More easy entertaining

Friends invited us to play paddle tennis tonight and then have dinner.  They suggested that we go out but I don’t like to get babysitters on Friday nights when my daughter has been in school all week.  A sitter will watch her while we play paddle and then we’ll come back to our house for dinner.  Having company on a Friday night when you’ve worked all week is doable if you keep it simple and go with make ahead recipes.

That means when we come back to the house, we’ll munch on my crabbie appetizers from the basement freezer with a glass of wine.  Dinner is shish kabob over rice – I made the marinade last night and marinated the beef overnight.  I’ll throw the vegetables in with the remaining marinade this morning.  Dessert is mocha mousse – it’s sort of a cheater’s version of chocolate mousse, easy and delicious.  I made that last night also since it needs to freeze overnight.  I made a double batch – Christie and I are having a Thai cooking extravaganza on Saturday and trying out our newest lessons for our husbands.  We’re making shrimp cakes, two kinds of spring rolls and curried fish custard.  Mocha mousse is certainly not an authentic Thai dessert but it’s always good.

Shish Kabob

• 1 1/2 cups olive oil
• 3/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 TB dry mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar.  Marinate sirloin cubes, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and red onions (quartered).  Skewer and grill.  Serve over rice.

Mocha Mousse

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• 6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

Combine sugar, water and coffee in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Put chocolate chips in a blender and add sugar syrup.  Blend for 10 seconds.  Add eggs and blend for 1 minute.  Fold into whipped cream and freeze, at least overnight.  Serve.