Friday, July 29, 2011

Zahcarys and Savannah Catering Offer Recipes for a Large Party

East Meadow Shopping Center
www.zacharyspartys.com   (516) 794-9770
 
If you are planning an event for the first time or you plan many events throughout the year, the main goals are always the same. You must make sure every detail is attended to and of course you want everything to turn out better than you had expected. You also want the guests to be so happy and delighted that they will always have a fond memory to carry away with them.

Zacharys & Savannah Catering now offer some of the best party recipes to all of our blog viewers:
 
 
 Start with
1-1/2 lb. hamburger
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3 tablespoon minced onions
1 teaspoon black pepper
 
Next
Mix, let stand in refrigerator one hour or more then cook till done in a fry pan, Next  stir in the *sauce (see below,) simmer all for 10-15 minutes.
 
MAKE THE SAUCE
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Catsup
2 tablespoon 7up Cola. *Do not add extra.
2 teaspoon vinegar
Add in cooked tapioca including the liquid after boiling 2 teaspoons Kraft Minute Tapioca in ½ cup water 

Combine and mix everything together before adding to meat.

When cooked, spoon some mixture over the bottom half of a hamburger bun and cover with the top bun.
Serve with a pickle and potato chips.
 
 
 
 
MAKE THE BEST DEVILED EGG
Creamy Stuffed Deviled Eggs.
The word  "deviled" is in reference to 
fiery spices however these are not spicy hot.
 
Ingredients
12 Hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise  
1 tablespoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
One pinch white pepper,
4 or 5 tablespoon juice from a sweet pickle jar (only use enough to get the mixture to look like creamy peanut butter at room temperature.)


Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Green outer line around outside of yoke and cracked shells indicate heat was too high, over-boiled eggs have a strong odor and will effect taste. How to cook  perfect hard boiled eggs. 

Deviled Egg Directions
Cut the eggs in half, lengthways, carefully remove the yokes and put them in a bowl. Add all the ingredients to the yokes, mix well until you have a smooth paste (like room temperature creamy peanut butter) Add more small amounts of pickle juice to thin if needed.

Fill each egg whites shell halves, heap them full with the yolk mixture with a spoon or fill a "baggie" with the mixture, scissor snip off a bottom corner on bag and squeeze out mixture. 

Garnish with a little paprika. Chill well before serving.
Serves 12

* Foods, such as garlic, horseradish, cheese, chutney, capers, salsa, mushrooms, spinach, sour cream, caviar, smoked salmon, or other seafood could also be added in the ingredients.
 
mmm...What else could be better then this?
 
 
Sauce ingredients
1/3 cup red burgundy (your choice) drinking wine
1-1/2 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms
4 tablespoons minced onions  
2 clove garlic, crushed  
1/4  teaspoon salt  
2 teaspoon lemon juice  
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce  
2 sticks butter or margarine
3  tablespoons dried parsley flakes 

Sauce Method
In a large enough fry pan, heat pan just under medium heat, pour in the wine (it should sizzle) and heat it until it evaporates leaving only the residue then add and melt the butter; brush melted butter on one side of each cut tenderloin then set them aside. Using the same heat, add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt, lemon juice and Worcestershire and soy sauce to the remaining butter in the fry pan, stir often and cook until mushrooms are tender then stir in parsley; keep sauce warm. 

Steak Method
You will need 1-1/2  lb beef tenderloin, cut into 8 slices. You could also use less expensive steak meat like; Rib eye, Flank (London Broil), Sirloin.
Preheat oven broiler placing oven rack one notch above the middle. Broil steaks  4-/½ minutes on each side or less, no more then medium doneness. * Note: When broiling it is very important to leave the oven-door cracked open or meat will not broil properly, it will bake, get tough and dry out. Cooking on an outside grill is optional. Serve with mushroom-butter sauce to spoon over steaks and/or mashed potatoes.
Serves 4

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Things To Think About When Feeding a Large Crowd

East Meadow Shopping Center
www.zacharyspartys.com   (516) 794-9770
 
Feeding a large number of people presents some logistics problems you may not have though about. Zacharys & Savannah Catering is offering tips on things to think about when feeding a large crowd.
 

Plan Ahead

Every large task requires some degree of planning. Cooking for a crowd is no different. Prepare your menu at least two weeks ahead of time (more if you are able). One great benefit of having a planned menu is that if someone asks what they can bring, look down your list and pick something. Then cross it off your list!

Shop Ahead

Don’t wait until the last minute to shop for your gathering. Most items can be purchased weeks or sometimes months in advance. There may be a few things that need to be purchased the day before, but try to keep these items to a minimum. Shopping ahead also allows you to watch for sales. If you plan ahead you might be able to get most of the menu items on sale.

