Things to Make - A Dinner Party Feast

During our stay in Denver good friends hosted a dinner party for us. Their cooking always manages to impress me, but this time they outdid themselves, truly superb. By the end of the night, no leftovers remained, including alcohol (hence the fuzzy lack of focus in the bw picture above). Since I can't fly back every weekend, I asked for the recipes instead. Here's the scoop:

Braciole - The recipe, via the Food Network, is available here. The sauce tasted amazing, so, if you have the time, I'd suggest forgoing the store-bought option.

S's Homemade Bruschetta:

INGREDIENTS:

1 baguette - sliced and brushed with olive oil
Parmesan Cheese

Olive Paste
1 c. green olives (pits removed)
1 garlic clove
1 T olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Tomato Mixture
2 c. tomatoes diced
3 green onions diced
3 T fresh Basil (we add more)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T olive oil

PREPARATION:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Place baguette slices in the oven and heat 3-4 minutes on both sides.
Combine all ingredients for olive paste in a food processor and puree until the paste resembles tapenade and set aside.
Combine all ingredients for tomato mixture and set aside.

Spread the olive paste over the baguette slices followed by a spoonful of the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and put back in oven for about 3 minutes.
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The girls decided to dress for dinner, so cute.