Archive | July, 2010

Thai Basil Gimlets

27 Jul

photo credit: evan brennan

This summer I planted both sweet basil and thai basil in our shared alleyway garden. My green thumb has a bit of a learning curve. After planting all my tomatoes and basil, I found out that I planted everything too close together. My neighbor, and Greensboro Urban Harvest co-founder, graciously supported my mistakes by replanting most of what I put in. But somehow, my sweet basil was an oversite and has been completely taken over by its Thai neighbor. I have so much Thai basil I don’t know what to do with it all. It, like its herb friend oregano, has found its way into flower arrangements.

When I saw the recipe for Basil Gimlets on Sippity Sup, I thought it might be a good opportunity to let the Thai basil take center stage. It turned out to be a refreshing beverage and a bit of liquid courage for my photo shoot with Evan Brennan. 

Thai Basil Gimlet – inspired by Sippity Sup

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 bunch Thai basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 cup  gin

Make a simple syrup by combining sugar with one cup water. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and add the basil. Allow to steep for 30 minutes. Strain and refrigerate. Combine the simple syrup, gin and lime juice. Pour over ice and enjoy. A garnish with a sprig of Thai basil. 

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Photogenic Tomato Tart

26 Jul

photo credit: evan brennan

This past weekend I was lucky enough to work with my friend and photographer – Evan Brennan. Evan started his photography business about a year ago and has done some pretty incredible work since. I couldn’t help but call him when I needed some new shots of myself for MMoM. Since this blog is a lot more about food than the person who makes the food – I put together a prop that I could (gladly) stand behind or beside. I think the tart was also more photogenic. I also made a couple thai basil gimlets to make everyone more comfortable (recipe to come).

Thanks to Evan, I got some great new shots of my house, my pup, my food and me. My friends enjoyed eating the props later that evening.

Photogenic Tomato Tart

Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
  • half cup tapenade
  • 1 large onion
  • butter and olive oil
  • fresh thyme
  • 4 ounces goat cheese
  • fresh basil
  • 2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced
  • salt and pepper

Assembly: Heat equal parts olive oil and butter in a pan. Add thinly sliced onion and cook over medium heat until caramelized. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, roll out the puff pastry until it is large enough to fit into a greased tart pan. Cut off any extra that hangs over the edge. Spread the tapenade over the bottom of the pastry. Add onion, scatter pieces of goat cheese and torn basil. Layer tomato slices on top – I think details are important here – use a variety of colored tomatoes and display them in some organized matter. Season the top with salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour – or until the puff pastry is brown.

Rice Salad

22 Jul

  • Rice Salad is a Thompson family stand by for picnics. As a child, I spent many summers at my Grandmother’s riverhouse. During the days, she would schlep us around the state of Florida to festivals and water holes. Just yesterday I remembered how great summertime trips to the roadside farmstand to pick up a giant watermelon were. The highlight of our days.

My mom still makes this salad when we go to concerts in the park or picnics outside. It is a great mayo-free stand by. And, you can add whatever veggies you have on hand. I used tomatoes and cucumbers from our alleyway garden and green olives and peppers from the store. This makes a big batch – so make sure you have a crowd or time for leftovers.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rice
  • olive oil
  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped
  • red wine vinegar
  • veggies of your choice (peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives)

Assembly: Cook two cups of rice. While hot, toss and coat with olive oil. Add scallions (the heat will cook them slightly). Refrigerate over night. The next day, add red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped vegetables. Taste throughout to make sure the seasoning is correct.

Cream Cheese and Olive Spread

21 Jul

My friend Beth came in handy last week when I was searching for a new dip or spread recipe that was easy to make and required very few ingredients. That is the trouble with this blogging adventure, sometimes you run out of time, energy, funds and new ideas. Beth is always around to lean on and suggested making maybe the easiest spread ever – Cream Cheese and Olive Spread with Crackers. Amazingly enough, I just told you the recipe! It is cream cheese and chopped up green olives mixed together. Beth recommended adding some olive juice and I forgot – but it still tasted great. I put it into a little mold for kicks – but you certainly don’t have to do that!