Prep Ahead

Try to do as much work as possible the week before. Look over your menu and decide which items can be prepared ahead of time. Work to prepare all these items before the big day arrives.

Keep it Simple

Getting together for a meal is less about the food and more about the fellowship. While you want your menu to be yummy, don’t kill yourself preparing 20 exotic dishes that no one is going to really like anyway.

Ask for Help

This is especially important during the holiday meals. Even your single 20 something cousin can pick up a few packs of rolls on his way over to your house for the big dinner. Most of the time people offer to bring a dish, but if they don’t ask them anyway. Once the guests arrive invite a few of the “cooks” into the kitchen to help you with the finishing touches.

Think Outside of the Box

Try a make your own pizza Thanksgiving. It can be one of the most memorable celebrations that will be talked about for years.

Love your Crock

The crock pot is your best friend when it comes to making big meals. For sloppy joes, brown the meat early in the week and the morning of the party throw everything in the crock to cook for a few hours before guests arrive. There are so many great crock pot dishes and most of them are perfect for a crowd.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Zacharys & Savannah Catering Offer Tips for Labor Day Weekend 2011

East Meadow Shopping Center
www.zacharyspartys.com   (516) 794-9770
 
Some of the best tips for labor day weekend 2011 in the United States depends on what you are planning on doing during this annual holiday at the end of summer. Labor Day is always a Monday that is tacked on to the end of a weekend, creating a three day weekend for everyone as they prepare to go into the grind of Fall, which has about two and half straight months of full work weeks before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Below are some tips for Labor Day for a variety of different things you can do to celebrate this full day away from work.
 
Plan a BBQ
Plan for a Labor Day holiday BBQ a month or so before, so that everyone you want to come can mark it on their calendars and try to be there. This will also help you to gauge the most accurate head count of guests possible so that you can be sure to have enough food, drinks and seating for all of your guests. If you're going to have this Labor Day BBQ, make sure you have a large grill and a space where people can mingle, sit and eat and enjoy the final days of that year's summer freedom. Ideally, you can do this Labor Day BBQ around a pool, so that people have the option of swimming to cool off from the summer heat.
Capitalize on Labor Day Sales
Many large retailers and even smaller businesses will often offer Labor Day sales events to draw business in on the day off for most of the country. These sales are often massive, because many of these large businesses are also trying to move inventory from the summer season out to make room for a new swath of product in the Fall. In other words, there are some tremendous deals which will be offered out there. However, a lot of other people will know about these deals, so you'll have to have a plan of attack if you really want to capitalize on these Labor Day sales. Make a list of all the businesses that are having sales and then get up early to start shopping to beat the crowds. Try to be done by 11 AM and stick to stores all in one area, so that you don't waste time traveling from store to store.
Plan a Trip Out of Town
Plan a trip out of town for Labor Day weekend so that you can have a mini-vacation truly away from your work. Keep in mind a lot of other people will be planning to do this as well, so it may be a good idea to take that Friday before the Labor Day weekend off, or not leave until Saturday of the Labor Day weekend and take Tuesday after Labor Day off. This way you won't have to deal with as much traffic on the road or if you are flying, plane tickets will be cheaper. However, this all depends on what your work will allow you to do, as getting fired for your Labor Day vacation will be painfully ironic.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Is There Such Thing As Healthy Barbecue Foods?

East Meadow Shopping Center
www.zacharyspartys.com   (516) 794-9770
_______________________________________________

Is there such thing as healthy barbecue foods? The answer is YES!!!! Take a look at Zacharys & Savannah's tasty, nutritious barbecue ideas. These will keep your taste buds tingling in anticipation!

Kebabs
Tofu is a popular vegetarian substitute for meat, which is very easy to cube and ideal for kebabs! Alternatively look out for cubed chicken breast, prawns or lean meats. The beauty with kebabs is that your imagination is your limit - most vegetables, and some fruits too, are delicious combined with tofu, poultry, seafood or meat.
Try cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, peppers, courgette or aubergine (cut into ¼ inch cubes), pineapple chunks, apple slices... whatever takes your fancy! Simply put your chosen combination onto skewers, brush with a little olive oil, or find a reduced calorie marinade, and grill over the BBQ until the meat is cooked and tender and the vegetables are roasted and charred around the edges. 

Note: If using wooden skewers don’t forget to pre-soak them for 30 minutes to avoid the ends burning whilst cooking!
 
