Basil adds another burst of freshness to this already lovely drink.
Basil Limeade
makes 2
4-5 basil leaves
juice of 3 limes
2-3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
Garnish
lime twist or wedge, to garnish
In a powerful blender, liquify all. Start with 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. Add 1 cup water and a handful of ice cubes. Liquify. Taste. If needed, add additional sugar or water. Strain into a shaker full of ice. Shake vigorously. Divide between two rocks glasses filled with ice. Garnish with lime twist.
What if it’s adult beverage time?
Add a splash (or three) of your favorite rum to that shaker.
Cheers!
Such pretty color …when it’s raw. Then, you apply some heat and it turns into wet mess. It’s not hard to make red cabbage taste yummy. But, it’s nearly impossible to make it LOOK yummy.
I’m halfway there. This dish tastes yummy.
Braised Red Cabbage
makes 1 big pot
1 large onion, thinly sliced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
In a dutch oven, saute. Add:
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Deglaze the pan and reduce by half. Then, add:
1 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
Saute until wilted. Then, cover dutch oven and place in a 375 degree oven. Braise for 1 hour, stirring at the half way point. After one hour remove the lid, stir and continue to cook until tender.
(At least another 1/2 hour… up to 1 hour… stirring as needed)
Here, I added smoked sausage chunks with 45-55 minutes cook time remaining.
Pimento Cheese… with a Kick!
Pimento Cheese
makes 2 soup bowls
(aka chip dip bowls)
3 cups white cheddar
8oz cream cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup blue cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup homemade mayo
1 roasted red pepper
2 jalapenos, finely diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon black pepper
juice of one lemon
two or three splashes of hot sauce
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
fine sea salt, to taste
Garnish
coarsely ground dried red pepper
Process all in a food processor to your desired consistency. (I like to leave some little chucks of cheese visible)
Serve with corn chips, crackers and/or toast points.
Back in the day, lobsters were poor man’s food. …Or, so I’ve been told.
Those were the good ole days. In my life, lobster has always been an extravagence. Even now, with the prices dipping it will always have the quiet vibe of indulgence. On a day when I want to feel special, I like to whip up this old-timers meal based in necessity.
And, for this poor man’s dish, the lowly chicken lobsters are perfectly appropriate. They’re small, quick to cook and quite tender. One lobster makes one sandwich. That’s easy math.
The Lobster Roll
1 small lobster, boiled 10-15 minutes depending on size
(cleaned and torn into bite sized pieces)
1 heaping teaspoon homemade mayo
lemon wedges
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 brioche hot dog bun
In a small bowl, toss lobster pieces with 1 heaping teaspoon of mayo, the juice of one or two lemon wedges, a light sprinkle of salt and a healthy grinding of black pepper. Set aside.
Slice hot dog bun down from the top… lengthwise down the center (through the top from end to end). Butter a hot griddle. Toast bun until light golden brown. Place on serving dish and allow to cool for 1 minute. Fill with lobster.
It’s lunchtime!
Here, left over pesto, penne and chicken come together to make a quick & easy dinner that we really want to eat. One regret… A drizzle of pesto would have made this even better. Next time, I’ll be sure to save enough pesto to drizzle over the top.
Penne Frittata
Makes 1 Baking Dish (13×9)
4 cups penne, cooked al dente
8 large eggs
1/2 cup homemade pesto, minimal olive oil
(just enough olive oil to make a paste)
2 cups fresh peas
1 cup skinless chicken, chopped
1/4 cup Parmigiana Reggiano
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Parmigiano Reggiano, to garnish (slivers or grated)
bread crumbs, buttered and toasted
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir well. Pour into baking dish lightly brushed with olive oil.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Slice into wedges or triangles.
Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano, bread crumbs or both.
The last few tomatoes have been some of the sweetest of the season. This simple sandwich beautifully showcases their stellar quality.
