My BFF's 30th Birthday Dinner Party

Here's the menu:

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 pitas
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

Grilled Lettuce

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 heads Belgian endive, halved lengthwise
1 large head radicchio, cut into 6 to 8 wedges
1 head romaine lettuce, quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat).
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the endive, radicchio and romaine, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the lettuces until they are crisp-tender and browned in spots, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Coarsely chop the lettuces, then toss them in a large bowl with the remaining oil and vinegar. Season the salad, to taste, with more salt and pepper. Serve warm.

I used only romaine lettuce and added grilled grape tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese to spice it up a bit.

Salmon with Lemon, Capers and Rosemary

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
8 lemon slices (about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 cup Marsala wine (or white wine)
4 teaspoons capers

4 pieces of aluminum foil

Brush top and bottom of salmon fillets with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place each piece of seasoned salmon on a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal. Top the each piece of salmon with 2 lemon slices, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of wine, and 1 teaspoon of capers. Wrap up salmon tightly in the foil packets.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Place the foil packets on the hot grill and cook for 10 minutes for a 1-inch thick piece of salmon. Serve in the foil packets.

Oven Roasted Green Beans

1 1/2 pounds green beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Trim the ends of the green beans and add to a large bowl.

Toss with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and spread out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Roast, stirring once halfway through, until lightly caramelized and crisp tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Twisted Pasta with Brown Butter and Walnuts

About 1/2 cup walnut halves
1 pound twisted pasta such as campanelle, caserecci, or cavetelle
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 small bunch sage leaves, about 10 or 12 leaves, large stems plucked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay walnuts on a baking sheet and bake 7 to 10 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to heat and stir the butter until it turns light brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the sage leaves. Cook until crisped and the butter has turned a dark shade of brown.

Toss the butter and sage gently with the pasta, being careful not to break the sage leaves up too much. Divide pasta among serving bowls and top with the crushed toasted walnuts.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Limoncella Frosting

Cupcakes:
1 box chocolate cake mix
Orange juice (instead of water in cake mix)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 cup diced candied orange peel (about 8 ounces)

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons butter, softened (1/2 stick)
2 tablespoons limoncello (you can substitute with 2 tablespoons lemon juice for minors)
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 orange, zested
1/4 cup finely diced candied orange peel, for garnish

Special equipment: cupcake liners, 2 muffin pans

To make the cupcakes: mix the chocolate cake mix according to package instructions, substituting orange juice for the water. Toss the chocolate chips with the flour. Fold the chocolate chips and the candied orange peel into the chocolate mixture. Line the muffin pan with the cupcake liners. Fill and bake the cupcakes according to package instructions. Let the cupcakes cool for 1 hour on a wire rack before frosting.

To make the frosting: combine all the ingredients except the candied orange peel in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Using a small spatula, place about 1 tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake. Top with a small sprinkle of candied orange peel.

I did not use Limoncella. It was delicious, still.

Here are some pictures: