MOVING DAY

Today is moving day!  I have moved my food blog to WordPress. Here's the link to my new site.  It looks almost identical.  Cocktails and Small Bites  For those who have signed up as followers on this blog, please bookmark my new site and sign up to follow there. Thank you for your support.

Cheers!

Lemon Drop Martinis

My sister stopped by for some "girl" time last week.  We both have two sons.  We sat together on the porch while our boys played basketball together.  My son lifted her five year old on his shoulders and helped him score.  As the boys played, we chatted about recipes, restaurants, family and love.  I decided to mix lemon drop martinis for us to enjoy.  The lemon drop martini is believed to have been invented in the 70's in San Francisco at a bar called Henry Africa's.  Henry Africa's is no longer around but this delicious cocktail lives on.  A lemon drop martini will remind you of the lemon drop candy my sister and I enjoyed as children...sour and sweet at the same time.  It is a beautiful and delicious cocktail.

Lemon Drop Martini

Makes 2 cocktails

Ingredients:

3 oz vodka

1 oz orange liqueur

4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 oz of simple syrup (more if you want it to be sweeter)

Lemon wedge

Sugar for dipping

Method:

1. Rub the rim of the martini glasses with a wedge of lemon.  Dip the rim in sugar.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.  Add the vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup.  Shake until chilled.  Pour into the prepared martini glasses.

Cheers!

Shrimp Lejon and Mangotinis

It was a beautiful fall day.  Mr J and I decided to sit outside and relax after our long week.  A busy weekend lay ahead.  If you look closely in the background you can see that quite a few leaves have fallen already.  They are beautiful and make our home look picturesque.  Uh..but the work to get them up. Mr. J and I will have to move our happy hour indoors soon.  But for now, we will simply enjoy the crisp air and the beauty of fall.  We enjoyed our tasty shrimp lejon and toasted goodbye to Gourmet magazine with our mangotinis.  Champagne was probably in order but I didn't have any on hand.  I have had a subscription off and on (but mostly on) for several years.  One of my favorite monthly articles was the look back to past years and recipes.  What are you going to miss about our beloved Gourmet magazine? 

Shrimp Lejon 

(print recipe)

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

6 shrimp ( 12-15 count)

3 oz horse radish

6 slices of low sodium bacon  

                 Dipping sauce                        

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Peel and devein the shrimp leaving tails in tact.  Run a sharp knife down the back of the shrimp.  Fill the shrimp with 1/6th of the horseradish.  Wrap each shrimp tightly with bacon and secure with a wooden pick if needed.  These shrimp wre huge so I didn't need the wooden pick. Place shrimp on a baking sheet.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until bacon is just about done.  Turn on the broiler.  Broil at 500 degrees F for an additional minute.

To make the dipping sauce, combine 1/2 cup of mayonaise, 2tablespoons of ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  Mr. J prefers cocktail sauce.     

Mangotini

(print recipe)

Makes 2 cocktails

Ingredients:

3 oz vodka

1 oz orange liqueur

3/4 C mango nectar

Method:

Fill a cocktail shaker half way with ice.  Put all ingredients in and shake until chilled.  Pour into two martini glasses.

 

 

Goodbye Gourmet magazine.  You will be missed.......

Cheers!

Candy Cocktails

Halloween can be so much fun.  When my boys were little, I would make their costumes.  One year my oldest son wanted to be a ninja turtle.  My mom, who is totally up for the "Grandmother of the Year" award, worked hard and made him a fabric "shell" with straps.  She worked on it several evenings.    He was so excited and very proud of his costume.  He ran around the house leaping through the air while fighting the bad guys.  Now, that same little boy is 6' 3" and learning to drive.  Where did the time go?

Many parties are being planned for Halloween this year.  It's especially enjoyable when Halloween falls on a Saturday.  You can relax and enjoy the event with friends longer than a week night Halloween celebration.  While the kids are trick-or-treating, the adults can enjoy a few "candy" cocktails with friends.  Here are a few cocktail recipes named after treats.  They are tried and true favorites that you can get at your favorite spot.      

Bit O Honey Shooter

(print recipes)

       
Ingredients:  
1 oz Irish Cream
1 oz Butterscotch Schnapps    

Method:  

Combine ingredients in a shot glass.  Makes 1 shooter.   





