SUMMER DRINKS: Cucumber Vodka & Ginger Beer

Summertime is HERE! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the weather change than with a few drink recipes. A few weeks back we celebrated my roommate Sara’s move back south for a gig at one of our favorite bars. The Art Bar in the west village. They have a pretty stellar mixed cocktail menu and I became OBSESSED with one of their choices. Enter my summer lover: cucumber vodka and ginger ale.  There are all sorts of crazy vodka infusions on the market from jalapeño to tomato. What bummed me out was how expensive these delightful seasonal flavors were. I discovered with a few days and an cheap ish bottle of vodka I could make my very own Cucumber Vodka! Of course using these guidelines you can make your own vodka infusions in many flavors. I also set out to figure out how to make a ginger beer concentrate to add to soda water. I’m in love with the spicy nature of the final product. I’ve been splashing it into my soda water all weekend.  The process of making it uses a food processor rather than simmering the ginger over low heat keeps things nice and spicy!

 

Cucumber Vodka

2-3 Cucumbers 

1 medium size bottle of vodka- nothing too fancy but defiantly not the cheep plastic handle

Peel and finely dice the cucumbers. The point is to get as much surface area as possible on the cucumber for the vodka to come in contact with while it’s infusing. Put cucumber bits into a pitcher, pour an entire bottle of vodka over the top, and place in the refrigerator for 5-10 days. If you infuse any longer things will start to taste bitter.  After your infusing days are up strain through a fine mesh strainer and funnel back into the vodka bottle. Keep chilled in the refrigerator and enjoy!

 

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Ginger Beer Concentrate

1 Large Piece of Fresh Ginger(about 4 inches)

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup water

 

Peel ginger and place pieces into a food processor. Puree with 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Transfer pulp to a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and try to remove as much liquid as you can.  Scrape the remaining ginger pulp out of the strainer and return it to the food processor. Add lime juice to the pulp and puree  for about a minute.  Repeat the same steps of pushing it through the strainer trying to remove as much liquid as possible.  Return whatever remains of the ginger pulp to food processor and add sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup of water. You can add more sugar depending on if you want it the final product to be sweeter.  Pulse for another minute and then repeat the straining process.  Keep your ginger concentrate in the refrigerator for up to a week. Add a splash to ginger ale to give it more kick. Mix it on a 1 to 3 ratio with soda water and a lime slice for a refreshing summer drink!

 

Hopefully these will help you kick of summer in style- Enjoy!

Charlie

 

 

Ginger Margarita

Rumor has it we *might* make it to 60 degrees outside today. This has been the never ending winter in NYC. In order to remedy the winter blues we had taco night with margaritas this past weekend. Lots of margaritas.

We tried making some crazy flavors but the ginger margarita rose to the top as my favorite. I used SNAP ginger liquor and a frozen can of limeade to make this subtly spicy treat. Now I can’t wait for summer so I can sip on one of these on a sunny day in the park!

Ginger Margarita

1 part tequila
1 part ginger liquor(snap or domaine de canton)
1 part frozen limeade
Splash of soda water

In a blender combine tequila, limeade, and ginger liquor with a handful of ice cubes. I like to use the container the limeade comes in as my measuring cup. Blend until smooth. Serve in a rocks glass topped with a splash of soda water and a lime.

Enjoy!
-Charlie

Chewy Banana Granola Bars

There is a granola bar thief in our midst!?

At least that’s what I was thinking as I reached into the box to find only one bar remaining. My mind was blown on how an apartment of three people could go through a giant Costco sized box of granola bars within a few days. Upon investigation it was the visiting hungry boyfriend, long workdays, and needing quick snacks on the go that caused our supply to dwindle so quickly.  Needless to say, we had a granola bar problem and needed a thrifty way to fix it. In NYC a 6 pack box of Nature Valley granola bars can put you back close to six dollars. Sure they’re tasty, but they are also not that great for you.  Putting on my Martha Stewart hat, I set out to find my perfect recipe for a healthy granola bar that I could make in bulk to satisfy my snacking needs.  I found a great resource list of 20 granola bar recipes on another food blog that gave me insight on different versions and what they entailed. The first thing I noticed in the recipes were all of the frou frou crazy weird ingredients. Let me tell you a thrifty secret for all of those crazy healthy add ins- the whole foods bulk bins. All of my flax, chia, nut, oat needs are for sale by the pound relatively cheap because I wouldn’t be buying a whole pound(sometimes only $0.25 worth of an ingredient). After combining several recipes I think I hit the nail on the head with a filling healthy chewy granola bar.

