Last Minute Holiday Party Ideas Ch. 2: Mushroom wraps and Brussels sprouts

Here are three easy recipes that can be pulled out last minute for any holiday party! Sorry that two of them are with Brussels sprouts, but 'tis the season! 

Chicken and mushroom pastry wrap

8oz chicken

1 box mushrooms (button or portabello) 

1 onion

1 pastry sheet (I used Pillsbury)

1 egg

4 slices American cheese (I used Kraft)

5 cloves of garlic

spices: salt, pepper, thyme

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Chop the chicken, mushroom, and onion into small pieces. Pan fry all those ingredients with the garlic (add the chicken in last). 

3. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme.

4. Lay out the pastry sheet on a flat baking tray and line the ingredients down the middle of the sheet. 

5. Then place the cheese slices over the cooked ingredients and fold the pastry over (I have yet to perfect a technique). 

6. Brush over with a beaten egg. Bake for 35 minutes. 

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Brussels Sprouts with Truffle Oil

1 stalk Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoon canola oil

5 cloves of garlic 

salt, pepper

3 tablespoon white truffle oil (I had a bottle leftover from Thanksgiving that I'm trying to incorporate into all my cooking)

1. Quickly blanch the brussel sprouts in boiling water. This supposedly helps removes some of the bitter flavor. 

2. Then sautee the garlic in the heated vegetable oil. Add the brussel sprouts and pan fry them until thoroughly cooked and they have a nice brown or slightly burnt color on the outside. This should take about 8 minutes (I used baby brussel sprouts, so they were a bit smaller). 

3. Remove from heat and mix with the truffle oil. 

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Festive Holiday Brussels Sprouts (in a Darth Vader pan)

1 stalk Brussels sprouts

1/4 cup whole dried cranberries

1/4 cup pecans, toasted

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs canola oil

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake Brussels sprouts with olive oil for 10 minutes.

2. Heat the pan with canola oil. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir fry until browned. Add balsamic vinegar.

3. Mix in the cranberries and pecans. 

✓ fiber
✓ vegetable
✓ monounsaturated fats

Wishing everyone a happy holidays filled with great food and warm company!