This Week for Dinner: Little Man Baby Shower...and DELICIOUS Recipes (2024)

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 16 ounces cooked bowtie pasta
• ½ cup oil
• ⅔ cup teriyaki sauce
• 6 tablespoons sugar (nowadays I only use about 1 tabelspoon of sugar)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken (I like using rotisserie chicken)
• 10 ounces fresh spinach
• 6 ounces crasins
• 22 ounces mandarin oranges or 3 little cans
• ¼ cup green onions finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• ½ cup honey roasted almonds or peanuts

Instructions

1. Marinate the cooked chicken and cooked pasta in the oil, teriyaki, sugar, salt and pepper mixture at least one hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Just before service, add all the other ingredients and toss.
2. (To toast sesame seeds, put seeds in a small sauté pan and cook on med heat for five minutes just until the seeds show some color.)

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 2 packages of cream cheese
• ½ cup creme fraiche
• 1 small shallot finely diced
• 1½ lemons squeezed
• 3 loaves of Judy’s love sticks (wheat baguettes with sunflower seeds). I use TJ’s brand. Any baguette will do.
• 3 large English cucumbers

Instructions

1. Finely chop shallot. Blend cream cheese and creme fraiche. Add lemon juice, shallots and salt and pepper to taste. I used a food processor to get smooth texture.
2. Slice baguette thinly and lightly toast in oven (400 degrees for about 4-5 min).
3. Use mandolin to thinly slice cucumbers. Put sliced cucumbers between paper towels to absorb most of the water.
4. To assemble: once bread has cooled, spread some cream cheese mixture and top with two cucumbers. Serve within 4 hours.

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• One package regular Oreos
• One package cream cheese, softened
• Chocolate, chopped into small pieces or chocolate chips
• Lollypop sticks (optional)

Instructions

1. Pulverize Oreos in a food processor. Mix in cream cheese (I did this by hand, but you could probably use your food processor). Roll into small balls, place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, and stick in lollypop sticks. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Melt the chocolate and dip/roll the balls in the chocolate. Place back on the wax paper and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat them.
3. Note: I kept half the batch of balls in the fridge while I dipped the other half. If they are out long enough to not stay really cold, they’ll fall off the sticks or fall apart during the dipping process.
4. Also, I think these taste best with dark or semi-sweet chocolate. It balances out the sweetness of the Oreo. The first time I had them, my friend used something called almond bark, which I thought was gross, but some people really like it. You could also use white chocolate or milk chocolate.

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• Vinaigrette:
• ½ cup walnut oil
• 2 cups olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• ¾ to 1 cup lemon juice from 3 lemons
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• Salad:
• 2 one-pound boxes orzo
• 1 cup kalamata olives, sliced into thin strips
• 4 yellow peppers, med. dice
• 2 red peppers, med. dice
• ¾ cup capers (rinse)
• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 bunches basil, chopped
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 cups (one bag) dried cranberries
• 1 cup red onion, chopped
• 1-2 cans artichoke hearts, chopped (not marinated)

Instructions

1. Drain and cool the orzo with cold water. Toss with a little of the dressing so it won’t stick. Dress the rest of the way ~1 hour before serving (not sooner). One recipe will feed about 60 people – I halved the recipe for the shower and there was a lot left over – so you’ll probably want to halve it, even for a crowd.