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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Happy Birthday, Round 3

The last family birthday of the month is my mom's.  Typically I am not actually able to be with my mom on her birthday (since I live in NY and she's in IL), but this year I was home!  So, what else could I do besides make her a birthday dinner?!  I let my mom pick everything she wanted for this dinner.  It was quite good!  And, my mother is a vegetarian, so all those veggie eaters out there can enjoy this one too! (actually, I think everything but the desert is vegan) Happy bithday mom!
Drink...
Peach Bellini Iced Tea
This is originally a drink my mom had at the Olive Garden.  I have never had it, so I just tried to imagine what it would taste like and make a replica.  My mom said it was not exactly the same as theirs, but she said it was very good!  It is a great, refreshing summer drink.  This is a non-alcoholic drink, but I wonder how it would be if you actually made it into a real bellini and added champagne?  I don't know, champagne and tea could be strange...or it could be good :)
Ingredients:
  • 1 bottle of peach iced tea (or you can use regular unsweetened tea if you want it less sweet)
  • 1 can of sliced peaches in heavy syrup
  • Club soda
Directions:
  1. Put some sliced peaches into the bottom of a glass, add ice if your ingredients aren't already cold.
  2. Pour the iced tea into the glass with the peaches.
  3. Add about 2 tbs of the syrup from the canned peaches.
  4. Add about 3-4 tbs of club soda and stir.
Dinner...
Pineapple Quinoa Stir Fry & Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing
My mom sure knows how to pick a birthday dinner!  This was a delicious summer dinner, and a lot of it can be made ahead of time if you want to spread out the amount of work.
Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing
*recipe from Bon Appetite (July 2002)
When I first saw the recipe for this salad I thought it looked kinda gross and weird.  But, the ingredients actually go really well together.  It is super refreshing and healthy.  I would definitly make it again for a summer salad.  Bon Appetite says it is "a Vietnamese style salad that makes a refreshing accomaniment to any kind of barbequed meat."  I would agree with that statement, but it also goes really well with the quinoa I made.  The quinoa is a little spicy and the salad helps cool off your mouth.
Ingredients:
(serves 6)
  • 1 1/2 large cucumbers (about 3 cups)
  • 3 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 1/2 tbs fresh lime juice
  • 3 tbs hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbs chopped fresh mint
  • 1/3 cup coarsly chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts (I left these out of our salad)
Directions:
  1. Combine cucumbers and watermelon in a medium bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours.
  2. Drain and discard the liquid.
  3. Whisk lime juice and hoisin sauce in a small bowl to blend.
  4. Pur dressing over cucumber-watermelon mixture and toss gently.
  5. Sprinkle salad with cilantro, mint, and then peanuts (again, I didn't use nuts).  Serve immediately. 
Pineapple Quinoa Stir Fry
*recipe from Maureen K.
My mother is a really great cook and this is a recipe she invented.  It's very healthy and delicious.  It takes a bit of time to chop all of the ingredients, but you can do that ahead of time if you would like.  Once you actually get to the cooking part, it goes very fast.  I made mine a bit too spicy for some members of my family.  If you don't like it really spicy, you may not want to use the whole jalapeno, just as much as you'd like. 
Ingredients:
(serves 4-5)
  • 1 cup quinoa (rinsed and well-drained)
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1/4 tsp soy sauce + 3 tbs soy sauce
  • 3 tbs peanut oil
  • 2 green onions, sliced thin
  • 2-3 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup frozen peas (I left these out because I don't really like peas)
  • 1 cup fresh basil, sliced thin
  • 2 tbs fresch chopped mint
  • 1 whole fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 tbs vegetable stock
  • 1 tbs mirin
  • lime wedges for garnish
Directions:
  1. *The night before: Combine quinoa, pinaple juice, water, and 1/4 tsp soy sauce in a medium sized pot.  Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil.  Stir a few times, lower heat to medium/low, cover, and cook for 12-14 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears plumped and slightly translucent.  Uncover, fluff, and let cool.  For best results, place quinoa in an airtight container and refridgerate overnight.
  2. Have all ingredients chopped and within reach.  Heat a large non-stick skillet.  Add peanut oil, green onions, and garlic.
  3. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sliced jalapeno and ginger. 
  4. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, then add the bell pepper and peas.
  5. Stir fry for another 3-4 minutes until the bell peppers are softened and peas are bright green.  Add the basil and mint.
  6. Stir fry for another minute and then add the pineapple chuncks and quinoa.
  7. In a medium cup combine 3 tbs. soy sauce, vegetable stock, and mirin.  Pour over quinoa mixture. (Add another 1/2 cup to a cup of pineapple juice to the quinoa mixture if it is dry)
  8. Stir to incorporate completely.  Continue to stir fry 10 - 14 minutes until quinoa is very hot.
  9. Serve with lime wedges and additional soy sauce.
Dessert...
Blueberry Tartlets with Lemon or Lime Curd
*recipe from Maureen K.
These are the perfect summer dessert!  The comniation of the lemon/lime with the blueberries is incredible.  And, they look so cute, but are not very difficult to make!  I made 1/2 lemon tarts and 1/2 lime tarts.  There was not a huge difference in flavor, but in the end we liked the lemon better.  It was a slightly stronger flavor.  These would be great for a summer barbeque.  I should have put a candle in mine for my mom's birthday! 
Ingredients:
(makes 4 small tarts)