Vegetable Kebabs 
 "Try vegetable kebabs, peppers, mushrooms, courgette, aubergine, any of your favourite vegetables, skewer them, wipe with teriyaki sauce or something else you like, and stick them on the BBQ until ready." MELLY

Marinated Chicken
 "4 chicken breasts, 2 tablespoons clear honey, 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce, juice & zest of one lime, 2 cloves of garlic. Mix up all marinade ingredients, stir in chicken, leave overnight then BBQ! Can either leave chicken whole or chop into chunks and cook on skewers. Enjoy!" BETHCURRIE

Monkfish Kebabs
 "I did monkfish kebabs. Monkfish is very meaty so doesn't flake and fall apart on the barbecue like other fish. It was very simple: monkfish cubes interspersed with chunks of ripe mango, with a little oil drizzled over plus the juice of one lime. Delicious!" 
Simply Salmon
 Salmon makes a great alternative to meat. Place a whole fillet onto a sheet of foil large enough to make a parcel. Slice half a lemon and layer over the top of the salmon, squeeze the other half over the fish, season and wrap the foil to make a make a generous parcel and refrigerate overnight (to allow the flavours to fuse). Cook on the barbecue for about 10 minutes - depending on thickness of fillet. This is delicious served with natural, low fat yogurt, salad and crusty bread.

Low-Fat Garlic Mushrooms
 Take a large square of tin foil, spray with a light cooking spray, add some sliced mushrooms, a clove of crushed garlic, freshly milled salt and pepper and wrap up in a parcel. Cook the the parcel on the BBQ for about 15-20 minutes. Serve with French bread lightly toasted on the BBQ.

Hot Corn
 Sweetcorn cooked on the BBQ is delicious and acquires a taste unobtainable with any other form of cooking. Pre-boil it until just tender, to keep it juicy and speed up cooking time on the "Barbie". Then, place it directly on the grill and turn until charred on the outside. Resist the temptation for lashings of butter - you won’t need it!

The adventurous amongst you can try the traditional Mexican option which involves rubbing the hot, cooked corn in chili powder. Warning: HOT! 

Grilled Asparagus
 Asparagus is said to be a delicacy and barbecued asparagus is no exception! Simply take a bunch, trim the bottoms, toss in a tbsp of olive oil and season with freshly milled salt and pepper. Pop on the grill for 2-3 minutes or until to desired tenderness - this one will wow your guests!

Marinated Aubergines
 "I've never been a big fan of aubergine but I recently had this at a BBQ and they were fantastic. Slice an aubergine length ways into just under 1/2 cm slices. Marinate them for about an hour in a small amount of olive oil (1 tsp), some nice vinegar (eg. red wine, balsamic), lemon juice and some chopped herbs. Place them on the BBQ and cook well. I like them quite charred as they go lovely and crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle. If you're having an okay calorie day top with a small amount of crumbled feta cheese."

Potatoes
 Jacket potatoes are one of the easiest things to cook on the BBQ. Simply wrap them in tin foil and place directly on the coals under the shelf and leave them for approx an hour, depending on size, whilst you cook the rest. Don’t worry if you have to wait for the rest - the potatoes will only improve with time!

"I do something nice (and terribly traditional) with potatoes - boil new potatoes until just tender, then drain, toss with a tiny touch of olive oil (1tbsp for four portions), garlic, salt and pepper (rosemary if available) - then the lot go a piece of heavy-duty foil that's been sprayed with "pan-coating" - fold the top tightly, then the sides up and on the grill - turn it every once in a while and you get nice roasties!"

On the Side
 One of the best things about a barbecue is the variety of foods on offer - so don’t limit this simply to what you cook on the grill. A bit of pre-planning will ensure a healthy choice of accompaniments, steer clear of supermarket coleslaw and potato salad (these are laced with fat) – but if you must, check out our low fat coleslaw and low fat potato salad taste tests and see which are best for calories, fat and taste.

Try a fresh mixed salad with a reduced fat/calorie dressing, some freshly boiled rice (toss in some pineapple, mushrooms... use that imagination!) and some fresh bread - there’s some delightful wholemeal and granary varieties available.

"For a side salad try cous cous with roasted veg, garlic & herbs - can be cooked in advance and kept for a day or two" BETHCURRIE
For Dessert
 Make up a bowl of fresh fruit salad and serve with low fat yogurt. Alternatively whilst the charcoal is dying down, pop some bananas (in their skins) wrapped in tin foil on the shelf and leave for about 10 minutes. When you unwrap them you’ll have a delicious gooey banana dessert!

