you missed me??? I love getting mail, so comment anytime.

What’s in Your Kitchen?

On March 7, 2018March 7, 2018 By Leslie Byars RegisterIn Ask Leslie, Buy the Book, The Recipes3 Comments

From The Mini Magazine to the Real Deal

Before we start talking about kitchen gadgets, I have to share some exciting news.

I never tire of seeing my work in actual print!

For those of you that may not know, I am now a contributing editor to Birmingham Home and Garden magazine. I develop and photograph the recipe section each issue. The March/April issue is hot off the press. Be sure to pick up a copy, subscribe, or go to birminghamhomeandgarden.com for the recipes. (Select ENTERTAINING from the menu bar.)

In this issue, I feature 5 recipes that travel well, or can be easily prepped in advance—all which will make for a more relaxing vacation. If you are headed to the mountains, beach, or lake anytime soon, or have a busy weekend planned, you won’t want to miss this issue.

Now, back to The Mini Magazine…

What’s in YOUR kitchen?

I was looking through some of my photos from Leslie’s Party Diaries and I ran across My 10 Most Used Kitchen Gadgets that I had photographed to be in L.P.D. Due to the lack of space, the entire list was never used. So I thought I would share them with you today. Think of this as a supplement to the book!

My 10 Most Used Kitchen Gadgets

Kitchen Scissors- “My Trusty Sword” I use them a million times a day. I freak when someone doesn’t put them back in my knife block. I use them to cut herbs, pizza slices, meats, parchment, and occasionally even a FedEx box.

Pastry Blender- The secret weapon for making homemade piecrust and biscuits light and flaky.

Vegetable Peeler- The obvious, of course, and for making pretty Parmesan or chocolate shavings.

I love the oversized rubber handle on this peeler. It’s easy on your hands.

Funnel- I don’t fry very often, but when I do, I want the oil to “go away” when I’m finished. I let the oil cool for several hours or overnight, then I use the handy funnel to pour it neatly back into the container. Jon taught me this little trick!

A funnel is like a cold bottle of Champagne. If you don’t have one, it’s too late!

5. Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls- These lightweight and easy-to-wash bowls are my go-to for any recipe. I love the way they nest and take up very little space in my cabinet. Most restaurant supply stores have a variety of sizes.

I buy these in pairs. So many recipes require two bowls of a similar size. It also works well if you are doubling a recipe.

Pastry Wheel- It is easy to make an impressive piecrust with this simple little tool. I use it for my shortcake pastry and homemade ravioli too.

Even a store-bought crust will look special.

Juicer- How many times have you squeezed a lemon into a recipe and lost a few seeds through your fingers? Fishing them out is like catching a bat! This juicer not only gets all the juice from a lemon, but catches the seeds too. You can also find larger ones for oranges and grapefruit.

A must! Even if it’s only for a fresh-squeezed margarita. That’s reason enough alone!

Kitchen Twine- One roll will probably last you a lifetime. I use it for meats, my Patchwork Chop Salad (see Leslie’s Party Diaries, page 101), tying up spices in cheese cloth, etc.

Not only is kitchen twine handy in so many recipes, but it makes a timeless bow on a brown craft-paper package.

Box Grater- I’ve never been a fan of “pre-shredded” cheese. I prefer to grate my own. So, with that said, my grater gets a lot of use. It is also good for carrots, zucchini, and potatoes.

Grating your own cheese is a good arm exercise too!

See, cooking can be your cardio!

Sifter- When I was younger I would sometimes skip the sifting step when making homemade piecrust. But after tasting my mother’s one day, I realized it’s not an option if you want a light and flaky crust. A small strainer can work nicely too. Go the extra mile!

It can never hurt to re-sift anything pre-sifted. Your crusts will be lighter and flakier.

Happy Valentine’s Day

On February 14, 2018February 13, 2018 By Leslie Byars RegisterIn Buy the Book1 Comment

Let’s have a relaxing day today. I hope you are either going out on a fun date or cooking my Valentine’s menu from last week with your family or friends.

Since it is Valentine’s Day, I’m going to take this time to brag on my husband, Jon. One of my favorite things about Jon is that he is a planner. Each week on Monday morning, he will ask,

What do we have going on this week?

He takes it from there—booking dinner reservations, company for dinner, and all other kinds of activities. Every week is fun.

Jon is also very organized. When we have a trip planned, he keeps a folder with flight information, contacts, and all dinner plans. It’s like having my own travel agent. He likes to plan out EVERYTHING, which works well with my personality because I like to know EVERYTHING!

I highly recommend changing it up from night to night. That means cooking in some nights and going out the others. Knowing that you are NOT cooking every night makes the ones when you are even more enjoyable. So that’s what I’m doing tonight, changing it up.

I can’t think of a better week to take a short social media siesta and enjoy my family. And besides, it’s date night. I’m going to have to change out of my workout clothes!

Imagine that, Jon made a dinner reservation.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Coming up next week are tasty, quick recipes all made in your food processor. So dust yours off now. And in a couple of weeks, get ready, we’re going to Morocco! The party never ends. See you next week. Leslie

Bundles of Joy

On November 8, 2017January 11, 2019 By Leslie Byars RegisterIn Buy the Book, sides, The Recipes6 Comments

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

My friend Elizabeth introduced me to a green bean bundle over 25 years ago. I’m not sure where she got the recipe, but it is still one I love to serve my guests to this day. It is often even requested—and yes, I’m talking about you, David Fullington.

It takes only a few minutes to wrap these cute bundles.

When purchasing the green beans, I usually buy an extra can or two. You’ll see what I mean when you get in to this one. (And, no, these are not in the “organic” section of your grocery store—try looking on the vegetable can goods aisle.) Over the past few years the whole green beans seem to be getting shorter and shorter. So you will need to pick through and find the longest ones in order to make presentable bundles.

Green Bean Bundles

Serves 4 to 6

2 (14.5-ounce) cans whole green beans, drained

4 slices thinly sliced bacon, cut in half

Toothpicks

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons grated onion

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Drain green beans in a colander. Sort through the beans, and gather 8 to 10 beans; wrap the bundle with ½ slice of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Place into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Repeat with the remainder of the beans and bacon.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Keep warm.

Bake green bean bundles for 40 to 45 minutes until bacon is nicely browned. Pour warm dressing over bundles, and serve immediately.

Learn from Leslie: The bean bundles can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated.

Leslie Likes: Del Monte Blue Lake Whole Green Beans

The dressing will sizzle when poured over bundles hot out of the oven. Serve immediately. Pottery by Earthborn Pottery at earthbornpottery.net

I love the combination of the bacon and the vinegar dressing. It melts in your mouth.