Chewy Banana Granola Bars

1 very ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup applesauce(I used cinnamon) 

2 tbs honey

1 heaping tbs peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg white

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs brown sugar

2 cups rolled oats

2 tbs flax seeds

1 tsp chia seeds

1 tbs nutritional yeast (you can leave this out, but I figured ‘why not ‘since it was hanging out)

2 tbs shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup raw nut mix(i used almonds, walnuts, and cashews)

 

Preheat the oven for 350 degrees and spray a square baking dish with non stick baking spray. In a large bowl mix together banana, applesauce, egg white, honey, peanut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar. The mixture will still be a little clumpy. The important thing is to have a very ripe banana- almost to the point of becoming mush- because it fills in for the oil of the recipe.  In a smaller bowl combine the rolled oats, flax seeds, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, coconut, and nuts. Slowly stir dry mixture into the wet mixture. It will be tough to stir and similar to mixing up rice crispy treats. Give it a good couple of minutes to make sure everything gets coated.  Press mixture into the baking dish and cook for 35 minutes.  Let cool completely before slicing into bars. 

 

Enjoy!

~Charlie

Zucchini Lasagna

When Tom and I first started dating it were relatively close to valentines day. It was in that super awkward time period where of course you care about each other but are by no means madly deeply in love. Holidays that are so focused on love/being in love are awkward for newbie couples. In an effort to push against the social grain we opted for a sensible dinner at home with a small gift exchange as opposed to an overpriced NYC night out. Being the lame retail employee I was, I’m pretty sure I bought him a shirt… being the son of a chef he is, Tom bought me a mandoline. Within a week I had almost sliced half my finger off trying to slice potatoes but I embraced all of the new possibilities this toy opened up in the kitchen. When I heard of the idea of slicing zucchini thin and substituting it for lasagna noodles my mind was blown. I’m in love with the idea that you can replace most of the not so healthy ingredients in a gut bomb with fresh vegetables.

Noodle Free Zucchini Lasagna

3 Large zucchini- sliced very thinly on a low mandoline setting

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

1 lb ground beef(or meat substitute)

1 jar of pasta sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 tbs italian spices

2 cups baby spinach, rough chopped

1 cup broccoli florets, rough chopped

1 cup mushrooms, rough chopped

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

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Zucchini noodles releasing their water…

Preheat the oven for 350 degrees. Using a mandoline, thinly slice the zucchini into long, thin, noodle-like strips. Arrange strips onto two baking sheets, lightly salt both sides, and bake for 15-20 minute to release their water. Don’t let them brown too much. When you remove them from the oven use paper towels to pat them dry, removing any of the extra water. This step is important. If you don’t try to get rid of the water in the zucchini, it will release it during the cooking process resulting in a soupy final product.

While the zucchini is baking prepare the sauce. In a medium sauce pan brown the ground meat. Drain and then sauté with the green pepper, onion, and garlic for about 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add red wine, pasta sauce, and tomato paste. Bring to a slow simmer for a five minutes. The tomato paste will make the sauce thicker than your regular pasta sauce in order to combat any extra water from the zucchini.

As the sauce simmers, stir together the ricotta cheese, italian spices, basil, egg, and parmesan cheese. By now the zucchini ‘noodles’ should be cooled a little and the sauce should be finished. Assemble the lasagna in a casserole dish in this order: sauce, zucchini ‘noodles’, ricotta mixture, veggies, mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until the pan is full finishing up with a layer of noodles topped off with a sprinkle of mozzarella. Bake on 350 for 45 minutes covered, followed by 15 minute uncovered. If needed cook under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the cheese topping.

