Strawberry Basil Infused Vodka

Strawberry and basil are great complementary flavors and this makes for a fresh and summery cocktail. 

Ingredients:
2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 cups basil leaves
6 cups vodka

Directions:
Rinse the strawberries and basil leaves and discard any stems, leaves or unhealthy looking pieces.  Hull strawberries and quarter them.  Add vodka, strawberries and basil to an airtight jar.  Seal jar, shake, and place in a cool, dark place.  Shake every day to speed infusion.

After 7 days, strain the vodka and remove the strawberries.  For the clearest infusion, strain again through a coffee filter.  Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Note: The process of leeching the flavors out of the fruit will make the fruit look like it is rotted.  Alcohol will kill any bacteria, but for appearances, you can remove the fruit once the infusion is ready.  If giving as a gift, you can add fresh fruit to the infusion.

Serve over ice, with ginger ale, or with lemonade for Strawberry Basil Lemonade.  Cheers!

Bloody Mary Flank Steak

This makes a nice spicy sauce that would also be good on chicken or shrimp.

Ingredients:
2 cups spicy V-8 vegetable juice
1/2 cup vodka
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 pounds flank steak 
1 cup cherry tomatoes, for garnish (optional) 

Directions:
Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a large bowl.  Season to taste.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce for serving.  Add the flank steak to the bowl, making sure it is covered with the sauce. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.

Preheat a grill, skillet or grill pan to high heat.  Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with paper towels.  Grill for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on preference for doneness and thickness of steak. 

Lightly drizzle cherry tomatoes with olive oil and grill for 2-3 minutes, just long enough to soften and give them a smoky flavor.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes.  Slice against the grain and serve with cherry tomatoes and reserved sauce on the side.  Enjoy!

Grilled Beer and Butter Shrimp with Fingerling Potatoes

This is extremely easy to make and very delicious... I mean, who doesn't like garlic buttered shrimp?

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs potatoes (small, or cut into wedges - I used half fingerling & half red potatoes)
1 large red onion (cut into wedges)
6 tbsp butter, melted

1 12 ounce beer, preferably dark

1 1/2 lbs shrimp (peeled and deveined, tail on)
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

6 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lemon, cut into wedges and seeded

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium high.  Lay several sheets of aluminum foil out and spread potatoes, onions and 1/2 of the minced garlic in the center.   Drizzle with about half of the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Fold the edges of the foil up to resemble a bowl shape and add about 1/2 the beer.  Cover with another sheet of foil and fold edges together to seal. 

Place this magical foil bowl on the grill.  Close lid and cook until the potatoes are soft, 20-30 minutes.

While the veggies are grilling, create another foil bowl and place the shrimp in it.  Add the remaining garlic, beer and butter, and sprinkle with the Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper.  Add another sheet of foil to the top and seal.  When the vegetables are almost done, place the shrimp packet on the grill.  Cook until the shrimp are pink, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Remove both packets from grill, being careful not to spill any remaining liquid.

Place the potatoes, onion and shrimp on a platter and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.  Add any remaining cooking liquid from the packets and season to taste, if necessary.  Squeeze lemon juices over platter.  Get a pile of napkins and enjoy!

Tandoori Chicken with Cucumber Raita

This is a yummy dish that you can cook very quickly for a healthy weeknight meal.  The recipe I had was meant to be grilled, but I did this on a griddle and was able to get a nice charred exterior.

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne (less if you don't want it spicy)

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste 

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

½ cup Greek yogurt 

2 teaspoons grapeseed, vegetable or other neutral-flavored oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

Cilantro leaves for garnish

Cucumber Raita:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber (skin and seeds removed)
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Suggested Sides:
Pita or Naan Bread
Rice

Directions:
Begin by making the raita (dipping sauce).  Mix all of the ingredients for the raita together in a small bowl and place in the fridge.  Serve chilled with chicken when ready.

Next, mix together spices and yogurt to make chicken marinade.  This can be mixed in a bowl or processed in a blender or food processor for a finer texture.  Slice chicken and coat with marinade.  Marinate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Drizzle a skillet, griddle or grill pan with oil and heat to medium high.  When pan is hot, add chicken pieces and cook until seared on the outside and fully cooked on the inside, about 15 minutes.

When chicken is done, serve over basmati rice, with cucumber raita and pita or naan bread for dipping.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.  Enjoy!

Angel Food French Toast

This was delicious and very pretty.  Next time, I plan to make a strawberry syrup to accompany it.  Yum! 