for the curd:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 5 tbs unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
For the crust:
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 tbs sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 tbs chilled whipping cream
  • 1 large egg yolk
For the topping:
  • 1 1/2 pints of bluberries
  • 1 tbs sugar
Directions:
For the curd (can be made up to 4 days ahead and refrigerated):
  1. Whisk sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan to blend. 
  2. Whisk in yolks and then butter.
  3. Cook over medium low heat until thick, smooth, and just beginning to bubble, stirring constantly, about 8 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat.  Mix in lemon peel.
  5. Transfer to a small bowl.  Press plastic wrap onto surface of the curd.  Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours.
For the crust (can be made up to 1 day ahead of time):
  1. Blend flour, sugar and salt in a foor processor for 5 seconds.
  2. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns, until mixture resembles course meal.
  3. Add 2 tbs of cream and egg yolk.  Using on/off turns, blend until mois clumps form, adding more cream by teaspoons if dough is too dry.
  4. Shape dough into a log.  Cut crosswise into 4 equal rounds.  Press each round over bottom and sides of 3 3/4" x 3/4" tartlet pans with removable bottom (there may be extra dough). 
  5. Pierce crust with a fork.  Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
  6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake the crusts until lightly golden brown, pressing any bubbles back with a fork, about 15 minutes.
  7. Cool crusts completely on a rack.
For the topping:
  1. Place 1/2 cup of blueberries and sugar in a heavy small saucepan.  Using a fork, mash the berries coursly.  Cook mixture over medium heat until it begins to simmer, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
  2. Using a rubber spatula, push as much of mixture as possible through a mesh strainer set over a medium bowl.  Mix remaining blueberries into the strained berries.  Set topping aside.
  3. Spread curd into crusts.
  4. Spoon blueberry topping over the curd.
  5. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to one day before serving.

