Quick Recipes For Your Next Party!

What makes a party memorable? Undoubtedly it is the food! Then there's the entertainment to consider; followed by the guest list, invitation cards, decoration, theme, goody bags and so on. The food however is what really makes a party successful. And for me, unappetizing party snacks or drinks could very well put a damper on any party mood.

The trick to being a good soiree hostess is to serve the most delectable food items for your guests. Yes, you can always cater food for your events but sometimes you'd also want to add your own personal touch by cooking a dish or two for your friends and family. It is your party after all and nothing says welcome more than a home-cooked party dish for your guests.

If you're out of ideas on what to serve, there's always the cook book to get you started. You do not have to be a professional chef in order to serve delicious party snacks that will be the talk of your friends. What you need to get the party going is simply the right Quick Recipes and a little sunshine as you prepare for the big event. Aim to impress your guests with well-prepared dishes that not only look good but taste equally delicious! If nothing else, your guests will end up leaving your party happy with a full satisfied tummy!

For the last big dinner we had at home, I cooked up a batch of my famous Chicken Cacciatore. It was a hit with my guests and of course the recipe is a secret! But here's another really simple and quick recipe that you can serve as a party snack for your next big event. This Pineapple and Tuna Chips recipe is easy to make, interesting to the eye and definitely sounds appetizing. And if I were served with this yummy delight at a party, I'd definitely ask for seconds!

Pineapple and Tuna Ceviche Chips

Lend a tropical citrus feel to your party snacks with delightful tuna! This snack can be enjoyed by itself, on a salad or served on your favourite potato chip.

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Cooking with Mariuca - Soto and Begedil *

After three tries, I finally perfected the art of making begedil (potato cutlet with minced meat) YAY!

Soto ayam is a spicy chicken soup with vermicelli, commonly found in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. It has always been one of my favourite local dishes, especially when it comes with plenty of begedil and chilli padi (bird's eye chilli) blended in kicap (soy sauce)! Like I always say, the spicier the better. So when I saw Miss Yummylicious featuring my favourite soto at her blog, it immediately got me craving for some! ;)

And once I get a craving for something, I can't stop thinking about it until I've satisfied that particular craving, which was what happened last weekend. I decided to cook soto myself since most supermarkets now sell the ready-to-cook soto paste in packets, which makes it easy to cook this dish. All I had to do was dump the right amount of soto paste into my electric cooker, add some water and wait for the soup to be ready, while I prepared the chicken and garnishing.

The main thing that was missing from my soto dish was begedil, which like I mentioned earlier, is what completes this tasty dish. The first time I made begedil many moons ago, they crumbled into tiny pieces the moment I started frying them in hot oil. So I did a little research online and after several attempts, I believe that I now have the perfect recipe (by my taste buds!) for these yummy potato cutlets. Are you ready to cook with Mariuca today?

Ingredients

6 medium size potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small cup of minced meat (chicken or beef)
10-15 bird's eye chilli, finely chopped
2 sprigs of spring onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
1/4 cup of fried shallots
1 tsp of salt
white pepper to taste
oil for frying

All ready to be dipped in egg and fried

How to:

1. Fry the potatoes in oil until they turn a nice golden yellow in colour. Remove from pan.
2. Use a wooden spoon to mash the fried potatoes in a big bowl.
3. Add in the minced meat, chilli, fried shallots, spring onion, salt, pepper and 1 egg. Mix everything thoroughly.
4. If mixture is too soft, add a little flour.
5. Use your fingers to shape the mixture into flat round balls.
6. Dip the balls into egg before frying in hot oil.

Crispy golden brown

Begedil with my favourite meehoon soto

There you have it! Quite a simple dish to make for a nice weekend at home, especially during this rainy season. I took the last picture before sprinkling some chopped spring onion as garnishing, so don't forget to add that before you sit down to a delectable meal with your family. Bon appétit!

Posted at 8.54 PM

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MARIUCA LOVES