It was a big hit for Winston’s birthday party! And later on it continued to be a hit as my friends found it in my fridge and continued to snack on it. It is always the most simple dishes that taste so good.

Puppy Birthdays and Other Excuses to Celebrate

20 Jul

Last week marked another milestone on Mendenhall. My puppy, Winston, turned one year old and we had another reason to celebrate. Amongst all the happiness in my life, several losses happened in the lives of my friends. The loss of those old and young – neither easy or without much sadness. Our week full of bones and new squeaky duck toys turned to be somewhat bittersweet.

But in the midst of so much loss, I started to wonder – why not find excuses to celebrate? Blogiversaries, Puppy Parties, First 4th of July’s – aren’t these milestones what make our lives so rich? Regardless of how elegant they may be – I’d rather look back and acknowledge these moments with more memories than not. So, without much money or good weather, we celebrated Winston’s birthday with hot dogs, cream cheese and olive spread, rice salad, leftover pimento cheese sandwiches and Masha’s homemade strawberry cake.

With the risk of getting too sappy and without anything more profound to say, I’ll quote a wiser food blogger who put my thoughts into words far better than I could (this includes a slight compliment to myself).

Thanks Matt. I’ll post a few recipes from our budget friendly menu this week. Cheers to Mr. Win and all that my furry friend has brought to my life.

Matt Armendariz from Matt Bites says,

“I believe life happens quickly. Be prepared to get the most out of it. I believe people who cook and feed others are some of the most giving and open people on the planet. I believe food unites us.”

Tim Love’s Chiles Rellenos with Corn-and-Okra Succotash

16 Jul

 Tim Love’s recipe for Chiles Rellenos with Corn-and-Okra Succotash was too irresistable not to make. After seeing this in the July 2010 Food & Wine Magazine, I had to go back to the drawing board of my Cowgirls in the Kitchen menu. The recipe was fairly easy. I’d recommend roasting the peppers in the oven instead of burning them over an open flame. I burnt mine a little too much and had to piece some parts back together. Regardless of shape, they tasted really exceptional! 

Tim Love’s Chiles Rellenos with Corn-and-Okra Succotash 

Ingredients 

  • 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for rubbing
  • 10 poblano chiles
  • 3 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut into small dice ( 1/2 cup)
  • 2 ounces dry Spanish chorizo, cut into small dice
  • 2 ears of corn, kernels cut off
  • 1/2 medium red onion, cut  into small dice
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small dice
  • 1 celery rib, minced
  • 1/2 pound okra, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick (about 2 cups)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tim Love’s Wild Game Rub
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)

Assembly: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a pie plate, rub the head of garlic with olive oil and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Squeeze the garlic cloves out o  f the skins.
  2. Meanwhile, light a grill. Grill the poblanos over high heat or cook them directly over a gas flame, turning, until charred all over. Transfer the chiles to a plate, let cool slightly, then rub off the skins. Make a slit along one side of each chile. Using scissors, snip out the cores and scoop out the seeds.
  3. Heat a large saucepan. Add the 1 tablespoon of oil, the bacon and chorizo and cook over moderate heat for 4 minutes, stirring. Add the corn, onion, bell pepper, celery and roasted garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Add the okra, Wild Game Rub, bay leaf and broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, until the liquid is thickened, about 7 minutes. Season the succotash with salt and pepper, remove from the heat and let cool. Discard the bay leaf.
  4. Season the insides of the poblanos with salt; arrange in a large cast-iron skillet or casserole. Spoon the filling into the poblanos and sprinkle with the cheese. Set the skillet on the grill, close the lid and grill over moderately low heat for 20 minutes, until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted. Alternatively, cover the skillet and bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Pineapple Margaritas

16 Jul

To me, nothing says sticky mess like making frozen beverages in a blender. I’ve seen it – lived it – and cleaned it. I like to act like I don’t even own a blender for this very reason.

Morgan and Beth both know what kind of mess I can make with a blender, so when margaritas were suggested for our Cowgirls in the Kitchen menu, we all knew they would be on the rocks.