Monday, June 18, 2012

A Delicious Dinner for Doug

I told you all that June was a big birthday month for me.  My last post was for my sister's birthday and this one is for my fiance, Doug's birthday!  I wanted to make him a dinner of all his favorite things.  Well, his favorite thing I can make is actually chicken piccata, and I already made that for my blog.  So...I made his second favorite dinner :)
Drink...
Bière de Belœil
I always feel like I am kind of cheating when I just put a beer or wine on here instead of making a cocktail.  However, I can truly say that beer is Doug's favorite drink.  I let him pick this one out.  This beer is brewed by one of Doug's favorite breweries; Brasserie DuPont.  He decided to try it because of that brewery being one his favorites.  However, he said it was good, not outstanding.  If you want to try a real stand-out beer from Brasserie DuPont, than try one of their Saison beers.
Ingredients:
  • A slightly chilled bottle of Bière de Belœil (we keep ours in our wine fridge at 50 degrees Fahrenheit)
Directions:
  1. Pour and enjoy :)
Dinner...
Chicken and Asparagus Pasta 
*recipe from Maureen K.
This is one of Doug's (and my) favorite pasta dishes of all time!  It is soooo good and soooo easy to make!  It was invented by my mom (I know...she is such a great cook).  Please, make it....I guarantee you will like it!  Just an FYI - I always add WAAAY more red pepper flakes than the recipe calls for, and quite a few more splashes of wine and lemon juice than it calls for just to make it extra flavorful.
Ingredients:
  • 1 lb asparagus, cut into 1-2 inch long pieces
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 to 6 cloves of garlic (I use 6)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I use A LOT more - probably about 1 1/2 - 2 tbs!  It really is not spicy, just adds more flavor)
  • 1 whole tomato, chopped or grape tomatoes, sliced (I usually don't add tomatoes, but it would be good in it)
  • 2 - 3 tbs lemon juice (I usually add a little bit more)
  • 1/3 cup white wine (again, I usually add a few extra splashes)
  • garlic powder
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 lb chicken breast, chopped into pieces
  • Parmesan cheese
Directions:
  1. Season the chicken breast pieces with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Cook in olive oil until almost done.  Remove from pan.
  2. Cook linguine according to the package directions.
  3. Cook asparagus in microwave until tender.
  4. Add 3/4 cup of olive oil to the pan the chicken was cooked in.  Cook garlic and red pepper in oil. 
  5. Add chicken, asparagus, white wine, lemon juice, and tomato.  Heat through.
  6. Toss the linguine with the Parmesan cheese.
Dessert...
Liege Style Waffle with Speculoos Spread
There is a food truck here in NYC called Waffles and Dinges.  I first tried their waffles last fall and immediately told Doug he had to try them.  Since then, we are both officially addicted!  They have many different kinds of waffles there, but the only one we have had is the "Throwdown Waffle".  It's named that because the owner of the truck was on the TV show Throwdown with Bobby Flay and won.  It is one of their Liege style waffles with Speculoos Spread and whipped cream.  
Doug also has a recent addiction (I do too, but not as strong of an addiction) to Speculoos Spread.  It is a delicious Belgian gingerbread cookie spread (I don't really like gingerbread, but I love this stuff!).  Doug prefers the one bought from Le Pain Quotidien, which is the one we used in this recipe.  I prefer the one from Trader Joes.  They call it Cookie Butter and I think it is less gingerbready.  Plus it is cheaper and comes in a bigger jar :)  
This is a super easy recipe to make (especially since we don't have a waffle maker, so I just bought a Liege style waffle they sell in packages at convenience stores around here) and is really incredibly delicious. 
Ingredients:
  • 1 Liege style waffle
  • Speculoos Spread
  • Whipped cream
Directions:
  1. Make a waffle, or buy a pre-made one like me.  If you buy one, put it in the toaster to heat it up and toast it a bit.
  2. Spread Speculoos over the warm waffle.
  3. Top with whipped cream, and try not to eat it too fast :)

