Category: BEVERAGES

CAPPUCCINO FOR ADULTS

3 cups brewed coffee

3 cups half and half
1/4 cup spiced rum
1/2 cup curacao
1/4 cup brandy
  • In a medium saucepan whisk together everything except the whipped cream.
  • Heat to Steaming.
  • Pour into warmed mugs.
  • Garnish with whipped cream and a shake of cinnamon and mocha.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Happy Valentines DayValentine’s Day is a truly subjective menu.  Not everyone wants or dreams of the same foods.  So, awhile back when we were just sitting around I quizzed hubby in a round about way and was able to come up with his favorite romantic menu to create a romantic meal.  What are you doing for Valentine’s Day this year?
STRAWBERRY MARGARITAS
2 cups crushed ice
1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree
1 cup tequila
2 limes, juiced
Splash Triple Sec
Splash simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves completely and then cooled)
  • Combine in a blender, ice, strawberry water, tequila, lime juice, Triple Sec and simple syrup.
  • Puree until smooth.
  • Pour into rocks glasses, garnish and serve.
CAJUN SHRIMP COCKTAIL
1 1/2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup chili sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons finely minced onion

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Juice of 1 lemon (save your rind to make the cute serving dish)

2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon Frank’s red pepper hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

salt to taste

plenty of fresh medium-large shrimp, cleaned and chilled
  • I use my mini food processor to mix it all in until well blended.
  • Chill for a day or so before needed to allow flavors to meld together.
CAESAR SALAD DRESSING

6 cloves garlic, mashed and minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Champagne Vinegar

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/3 cup canola oil

Sea Salt

White Pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

Minced anchovy fillets (optional – I usually leave them out)

  • Combine garlic, mustard, vinegar and two pinches of salt in a blender and mix thoroughly.
  • Add mayonnaise and blend together to form a thick base.
  • In a slow stream add oil.
  • Scrape dressing with spatula into a bowl and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
  • Optional – Add anchovies to dressing to create a deeper, saltier taste.
PARMESAN CHEESE CROUTONS

6 slices thick sourdough bread

butter, melted, enough to coat bread

½ cup Fontina Cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place bread slices on oven rack and bake until dry and golden.
  • Melt butter in flat bowl.
  • Combine cheeses in flat bowl.
  • Dip first in butter and the cheese mixture.
  • Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.
  • Cut to desired size*
*If I’m in a hurry I will sometimes cut these ahead of time and toss with the butter and cheese which coats all the sides better.
GARLIC STEAK
Steak of choice (hubby choose T-bones)
2 cloves of garlic per steak, minced fine
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar per steak
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
sea salt
white pepper
  • Pierce each steak with a marinater.
  • Whisk together the garlic, oil, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Place steak side by side of a large plate.
  • Pour marinade over top.
  • Turn steak and make sure each is well coated.
  • Cover and marinate overnight.
  • Take steak out of refrigerator an hour before grilling, turn several times making sure still well coated in marinade.
  • Firmly press garlic pieces into the steak.
  • Grilled to desired doneness – mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, medium rare….
TWICE BAKED POTATOES
4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions (tops and all), sliced and divided
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour or until done through.
  • Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
  • When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; saving skins.
  • To the potato pieces add the sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
  • Bake for another 15 minutes.
SOUR CREAM DUTCH APPLE PIE
PIE

3+ cups apples, cored, peeled and chopped

lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

1 small egg, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream (not light)

9 inch pastry shell, pre-baked and cooled

TOPPING

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, sliced extremely thin

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Chop the apples and combine with just enough lemon juice to coat and prevent browning in large bowl.
  • In a small bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
  • Fold in the sour cream, egg, vanilla and maple extract until well blended.
  • Fold the sour cream mixture into the apples until well coated.
  • Carefully pour into the pie shell, mounding towards the center.
  • Toss together the topping ingredients until well blended.
  • Sprinkle topping evenly over the apple mound.
  • Lay the pieces of butter all over the top.
  • Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
  • Best served with ice cream or fresh whipped cream. If you want to be really decadent try it with Caramel Sauce.
HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 jumbo eggs

2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

  • Warm the milk in a small pan.
  • Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl.
  • Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture.
  • Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Let it cool to room temperature.
  • Whisk in the cream and vanilla.
  • Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing.

Sorrel Juice – TRY A NEW RECIPE

I’m back!!! Bringing back with me the Tropical touch to Try a new recipe Tuesdays. Thank you Tammy for filling in for me while i was ill. Mind if i take it easy my first day back? And also share with you my favorite drinks?

Today we are making Sorrel Juice!

Nothing says Christmas like Sorrel juice to me because the crop matures in December, that’s the only time of year the fruit (called Roselle in other parts) is available to me. I wait 11 months for this! You can probably find the dried fruit at a Caribbean or African market near you, if you can get a hold of some i encourage you to try this. 

You will see that i make a ‘concentrated’ form of the juice, using little water at first, with instructions to dilute later on. My first time making this recipe i used too much water, the taste of the fruit was hardly infused into the juice and there just no fixing that. That was a sad day. So less is more with the water during the boiling/seeping stage. You can always dilute it later on.


The juice can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks but believe me it won’t last that long, you’ll drink it all up!

Sorrel Juice

by Gigi 
Keywords: steam

2 cups Sorrel
2 Cups water for steaming/steeping
1 more cup of water to dilute
4 cloves
1 tsp grated ginger
piece of cinnamon stick
1 cup of sugar – Start with half cup and stop when you you get to your desired sweetness

    Instructions
    • Bring 2 cups of water to boil in deep sauce pan
    • Add Sorrel, Cloves, Ginger and Cinnamon
    • Boil for 5 minutes.
    • Turn stove off and let steep in covered sauce pan for 5 hours (over night is best).
    • Strain and squeeze all liquid from the Sorrel
    • Sweeten and dilute to your taste
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    VALENTINE’S DAY ~ WEEKEND OF ROMANCE FOODS

    Last weekend we rolled out the Valentine’s Day of Romance Menu for 2011 over at OUR KrAzY kitchen, but I needed to write about something fun and upbeat over here and thought I’d share this fun menu with you.  So what did you do for Valentine’s Day this year?
    Valentine’s Day is a truly subjective menu.  Not everyone wants or dreams of the same foods.  So  awhile back when we were just sitting around I quizzed hubby in a round about way and was able to come up with his favorite romantic menu to create a romantic meal. At that time I obviously planned on doing the cooking, but unfortunately since I’m still not allowed to cook, he’ll be the one preparing the recipes, but all is good and we’ll make it work.  I did borrow a few photos from google images since hubby has yet to make the meal, the rest are from my archives, but the recipes are all ours.
    STRAWBERRY MARGARITAS  
    2 cups crushed ice 
    1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree
    1 cup tequila 
    2 limes, juiced 
    Splash Triple Sec 
    Splash simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves completely and then cooled)
    • Combine in a blender, ice, strawberry water, tequila, lime juice, Triple Sec and simple syrup. 
    • Puree until smooth. 
    • Pour into rocks glasses, garnish and serve.
    CAJUN SHRIMP COCKTAIL
    1 1/2 cups ketchup
    1/2 cup chili sauce
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tablespoons finely minced onion
    2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
    Juice of 1 lemon (save your rind to make the cute serving dish)
    2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    1/4 teaspoon Frank’s red pepper hot sauce
    1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    salt to taste
    plenty of fresh medium-large shrimp, cleaned and chilled
    • I use my mini food processor to mix it all in until well blended.
    • Chill for a day or so before needed to allow flavors to meld together.
    CAESAR SALAD DRESSING
    6 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    1 tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
    2 tablespoons mayonnaise
    1/3 cup canola oil
    Sea Salt
    White Pepper
    Juice of 1 lemon
    Minced anchovy fillets (optional – I usually leave them out)
    • Combine garlic, mustard, vinegar and two pinches of salt in a blender and mix thoroughly. 
    • Add mayonnaise and blend together to form a thick base. 
    • In a slow stream add oil. 
    • Scrape dressing with spatula into a bowl and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. 
    • Optional – Add anchovies to dressing to create a deeper, saltier taste. 
    PARMESAN CHEESE CROUTONS
    6 slices thick sourdough bread
    butter, melted, enough to coat bread
    ½ cup Fontina Cheese
    ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
    • Place bread slices on oven rack and bake until dry and golden. 
    • Melt butter in flat bowl. 
    • Combine cheeses in flat bowl. 
    • Dip first in butter and the cheese mixture. 
    • Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. 
    • Cut to desired size*
    *If I’m in a hurry I will sometimes cut these ahead of time and toss with the butter and cheese which coats all the sides better.

