Entertaining for my daughters birthday at 20 weeks.

At 20 weeks I’ve finally gained some necessary weight, but I feel as though I’m still transferring weight which is a plus.  I’m up from 157.5 to 159 and stable for one week.  I feel good and I know that I don’t really have a choice in the weight I gain but I do have a choice in eating too much or too little.   

My daughter turned 17 last month and I didn’t want her to think that having a new baby would suddenly change routines and traditions that we had for so many years - as just mom and daughter in the house.  I planned a family party (her favorite kind) and served all of her favorite dishes. This of course, meant that there wasn’t a lot that was going to go together but it was her day and thats all that really mattered.

On the menu: Lamb Curry,  Puerto Rican Rice and Beans, Pasta Salad, Lentil Soup, Chicken Wontons, A Cheese Tray, Hummus and Chips w/ Bacon and Cheddar and her favorite cake/ice cream Mint Chocolate Chip.

Because I like the idea of having meals that work together, I decided to put things out in a particular order.  The Appetizers: A cheese tray with hummus and home fried tortilla chips, Homemade Potato Chips with Shredded Cheese and Bacon, and Chicken Wontons.  For the main course: Lamb Curry and Puerto Rican Rice, Pasta Salad and Store bought Garlic Bread and for dessert Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake, Chocolate Wontons, and her favorite candy - White chocolate pretzels and frozen mini Reeses peanut butter cups.  I set all of these up on different tables so that no one would question the eclectic menu :)

I’m only going to share some of the simple recipes today and I’ll get to the others on another day when I blog again.  I think it’s important to keep it simple during this time and not over extend yourself in the kitchen but cook like you've never cooked before, because I’m finding that if my food lacks flavor I’m hungry again.

Easy Lamb Curry

4 tbsp Olive Oil Butter or Olive Oil

1/4 cup Onion

1/4 cup Yellow Pepper

1/4 cup Red Pepper

Curry shortcut  - Kitchens of India : 2 packages of Paste for Lamb Curry - 100 % Natural/No Preservatives http://www.kitchensofindia.com/globalpresence_usa_currypastes.asp

2 Boxes Chicken Broth

Salt & Pepper

2 lbs Lamb (We used every kind as it was really difficult to find enough lamb to feed the family)

Heat a large Spaghetti pot on medium and add four tablespoons of butter.  Add onion, yellow and red pepper until slightly tender.  Add the 2 packages of Lamb Curry Paste (I used two because I had about 1.5 lbs of meat, you can use 1 paste packet for 4 chops and reduce the liquid by half) mix very well and add the Chicken broth.  Allow the liquid to get very hot but do not boil. Salt and pepper the lamb and add to the liquid.  Cover and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  The longer you cook this the softer your lamb comes out and the less of an after (lamb) smell you will deal with.

Fried - Chicken Wontons

Sesame oil or Olive Oil

2 cloves chopped Garlic

2  - 3 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 splash of Modena Red Wine Vinegar or Rice wine vinegar

2 tsp Grated fresh ginger (use sparingly)

1 cup shredded or sliced carrots

3/4 lb of ground chicken

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of chicken broth

Toasted sesame seeds

Egg Whites

Wonton Wrappers (thawed)

In a pan heat oil, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and carrots.  Add salt and pepper to chicken and add to the pan, 1/2 cup of Chicken broth cook until all flavors are combined.  Simmer until liquid is reduced then continue to sauté until fully cooked. 

In a chopper/grinder add all of the mixture and grind until all ingredients are mixed.  Put all ingredients in a bowl and add sesame seeds (mix them in).

Heat a deep skillet with oil.  Take each wonton wrapper brush corner and sides with egg whites and add a teaspoon of the mixture to the middle press one corner to the other forming a triangle and add to the oil. 

Remove and dry on a paper towel. 

These chicken wontons were a hit but the kids loved them most.  The kid in all of us loved the Nutella Wontons

Fried Chocolate Wontons

Oil

Nutella Chocolate

Egg Whites

Wonton Wrappers (thawed)

Heat a deep skillet with oil.  Take each wonton wrapper brush corner and sides with egg whites and add a teaspoon of Nutella to the middle press one corner to the other forming a triangle and add to the oil. 

Don’t put wontons in plastic over night, just put a paper towel over them and keep them out or put them in a cookie jar that can get some air.  They will stay crispy for days.