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

A Very Vegan Birthday

June is a big month for birthdays in my family.  First up was my sister's birthday.  So I thought . . . what a better gift than a blog post dedicated to her!  :)  Since my sister is vegan, I had to change things up a bit from what I am used to doing, and use a few ingredients that are strange to me.  I will say, Doug and I both ate this meal (even though he was a little nervous about it) and decided that if someone hadn't told us it was vegan, we would have no idea.  Some of the ingredients did not taste the same as the real thing out of the package, but when they were all mixed together, they turned out delicious.  
Kate, happy birthday!  Sorry you couldn't actually taste the meal (she lives in San Fransisco and I am in NYC), but know that this one was all for you!
Drink . . .
Bloody Mary
I asked Kate what her favorite drink was, and she said it was a Bloody Mary, so here we are.  I never had a Bloody Mary until a few weeks ago.  I was pretty repulsed by the thought of drinking one since I am not the biggest fan of tomato juice and the combination of ingredients sounded disgusting to me.  However, my cousin was visiting and ordered one at a bar.  I gave it a little sip and discovered that I actually do like them!  The one I made here is a pretty pathetic example of a Bloody Mary.  It doesn't have any delicious garnishes or anything.  Being a Bloody Mary novice, I wasn't quite sure what to add, so it's very basic, but still it was quite delicious!
Ingredients:
  • tomato juice
  • vodka
  • lemon juice
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • hot sauce
  • salt 
  • pepper
Directions:
  1. Fill a glass with ice.
  2. Pour in 3 parts vodka to 6 parts tomato juice and 1 part lemon juice. 
  3. Add a dash of hot sauce (or more if you like it spicy!), Worcestershire, and salt and pepper.
  4. Stir and add a couple garnishes to make it more fun than mine!
Dinner . . .
Vegan Seven Layer Tortilla Pie
*recipe from The Vegan Coach
I found a lot of delicious looking vegan recipes in my search, but this was the one I thought I would be most likely to get Doug to eat.  I was going to cheat and just use real cheese instead of vegan cheese (because honestly the vegan cheese scares me), but I went all out and used the fake cheese.  Eating it straight out of the bag was pretty gross, but in the meal it worked out way better than I thought it would.  It actually did get melty and stretchy like real cheese.  We also happened to have some Soy Chorizo already, so I cooked up some of that and added it in as well (and I took out the Cannellini Beans because I'm not the biggest bean fan).  This was great the way I made it, and also would be great with non-vegan ingredients, even though I truly don't think anyone would know it was vegan.
Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
  • 3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilis
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 cups tomato juice
  • 3 cups cooked black beans, or 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed well and drained
  • 3 cups cooked cannellini beans, or 2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinsed well and drained
  • 1 cup non-dairy cheddar cheese, grated (I like Follow Your Heart)
  • 1 cup non-dairy mozzarella cheese, grated (I like Follow Your Heart)
  • 6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 325F.
  2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add next 8 ingredients. Saute 5 minutes, or until tender. Add tomato juice. Cook 8 minutes or until reduced to 2 1/2 cups.
  3. Combine black beans and half of tomato juice mixture in a bowl; stir well & set aside. Stir cannellini beans into remaining tomato juice mix; set aside.
  4. Combine cheeses in a bowl; toss well. Line a 9" pie plate with foil, allowing 6 inches of foil to extend over opposite edges of pie plate. Repeat procedure, extending foil over remaining edges of pie plate. (At this point I lay down some parchment paper to avoid aluminum leaching).
  5. Place 1 tortilla in bottom of dish over parchment paper and foil. Spread 1 cup cannellini bean mixture over tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheeses. Place 1 tortilla over cheeses, pressing gently. Spread 1 cup black bean mix over tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/4 cups cheeses. Place 1 tortilla over cheeses, pressing gently. Repeat layers, ending with remaining cannellini bean mixture and cheeses.
  6. Cover with a piece of parchment paper, then bring edges of foil to center; fold to seal. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove foil packet from dish; unwrap pie, and slide onto a serving platter using a spatula. Cut into wedges.
Dessert . . .
Vegan Cherry Torte
*recipe from The Vegan Coach
I love cheesecake, especially cherry cheesecake.  This is not exactly the same thing, but it kind of reminded me of those no-bake cheesecakes.  Anyhow, it was really good, and again . . . it did not taste vegan!  It's super easy to make and great for the summer because it doesn't require baking and heating up the house with the oven (since I cheated and used the ready made graham cracker pie crust instead of making my own :)
I will say, after this meal I am a little more broke though—vegan ingredients are expensive!
Ingredients:
  • 1 package Dream Whip, or 2 packages Soyatoo Soy Whip, made according to package directions (I couldn't find these, so I just bought a can of soy whipped cream from Whole Foods and it worked just as well)
  • 1 (8 oz.) package dairy-free cream cheese
  • 1 cup organic powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 can prepared cherry
Directions:
  1. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.
  2. Prepare whipped topping according to package directions (or just spray it out of the can like me). Fold into cream cheese mixture.
  3. Spread cream cheese/whipped cream combo over crust. Cover with cherries. Refrigerate overnight, or at least several hours. Cut into pieces and serve.



Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Healthy & Hearty

Since my wedding is coming up, I am trying to go into super-healthy mode.  However, even though I am trying to eat less and eat healthier, I hate feeling hungry.  I find that a lot of health foods just don't fill me up.  This meal is an exception.  It was not only healthy, but is very low carb and full of fresh ingredients.  And, it filled me up!  I would make these recipes again, even if I wasn't on a diet :)


Drink...
Tom Collins
I scoured the internet for a low calorie mixed drink.  Let me tell you, they are not easy to find.  Most of the mixed drinks available have a ton of sugar in them, which is precisely what I am trying to avoid.  The mixed drinks I found that didn't have a lot of sugar sounded gross, as they were mostly just straight alcohol or liqueur mixed with water—blah!  Finally, I found one.  It has artificial sweetener in it, which I know some people do not like.  But, I have been using Stevia extract lately.  I think it's a good replacement for sugar because it has no calories and is made from a plant extract, so it isn't full of chemicals.  I am not the biggest gin fan, but this drink was delicious and refreshing.  Plus, based on my calculations it only has 115 calories and no sugar (the only ingredients with calories are the gin and lemon juice).