Cotton Candy Martini

Ingredients:

2 oz coconut rum

1 oz peach schnapps

2 oz pink lemonade

Method: 
1. Fill a cocktails shaker with ice.

2. Pour in all ingredients and shake until well chilled.

Serve in a martini glass.  Makes 1 cocktail.

Pomegranate and Mint

Mr. J and I were looking forward to our Friday cocktail hour.  Lamb Loin Chops and Pomegranate Mojitos were on the menu.  Pomegranate and mint is a sublime combination.  We were about to enjoy it two ways.  As we muddled our pomegranate mojitos, we chatted about the 2016 Olympic Games.  Should the president have gone to Copenhagen?  Would the IOC have considered it a snub if President Obama hadn’t appeared?  And…what happened to the Oprah Effect?!  I mean the woman almost single handedly got America reading again.  Influencing the members of the IOC should have been child’s play for her.    

After we sat down and started dipping our lamb loin chops into the pomegranate mint sauce (you will love it!), the conversation turned to travel, specifically Brazil.  Oh well….. Chicago’s loss will turn in to a great trip for us.  The beaches are supposed to be fabulous and the upside here is that I have about 6 years to start my diet.  Good news after all. 

Additionally, Mr. J and I were able to celebrate the fact that his cousin had a successful liver transplant only a week prior and is doing very well.  We are sending a big “Thank You” to those who are willing to be organ donors.   

  

Lamb Loin Chops with Pomegranate Mint Sauce

(Print Recipe)

 

  

Lamb Loin Chops

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

¼ C olive oil

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

4 tsp thyme, chopped

4 tsp rosemary, chopped

4 lamb loin chops

Method:

1.      Place the lamb loin chops in a shallow dish. 

2.      In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, thyme and rosemary together and pour over the meat.  Turn and coat the second side of the lamb with the marinade.

3.      Let the lamb loin chops marinate for an hour at room temperature.

4.      Once the chops have finished marinating, turn the broiler on at 400 degrees F.  Cook for about 4 minutes on each side.

Pomegranate Mint Sauce

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 handful of mint leaves

½ tsp of sugar

1/3 C heavy cream

½  C plain Greek yogurt

1 lime, freshly squeezed

1 pomegranate

Method:

1.    In the food processor chop the mint, pulsing for a few seconds

2.    Add the sugar, heavy cream, Greek yogurt and lime juice.  Blend until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, about 30 seconds.

3.    Open the pomegranate with a fork.  Carefully scrape the seeds into a small dish until you have about ¼ cup of seeds.  Scrape out a few more for your garnish. 

4.    Pour the yogurt mint mixture into a small bowl and stir in ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds.

Place the pomegranate mint sauce in a small dish and serve on the side.  Garnish with the extra pomegranate seeds.    

Pomegranate Mojito

 (Print Recipe)

 Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp simple syrup*

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

6 mint leaves

6 Tbsp white rum

¼ C pomegranate juice

Soda water

Mint for garnish

Method:

1.    In the bottom of a double old fashioned glass combine simple syrup, lime juice and mint leaves. 

2.    Use a cocktail muddler or the back of a spoon and mash the ingredients together.

3.    Add crushed ice.

4.    Add the rum and pomegranate juice.

5.    Top with a splash of club soda and stir.

6.    Garnish with a sprig of mint.      

*Simply syrup recipe: Put ¾ cup sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan.  Heat over medium high heat.  Stir until the sugar has melted completely.  Cool completely and pour into a glass container.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  

We had a terrific time and enjoyed the lamb and mojitos.  I am looking forward to more recipes featuring pomegranate and mint.  Share some if you can.  I'd love to hear from you.

Cheers!

