By: Jacqueline Gomes, RDN, MBA
It’s time for one final push in party planning. After the last bit of wrapping paper has been thrown out and the Christmas left-overs finished up it’s time to Ring in 2020 with a New Year’s Eve party!
Hors d’oeuvre: Small bites you can prepare ahead of time will help keep guests entertained and keep you out of the kitchen to enjoy the party. Keep it simple with cheese platters, shrimp cocktail, crackers and dip; tea sandwiches and bacon wrapped scallops just to name a few. When in doubt…pop some frozen Hors d’oeuvres in the oven!
Main Entrée: Prepare a special dish; salmon is a rich flavored fish that is easy to prepare and nutrient rich in protein and omega-3’s. Check out my recipe below for Mustard-Garlic Crusted Salmon.
How to feed a crowed: Generally, for meat you can feed 25 to 30 people with a 15 to 18 pound Turkey, six to seven pound boneless ham, or about 6 pounds of salmon. It will be plenty when you consider appetizers and side dishes.
Side Dishes: Pasta is a crowd pleaser! For pasta, calculate about two ounces (dry) per person if it’s being served as a side dish. If pasta is your main, figure about four ounces per person.
For the ball drop: There are many traditions around the world that serve different foods or drinks when the ball is about to drop. In my family we eat grapes as we count down from 12 to Happy New Year; we make a wish for each grape we eat.
Mustard-Garlic Baked Salmon
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20-25 min
Makes: 4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 5 pounds Center cut Salmon
- 1-ounce Garlic (~12-14 cloves)
- 1 cup parsley leaves – stems removed
- Salt & pepper
- 4 teaspoons good quality mustard (spicy brown or whole grain mustard)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil for drizzling
- 1 lemon
Directions:
- Preheat oven 425 degrees. Cut salmon into 4 even portions.
- Place on a large cookie sheet coated with cooking spray (I recommend covering cooking sheet in aluminum foil).
- Season salmon with salt and pepper.
- Place garlic, parsley, olive oil and pinch of salt in a mini food processor*.
- Pulse until minced; be careful not to over process or garlic will become a paste.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon mixture onto each salmon portion and spread evenly.
- Follow with about 1 teaspoon mustard and spread on each salmon portion. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes depending on thickness of salmon. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
- Remove from oven, squeeze lemon juice over salmon.
*If you do not have a mini food processor, use a knife to mince.