Black Cherry Bourbon Float

I'm not sure how today's weather is supposed to be where you are, but it is a high of 91°F in the Cleveland area.

Couple the heat with the fact that it is a Friday before a long weekend, and I think this drink's timing is perfect!

The drink is also very tasty. 

The bourbon is very subtle.  The black cherry pop soda pairs so well with it, that you have to pay attention in order to know it's there.

It makes you feel like a kid again!

Black Cherry Bourbon Float

Black Cherry Soda
Vanilla Ice Cream
1 oz. Bourbon

Put a scoop of the ice cream into a chilled glass (mine was a12 oz mug).  Add in bourbon and black cherry soda to fill to the top.  Give it a little stir and serve with a spoon and straw!

Strawberry, Pecan, Goat Cheese Mixed Greens with a White Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette

This has been my go-to salad this summer.

 

 If you invited me over for a cookout or get together and asked for me to bring a salad, this is what you got. 

 The dressing is my favorite part of the salad.  It takes about 2 minutes to make and is much better tasting (and probably better for you) than store bought salad dressings. 

This is a great and easy side dish to enjoy in the last few weeks of summer.

White Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette

(makes ~1/4 cup)

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

3 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

Pour the white balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper into a bowl or jar (I use an old jam jar).  Whisk or shake to combine well.

Strawberry, Pecan, Goat Cheese Mixed Greens

(makes 2 salads)

Ingredients

2 cups mixed greens

4-5 strawberries, sliced

2 oz. crumbled goat cheese

a handful of candied pecans

white balsamic honey vinaigrette

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.. Pour in enough of the white balsamic honey vinaigrette so that it coats everything once tossed. 

Caramelized Onion, Asparagus, and Pancetta Pizza

It took me four tries to finally get this pizza right.

 

The first time I was in a rush and I burned the caramelized onions.  I am too impatient to do caramelized onions the right way.  I'm working on it.

 

I blame the second failure on the Olympics.  I put the pizza on the grill, watched some beach volleyball, then went back to find myself with a blackened pizza.  It actually didn't taste that bad.

The third try was when I took all the ingredients over to Suzi's house to make the pizza there.  Third time's the charm, right?  Nope, forgot the pancetta.

Finally I did it!  And it was good!  Joe and I finished off the entire thing in one sitting.

 It's a lot of work but if you can get it right, it's delicious and worth it.

Caramelized Onion, Asparagus, and Pancetta Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza dough of your choosing

Garlic infused Olive Oil (roast a head of garlic in olive oil in a ramekin for about 45 min)

Asparagus, roasted and cut into bite sized pieces

Caramelized Onion

1/2 Cup of Pancetta, cut into small squares

Pecorino

Directions

Roll out your dough on a pizza peel.  Use flour or cornmeal under the dough so it will slide off easily.  Turn all the burners of your grill on high, put a pizza stone on the grates and close the lid to let it heat up. In a small skillet, heat the pancetta over low heat until some of the fat is rendered and they brown up a little bit.

Assemble the pizza:  Brush on some garlic infused olive oil and top it with the asparagus, caramelized onions and the pancetta.  Once the grill reaches 500°F (or hotter!), slide the pizza onto the stone and close the lid.  It should take about 5-6 minutes but keep an eye on it.  Once the sides and bottom have browned, slide the pizza back onto the pizza peel.  Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing and devouring.

Ginger Lime Margarita

I bought a Justin Bieber song.

I was feeling a wee bit tipsy after testing two of these bad boys and made the purchase.

I regretted it in the morning.  It's $1.29 I won't get back!

I'll stop whining about it and tell you the lesson I learned: these are potent!  They are sneakily strong and refreshing, which makes them go down pretty easily on a summer's eve.

 The ginger is pretty subtle but I think it makes the taste a little more sophisticated than your usual margarita.

You've been warned now and I'm not responsible for any teen heart throb music you may purchase after making these.

Ginger Lime Margarita

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz tequila

1 oz Grand Marnier (or similar)

1 oz lime juice, preferably fresh squeezed

1 1/2 oz ginger simple syrup (see recipe below)

Directions

Wet rim of the glass and dip into salt or sugar (I added some lime zest and chili powder to some salt to spice it up - literally).  Mix all of the ingredients and stir well.  Pour over ice.  

Ginger Simple Syrup

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

a good chunk of ginger, peeled and chopped

Directions

Mash the ginger some with a meat tenderizer or the back of a spoon.  Bring the sugar and water to a boil and add the ginger and let it steep.  Once it is cool enough, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend - the ginger will stay whole for the most part, but some will break off to add more flavor to the simple syrup.  Strain the mixture and set aside to cool completely.

Grilled Romaine Hearts with Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette and Whole Wheat Herbed Croutons

Ewwww - I bought anchovies!

