Browsing Tag

cherry

Sip

Old Fashioned

December 19, 2014

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My go-to drink for the past few months has been an Old Fashioned, so I was a little surprised to see I’ve never posted about it on the blog!  I know this is a classic, but it is a must have for your cocktail line-up this winter season.

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Old Fashioned 

  • 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 orange wheel
  • 1 Maraschino cherry (I use Luxardo)
  • 1 splash club soda
  • 2 oz bourbon
  • Garnish: 1 orange wheel and 1 cherry
  1. Muddle bitters, sugar, fruit and soda in an old fashioned glass.
  2. Remove orange rind and add bourbon.
  3. Fill with ice and garnish with a fresh orange wedge and cherry.

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Sip

Sour Cherry Cider Sip

November 14, 2014

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Now that fall is in the (80 degree) air I am swapping watermelon for butternut squash, swim suits for sweaters, and vodka for bourbon.  My family loves sour cherry syrup (perfect for mixing with club soda and lime for a refreshing sipper), so when I came across a bottle of it, I knew I had to swoop it up (it can be hard to find).  I mixed it with a favorite of my fall-ish libations and here is what we came up with!

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Sour Cherry Cider Sip 

  • 1 1/2 oz whiskey
  • 1/2 oz sour cherry syrup
  • ~1/4 cup cider
  1. Pour whiskey in a low ball glass over ice.
  2. Add sour cherry syrup.
  3. Top with cider and stir.

You know how I love a cocktail with minimal clean-up… and this one hits the spot! Delicious, refreshing, seasonal and still a little bubbly from the cider – perfection!

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Step 1

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Step 2

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 Step 3

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PS. if you aren’t able to find any syrup at your local artisan store (or Cost Plus or Home Goods), you can make your own!

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Cherry Simple Syrup 

  • 8 oz cherries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  1. Place ingredients in a sauce pan and stir over medium heat.
  2. Cover and lift lid only to stir occasionally.
  3. Once cherries soften (and are easily “mashable”), allow to cook 5 more minutes and then cool.
  4. Store cherries and syrup in an airtight container.

*For this recipe you can include both cherries and syrup in the cocktail.  Otherwise feel free to strain them.

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Sip

Tom Collins

December 20, 2013

Gin Tom Collins

With the influx of Meyer lemons at my disposal, they have taken center stage in my cooking (can you tell? Lemon Bars, Petrale Sole in Lemon Sauce, Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing…) AND bar-tending.

Tom Collins

  • 2 oz gin
  • 1 oz Meyer lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • 1 tsp of Marashino or Luxardo Cherry syrup 
  • 1 Luxardo Cherry
  • 1 orange slice 

Mix gin, juice and syrup in an ice filled cocktail shaker.  Strain into an ice filled glass and stir in some cherry syrup and garnish with a cherry and orange slice!

Cocktail Pour Marashino syrup will result in a more pink colored drink, but the Luxardo syrup is just as a tasty!

Cheers!

Cocktail Shaker

Tasty

Quinoa & Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

December 9, 2013

Quinoa Sausage Squash

Most Sunday’s result in me being over the whole “cooking thing,” despite the fact I love a great Sunday dinner.  But this past weekend I sucked it up and got to the kitchen and tried a recipe that has been on my mind for awhile.  The best part(s)?  It was quick, beautiful AND delicious.  And guess what – even J ate it (he usually see’s quinoa and runs).

It also was the perfect recipe to take for leftovers the next day!

Filled Acorn Squash

Quinoa & Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Adapted from Bite by Michelle

  • 2 acorn squash, halved & seeded
  • 3/4 cup quinoa, cooked according to box’s directions (I used tricolor)
  • 4 links hot Italian turkey sausage, meat removed from links
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 10 fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • 1 Granny Apple, unpeeled & seeded & chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried Bing cherries
  • Freshly grated Parmesan
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt/Pepper
  1. Line baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment and drizzle with olive oil.
  2. Place squash halves cut side down (I rubbed them around in the olive oil to make sure they were coated well) and roast for 25 minutes until tender.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium high heat (this is the first time I used my cast iron pan… eeeekkk!!) and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
  4. Once warm, add onion, bell pepper, garlic, sage and pecans. Saute for 10 minutes.
  5. Add sausage and break up with a spoon (I kept the veggies on one side of the pan and uncooked meat on the other). Once the pinkness is gone, stir the mixture together and remove from heat.
  6. Fold in cooked quinoa, apples and cherries and fill cooked squash halves with mixture.  Top with freshly grated Parmesan and be prepared to have your taste buds become EXTRA happy!

Cranberry Apple Quinoa filled Acorn Squash

*My tip is to chop everything finely and evenly.  It makes it look beautiful and makes the flavors really develop when you truly are getting a taste of each ingredient in every bite!

Bon appetit!

Tasty

Sunday Dinner

December 2, 2013

Goat Cheese Tomato Biscuits

I hosted a family dinner yesterday and was excited to spend the afternoon whipping up some comfort food for my favorite people.

Menu 

Kale Cherry Salad

I have spoken praises of Deb from Smitten Kitchen for quite awhile now and her blog is always at the top of my reading list, so when she came out with a cookbook, I knew I had to get my hands on it.  It is filled with an amazing line-up of yummy dishes and they are the types of meals you want to share with loved ones.  So get yourself a copy and start working your way through her amazing creations!

Tomato Glazed Meatballs

Tomato Glazed Meatballs (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Glaze

Ingredients:

  • 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, and whisk constantly over low hear until well combined.
  2. Remove from heat and set aside while preparing meatballs.

Meatloaves

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices sandwich bread, torn up
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium stalk celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt, and more to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 2 1/2 pounds ground turkey or beef
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

  1. Set the oven at 350 degrees.
  2. Put torn bread pieces into a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs are formed.
  3. Transfer breadcrumbs to a large bowl.
  4. Pulse the veggies (onion, garlic, celery, and carrot) in the processor until finely chopped.
  5. Coat a large pan in olive oil and heat over medium heat.
  6. Add the vegetable mixture, salt, and pepper.
  7. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes – until the vegetables begin to brown.
  8. Mix the vegetables into the breadcrumbs.
  9. Add the meat, tomato paste, paprika, mustard, and Worcestershire.
  10. Use your hands to thoroughly blended mixture (don’t over mix!).
  11. With wet hands, form the mixture into meatballs (about 2-3 inches wide – whatever your preference is)
  12. Place meatballs in a 9×13 baking dish.  Make sure they are at least an inch away from one another.
  13. Brush each meatball with a generous brush of tomato glaze.
  14. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are cooked through.
  15. Serve with additional glaze, atop browned butter mashed potatoes.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

  • 2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  1. Peel potatoes and chop into 1/6ths.  Immediately transfer to a large pot filled with salted ice water.
  2. Once all potatoes are peeled and transferred to the pot, boil them over high heat until tender (about 20 minutes) – you should be able to easily pierce them with a fork.
  3. Drain potatoes and transfer to a Kitchen Aid bowl.
  4. Brown butter and transfer final product to potatoes.  Also add buttermilk and turn Kitchen Aid on at a low setting.
  5. Stir until combined and add salt/pepper to taste.
  6. Enjoy the most decadent mashed potatoes ever!