Enjoy!

~Charlie

Fiesta Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

I’ve been on a bit of a salad kick lately. We had a ridiculously hot week this past week and the last thing I wanted to do was turn on the oven. Living with two vegetarians I’m always trying to make meals that have all sorts of alternative proteins to meat in them. This chopped salad with a Mexican flair uses chickpeas and black beans as a meat substitute and cuts down fat by substituting Greek yogurt in the dressing for mayo. I think this is a great jumping off place for any salad and is hearty enough to stand in for a meal. Feel free to substitute other fresh vegetables that may be available at your summer farmers market or to even top with some tortilla strips.

Fiesta Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

For the salad:
2 heads romaine lettuce
1 can of mexicorn, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
1 tomato
1 red onion
1 cucumber
2 turnips
1 avocado
Feta cheese

For the dressing:
1 container nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs honey
2 tbs cilantro- about a handful
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Rough chop and wash vegetables and lettuce. A helpful tip for cutting romaine lettuce is to make long slits down the large middle ribs all the way around and then make 1/4 inch wide perpendicular cuts working from the top down. Combine in a large bowl with rinsed corn and beans. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the dressing. To make dressing combine lime juice, yogurt, olive oil, honey, and spices in a food processor. Pulse blend a few time so the cilantro isn’t entirely liquified. The dressing will be more of the consistency of a vinaigrette than of ranch dressing. Drizzle heaping bowls of the lettuce mixture with the lime cilantro dressing and top with a sprinkle of feta cheese and some avocado.

Basil Blueberry Vodka Lemonade

Summer is one of my favorite times of the year because it seems like everyone is spending SO much time outside in the parks. I don’t know a New Yorker who hasn’t been sneaky and drank in one of our lovely parks. This past week I had the privilege of going to a concert in central park and laying out in the smaller park near my house. On both occasions you could find me and my friends with our Starbucks cups full of this tasty cocktail.

 

Basil Blueberry Vodka Lemonade

6-10 leafs fresh Basil

small handful of fresh blueberries(although raspberries would work too!)

3 ounces Simply Blueberry Lemonade

2 ounces vodka

splash of soda water

 

In a shaker muddle a sprinkle of sugar with the basil leaves and fresh blueberries. Add ice, lemonade, and vodka and shake vigorously. Pour into glasses and top off with a generous splash of soda water.

 

Enjoy!

~Charlie

 

 

Healthy Summer Vegetable Chowder

It’s been a crazy busy summer so far. I’ve been trying to stay out of the sweltering hot kitchen as much as possible.  When the weather heats up I try to stick to one pot meals, avoid the oven, and cook  anything that is quick to prepare and keeps me out of the heat. Last week I made this healthy chowder that tasted extremely fresh.  I love the way potatoes substituted the thickness usually added to chowder by heavy cream and butter. It was fresh, simple, and used my favorite veggies from summer.  The best part was that it tasted just as delicious cold as it did hot!

Healthy Summer Vegetable Chowder

2 heads of broccoli, rough chopped

2 cups frozen corn 

3 cups veggie stock

1 cup milk

1 large russet potato, diced

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced 

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. thyme 

1/4 cup bacon bits(or Morningstar Vegetarian Bacon if that’s your game)

 

In a large soup pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté garlic and onions for about 6-7 minutes until they begin to soften. Working quickly, sprinkle flour over onion mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute.  Make sure that the flour doesn’t turn brown and burn. Add veggie stock, potatoes, and thyme to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 7-8 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through. Add broccoli, corn, and milk and continue simmering for an additional 5 minutes until slightly thickened and the broccoli is cooked to a bright green.  Season with salt & pepper and serve topped with bacon bits.

 

Enjoy!

Charlie

Cucumber Mint Sorbet

When we got back from vacation I noticed that our mint plant was getting out of control. Combine that with the blistering first heat wave of our NYC summer and I think it’s the perfect time to break out the ice cream machine. I made this crisp green sorbet last weekend by combining fresh mint from my window box and a cucumber from the farmers market down the street. It was simple to make and absolutely delicious.

