Mix and Mash A Great Buffet

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Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Why:More veggies, more fun, more creative - everyone loves a buffet and this is a great idea to have planned leftovers that are ready to go for lunch or dinner the next day.How:1) MASH - our new favorite way to make veggies in our kitchen - cauliflower, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli and2) MIX - mix it up, mix it inWhat:A wonderful buffet in 30 minutes or less:

  • Lemon Basil Fettucini
  • Mashed Cauliflower
  • Mashed Red Potatoes and Spinach
  • Fresh Fruit
  • Summer Caesar
Lemon Basil FettuciniLet's make a fresh summer mix for our pasta: fresh tomatoes, summer squash, mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic - about 4 cups total - cut in chunks and place in baking panBroil the veggies until golden brown, about 10 minutesCook the fresh fettucini according to package directions. Hint - fresh pasta cooks almost as fast as it takes for the water to come back to a boil. Drain the pasta when finished in colander.Toss the cooked fettucini with olive oil, fresh lemon zest, fresh chopped basil and the broiled veggies. We also threw in some fresh arrugula which wilted quickly and added a wonderful rich flavor.Mashed Spinach Red PotatoesBoil red potatoes and drain. Add them to fresh spinach and mix all together with a little garlic powder. Place pats of low-cal margarine on the top where it can melt - adding a nice touch at the table:Mashed CauliflowerNext - take a beautiful head of cauliflower and cut it into pieces - cover and microwave until soft, about 3-4 minutes then mash with a little margarine.Summer Caesar Salad:Toss up a Caesar salad and MIX in arrugula and fresh toasted almonds.Everyone loves Caesar Salad and we found a "Light Caesar Kit" in our grocery store - so we compromised - we only used about 1/4 of the dressing and we added arrugula for more greens. And we used toasted almonds instead of croutons or more cheese. The rest of the dressing is stored away in our refrigerator, ready to make more Caesar all week. Just drizzle sparingly because it is high in fat even if it is labelled light!Fruit - another MIX up - we mixed up some fresh fruit for dessert. This was served as a family style buffet at our table. Enjoy!
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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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