"Peaches and nectarines sliced are very good too - serve with some fat free yogurt"

Monday, July 18, 2011

Zacharys & Savannah Catering Offers Wing & Bacon Wrapped Sausage Recipes

East Meadow Shopping Center
www.zacharyspartys.com   (516) 794-9770
_______________________________________________

Have you ever been to a party and noticed how everyone seems to end up hanging out around the food table? hat's because when people go to a party, they love to eat!

So what are you going to serve at your party that will please the crowd?
No worries, Zacharys and Savannah Catering are here to help! We've gathered some of the best party recipes that will have all of your guests talking...with their mouths full...about your awesome appetizers!

Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Sausages

bacon wrapped sausagesThese little bacon wrapped sausages are absolutely scrumptious! Smothered in brown sugar, then cooked until nice and crispy, they are a HUGE crowd pleaser. They're really a great appetizer for any occasion, but they go especially well with a Super Bowl party or a barnyard party.

Recipe Below:



What You'll Need
  • 1 (16-ounce package lil smokies sausages
  • 1 pound bacon (the leaner the better)
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • Toothpicks or skewers (optional)


Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Unwrap the bacon and cut the strips into thirds.
  • Place the brown sugar in a bowl.
  • Wrap each little sausage with a piece of bacon and roll in the brown sugar until completely covered. If desired, secure with a toothpick, or thread on a skewer and arrange on a baking sheet. My preference is to just lay them seam-side-down on the baking sheet...the seam will seal as the bacon cooks.
  • Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar over the tops of the sausages.
  • Bake for about 40 minutes, allowing the brown sugar to "melt" onto the sausages. After 40 minutes, turn the oven to broil and cook for a few minutes until the bacon is crisp. Turn the sausages over and broil to your desired doneness. 
                                                                                                          Hot Wings Recipe
hot wings recipeWhat party is complete without a big plate full of hot wings and a jug of beer?

This hot wings recipe is a huge favorite, and is always requested at get-togethers. Be warned, though...they go really fast, so you may want to make a few extra batches!



How to Make Hot Wings

Ingredients:
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 pack chicken wings, cut into sections (throw the tips away)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
  • 1 cup milk
  • Your favorite hot sauce (we like Crystal)
  • Butter
  • Blue Cheese dressing
  • Celery
Directions:
  • Heat oil in large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Combine the flour, salt, and creole seasoning on a plate. Pour the milk into a bowl. Dip each wingette in milk, then dredge in flour mixture until well coated.
  • Fry the wingettes in hot oil, turning occasionally, until dark golden brown on all sides. Sprinkle once or twice with salt and pepper. Drain on paper towels.
  • Melt about 3-4 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Add about 1/2 cup (or more, if desired) of hot sauce to butter; mix well. For milder wings, use more butter. For wings with a little more kick, use more hot sauce.
  • Combine chicken wingettes and hot sauce mixture in a large bowl, tossing to coat wingettes with mixture. Remove chicken to a plate. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Two Great Recipes for Chili-Glazed Pork Ribs & Ranch Potatoes

East Meadow Shopping Center
www.zacharyspartys.com   (516) 794-9770
_______________________________________________



Total Time:
4 hr 0 min
Prep
1 hr 0 min
Cook
3 hr 0 min

Yield:
6-8 servings
Level:
Easy


Ingredients

Directions

Make shallow cuts between the ribs on the bone side with a sharp knife, piercing just the membrane.
Mix 1 tablespoon salt, the brown sugar, garlic, thyme, chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and the cayenne in a bowl. Rub the spice mixture evenly over the ribs. Place the ribs on a rack in a roasting pan, loosely cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Meanwhile, combine the cider, ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups, about 30 minutes. Cover and set aside.
Preheat a grill to low heat on one side. Cook the ribs bone-side down on the cooler side of the grill, covered, until tender, about 2 hours 30 minutes. (If using a charcoal grill, add more charcoal as needed to maintain the temperature.) Continue to cook, uncovering every 10 minutes to baste with the sauce, until the ribs are glazed, about 40 more minutes. Remove from the grill and cut into pieces.


Total Time:
1 hr 0 min
Cook
1 hr 0 min

Yield:
--
Level:
--


Picture of Ranch Potatoes RecipeIngredients

  • Ranch dressing
  • Potatoes
  • Chopped onions

Directions

Cube unpeeled potatoes, place in double layer of aluminum foil. Sprinkle chopped onions on top. Squirt ranch dressing over all. Fold up the foil and seal it. Bake in oven at 400 degrees F or on the grill.

Notes

So easy and so good. Great for a large crowd as you can prepare this ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake.