Friday Night Cocktail Party

Happy Friday! Invite a few friends over and have a spontaneous celebration ~ serve Basil Mint Mojitos, Squash Gallette, Sausage Bites, Cowboy Caviar along with mixed nuts and you have yourself an awesome evening plan. Enjoy!

Friday Night Cocktail Party Menu

   Basil Mint Mojitos

2 fresh mint sprigs, chopped
2 fresh basil sprigs, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) light rum
Chilled seltzer water 

In a tall glass with back of a wooden spoon crush mint and basil with sugar and lime juice until sugar is dissolved and stir in rum. Add ice cubes and top off drink with seltzer water. I mulitplied the ingredients and made pitcher with everything but the selzer water. Then strained the mixture into a glasses and topped them with selzer water so that I wouldn't have to make everyone individual drinks for our second round :)

Stir drink well and garnish with mint, basil, and lemon.

Squash Gallete

1/3 cup ricotta

3 tablespoons pesto

2 yellow and zucchini squash, cut into small circles

olive oil

salt

Lay a sheet of puff pastry on greased cooking sheet and top with ricotta and pesto. Layer squash on top, them drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. 

Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temp. 

recipe from  the Forest Feast 

Sausage Bites with Apricot Mustard Dipping Sauce
1 lb sweet Italian sausage (or hot if you like it spicy)
1 sheet puff pastry (thawed)
1 egg, beaten
sesame seeds

Dipping sauce
2 Tbs Mayonnaise
2 Tbs Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Apricot Jam

Remove casing from sausage. Cut links into 36 half- inch slices.Put puff pastry on counter  and brush surface with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a mini cookie cutter and cut out 36 small circles from the pastry. Place the meat onto a baking sheet and cover each one with a piece of pastry and secure in place with a tooth pick. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes. While the sausages are baking mix the jam, mayonnaise and mustard for a dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Cowboy Caviar --- find recipe here