Baby Shower Menu | What to Serve

• Heat oven to 425 degrees; place oven rack in lower third of oven. Unfold pastry onto piece of parchment paper and rol ½ inch bigger on all sides. Slide parchment and pastry onto baking sheet. In medium bowl, beat egg. Lightly brush ½-inch border of egg around pastry.
• Add ricotta, garlic and herbs cheese, and salt, pepper, and lemon zest into bowl with remaining egg. Mix well then fold in scallions. Spread onto pastry, leaving ½ inch border uncovered.
  
• Top filling with asparagus using remaining pieces to fill in any empty spaces; drizzle with olive oil. Bake until crust is golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
  

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add tortellini. Cook according to package directions until al dente, about 5 minutes, and drain. Rinse with cool water and set aside to dry before using.
• On a small bamboo skewer, add one each cooled tortellini, cherry tomato, and mozzarella ball. Set on serving tray and spoon pesto on the tortellini. Serve with extra pesto on the side if desired. 

• In a large bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
• Add the chicken salad ingredients on top and stir together using a rubber spatula until combined.

Meatballs:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and, using clean hands, mix until combined. Roll into large balls, approximately 1 ½ inch and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. 
  

Marinara Sauce

• For the marinara sauce, heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and salt and cook for an additional minute. Add the remainder of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed. Optional: using an emersion blender, blend the sauce to your desired consistency. 
• Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. If making ahead, cool slightly, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat over medium heat until warmed through. Serve with parmesan and pasta, if desired. 
  

• Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside to cool. 
• Roughly chop kale, being careful to remove any hard stems. Add kale, cooled quinoa, parmesan, raisins, and walnuts to a large bowl. 
• Make the dressing: whisk together all dressing ingredients. 
• Toss together the dressing and salad and refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Salad can be made up to a day in advance. 

• Arrange the fruit and donuts on the skewer with the blackberry in the middle. Either wrap each individual skewer in wax paper and secure with ribbon, or serve stacked on a platter. 

• ​Unwrap your pre-made graham cracker crust. Spread about two-thirds of the can of dulce de leche on the bottom of the crust. Use a spatula to gently spread on the bottom, being careful not to break the crust. Next, cut one of the bananas into round slices and place on top of the layer of caramel on the bottom. 
• In a large bowl, combine the whipped cream and powdered sugar. Use an electric mixture to whip the ingredients together until they the cream forms stiff peaks. Mash the remaining two bananas in a separate bowl. Then, add the mashed bananas to the whipped cream and mix until just combined and soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream mixture on top of the pie crust and smooth the top. 
• Pour the remaining dulce de leche into a microwave bowl and heat until slightly pourable. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the top of the whipped cream. 
• Place the pie in the freezer and let chill, uncovered, for at least 4-5 hours. After the pie has frozen, you can cover with plastic wrap for later use. Let the banoffee pie sit a room temperature for five minutes before cutting into slices and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.