Entertain the Western Way

SERVES: 8

PREP & COOK TIME: 1 HOUR, 45 MINUTES

1 sheet (about 14 oz.) puff pastry, thawed
1 jar (12 oz.) Mezzetta® Gourmet Deli Roasted Red Bell Pepper Strips and Caramelized Onions
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 tbsp. Mezzetta® Non-Pareil Capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
About 28 or 1/3 cup Mezzetta® Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives
2 tsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400°. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange puff pastry on top. Leaving a ½-in. border around edge, lightly prick puff pastry with a fork (this will keep it from puffing too much in the oven). Bake until puffed on the edges and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Drain peppers and onions and lay them in a single layer on several sheets of paper towels. Roll up and squeeze paper towels to extract as much liquid as possible. Separate peppers from onions. Toss onions with 1 tsp. each olive oil and chopped thyme.

Spread onion mixture over pastry, leaving a thin border.

Arrange roasted red peppers in a grid of diamonds over onions, add an olive half to each diamond, and sprinkle with capers. Bake until pastry is well browned, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with whole thyme leaves and parsley. Drizzle with olive oil.

Slide pastry onto a board and cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From the Sunset Test Kitchen
Sponsored by Mezzetta

SERVES: 4 TO 6

PREP & COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES

½ cup plus 2 tbsp. shelled unsalted pistachios 1garlic clove
2 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves (about 1 large bunch)
4 large mint leaves (optional) ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Chop 2 tbsp. pistachios and set aside.  In a food processor or blender, whirl garlic until minced, scraping down the sides as needed.

Add parsley and mint leaves and pulse until the volume reduces a little. Add oil, butter, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp. warm water and whirl until fairly smooth.

Add remaining ½ cup pistachios and pulse until as smooth as you like. Add cheese and pulse to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When water boils, add pasta and cook until just tender. Scoop out ¾ cup pasta-cooking water. Drain pasta, return to the pot, and add pesto. Toss to coat pasta thoroughly, adding enough pasta cooking water to loosen the mixture (start with ¼ cup, then add 1 tbsp. at a time).

Sprinkle with additional cheese and the 2 tbsp. chopped pistachios, and serve hot.

From the Sunset Test Kitchen
Spomnsored by American Pistachio Growers

SERVES: 8 TO 12

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES, PLUS CHILLING TIME

4 cups pomegranate juice

1 cup torani pomegranate syrup
½ cup torani raspberry syrup

¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 bottles (750 ml) sparkling water, sparkling white grape juice or sparkling wine/brut champagne 

In a large pitcher, combine pomegranate juice, pomegranate syrup, raspberry syrup and lemon juice. Stir to combine and chill. Separately chill the sparkling water, sparkling grape juice or sparkling wine as well.

When ready to serve, add the sparkling water, sparkling grape juice or sparkling wine to taste. Serve immediately and chilled with ice.

Optional serving tip: let your guests customize their drink. Place the chilled punch in a carafe next to a small bucket of ice. Offer chilled sparkling water, sparkling grape juice or sparkling wine for guests to add to the punch to their taste. Provide orange bitters or orange peel twists for additional flavor.

From the Sunset Test Kitchen
Sponsored by Torani

MAKES: 4 SANDWICHES

PREP & COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES

8 slices Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread
4 tbsp. butter, softened

½ cup soft Gorgonzola (Gorgonzola Dolce)

¼ cup fig spread
32 very thin slices roast turkey
4 handfuls arugula

24-32 cocktail picks

Put bread slices on a work surface and butter one side of each.

Turn slices over and spread half of them with Gorgonzola, dividing evenly. Spread the other half with fig spread.

Arrange 8 turkey slices on each cheese-spread slice. Top each with a fig-spread slice, butter side out.

Cook sandwiches in a panini press or other sandwich press, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Or, heat a large griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat and cook as many sandwiches as fit in a single layer until the bread is toasted, 3 to 4 minutes; turn over and cook until the second side is toasted, the cheese is melted, and everything is hot, another 3 to 4 minutes.

Open sandwiches and add arugula. Close them and cut each into 6 to 8 bite-size pieces. Secure with cocktail picks and serve hot.

From the Sunset Test Kitchen
Sponsored by Nature’s Own

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

PREP & COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES

1½ lb. baby yellow potatoes
1 tsp. salt

1 large clove garlic

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1½ tsp. McCormick® Gourmet Smoked Paprika
½ – 1 tsp. McCormick® Gourmet Hot Hungarian Paprika
½ – 1 cup Kitchen Basics® Chicken Stock
1 tbsp. chopped chives, optional

Put potatoes in a 4-qt. pot. Cover with water and add salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool; set pot aside as well.

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, put them on a large cutting board in a single layer. Smash each one with the back of a spatula, bottom of a mug or small pan, or meat pounder.

Peel and mince the garlic. Return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Melt butter and oil together. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add smoked and hot paprikas. Stir to combine and let sizzle about 15 seconds. Add ½ cup of broth and scrape potatoes off the cutting board and into the pot. Stir to combine. If the broth gets absorbed immediately, add another ½ cup. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes for liquid to absorb and flavors to meld. Stir again and serve, garnished with chives, if you like.

From the Sunset Test Kitchen
Sponsored by McCormick

MAKES ABOUT 1 LB.

PREP AND COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING TIME

1 cup Diamond of California® Chopped Pecans

½ tsp. chili powder

¼ – ½ tsp. cayenne

1½ cups sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ tsp. each cream of tartar and salt

Generously oil a rimmed 9-in. by 13-in. baking pan.

Cook pecans in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until toasted,
7 to 10 minutes. Transfer pecans to a plate or bowl. Combine chili powder and cayenne; set aside.

Return frying pan to heat and pour 1/3 cup water.  Add sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar, and salt.  Stir just until all the sugar is moistened.  Cook, without stirring, until sugar melts and mixture turns light brown around the edge, about 15 minutes.  Carefully swirl pan and cook until medium brown, about 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat, add toasted pecans and reserved spices, and swirl pan to combine.

Pour mixture onto prepared baking pan. Tilt pan to evenly spread brittle about 1⁄8 inch thick. Let cool completely. Once brittle is cool and hardened, break into pieces.

Store in a tin or other airtight container.

From the Sunset Test Kitchen
Sponsored by Diamond of California

Custom touches and consistent colors make your holiday party shine.

Go big, go bold: Pick a monochromatic palette with one bold accent and carry it from the sophisticated invitations, envelope liners, and address labels through to party décor and beyond.

Tinker with tradition: Echo your invitations’ hues with a sensational floral centerpiece of red poinsettias. Polka-dot ribbon inspired by your envelope liners lends a whimsical touch to this classic winter flower.

A playful pop: Overscale prints on personalized pillows mix tradition with fun and add chic spark to chairs and couches year round.

It’s the little things: Sending guests home with labeled favor boxes cinched with coordinating bakers twine makes for a charming farewell.

Sponsored by Tiny Prints