Crab, Brie and Toasted Pistachios

Crab is my favorite small plate ingredient.  Crab and brie together is even better.  I picked up some pistachios at the market this week and thought of ways to incorporate them into this week's small bite.  I came up with a delicious filling that can be made two ways.  The first recipe is crab and brie cakes with a pistachio crust.  The second is crab and brie napoleons with toasted pistachios.  Both are delicious.  We enjoyed the crab dishes during our happy hour with French 75s.  A French 75 is a citrusy, champagne cocktail that goes well with crab.  The French 75 is a classic cocktail that has a bit of a kick but goes down easy.  We enjoyed our crab napoleons and French 75s on one of the last days of summer.  We sat outside and enjoyed the weather while chatting about a trip to Paris......uh no......that was my fantasy......while chatting about health care.  Mr. J is very passionate about politics.  It makes for very lively and thoughtful cocktail hour discussions.    

Mini Crab and Brie Cakes with a Pistachio Crust
(Print Recipe)

2 Servings

Ingredients:

1/3 C Toasted Pistachios, finely chopped

3 oz. Brie, well chilled

8 oz. Lump Crab meat, picked over

1 Tbsp Vidalia onion, minced

1 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice

¼ tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to 1/4 tsp if you like it spicy)

1 Tbsp canola oil

*Note: Useful tool - 2 inch biscuit cutter.

Method:

1. To toast the pistachios, place the nuts in a small skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Shake and stir constantly to avoid burning the nuts. After about 5 minutes the nuts should be lightly brown. Immediately remove the nuts from the pan to stop the cooking process. Allow the nuts to cool completely before chopping. Once the nuts have cooled, place the nuts in a food processor and pulse several times. Place the nuts in a small shallow dish and set to the side.

2. Cut the brie into ½ inch cubes.

3. Place the cubed brie, crab meat, onion, lemon juice, salt and cayenne in a mixing bowl. Mix well with a fork but gently so as not to break up the crab too much.

4. To make uniform crab and brie cakes, I use a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Fill the biscuit cutter with the crab mixture. Carefully remove the crab and brie cake and place it in the nut mixture.

5. Carefully coat the crab cake in the toasted pistachios. Repeat until all of the crab mixture has been used. Chill for 1 hour.

6. Heat the canola oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Make sure that the oil and pan are hot. Place the crab cakes in the pan and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Let the crab and brie cakes cool for a few minutes prior to serving.

Recipe makes 6 two-inch crab cakes

                                          

                     

Crab & Brie Napoleons with Toasted Pistachios   

 Print Recipe

6 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 of a 17.3 oz package of puff pastry (1 sheet, thawed)

1 egg

1 Tbsp water

1/3 C Toasted Pistachios, coarsely chopped     

3 oz. Brie, well chilled

8 oz. Lump Crab meat, picked over

1 Tbsp Vidalia onion, minced

1 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice

¼ tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Beat the egg and water in a bowl.

3. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. You may need to roll it some until you have a 12 inch square. Cut the pastry into 24 rectangles (3”x2”). Place the rectangles on a baking sheet and brush with the egg mixture. Bake for 8 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.

4.Remove the pastry from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack until cool enough to handle. Split the pastries into 2 layers. You will have 48 halves.

5. To toast the pistachios, place the nuts in a small skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Shake and stir constantly to avoid burning the nuts. After about 5 minutes the nuts should be lightly brown. Immediately remove the nuts from the pan to stop the cooking process. Allow the nuts to cool completely before chopping. Using a sharp knife, coarsely chop the nuts. Place the pistachios in a mixing bowl.

6. Cut the brie into ½ inch cubes.

7. Place the cubed brie, crab meat, onion, lemon juice, salt and cayenne in the mixing bowl with the pistachios. Mix well with a fork but gently so as not to break up the crab too much.

8. Place a heaping tablespoon of the crab mixture on the bottom layer of the 24 napoleons. Top with the top pastry layers. Bake the napoleons for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Makes 24 napoleons

French 75
Print Recipe 

Makes 2 cocktails

Ingredients:

2 oz dry gin

2 oz fresh lemon juice

2 oz simple syrup*

Bottle of chilled brut champagne

Maraschino cherries

Method:

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake until the ingredients are mixed and well chilled.

3. Pour equal amounts of the gin mixture into two champagne glasses.

4. Top each glass with 4 oz of chilled champagne and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

*Simply syrup recipe: Put ¾ cup sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Heat over medium high heat. Stir until the sugar has melted completely. Cool completely and pour into a glass container. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Cheers!