Red Carpet Recipes for an Oscar party

CHICAGO -- ABC 7 asked to see your best recipes for the red carpet, and you delivered! Viewers Heidi Splinter, Nick Furio, and Lucy Nava dropped by to share their favorite dishes for your Oscar party.

RECIPES

Red Carpet Worthy Red Velvet Cake -- Heidi Splinter

Ingredients

Cake:

Vegetable oil for the pans

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup room temperature buttermilk

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons or 1 oz. of red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, room temperature

4 cups of sifted powdered sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour the three 9-inch round cake pans.

Cake:

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. In bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.

Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide cake batter evenly among prepared cake pans. Place pans in preheated oven evenly spaced apart. Bake rotating pans halfway through baking, until cake pulls away from side of pans, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center after about 22-26 minutes.

Remove cakes from oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen. One at a time, invert cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded sides up, and let them cool completely.

Frosting:

In stand mixer in a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar and butter on a low speed. Increase speed until the mixture is light and fluffy (usually after about 5 minutes).

Reduce mixer to a low speed add vanilla, increase speed to high and mix until fluffy.

Use a offset spatula and spread the frosting over top layer. Carefully set another cake layer on top, rounded side down and repeat. Top with remaining layer and cover entire cake with remaining frosting. Make sprinkle with pecans or sprinkles.

Gorgonzola-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Dates -- by Nick Furio

Take medium to large size pitted dates, stuff them with Gorgonzola cheese, wrap in a piece of bacon and close with a tooth pick.

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes (until bacon is completely cooked)

Take out of oven..put them on to your "Oscar for best tray" and drizzle with honey.

Serve and sit back and wait for the award for best appetizer to be presented to you.

Chicken Taquitos -- by Lucy Nava

Feeds a family of 4

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast (bone on)

5 potatoes (any kind)

3 carrots

Sour cream

Lettuce

2 tomatoes

2 dozen corn tortilla any kind

Black pepper

Rock salt

Grape seed oil

Preparation:

1. Boil chicken breasts with 1/2 tsp salt and some black pepper for seasoning

2. While chicken is boiling, peel potatoes cut in medium squares. Peel carrots cut in circles and then cut circles. Boil both with1/2 tsp salt both together til adente

3. Shred the lettuce dice the tomatoes set aside separately in any serving bowl for your dinner table

4. Warm up tortillas on a griddle 1 minute ea. Side

5. Boiled potatoes and carrots strained and set aside mixed together..heat tablespoon of grape seed oil til hot on medium heat ...place potato and carrot mix in heated oil and fry them up for at least 2 minutes for crunchy coating

6. Shred the chicken place some shredded chicken on a tortilla roll the tortilla with the chicken in it and set in a baking pan lined with foil seam side down so it will hold in place. No toothpicks needed to hold tortilla closed

7. Heat a pan with grapeseed oil half way for frying

8. Take a tong grab a rolled taquito (flauta) and place it seam side down in the heated oil on medium flame

9. Repeat until all taquitos are fried golden brown a minute on each side

10. Place taquitos in a collander lined with paper towels to allow excess oil to drip

Serve:

On a plate place some shredded lettuce on top then place 3 chicken taquitos

On top of shredded lettuce

On top of taquitos scoop ( using a ice cream scoop serving ) of the potato n carrot fried place on top of taquitos and use squeezable sour cream to creat a zig zag pattern on top of vegetable mix n add some tomatoes

Don't forget to sprinkle a little hint of rock salt on taquitos