Tuna Cilantro Ciabatta
makes 2
1 jar Italian oil-packed tuna, flaked
2 big handfuls of cilantro
(one handful roughly chopped & one handful barely chopped)
juice of one lemon
celery seed, freshly ground
red wine vinegar
olive oil
fine sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
tomato slices
2 ciabattas, halved length-wise and toasted
In a small bowl, flake tuna gently and toss it with the roughly chopped cilantro, the juice of one lemon, a generous sprinkling of ground celery seed, a light sprinkle of fine sea salt and several generous grinds of fresh black pepper. Set aside.
In another small bowl toss the barely chopped cilantro with a splash of red wine vinegar, olive oil, a sprinkle of fine sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
Toast ciabattas. Equally distribute tuna between two sandwiches. Top with cilantro and tomato slices.
Cut on the diagonal.
Sometimes, you just need a beer.
I love cooking with Rogue Brewery beer. The flavors are so rich and complex, one bottle goes a long way. There are many amber ales out there that would make acceptable substitutes. But, I doubt you’ll find one that makes a better pot of stew.
American Amber Ale Stew
makes 1 big pot
3-4 lb chuck roast, cut into big chunks
2 large Vidalia onions, diced
2-3 Tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons flour
1 bottle Rogue American Amber Ale
5-6 carrots
1-2 cups pearl onions
1 stalk celery, finely diced
5 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Brown beef cubes in a large dutch oven. Remove each cube when browned. Add butter and onions to dutch oven. Saute to a light golden brown. Add garlic and flour. Stir. Saute for an additional minute. Add amber ale. Bring to a hearty simmer to burn off the alcohol. Then, add all remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and reduce to low. Simmer gently until the meat is tender (2-3 hours).
Serve with garlic smashed potatoes or roasted garlic potatoes.
What do you do when you’re craving turkey day fare?
I like to roast a chicken basted with butter. Corn pudding and garlic green beans complete the meal.
Corn Pudding
makes 1 baking dish
4-5 cups fresh corn
2 cups half and half
4 eggs
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup white cheddar, grated
For Top:
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup white cheddar shredded
In a strong blender, liquify 1 cup corn, half & half, and eggs. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining corn, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, black pepper, onion powder, sugar, salt, and white cheddar. Pour into large casserole dish.
Top with 1/3 cup bread crumbs and 1/2 cup white cheddar.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-55 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly and firm in the center.
A is for Atlanta!
About a month ago, we found some late season peaches at a local farmers market. This one was air-brushed by nature. Pretty? Yes! Tasty? Yes. Texture? ..ehh. So, it was time for some jam. Now, it’s gone. And, we’ll have to buy some frozen peaches to make another batch. We’re not ready to say goodbye to peaches for the year.
Delicious warm or cold, this tasty jam works as a condiment, grill sauce, and sandwich spread.
Peach Jalapeno Jam
makes over 5 cups
2 peaches, well-washed, pits removed
1 large green apple, well-washed and cored
juice of one lemon
2 cups sugar
3-5 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
In a powerful blender, liquify peaches, apple and lemon juice. Pour into large saucepan. Add sugar, diced jalapenos, garlic, red pepper flakes and sea salt. Bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
Use immediately. We love it with grilled chicken. Refrigerate remaining jam.
…or a German might call this a Radler
This Kellerweis has gorgeously delicate bubbles and its perfect to mix with a little bitter lemon soda. The proportions for a Shandy/Radler range from 50:50 to 60:40. Do… as you like it.
Happy Oktoberfest!
The Radler
makes 2
German bitter lemon soda or limonade
(Schweppes Bitter Lemon, or Canada Dry will do in a pinch)
1 Sierra Nevada Kellerweis (or 1 Weißbier … or 1Pilsner)
Roughly fill 2 footed pilsner beer glasses (What’s that? You say don’t have a bar stocked with every style of serving glass? Neither do I… I used soda glasses with rounded bottoms this time. And, guess what? It tastes equally delicious.) to the half way point with bitter lemon soda. Top each glass with half of the Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. Serve immediately. Garnish with a lemon twist at your own risk.
Cheers!
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