Ingredients:
•1.5 (3tbsp)oz gin
•1 oz (2tbsp) lemon juice, or more to taste
•1 packet of Splenda or Equal (*I used Stevia*)
•Club soda
•Lemon slice for garnish


Directions:
  1. Mix gin, lemon juice, and sweetener in a glass. 
  2. Add club soda to taste, and then add ice cubes. 
  3. Garnish with lemon slices.
Dinner...
Paleasagna 
*recipe from What Runs Lori
I am obsessed with goat cheese, so when I saw the ingredients included it, I was ready to make it.  When I saw the recipe, I was wondering how it got it's name.  In case you are like me, and have never heard of the Paleolithic Diet (Paleo Diet), you might be wondering the same thing.  According to Wikipedia, this diet is also referred to as the Caveman Diet or the Hunter-Gatherer Diet.  It is based on the idea that humans are genetically adapted to the diet of their Paleolithic ancestors, and we would be healthier if we ate their diet.  The diet consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture-raised meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.  It excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.  I don't know that I agree with this diet and this recipe doesn't conform to it exactly, but I do think it's good to eat fresh foods, low sugar, and low carbs, which this recipe has.  Besides the healthiness, it was quite delicious, filling, and easy to make.  My only suggestion is to add more seasoning than the recipe suggests, because I found it a bit bland.
Ingredients:
(makes 5-6 servings)
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1/2 pound of extra lean turkey, or ground sirloin
  • 1 15oz can diced tomatoes, low sodium
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp Italian spice blend (*I would add more*)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 pound of zucchini and/or yellow squash, cut into medallion rounds
  • 1/2 cup raw goat cheese, shredded
  • 1 cups Greek yogurt
  • 1 head broccoli, roughly chopped (*I used eggplant since Doug doesn't like broccoli and it was delicious*)
  • 1 egg
Directions:
  1. In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the diced onions. Sauté on medium-high until softened, about 3-5 minutes. 
  2. Add the ground turkey, canned tomato and tomato paste, spices, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Continue to cook all ingredients until the turkey is cooked through. Set aside when done.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine raw goat cheese, Greek yogurt, broccoli (*eggplant*) pieces, and egg. Mix well.
eggplant mixture
  4.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a 13 x 9 Pyrex glass baking dish. Place a layer of zucchini and squash rounds evenly across the bottom, making a sort of liner.
squash & zucchini
   5.  Add a layer of turkey-tomato sauce on top of the zucchini.
meat & tomato layer
  6.  Top that with some of the broccoli and yogurt mixture. 
eggplant, cheese, and yogurt layer
  7.  Continue with this layering process until you have used all of your ingredients.  Top the entire dish with more shredded goat cheese, if desired.
Final Product!
  8.  Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Dessert...
Chocolate-Coconut Mousse
I cannot feel satisfied after a meal until I have dessert.  So, no matter how healthy I am trying to be, dessert is always included.  This dessert is a surprising twist on chocolate mousse and is sugar free! It has a strong coconut flavor, so liking coconut is a must for this one.  I found that it was even better after I left it in a bowl uncovered in the fridge overnight because it got thicker and was more of a mousse texture.  
To make it, you have to use thickened coconut milk.  This is a recent trick I learned, and I am still amazed by it (although it didn't work as well for me as expected).  If you put an unopened can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight, the water will separate from it and you will be left with a very thick coconut milk that can be whipped with other ingredients to make things like mousse or whipped cream.  Simply amazing!
Ingredients:
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 T cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • sweetener to taste (I used a little stevia, but any dry sweetener will do.)
Directions:
  1. Leave the can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. (Don’t shake the can before opening.) It should get very, very thick. (If it doesn’t, you’ve gotten a bad can that won’t work for the recipe. I highly recommend Thai Kitchen, or especially Thai Kitchen Organic.) (*My first attempt at this failed.  I think it was because I poured it into a bowl and left it in the fridge.  For the second attempt, which worked much better, I left the can unopened in the fridge and tried the Thai Kitchen brand.  It worked much better.*)
 
