Entertaining on the Cheap: Big Taste, Little Budget

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (0)

JUST BECAUSE THE ECONOMY is suffering doesn't mean that your party guests have to. With 50 bucks — and a bit of old-school home economizing — you can serve 10 pals an ample spread of nibbles.

How to stretch a buck without resorting to Manwich canapes or ramen rolls? Check the fridge or pantry and then work backward. Frozen skinless, boneless chicken thighs morph into satays. A can of beans provides the base for a spicy, not pricey dip. Chef Alison Swope of Restaurant K (1700 K St. NW) calls this running down inventory. "Making things out of what's on hand keeps costs down," she says.

Stockpile ingredients, especially costly proteins, when they're on sale. Like a high-low outfit (Louboutin shoes, Target dress), cost-conscious parties should mix inexpensive basics (bread, beans) with costly garnishes for an illusion of extravagance. Veggie dip even seems ritzy topped with chopped shrimp.

A fancy form can also impress guests more than fancy ingredients. At the new Fyve (1250 S. Hayes St., Arlington), chef Amy Brandwein offers risotto balls as an amuse bouche, turning humble rice into something posh. At home, frying up a batch costs less than ordering pizza. "It doesn't get cheaper than that," she says.

1-2-3 SPINACH-ARTICHOKE SPREAD
Makes four cups
Total cost: $8.68
Note: Three ingredients, three minutes to make. Pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil would make a nice garnish.
» 2 10-oz. packages frozen, chopped spinach: $2
» 12-oz. jar artichoke spread: $3.99
» 2 cups (16 ounces) nonfat small curd cottage cheese: $2.69

Thaw spinach in a bowl of hot water. Drain in a colander and squeeze out all of the water. Place the spinach, artichoke spread and cottage cheese in a food processor, and pulse until well combined. Serve with sliced French bread or crackers.

OLIVE TOASTS
Makes 24 1-inch slices
Total cost: $8.97
» 1 baguette, cut horizontally and opened like a book: $2.69
» cup light mayonnaise: 50 cents
» cup (2 oz.) reduced-fat shredded pepper jack cheese: $1
» 4 ounces buttery spread: 75 cents
» 6-oz. can black olives, drained: $1.79
» 1 7-oz. jar pimento-stuffed green olives, drained: $1.99
» 2 scallions, chopped: 25 cents
» 2 cloves garlic, minced
» tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place baguette diagonally on a sheet of heavy-duty foil large enough to line the rack of your oven.

In a large bowl, blend together mayo, cheese and butter spread. Place olives, scallions, garlic and pepper in a food processor and pulse until olives are evenly, but not overly, chopped. Combine olive mix with mayo mix and spread evenly on the baguette, making sure to cover surface completely. Place the baguette, with the foil, in the oven and bake for 30 minutes to let the mixture melt into the bread. Watch carefully during the last couple minutes to make sure the edges don't get too brown. When done, remove baguette from the oven, using the foil as a sling. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut each baguette half into 1-inch diagonal slices.

RISOTTO BALLS
Makes about 56 balls
Total Cost: $14.52
Note: Amy Brandwein of Fyve Restaurant uses homemade risotto in these balls, but it's good — and much easier — to make them from a jazzed-up mix. Add a little crabmeat to the risotto or sprinkle some on top of the pesto to give the impression you've spent more on the dish than you did.

For the Sauce:
» 1 6-oz. container pesto: $4.99
» cup canola oil
» cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the balls:
» 2 boxes Parmesan risotto mix (about 12 oz. total; depends on the brand): $5
» cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (don't use the fake stuff): $2.34
» tsp. ground black pepper
» 6 eggs, beaten well (for breading): $1.19
» 1 cup flour
» 1 cup plain breadcrumbs: $1
» canola oil for deep frying

Make the sauce. Whisk together the pesto and two oils in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring the sauce to room temperature before serving.

Prepare the two boxes of risotto according to package directions. Cool and refrigerate until completely cold. Mixture should be very thick, like paste. Stir in cheese and pepper. Roll the rice into balls the size of small walnuts. (Wear Latex food-prep gloves for this; purchase at a hardware store.)

Create a breading station. Place the flour in one medium-size bowl, the beaten eggs in another, and the breadcrumbs in a shallow pan. Coat the balls completely in flour, shaking off any excess, then in eggs, then in breadcrumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use. Deep-fry the balls in canola oil that has been heated to 350 degrees between two and three minutes, until golden brown. Blot on paper towels and season with salt while still hot. Serve with pesto sauce.

SANTA FE PORK SKEWERS
48 skewers
Total cost: $13.44
Note: It is a lot easier to get pork strips on a skewer after they have been cooked. This also means you can make this recipe a day ahead of time and store the strips in the fridge.

» 3 lbs. pork loin, cut into 16 half-inch slices, then 3 strips each: $9.85
» tsp. salt
» tsp. ground black pepper
» cooking spray
» 2 tbps. paprika (smoked paprika is even better)
» tsp. onion salt
» tsp. garlic powder
» 1 cup light sour cream: $1.59
» cup prepared chipotle salsa: $1
» cup prepared tomatillo salsa: $1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim pork loin of all fat and silver skin. Cut loin into 16 half-inch slices and then cut each slice into three lengthwise strips. Lightly spray a foil-lined baking sheet with a cooking spray, spread the pork strips on the foil, and lightly douse them with a little more cooking spray. Bake the strips for 8 to 10 minutes until just barely cooked through. Remove from oven and blot on paper towels.

Place paprika, onion salt and garlic powder in a large Ziploc bag. Add pork strips; shake to coat well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve strips on bamboo skewers (one strip per skewer) with a choice of salsas — chipotle or tomatillo — each offered atop a quarter-cup of sour cream.
[All groceries purchased at Harris Teeter and Giant.]

Photo by Marge Ely/Express
Written by Express contributor David Hagedorn