    GARLIC STEAK
    Steak of choice (hubby choose T-bones)
    2 cloves of garlic per steak, minced fine
    1 tablespoon champagne vinegar per steak
    1/2 tablespoon canola oil
    sea salt
    white pepper
    • Pierce each steak with a marinater.
    • Whisk together the garlic, oil, salt and pepper to taste.
    • Place steak side by side of a large plate.
    • Pour marinade over top.
    • Turn steak and make sure each is well coated.
    • Cover and marinate overnight.
    • Take steak out of refrigerator an hour before grilling, turn several times making sure still well coated in marinade.
    • Firmly press garlic pieces into the steak.
    • Grilled to desired doneness – mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, medium rare….
    TWICE BAKED POTATOES 
    4 large baking potatoes
    8 slices bacon
    1 cup sour cream
    1/2 cup milk
    4 tablespoons butter
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon pepper
    1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
    8 green onions (tops and all), sliced and divided 
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour or until done through. 
    • Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. 
    • When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; saving skins. 
    • To the potato pieces add the sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon. 
    • Bake for another 15 minutes. 
    SOUR CREAM DUTCH APPLE PIE
    PIE
    3+ cups apples, cored, peeled and chopped
    lemon juice
    3/4 cup sugar
    2 tablespoons flour
    pinch of salt
    1 tablespoon cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/2 teaspoon maple extract
    1 small egg, beaten
    1/2 cup sour cream (not light)
    9 inch pastry shell, pre-baked and cooled
    TOPPING
    1/3 cup flour
    1/3 cup dark brown sugar
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    4 tablespoons butter, sliced extremely thin
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    • Chop the apples and combine with just enough lemon juice to coat and prevent browning in large bowl.
    • In a small bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
    • Fold in the sour cream, egg, vanilla and maple extract until well blended.
    • Fold the sour cream mixture into the apples until well coated.
    • Carefully pour into the pie shell, mounding towards the center.
    • Toss together the topping ingredients until well blended.
    • Sprinkle topping evenly over the apple mound.
    • Lay the pieces of butter all over the top.
    • Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
    • Best served with ice cream or fresh whipped cream. If you want to be really decadent try it with Caramel Sauce.
    HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM
    1 cup whole milk
    1/2 cup sugar
    2 jumbo eggs
    2 cups heavy cream
    2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
    • Warm the milk in a small pan. 
    • Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl. 
    • Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture. 
    • Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Let it cool to room temperature. 
    • Whisk in the cream and vanilla. 
    • Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing.

    “Colors of the Caribbean” Lemonade

    We made it… safe and sound and home.  While I did indeed cook a great many dishes on the island, when we returned, we wanted to have a theme drink to serve our friends while we bored them with our stories and photographs.
    Like this one…
    See that beautiful color of the ocean.  This photo was taken in “the Baths” in Virgin Gorda, of the British Virgin Isles.  I just fell in love with the colors of the Caribbean waters, and wanted to recreate this color in a drink.
    So, I give you the “Colors of the Caribbean” Lemonade
    Start with 1/2 a pitcher (about 5 cups) of your favorite Lemonade
    Add 1 cup Blue Alize Liqueur (blue Alize is a French Cognac mixture with Passion Fruit, Cherries, Ginger and other exotic fruit juices.
    Fill with ice
    Garnish with Lemon Slices
    Serve in tall Collins size glass, and garnish with Lemon Slices
    And it is just that simple.  So far, as long as we keep the drinks flowing, no one minds listening to our stories too much.

    Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. It really is just this easy!  

     … I CAN COOK THAT! 

    And so can you!

    CAPPUCCINO for ADULTS

    3 cups brewed coffee
    3 cups half and half
    1/4 cup spiced rum
    1/2 cup curacao
    1/4 cup brandy
    • In a medium saucepan whisk together everything except the whipped cream.
    • Heat to Steaming.
    • Pour into warmed mugs.
    • Garnish with whipped cream and a shake of cinnamon and mocha.

    Tequila Rose Fizzes

    TEQUILA ROSE FIZZES
    4 ounces Orange Juice
    1 jigger Tequila Rose
    4 ounces 7 up

    • Blend orange Juice and tequila rose together until well mixed.
    • Add 7up.
    • Enjoy.
    • Next time I’m going to add some rum too!