1st attempt - fail :(
2nd attempt - success!
  2.  Once thick, transfer to a bowl  (leave out the watery bit at the bottom of the can) and whip in your cocoa, vanilla, and sweetener with a whisk, or even beaters if you want to be fancy.  
  3.  Stored uncovered in the fridge, the mixture gets even thicker.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Southern Supper

I'm back!  Sorry for the hiatus.  Things just got kinda busy and I was kinda lazy.  :)
I can't say I have ever really been to the true South, but I'd love to go someday.  This is my interpretation of a southern-style dinner.  Pretend you are in the deep south, and enjoy!

Drink...
Old Fashioned
As I have said before, I am not a whiskey fan, but this is another whiskey drink that I really enjoy.  Hmmm . . . maybe I really like whiskey?  Anyway, this drink has a bit of a bite, but once you get used to it, it's quite delicious (and potent).  The Old Fashioned is rumored to have been invented in the 1880s at a gentleman's club in Louisville, Kentucky.   If only I had a parlor in a southern home in which to drink it!
Ingredients:
  • 2 oz. bourbon
  • 1 lump Sugar
  • 1-3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Maraschino cherry
  • Splash of water (optional) 
  • Ice
  • Orange slice and lemon twist (for garnish)
Directions:
  1. Place sugar in the bottom of a glass. Wet the sugar with bitters.
  2. Add the cherry (and splash of water if using it) to the glass. Muddle ingredients.
  3. Add bourbon and ice.  
  4. Stir gently. 
  5. Garnish and serve. 
Dinner... 
Double Crunch Honey Garlic Fried Chicken Breasts
*recipe from Rock Recipes 
I did not think these were the greatest.  Fine, but not the greatest.  Doug liked them a lot more than I did.  They are fried though, which can never be that bad.  Plus, no food is more emblematic of Southern cuisine than fried chicken.
Ingredients:
(serves 4)
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 2 cups flour 
  • 4 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp ground ginger
  • 2 tbsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsp ground thyme
  • 2 tsp ground sage
  • 2 tbsp paprika 
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
  • 4 eggs
  • 8 tbs water 
Honey Garlic Sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 – 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 cup honey
  • ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium soya sauce is best)
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
     


Directions:

Frying the chicken.
  1. Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet, pound the meat to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Alternatively, you can slice the breasts by placing them flat on a cutting board and using a very sharp knife to slice them into halves horizontally.
  2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dip the meat in the flour and spice mixture. Dip the breast into the eggwash and then a final time into the flour and spice mix, pressing the mix into the meat for good contact.  
  3. Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of canola oil covering the bottom. You will want to carefully regulate the temperature here so that the chicken does not brown too quickly. The thinness of the breast meat practically guarantees that it will be fully cooked by the time the outside is browned. I find just below medium heat works well. I use a burner setting of about 4 1/2 out of 10 on the dial and fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. 
  4. Drain on a wire rack.
  5. Make the honey garlic sauce: 
    1. In a medium saucepan add the oil and garlic.
    2. Cook over medium heat to soften the garlic but do not let it brown. 
    3. Add the honey, soy sauce, and black pepper.
    4. Simmer together for 5-10 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Watch this carefully as it simmers because it can foam up over the pot very easily. 
    6.  Dip the fried chicken into the honey garlic sauce.


Dessert...
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
*recipe from Allrecipes.com 
I really like pecan pie, and what other way to make it better than add chocolate and booze?  This was a really good recipe.  Having never made pecan pie, I was a little intimidated.  But, it turns out to be super easy to make.  Y'all don't have to be from the south to agree that this pie is delicious!   
Ingredients:
(makes 1 large, 9 inch pie, or 2 smaller pies)
  • 1 (9 inch) pie shell
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter or margarine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter or margarine melts and sugar dissolves. Cool slightly.
  3. In a large bowl combine eggs, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Slowly pour sugar mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until set and golden. May be served warm or chilled.