Dinner Party with Friends - How To (Winter Edition)

Party of 4
Winter dinners are usually rich and comforting. It's about a menu full of warming dishes made with lots of love. For those whom love wine, jazz and candlelit dinners. Enjoy good food, good company and indulge in great conversations.

Menu
Baked Fennel with Butter and Dill Dressing
Korean Style Baked Chicken
Garlic & Cheese Bread
Simple Tiramisu Cups

Baked Fennel with Butter and Dill Dressing
1 fennel bulb
1 sprig of fresh dill, minced
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove minced
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2 sprigs of green onion, sliced thin
sea salt
black pepper
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Cut the fennel bulb in half, trim the stalks and core the bulb. Cut the halves into 8 equal wedges each. Coat with ingredients above dotted line. Bake at 325F for 30 minutes in an oven proof dish.

Garnish and season to taste with green onion, salt, pepper and lemon juice prior to serving.

Korean Style Chicken
4 chicken thighs, bone in with skin, trimmed
1/8 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup Bragg's soy sauce
4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh red or green thai chilli, seeded, roughly chopped
1 tbsp honey
3 green onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp freshly ground black or white pepper

Marinate chicken with all the remaining ingredients overnight. 

Preheat oven to 375F. In a heat proof glass baking dish, spray with cooking spray and place chicken thighs into dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear.


Garlic & Cheese Bread
1 loaf of rice bread, sliced thick, approximately makes 6 slices
6 garlic cloves, sliced in half
1 cup grated almond cheese

Preheat oven to 300F. Toast the bread for 5-10 minutes until slightly crispy. Remove from oven and rub a fresh garlic clove on each side of each slice of bread. 

Place bread slices back on baking sheet and sprinkle with almond cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbly. Remove and serve with Korean Style Chicken.

Simple Tiramisu Cups
4 balloons
3/4 cup dark Hersey's chocolate, roughly chopped
1/4 cup dark Hersey's chocolate, shaved <this is your topping>
1 dozen gluten free lady fingers <see my blog post on making gluten free lady fingers on my other blog yourinnergreek.blogspot.ca>
1 tub cool whip

Espresso substitute in a hurry: <dip the lady fingers in this before layering>
2 instant dark roast coffee singles
1/8 cup hot water

Melt your 3/4 cup dark chocolate in a double boiler. Dip your 4 half blown balloons into the chocolate coating them half way evenly. Place each on a wax paper lined baking sheet to set. To speed up the process place the baking sheet in the fridge. Once the chocolate has set, pop the balloons and remove the rubber pieces from the chocolate cups.

In the bottom of your chocolate cups layer a spoon of cool whip, followed by a layer of lady finger. Repeat till you have a layer of cool whip at the top. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings. 

Refrigerate until serving.