 

Cucumber Mint Sorbet

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1/3 cup vodka or gin

1 cucumber, diced 

1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped

 

In a small saucepan bring water to a boil. Add chopped mint and sugar stirring until the sugar melts and water becomes clear. Let minty mixture simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat allowing to cool completely.  In a food processor or blender purée chopped cucumber and vodka until smooth. Slowly add cooled sugar mixture and blend again. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and store mixture in the refrigerator overnight. Freeze according to your ice cream makers directions.

If you’re looking for another way to enjoy this tasty treat try putting a scoop or two into a batch of margaritas. We tried it last night and it tasted like summer in a glass!  Enjoy!

Charlie

 

Rosemary Crusted Linguine

I think this year will be the first time I’ve successfully kept a herb garden alive for more than one month without something going terribly wrong. In my NYC lifetime I’ve had basil burnt to a crisp by a heat wave, pigeons nesting in my cilantro, and entire plants flown away(roots and all) by the birds in the alleyway. This year is different. I finally have an exterior window IN THE KITCHEN with all day southern sunlight. Those birds don’t have a chance!

This year I’m growing basil, cilantro, mint, and rosemary in the window and I’ve been on the look out for ways to add them to my dinners. I found the base for this recipe in Vegetarian Times but switched things around with some basil, vidalia onion, and more spices. It was the perfect way to utilize what’s been growing in my window box!

Rosemary Crusted Linguine

1/2 package linguine

2 green peppers, cut into strips

1/2  vidalia onion, cut into slivers

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup panco bread crumbs

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

3 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

3 tsp fresh basil, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

 

Preheat oven for 350 degrees and start a pot of water boiling. In a small bowl combine 2 tbs of the Parmesan cheese, 1 tbs olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp of the rosemary, and bread crumbs until mixture is the consistency of moist sand. Spread  crumbs onto a small baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes until golden brown.

 

Meanwhile, add pasta to the boiling water and heat the remaining 2 tbs of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, green peppers, onion, and remaining rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until slightly limp- about 6 minutes.

 

By this point the breadcrumbs should be finished. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. When the peppers have softened and the pasta is finished cooking, ladle out 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water into the peppers and add apple cider vinegar. Remove from heat and stir in remaining parmesan cheese while tossing with drained pasta. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of each portion before serving. 

Barbados Rum Punch

Hello from sunny St Augustine, Florida! Tom and I have temporarily traded in the hustle and noise of New York City for the slow paced roll of ocean waves. My family loves to drink on the beach. When we arrived we were treated with a delicious rum punch recipe that’s been passed down to us through our family friends in Barbados. When I went to visit last year a day didn’t pass where we weren’t far from a glass of this tasty cocktail. I hear it’s gotten pretty scorching hot in NYC, it’s the perfect time to mix up a pitcher and mellow out. Cheers!

Barbados Rum Punch

Rum punch can easily be created by remembering a simple equation: 1 of sour, 2 of sweet, 3 of strong, 4 of weak. In fact if you’ve been in my kitchen you’ve probably seen it printed on one of my tea towels.

Here’s how the ingredients are broken down….

1 SOUR: Fresh lime juice. Squeeze yourself. A great way to use that killer 11 limes for $1 deal at the bodega.

2 SWEET: Create a simple syrup with 1 cup of sugar(or Splenda) and 1 cup of water until dissolved.

3 STRONG: Rum. Any type you like though it’s not super important to use top of the line as all of the flavor is buried in the juices. We used the dark Cruzan which was only $18 for a large bottle.

4 WEAK: Juice. Try to use a tropical juice and stay away from anything citrus or acidic. We used Dole Paradise Blend for one pitcher and Welches Guava Pineapple for the second. Use half juice and half water for this step so things don’t get too sweet.

I love the versatility of this recipe. You can make it in a pitcher using 1 cup as your measurement or in a smaller glass using a shot glass as your measuring. Serve over ice with a dash of fresh nutmeg, bitters, and a slice of lime. Perfect for a day on the beach or an evening on the fire escape

Enjoy!
Charlie