Happy in a Snap: Friday Cocktails

I love a fruity sugary cocktail every now and then, but sometimes I just like something crisp and refreshing. Enter the Skinny Girl Margarita, made famous by Bethenny from RHONYC. Although she now sells a bottled product that goes by the same name, I have read mixed reviews on how good it actually tastes.
This cocktail is easy to put together, can be made on the rocks or frozen, and apparently won't tip the scales. It is certainly not sweet. Not at all. You've been warned.

Skinny Girl Margarita (from Bethenny)
1 oz. silver tequila (use good tequila)
Juice of one lime
Splash of orange liqueur
Ice
Salt/Sugar for rim

Blend together tequila, lime juice, orange liqeuer and ice until smooth. Pour into a sugar/salt rimmed glass. Serve immediately.

Savory Pancakes

Lately, I feel like all I've been craving is super fresh vegetables and herbs. These corn and basil cakes are no exception. Sweet fresh corn is shaved off the cob into a light, spoonable batter. A large handful of basil is sliced into a chiffonade and then thrown into the mix. The result is light, mellow pancakes spiked with flavorful ribbons that give a burst of summer freshness in each bite. What's not to love?

Corn & Basil Cakes (from Eating Well)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour (see Note) or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 large ears; see Tip) or frozen
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation 

Whisk flour, milk, eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in corn and basil. 

Brush a large nonstick skillet lightly with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; heat over medium heat until hot (but not smoking). Cook 4 cakes at a time, using about 1/4 cup batter for each, making them about 3 inches wide. Cook until the edges are dry, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 1 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter, making 10 cakes total. Reduce the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

 

Blossom

 Recipes for stuffed squash blossoms have been showing up everywhere lately. When I noticed the little blossoms peeking out from my mother's garden last week, I ask if I could snip them and try out one of the many preparations I had pulled from magazines and the web. The result were light and crispy little pillows that oozed with salty and barely melted mozzarella cheese. I'll be snooping around the garden in hopes that more of these little blooms will grow. I find comfort in the fact that I can snag these flowers at the Farmer's Market for $.25/blossom. What a steal!

 

Stuffed and Fried Squash Blossoms (from Saveur) 

24 zucchini blossoms
3⁄4 lb. mozzarella
12 anchovy filets
4 eggs
1 cup flour
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
Salt

1. Remove stems and stamens from zucchini blossoms; wash blossoms and pat dry.

2. Cut mozzarella into small dice, coarsely chop anchovy filets, and combine in a mixing bowl. Stuff each blossom with mixture and twist petals to retain stuffing.

3. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Pour 1 cup flour with freshly ground black pepper into a second shallow pan. Heat 2 1/2" vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat until very hot.

4. Working in small batches, dredge each stuffed blossom in flour; dip into eggs, turning to coat well, then dredge in seasoned flour. Fry blossoms, turning frequently, until crisp, 3–5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.

Stacked

One of the things I was most looking forward to about growing my own herbs was making fresh pesto. In my opinion, homemade pesto is the only pesto. It is so painless to make if you have a food processor, and you can customize it with whatever herbs, nuts, and seasonings you want. For example, why not whip up some thyme and parsley walnut pesto or try a tarragon sage parsley pesto. It's immediately clear that the possibilities are endless. You can spread pesto on anything, from vegetables to pasta to crostini. Use it in place of mayo, or add it to your mayo or butter. It's such a versatile condiment to have on hand that I just keep a little in a container in my refrigerator and freeze any extra for another day. For a meal last week, I grilled eggplant, melted some fresh mozzarella over a few slices and topped the whole thing with pesto, slices of fresh tomato and another slice of grilled eggplant. These stacks are flavor-packed and so good when served piping hot off the grill.

Basic Basil Pesto
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch salt
3 cups loosely packed basil leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Chop the nuts, garlic, and salt in a food processor until fine. Add the basil and oil and process ­until smooth. Add the cheese and process to incorporate. Taste for salt.

Berry Sweet

Berries are one of my favorite summertime ingredients. I love incorporating them into cocktails and breakfasts, and of course into lovely desserts. These lemon blackberry turnovers were an impromptu dessert inspired by the plump juicy berries that were calling my name at the store. I took puff pastry and spooned some citrusy cream cheese onto squares. Then, I placed a handful of berries on each square and sealed up the sides. I then baked the turnovers in the oven until they were golden brown. A few fresh berries for garnish are the perfect way to complete this little bite.

This is plain cream cheese beaten with lemon zest, sugar and lemon juice.

Spread a small amount of the mixture onto the pastry.

Top with berries.

Lemon Blackberry Turnovers

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 ounces of cream cheese
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup of sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 pint of blackberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the puff pastry into a square. Cut the square into four smaller squares. Place about two tablespoons of cream cheese onto each square in one of the top corners. Top with 7-8 blackberries (depending on the size). Take your fingertip and dip it in a little bit of water. Then, gently dab the outer edge of the pastry with water before folding the bottom corner to the top corner. Take a fork and press down the outer edges, being careful not to tear the pastry. Place on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Cut small holes for vents on top of each pastry. Sprinkle each pastry with a little bit of sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Garnish with fresh blackberries.

