MasterChef Birthday Party

My 9 year old daughter requested a MasterChef theme birthday party this year. It was so much fun planning it and setting it up.

 

We had a great turn out; 15 girls. So we were able to make 3 teams of 5 for our various activities.  We started the party making pizza's. The girls had a choice of cheese, mushrooms, pepperoni and ham. 

While the pizza's cooked, they built fruit kabobs and decorated cupcakes, which they took home.

Afterwards, we had a blind tasting. We divided the girls into 3 groups, red team, blue team and green team. Each team had all the same ingredients and the team who guessed the most right won the challenge. 

The last challenge was the Mystery Box Challenge. Each team had a box full of ingredients with one mystery ingredient that must be used in every plate. 

In the box there were Oreo cookies, Pound cake, Graham cracker crumbs, cream cheese, ice cream, butter, M&M's, sprinkles, and cool whip frosting.  There was a mystery ingredient that they all had to incorporate into the dessert; STIX chips, my daughter's favorite chip. They had 15 minutes to make 3 desserts for the judges.

Judges deliberated and picked a winning team. They seem to like the plating of the green team, but the Red team's dessert was tastier. The winner was the RED Team!!

The party was a huge success. All the girls had a great time and so did the parents. Each one took home a mixing bowl containing a whisk, spatula, rolling pin, kitchen towel, oven mitten, chef hat and apron. Along with the cupcake they decorated.

Some more pictures of the party.

 

 

Brother Jimmy's BBQ in Mary Brickell Village

We visited Brother Jimmy’s BBQ last week and I must say I was quite impressed.

There were about 11 of us, so we went ahead and started off with a bunch of different appetizers. Let me just say, that my favorite appetizer were the “frickles,” (breaded and fried sliced pickles). The first time I tried frickles, we were living in North Carolina; I was told it was a Southern staple. I was a little skeptical at first but then I tried them. WOW, I loved them the first time in NC and I loved them again here at Brother Jimmy’s and I will have to come back for more!  We also ordered the BBQ wings, which to me have to be by far the best BBQ wings I’ve had here in Miami, Chipolte wings, hushpuppies (moist and delicious), Rib Tips ("WET") style (very flavorful), and chicken fingers.

 

 

After our appetizers, the waitress brought us a Swamp Water with 11 straws to share. The drink is served in a 64 oz fish bowl and an alligator whose mouth is filled with a shot of Grenadine.  It was so good that we were all fighting for the last sip!

 

For dinner, my husband and I split the Jimmy's Pig Pick" platter, which includes your choice of four: Wet Ribs or Southern Ribs, Pulled Pork, Brisket, BBQ Chicken or Pulled Chicken and it's served with Hush Puppies and Cole Slaw.

We got wet ribs, southern ribs, pulled pork and brisket.  In addition, we ordered Mac and cheese, corn on the Cobb, Brussels sprouts, and fries. Everything was delicious, but my favorite in our platter were the wet ribs. The Brussels sprouts tasted like popcorn and our favorite side. We just couldn't get enough of them.

 

They have three kinds of BBQ sauces: Original, Chipolte and Blazin'. They were are all very good, but it seems that the favorite on the table was the original.
If you are in the mood for some good southern style BBQ comfort food, I would definitely take a trip to Brother Jimmy's BBQ in Mary Brickell village. Don't leave without trying their BBQ wings, frickles, Brussels sprouts and Wet Ones!!  

Tandoori-Style Chicken

In the mood for a Tandoori-style chicken? Here's a great recipe that will have your guests wanting more!

By the way, notice that I said "Tandoori-style," which simply means I marinated it with yogurt and spices. It will not be the red chicken everyone expects it to be.

What makes Tandoori chicken red you ask? Cayenne pepper or red chili powder is used to give it a fiery red hue. A higher amount of turmeric produces an orange color. Sometimes in the milder versions, both red and yellow food coloring could be used to achieve bright colors.

There are many ways you can serve this dish. As an appetizer, you can cut them in strips and cook them on small skewers similar to the chicken satay. Or for dinner, serve with a basmati rice or if you prefer low-carb, serve with a side of vegetables. 

Ingredients
8 to 10 boneless chicken thighs, rinsed and pat dry
2 tablespoons lemon juice
11/2 cups Greek yogurt
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 cup fresh mint leaves
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon each ground turmeric, cardamom, and cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions
1. Place all the chicken pieces in a bowl and brush them with the lemon juice.
2. To make the marinade, in a food processor, combine the yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and cayenne. Process until thoroughly combined. Pour the marinade over the chicken and stir to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 8 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
4. Select a baking pan large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer and line it with aluminum foil.
5. Transfer the chicken, with any clinging marinade, to the prepared baking pan. Drizzle with the oil.
6. Roast the chicken 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook another 20 minutes or until you poke the chicken with a knife and clear juice comes out.