I'm not a fan of those tiny, smelly, and salty fish.  At least not when they are on their own.

I do, however, like them when they disappear into a citrus caesar vinaigrette that is then drizzled over some grilled romaine hearts.  That makes them much more appetizing.

After the unhealthy post on Monday, I felt it was important to counter act it with some lighter fare.  Grilling the romaine is delicious and I could eat this as a side or could add chicken and make it a meal.

The components:

Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette
(Makes ~1/2 cup)

Ingredients
1 garlic clove
2 Tablespoons lemon juice, preferably fresh squeezed!
1 anchovy, more if you like them
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon mayonaise
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions
Put all the ingredients, except olive oil, into a blender and puree until well combined.  With the blender on a low setting, slowly add the olive oil. 


Whole Wheat Herbed Croutons

Ingredients
2 slices of whole wheat bread, crusts removed and sliced into cubes
1 Tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F.  Line a baking sheet with foil.

Heat a pan over medium heat and melt the butter.  Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and saute for a minute.  Add in the whole wheat cubes and toss to coat.  Transfer to the lined baking sheet and place in the oven.  Stir frequently to keep one side from getting burned and bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.


Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad
(Makes 4 salads)

Ingredients
2 hearts of romaine, washed and dried
Cooking Spray
Whole Wheat Herbed Croutons
Parmesan Cheese
Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette

Directions
Heat the grill to high heat.  Split the hearts of romaine lengthwise and spray with cooking oil.  Grill romaine, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from grill and assemble salad: top with croutons, use a carrot peeler to shave parmesan and drizzle on the citrus caesar vinaigrette.

White Bean & Cream Cheese Spread

A restaurant near by serves a white bean and cream cheese spread with warm rolls.  It frequently ruins my dinner because I eat too much of it.

 Based on the name, I thought it would be easy to replicate this dish.  However, I struggled!

 I mixed together the cream cheese and cannellini beans; a good start but not nearly as tasty as the restaurant spread.  The addition of some spices helped but it still tasted too cream cheesy.

I added some butter (what doesn't taste better with butter?) and it finally started to taste right.  So it's not very healthy... 

But I will still let it spoil my appetite for dinner. 

White Bean & Cream Cheese Spread
Makes ~ 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients 
4 oz cream cheese, room temp.
1/4 cup butter, room temp.
1/2 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and dry
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Let cream cheese and butter come to room temperature in a bowl.  Rinse cannellini beans and set aside to dry.  Add all the spices to the bowl of cream cheese and butter and whisk until well combined.  Carefully stir in the beans.  Serve with crackers or bread.

Blackberry Bourbon Fizz

I've broken a promise to myself.

 This past Sunday morning I swore to myself I would never, ever drink again!  I was quite serious about it at the time since all my organs were screaming at me: head, stomach, and I'm sure my liver, were all pissed.

 But it was also just last week that I decided I would try to post a new cocktail every Friday.  And I also promised (I need to stop making promises) Joe I'd make a macho drink:

Joe: "Why don't you make a more manly drink that isn't pink? ...like something with blackberries!"

Now you know, blackberries are masculine.

 So here it is - the Blackberry Bourbon Fizz.  Pretty yummy but not for the meek.  You taste the bourbon so you better have a palate for it, however, it is not so overwhelming that you can't enjoyably sip this down.

Blackberry Bourbon Fizz

Ingredients
(For blackberry juice - made just over 4 oz for me but it will depend on the berries)
12 oz blackberries (reserve some for garnishing)
1/2 cup superfine sugar

(For cocktail - 1 serving)
1 1/2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz simple syrup
1 oz blackberry juice
1/4 oz lime juice
club soda

Directions
For blackberry juice - Place blackberries and superfine sugar in a bowl.  Mash up the berries and let the mixture macerate for 15 minutes or until juicy.  Strain out the seeds so you are just left with juice.

For cocktail - Place all ingredients except the club soda in a cocktail shaker and top with ice.  Shake well and pour into a glass over ice.  Top with club soda and garnish if you'd like.

Orzo, Corn, and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Whenever I go over to my parents' house, I immediately go to the fridge in search of sustenance because the 10 minute drive leaves me weakened.  If I am so lucky, my mom has made this salad and therefore she is unlucky as I will inhale it all.

 This may be my favorite thing that my mom makes. It's delicious when freshly made and even better cold the following day.

 Generally when I like things this much it usually has the word chocolate somewhere in the title.  Or at least it comes served with crumbled bacon.

So I was pleasantly surprised to find that the recipe isn't loaded with butter or anything that would make me feel guilty for eating it by the truckload.

  In fact, when I asked her where she got the recipe from, she said Cooking Light!  That just affirms the healthiness!

Feel free to make this and invite me over finish the leftovers.