    When Life gives you lemons, make lemonade

    I have a good friend who will be leaving for Curacao soon to visit some family who is wintering there. Neither of us knew much about it so decided to research it. We were utterly amazed by some of the history we learned, but we were also in awe of learning about the booze! The recipes I see in my future are going to be Curacao soaked!

    When Life gives you lemons, make lemonade or in this case when life gives you oranges make Curacao. According to Wikipedia Curacao is a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao. A non-native plant similar to an orange, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers. The nutrient-poor soil and arid climate of Curaçao proved unsuitable to Valencia cultivation, resulting in small bitter fruit on the trees. But the aromatic peel maintained much of the essence of the Valencia varietal, and the trees were eventually bred into the current laraha species, whose fruits remain inedibly bitter.

    The drink was first developed and marketed by the Senior family (a Jewish family of Spanish and Portuguese descent) in the 19th century. To create the liqueur the laraha peel is dried, bringing out the sweetly fragranced oils. After soaking in a still with alcohol and water for several days, the peel is removed and other spices are added.

    The liqueur has an orange-like flavour with varying degrees of bitterness. It is naturally colourless, but is often given artificial colouring, most commonly blue, which confers an exotic appearance to cocktails and other mixed drinks—given that almost no drinks or other foodstuffs exist that are truly blue by nature.

    The name “Curaçao” has become associated with a shade of blue, because of the deep-blue version of the liqueur named Curaçao (a.k.a. Blue Curaçao).

    The liqueur itself is smooth, and I mean really, really smooth. We found an old bottle in FIL’s liquor cabinet that must have been 50 years old, but oh it was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. Several shots later we were all convinced we’d found the next great thing to sliced bread.

    She’ll be bringing back some new bottles and these days they make it in many flavors, all of which I want to use in desserts too. Some other liqueurs are also sold as Curaçaos with different flavors added, such as coffee, chocolate, and rum and raisin.

    Fountain of youth ~ the chocolate continues to flow…

    This week we’ll do some chocolate based beverages and sauces to get ready for the chocolate round-up over at Joy of Desserts.

    OLD FASHIONED HOT CHOCOLATE
    3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
    dash salt
    1/2 cup sugar
    4 cups milk
    whipped cream
    shaved chocolate

    • In a saucepan whisk the milk, salt and sugar together.
    • Add the melted chocolate and cook over a low heat until heated through.
    • Whisk until foamy on top.
    • Pour into warm mugs,
    • Garnish with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

    MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE
    3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
    3 tablespoons sugar
    2 cups milk
    1 egg
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
    dash nutmeg
    dash cloves

    • Sift together the cocoa and sugar into a heavy saucepan.
    • Gradually stir in milk until well blended.
    • Heat over low heat until hot, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
    • Whisk egg until frothy. Then whisk in vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.
    • Whisk egg mixture and continue whisking until the whole mixture lightens in color.
    • Add egg mixture to chocolate mixture and whisk until frothy and serve immediately.

    COCOA FUDGE SAUCE
    1/2 cup sugar
    2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
    1/3 cup milk
    1/4 cup light corn syrup
    1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
    2 tablespoons butter
    1/3 cup heavy cream
    1 teaspoon vanilla

    • In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, milk and corn syrup.
    • Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes.
    • Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and butter immediately until melted and well blended.
    • Gradually add the heavy cream and return to heat and bring to another boil for 2 minutes.
    • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
    • Cool.
    • Store in tightly covered jar in refrigerator.

    MILKY WAY FUDGE TOPPING
    12 ounces Milky Way candy bars, cut into chunks
    6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
    1 cup milk

    • In a double boiler combine candy bars, chocolate and milk.
    • Cook and stir constantly until melted and well blended and smooth.
    • Store in a airtight jar in the refrigerator.

    DECADENT HOT FUDGE SAUCE
    1/2 cup butter
    2 ounces unsweetened
    2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
    1 cup sugar
    1 cup heavy cream
    dash salt
    2 teaspoons vanilla

    • In a heavy saucepan melt butter and chocolates over a low heat.
    • Blend in sugar, cream and salt.
    • Stir 5-8 minutes until thickens and is creamy.
    • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
    • Serve warm.
    • Store in airtight jar in the refrigerator.
    final blog signature. ♥