Yield:  Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 angel food cake, sliced into 12 pieces
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons melted butter

Optional Garnishes: Strawberries, syrup, and/or whipped cream
 
Directions:
Whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until foamy and well combined.  Heat a griddle or skillet to medium heat.  Dip each piece of angel food cake into the egg mixture, coating each side.  Let some of the mixture drip off.  Add some melted butter to the pan, then add the french toast slices (you'll need to cook in batches).

Cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Be sure to also cook the ends of the cake.
Repeat with remaining slices, then serve while warm with fresh berries, syrup and/or whipped cream.  So easy!  Enjoy!

Pink Lemonade Margaritas

Hello, summer.  It's been a while!

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) can of frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
3 cans of cold water
1 750 ml bottle of tequila
1 cup of Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
White sugar, for rimming glasses
1 lemon, cut into slices

 
Directions:
Pour the thawed lemonade concentrate into a pitcher, and fill the can with cold water.  Pour into the pitcher; repeat twice more.   Fill the can with tequila and pour that into the pitcher, then repeat. Add about a cup of Grand Marnier.  Taste for strength and add more liquor if desired.

Stir well and add lemon slices to the pitcher. Taste and add sugar if you would like it a little sweeter.

Chill in the fridge for an hour before serving. Serve over ice in sugar-rimmed glasses. If you can find superfine sugar, that will coat easier. As for tequila, personally I prefer gold, as it's a bit sweeter and richer, but any tequila will work. My favorite brand, Casa Noble, is a bit pricey ; )

Cheers!

Blue Cheese and Bacon Wedge Salad

 

I love a wedge salad.  It's so simple but so fresh and delicious!  This is great as lunch, a side dish or an appetizer.

Ingredients:
2 heads iceberg lettuce
3/4 cup fried crumbled bacon
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 cups blue cheese dressing 

Blue Cheese Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
 
Directions:
Begin by making the dressing. Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add the buttermilk and garlic powder and whisk until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir, then fold in the blue cheese. This can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated for up to a week.

For the salad, remove any wilted leaves from outside of the lettuce heads. Hit the bottom of each lettuce head on a flat surface to loosen the inner core, then pull it out.  Slice into approximately 2 inch thick wedges.

Spoon dressing over the wedges and top with chopped tomatoes, bacon and blue cheese, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips:  Don't forget to season your salad!  One of the major mistakes that home cooks make is omitting the seasoning in salads and vegetables.  Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper do wonders for the taste of a salad.

This is also good if you add diced avocado or crumbled egg.  Enjoy!

Bacon Bourbon Caramel Popcorn

I don't really eat snacks.  I love food, real food like meat, fresh vegetables, potatoes... the experience of sitting down for a full meal.  But I'm not really into chips, or processed junk food like cookies, crackers, etc.

Having said that, I ate two bowls of this popcorn in one sitting.  Two!  If you're wondering if I felt sick afterward, the answer is yes.  But it was worth it.

Since I only post recipes to this blog that are successful, I feel like I am always saying "this was delicious" or "you have to try this", but.... this was really, really, really awesomely delicious!

Yield:  2 large bowls of popcorn

Ingredients:
9 strips of crisp bacon
2 1/2 cups popcorn kernels
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Vegetable oil
Coarse sea salt (for garnishing)

Directions:
Fry bacon, drain and reserve.

Add several tablespoons of oil to a large pot over medium heat.  Add a few kernels to the pot to test the heat; once they begin to pop, add 3/4 cup of popcorn to the pan.  This process will continue for three batches.  Cover the pot and monitor it closely, shaking every once in a while so the popcorn doesn’t burn.

Once the popping slows, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the popcorn to a bowl. Repeat with the rest of the popcorn.  Once all of the popcorn has been cooked, spread it out in an even layer on 2-3 baking sheets.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees, then crumble cooked bacon over the popcorn.

Next, bring butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup to a boil in an oversized pot, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer for about five minutes, then remove from heat.  Stir in the bourbon, vanilla, salt and baking soda and mix.  Once you add the baking soda, the mixture will foam up, so be sure you have enough room at the top of the pot or it may overflow.

Pour caramel mixture over bacon and popcorn mixture and mix to coat evenly.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and bake for about 60-80 mins, until golden brown, stirring the mixture every 15 minutes or so. 

Remove the popcorn from the oven and let cool for about an hour before breaking it up.    The popcorn will still be somewhat soft when it comes out of the oven, but will harden as it cools. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.  Then try not to eat it all in one sitting!  Enjoy!