Election Night Bash

There's nothing like an exciting and very important election to inspire me to cook! Not only does spending time in the kitchen help me relax while awaiting results, it also gives me a good excuse to invite a few friends over to help celebrate. These fabulous election-night eats helped fuel our enthusiasm all night. It was a total blast!

Warm Camambert with Caramelized Onions and Sweet Red Peppers

Sweet onions and peppers compliment buttery Camambert cheese magnificently!

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add 1 small onion, sliced, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cook over medium to medium-low heat until the onions are deeply golden and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add 1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced. Cook over low heat until pepper is completely softened and mixture begins to turn syrupy, about 20 minutes; cover to keep warm.

2. Place Camambert wheel onto a small baking dish. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly puffy and heated through. Remove from oven and pour the onion-pepper mixture over the cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with slices of toasted baguette.

My Classic Stuffed Mushrooms

These treats pack a lot of flavor into one bite. You can use white button mushrooms if cremini mushrooms aren't available.

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove mushroom stems from 8 ounces cremini mushrooms. Place caps in a baking dish and save stems for another use. 

2. In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup soft bread crumbs, 1 stalk celery, minced, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 2 tablespoon chopped chives, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, 1/4 cup grated parmesan or gruyere cheese, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 

3. Pack mounds of the bread crumb mixture into the mushroom caps. Sprinkle any left over filling over filled mushrooms. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Bake 30 minutes or until top of filling is crisp and golden. Let stand 10  minutes before serving.

Bolognese Sauce with Spaghetti Squash

I love serving this sauce over spaghetti squash instead of traditional pasta. Squash is much lighter than pasta and its subtle flavor pairs deliciously with the rich sauce. 

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. In a Dutch oven, cook 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork until just beginning to brown. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add 1 onion (coarsely chopped), 2 stalks celery (coarsely chopped), 3 carrots, (peeled and coarsely chopped), and 3 cloves garlic (roughly minced). Process with several on/off turns until the vegetables are finely chopped, but not pureed. Add to meat in Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, poke 1 large or 2 medium spaghetti squash with a knife. Place on a baking sheet in the oven.

3. Add 1 cup milk to Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat until most of the milk has evaporated. Add 2 cups white wine. Cook until liquid is reduced by about half, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add 4 cups chicken stock, two 6-ounce cans tomato paste, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in oven with spaghetti squash.

4. After about 40 minutes check spaghetti squash for doneness. If its soft to the touch, it's done. Remove squash from the oven and cut in half; allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, scrape seeds out and discard. Scrape the squash from the shell, and place in a serving dish. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper, sea salt, and parmesan cheese. 

5. Remove sauce from oven, taste and adjust seasoning if needed, and serve with squash.