Mardi Gras Madness is here – so why not bring Bourbon Street to YOUR street as easy as 1, 2, 3 with Debi Lilly’s inspiring little black book of celebrity party planning made affordable, effortless and elegant?
Step 1:
Dress your table in color, color, color with a pop of color, inexpensive Mardi Gras beads, confetti, feathers and bright, bold masks.
My favorite festive masked centerpiece is fast as can be to design. These Illusion Vases and scented candles are right in the grocery aisle at Dominick’s/Safeway, part of our Debi Lilly Design collection, and we sell the feathers, beads, masks and more at our boutique A Perfect Event on Lincoln.
Simply take an empty vase, place a candle inside, add confetti, a mask and voila – a stylish, simple design.
Step 2:
Design fancy French Quarter fun with themed cocktails you can whip up in the powerful Ninja Blender, like Bourbon Slush and Hurricanes (made healthy with produce fresh juice and half the calories).
Bourbon Slush Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 pint Lemon Sorbet (love Safeway Select Super Premium sorbet at Dominick’s/Safeway)
- 1 pint Tangerine Sorbet (again, Safeway Select is my favorite)
- 1 jug (jug – perfect for a southern bourbon slush, no?) all natural pineapple juice
- 1 jug all natural green tea
- 2 cups bourbon whiskey (I am a Maker’s Mark girl…my mom a Jack Daniels girl)
- 1 bottle Ginger Ale
- fresh Mango spears (in produce aisle, Safeway/Dominick’s)
- fresh Pineapple spears
- fresh Mint sprigs
Directions
- In your blender (I LOVE my Ninja!) mix a few scoops sorbet, splashes of juice/tea/ginger ale, and Bourbon. Feel free to vary liquids until the drink reaches a nice, whipped, frozen texture. (some people like it thicker, some thinner…no wrong way to whip it up)
- Stylist secret: Leave in freezer until ready to serve.
- Secret two: Style serving tray with glasses, glasses filled with Mango, Pineapple, Mint for garnish.
- When guests arrive, pour into glasses and let guests choose their fruit fresh garnish.
Hurricane Recipe:
Ingredients
- Light Rum
- 1 jug all natural Orange Juice
- 1 jug all natural Lemonade
- 1 jug Watermelon Juice
- 1 pint Pomegranate Sorbet (love Safeway Select)
- fresh Kumquats (when out of season, grapes, or berries), skewared to create drink stirrers
- fresh Rhubarb spears (in season)
Directions
- Pour into pitcher equal parts of each juice, rum. Stir.
- On serving tray, set out glasses, with glasses for Kumquat stirrers and Rhubarb spears
- Stylist secret: Place one scoop of Pom Sorbet into each glass, then place in freezer until guests arrive.
- When ready to serve, pour Hurricane into glass over sorbet. Guests can choose fruit garnish.
Step 3:
Set a buffet with colorful Jambalya (healthy with brown rice, all natural chicken sausage), Gumbo Sips, served in demitasse mugs, Lobster Po Boys, Creole Meatball Sliders (heart healthy Turkey Meatballs and low sodium spices), mini King Cakes and Beignet Boxes.
Jambalaya Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 pkg Aidells all natural Chicken Sausage, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 bulbs garlic, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups fast cook/instant brown rice
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Directions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Saute chicken until lightly browned, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add in sausage, onion, pepper, celery and garlic.
- Season with cayenne, onion powder, and pepper.
- Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent.
- Add rice, stirring in chicken stock and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce.
Gumbo Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 package Aidells chicken sausage, diced
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
- 2/3 cup uncooked instant brown rice
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off
- 2 cups frozen sliced okra
Directions
- In a stockpot, brown chicken in oil.
- Remove chicken once brown, 5-10 minutes.
- In the same pan, using drippings, saute pepper, onion and celery until translucent.
- Stir in seasonings; cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add in broth, rice, chicken and sausage.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender.
- Add in tomatoes, shrimp and okra; cook for 10-15 minutes, until shrimp turn pink.
Lobster Po Boys:
Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Hot Dog Buns
- Fresh Lobster Tails (or frozen)
- 1 Lemon, cut in half
- 1 bottle Remoulade Sauce (in mustard aisle or seafood counter)
- 1 package shredded Red Cabbage Slaw
- 1 jar Cornichon (tiny pickles)
Directions
- Slice hotdog buns in half, for “bite” size bun.
- Grill lobster over medium heat, until lobster meat is opaque/white.
- Let lobster tails cool, then remove meat from tails. Discard shells.
- Squeeze lemon over meat.
- Slice into chunks.
- Layer onto each bun, lobster meat, cabbage, remoulade.
- Skewar cornichon ontop bun for garnish.
Cajun Meatball Sliders:
Ingredients
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (can use gluten free breadcrumbs)
- 1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 bottle Remoulade Sauce
- Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Directions
- In a bowl, combine first five ingredients.
- Add turkey; mix well.
- Form into 1 inch balls.
- Place on a greased 13-in.x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
- Bake, at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
- When cool, slice meatballs in half, and place inside rolls.
- Spoon sauce ontop, inside roll.
Baby King Cakes from Swirlz Cupcakes, swirlzcupcakes.com
Beignet Boxes from A Perfect Event, custom order, info@aperfectevent.com, or 773-244-9333.