We chose Ina’s Pineapple Margaritas for several reasons — it was sweet enough for Beth, light enough for a school night and easy enough to mix together. We picked up limes, fresh pineapple and some artificially flavored Mexican pineapple soda to top them off. The soda lightened the drink but also made them a toxic neon yellow from all the yellow #7. I’ve left this off the recipe – but feel free to adjust to your artificial flavor liking.

Ina’s Pineapple Margaritas

Ingredients

  • 2 cups lime juice, about 20 limes
  • 2 cups white tequila
  • 2 cups Triple Sec
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh pineapple juice
  • Fresh pineapple slices, for garnish

Directions

Combine the lime juice, tequila, Triple Sec, and pineapple juice. Fill a cocktail shaker 1/2-way with ice and fill 2/3 full with the margarita mixture. Shake for 30 seconds and pour into glasses. Decorate with fresh pineapple slices and serve ice cold.

Cowgirls in the Kitchen

15 Jul

Last week my college roommate, Morgan, traveled to North Carolina to visit friends and family. She spent Wednesday night on Mendenhall catching up on old times with my friend Beth and I. Morgan and Beth were some of the first people I met when I traveled north to attend college at Elon University. They remained my closest friends throughout my four years and we have countless memories (although I apparently have selective memory and can’t remember some choice moments).

It was only fitting to put together a Texas themed meal for Morgan, a Texas native and current Colorado resident. Morgan and I brainstormed over the internet for days thinking of classic Texas dishes – Texas caviar, Texas rib eye steaks, Texas toast – but there must have been something in the air because the latest Food and Wine came out with Tim Love’s Texas themed Forth of July Celebration menu and I could not resist. We turned on the Brooks and Dunn Pandora station and acted like real cowgirls in the kitchen preparing this Texas themed menu:

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Morgan’s Go Big or Go Home Texas Themed Dinner

  • Pineapple Margaritas
  • Grilled Texas Ribeye Steak
  • Tim Love’s Chiles Rellenos with Corn-and-Okra Succotash
  • Cucumber & Red Onion Salad
  • Grilled Texas Toast with Homemade Basil Butter

The meal came together with ease as we sipped on the Pineapple Margaritas. Salt and pepper on the steaks plus butter, salt, pepper and basil from the garden on thick cut bread-  all thrown on the grill. We sliced cucumbers and red onion and dressed them with olive oil and red wine vinegar for a quick salad with a kick (I recommend doing this slightly in advance to let the flavors set). I don’t think they could have done better in the Lone Star State.

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

13 Jul

It may come as a surprise to you, but I can be seriously clumsy in the kitchen – especially when baking. I’d prefer to improvise than measure in any situation and I really dislike reading directions. That is why I love crumbles and cobblers – it leaves a little more room for mess-ups.

This is where good friends like Masha come in. She is seriously detail oriented and is the perfect helper in the kitchen (ironically she is baking a cake for my pup’s 1st birthday party as I type). For me, good kitchen comrades  include three crucial qualities:

  1. They drink wine while they cook.
  2. They gossip while they cook.
  3. They don’t hesitate stepping in when I am about to make a big mistake (like overfilling the cupcake tins).

Masha came over the night before my Blogiversary to help make cupcakes and share some wine and gossip before the big night. I won’t tell you the gossip – but I will share the recipe.  We made two batches of Ina’s Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes over a bottle of pinot grigio. The cupcakes are dense, delicious and I heard someone even at 5 at the party (remember, this isn’t a gossip column!).

Ina’s Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 11 fluid ounces Hershey’s chocolate syrup
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

For the ganache:

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and coffee granules and mix until just combined. Don’t overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don’t overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the muffin pan.

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache. Do not refrigerate

French Potato Salad

11 Jul

I hadn’t planned on adding another starch to the menu but my mother insisted I serve a potato dish. Mom’s are always right. I had to find a recipe that I could make in advance and not have to reheat. Ina’s French Potato salad sounded like the perfect solution to my potato dilemma. Ina is always right too.

This recipe is similar to my favorite Greek potato salad – no mayo! I love the flavor that the champagne vinegar and fresh herbs add. You can’t go wrong with this recipe. A picnic, a summer al fresco meal or a quiet night in.

Ina’s French Potato Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 pound small white boiling potatoes
  • 1 pound small red boiling potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons good dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Assembly: Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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