You Shoulda Put A Ring On It

This is an insanely addictive recipe. To be perfectly candid, I don't like onion rings very much. All too often, they are overly breaded and lack taste or a desired crunchy outer texture. These onion rings, however,  are crunchy, salty, and tangy and they yield to a soft and mildly sweet onion when bitten into. Better yet, you don't have to bother with a messy pot of hot oil because these little gems are baked.  They are a great accompaniment to a steak (or to lamb) and they will also work well as a small plate or appetizer. They bake in 15 minutes, which is manageable for even the most time-pressed individuals. Unfortunately I did not snap any process photos, but you'll have to take my word for it that this is a pretty easy standard dredging process (dry, liquid, dry). The final element of the rings, and what is responsible for the crunch is a unique mixture of finely ground saltines and kettle cooked potato chips. For a little added flavor, I used salt and vinegar chips and it was a good decision.

 
Oven Fried Onion Rings (Adapted from Cook's Illustrated via Brown Eyed Baker)
½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 large egg, room temperature
½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ ground black pepper
30 saltine crackers
4 cups kettle-cooked salt and vinegar flavored
2 large yellow onions, cut into rings
6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Place ¼ cup flour in shallow baking dish. Beat egg and buttermilk together in bowl. Whisk remaining ¼ cup flour, cayenne, salt and pepper into buttermilk mixture. Pulse saltines and potato chips together in food processor until finely ground; 8 to 10 pulses.
Place crumb mixture in second shallow baking dish.
Working one at a time, dredge each onion ring in flour, shaking off excess. Dip rings in buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, then drop into crumb coating, turning rings to coat evenly.
Transfer coated rings to large plate or tray.
Pour 3 tablespoons oil onto each of two rimmed baking sheets. Place baking sheets in oven and heat until just smoking, about 8 minutes. Carefully tilt heated sheets to coat evenly with oil, then arrange onion rings on sheets. Baking, flipping onion rings and switching and rotating position of baking sheets halfway through baking, until golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Onion Rings Dipping Sauce (Adapted from CopyKat via Brown Eyed Baker)
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 tablespoons horseradish
1 teaspoon of cayenne (I like to bring the heat!)
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Lollipop of Lamb

After returning home from the beach, where I did almost no cooking, I was so excited to put together a fun summer meal. I have been wanting to grill lamb chops for a while, and with my mother's herb garden flourishing, this past weekend was the perfect time to do it. I found a rack of lamb that had already been frenched at a local shop, and I quickly concocted a simple marinade of sage, rosemary, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. The chops were put in the marinade while I prepared other elements of the meal, and then I threw them on the grill for a quick sear. They don't require very much time at all if your grill is hot. The result was flavorful, herbaceous chops. I served mine with an impromptu black olive tapenade, but you could garnish with a homespun lemon aioli or just squeeze some fresh lemon right on top before serving.

Grilled Lamb Chops 
A generous handful of sage leaves
4-5 sprigs of rosemary, stems removed
1/4 cup of olive oil
The juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Rack of lamb, frenched (I allotted for two chops per person)

Heat your grill to medium-high heat.
Separate the rack of lamb into individual chops. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper.
In a food processor, combine the sage, rosemary, olive oil, and lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture is the consistency of a rough puree (almost like a pesto). Season with salt and pepper. Pulse for a few more seconds to incorporate the seasoning. Pour the marinade all over the chops, coating all sides and allow to sit for 15-30 minutes.
Place the chops on the grill and don't move them for at least a minute or two. After two minutes, flip the chops. Allow the chops to cook for another 2-3 minutes for medium-rare or longer if you want the chops cooked through.

Happy in a Snap: Friday Cocktails

So, I've been listening to this song called California Gurls quite a bit lately. It's a punchy summer song with a catchy little chorus. The music video is eye candy too, quite literally, as Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg play and sing together in a land of sweets. This cocktail would fit in nicely there. Quite simply, it is bubble gum infused vodka with sparkling pink lemonade served up in a pink sugar rimmed glass. Soak pieces of pink bubble gum in vodka (about one piece per ounce of vodka) for about 8 hours or overnight. Pour one ounce of the infused vodka into a martini glass. Top with sparkling pink lemonade and stir. It's a fun and light summer drink with all the pop of my current favorite song.

Dinner for One

Having a food focused blog has given me the opportunity to serve great food to close friends and family, of course only after it has been photographed. Every now and then I truly enjoy cooking for just myself. Normally I half or quarter a recipe and then go for it. It's best if there are no time constraints (this pasta took 40 minutes, for example) and if the dish being prepared is something you've been ogling for a while.  Trust me; it makes it all the more satisfying. When the dish is ready for its close-up you can play with light and different settings on your camera and not feel guilty about the diners in waiting. Dining solo is a rare treat every now and then. If nothing else, you will only have one dish to clean.

This braised garlic and leek pasta is worth the wait. Cleaned sliced leeks and halved cloves of garlic braise in a white wine and chicken stock bath until they are practically melted. A little cream is thrown into the mix for added richness at the end. The result is a divinely mellow, slightly sweet and subtle onion flavor. Thrown over pasta, which absorbs some of the silky sauce, it is a nicely composed dish.

Spaghetti with Creamy Braised Garlic and Leeks (from Fine Cooking)

2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium leeks (light-green and white parts only), halved and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (10 cups)
10 medium cloves garlic, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup lower-salt chicken broth
12 oz. dried spaghetti
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 oz. grated Pecorino Romano (1/3 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

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Heat the butter and oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Add the leeks, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring often, until the leeks begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and press a 12-inch round piece of parchment over the leek mixture to cover completely. Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally (you will have to lift the parchment), until the leeks are very soft but not falling apart and the garlic is very soft, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Uncover the skillet and remove the parchment. Stir in the cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss. If necessary, add the reserved pasta water 1 Tbs. at a time to make a silky sauce that clings to the pasta.

Off the heat, stir in the cheese and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.