Orzo, Corn, and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

(barely adapted from Cooking Light)

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers
3 ears of corn
1 cup uncooked orzo
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 red onion, cut into half inch slices
1/4 cup green onions, slice thinly
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
1 jalapeño, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Directions

Preheat the broiler and boil a pot of water for the corn.  Cut the red bell peppers in half and remove the membrane and seeds.  Place the peppers, skin side up, on a foil lined baking sheet and broil for 15 minutes or until well charred.  Remove and put them in a zip lock bag and set aside - this will make it easy to peel the skins off later.  Once the water is boiling, cook the corn for just 3-4 minutes.  You want the kernels to still be firm.  Set aside.

Cook the orzo according to the packaging.  Meanwhile, cut the red onion and place them on the same foil lined baking sheet and roast them in the broiler for 3-4 minutes.  You want them to turn soft but be careful they don't get burned.  Drain the orzo when it is ready and transfer it to a bowl.  Immediately stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Peel red peppers and chop them relatively finely (I try to make them about the same size as the corn kernels).  Chop the red onion as well and cut the corn off the cob.  Add the red pepper, red onion, corn, green onion, parsley and jalapeño to the orzo.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the white wine vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper.  Pour it into the orzo bowl as well and mix to incorporate all the ingredients.

Vanilla Cornbread

I may not be from the South, but I sure do love cornbread.

Especially when there is a flavored butter, like honey butter, to slather on it.

I didn't need the honey butter for this recipe though.  The vanilla added nice flavor and I think made the cornbread even more of a comfort food.

I loved how the hot cast iron skillet makes the outside crispy and the sugar on top makes the bread even sweeter.

Y'all should give it a try:

Ingredients
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teapoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean
1 egg
2 teaspoons coarse sugar (turbinado or sugar cane)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 15 minutes or more.  Place the cast iron skillet (I used two 6-inch skillets) in the oven to get hot - this will create a crispier crust to the cornbread.  Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the beans out.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar.  After the cornmeal mixture has stood at least 15 minutes, add egg, butter, vanilla extract and vanilla bean to the cornmeal mixture and stir until very well blended.  Pour the cornmeal mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine.  A few lumps are fine, just be careful not to overmix.

Carefully remove the hot skillets and grease.  Pour the batter into it and sprinkle with the sugar.  Bake for 10-12 minutes (depends on the type baking dish you use), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pairs well with tea too.

Sour Watermelon Martini

Maybe you have noticed, maybe you haven't. 

I have posted 4 recipes so far, including this one.

2 of the 4 are for cocktails.

 

Oops - maybe I should have some variety.

I don't feel that bad about it though... they taste good!

Sour Watermelon Martini 
Serves 4

Simple Syrup Ingredients

1 1/2 Cup water
3/4 Cup sugar

Watermelon Vodka Ingredients

12 oz watermelon, pureed

6 oz vodka

Directions

Make the simple syrup so it has time to cool (bring 1 1/2 Cup water + 3/4 Cup sugar to a boil - make sure all sugar dissolves).  To make the watermelon vodka, blend watermelon until you have 12 oz, then add the 6 oz of vodka.  It will separate over time so make sure to give it a quick blend right before you use it.

Sour Watermelon Martini Ingredients

3 oz simple syrup

3/4 oz lime juice
3/4 oz lemon juice

4 oz watermelon vodka

Superfine sugar, optional

Watermelon slice, optional

Directions

Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker, top with ice and shake vigorously. Optional garnishes: Pour superfine sugar onto a plate.  Use a lime or lemon wedge to wet the rim of a chilled martini glass and dip into sugar.  Strain in watermelon mixture and garnish with the watermelon wedge.  Pretty!

Yum!

Blueberry Buttermilk Crumb Cake

The first time I bought buttermilk, Joe was really excited.  Butter & milk.  All he needed was a plateful of cookies and he would be in heaven.

 And then he took a sip and with a look of shock and disgust, rushed over to the sink to spit it out.

It was repulsive. What a let down!

It tastes a lot better when it's mixed with other things though (e.g., in this blueberry crumb cake)

 

A little tangy and not overly sweet so you don't feel guilty eating it for breakfast.

 But don't take my word for it.  Whip this up for yourself:

Cake Ingredients

1/4 Cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup sugar
2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
1/2 Cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 Cups blueberries

Crumble Ingredients
1/3 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons butter, cold

Instructions
Preheat over to 350°F and grease a 9-inch round baking dish.
In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar on high for 3-4 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.  After the butter and sugar is nice and light, reduce the speed and add the egg, then add the buttermilk, vanilla and lemon zest.  Slowly add the flour mixture until just combined.  Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and pour into the prepared pan.  Spread with spatula to have an even top.
For crumb topping, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Then cut in the cold butter and mix until crumbly.  Top the batter with crumble mixture and make 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.