Let’s face it; it is hot here in good old Chicago. Temperatures in the 100’s. I know it’s no Arizona summer but the dang humidity kills me…and my hair. So, while the heat wave continues, I will be holed up in my air conditioning drinking a lemon sangria spritzer out of a mason jar. Ingredients (Serves 4-6) 1 Cup Granulated Sugar 1 Cup Water Juice of Two Lemons (about ½ cup) 1 Cup Club Soda 3 Cups White Wine (I used Chardonnay.) 1 Lemon, thinly sliced Ice Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the sugar melts. Remove the pan from heat and slightly cool. Pour the lemon juice, club soda, and white wine in a pitcher. Mix and chill in the fridge overnight. Serve with ice and slices of lemon.
Likes
This easy recipe for scallops with lemon drizzle makes me happy in so many ways...let me count them! First, scallops are the Southern husband's favorite. And it's always a good thing when you plunk down a plate of someone's favorite in front of them...suppertime immediately becomes that much more festive. Second, it is an easy but still elegant recipe that is perfect for when you want a special occasion dinner that won't stress you out. It's got that special occasion look about it, but I promise that it is so quick and easy that it brings me to my third thing I love about this recipe: it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish to make, which qualifies it as something I can also make on an ordinary Thursday night. Are you convinced yet? Let's make it!
This easy recipe for lemon pasta carbonara brings the bright sparkling taste of citrus to this comfort food favorite. Bacon and lemon harmony!
Back story: My husband coaches high school football and decided it would be a great idea to pick up a pre-game treat for his players. His idea was….. BANANAS! Seriously? So, it’s game day and I go to leave and get into my car and see three bags full of bunches of bananas sitting on our back steps. Somebody forgot their pre-game treats. I thought, “What in God’s name am I going to do with 24 bananas?” Ingredients 3 1/2 Cups of Flour 1 TSP Baking Soda 1 TSP Baking Powder 1 TSP Salt 1 1/2 Cups of Sugar 1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, at Room Temperature 2 Large Eggs 1/3 Cup Milk 1 TSP Vinegar 3 Large Bananas, mashed 2 Cups Chopped Walnuts Combine all dry ingredients and whisk together to make sure all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Once all dry ingredients are mixed, add the walnuts. Mixing the walnuts in with the dry ingredients prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the bread. In another bowl combine all of your wet ingredients. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients, butter, and the mashed bananas. Using a hand mixer, mix until …
As you all know I was a vegetarian for ten years of my life. Yes, I was in high school and college so maybe I was going through a phase and more than a little confused. But I never forgot how great vegetables can be. Right now my husband is making a barfing gesture. (He doesn’t want to admit it but I make him eat a lot of vegetables and he likes them!) I’m not going to lie to you. I am one of those purists who believes in always making her own homemade tomato sauce. I swear my method is very easy! Seriously. Preheat your over to 350 degrees, grab a glass of wine, and toss the following into a Pyrex dish: 3 Pints of Cherry/Grape Tomatoes 4 Cloves of Garlic 1 TBSP Salt 1 TBSP Pepper 1/3 Onion, Coarsely chopped 1/2 Cup Water 1/2 Cup Red Wine (Optional, if you don’t want the “depth of flavor” just throw in a whole cup of water) *This is just a basic tomato sauce. Given my mood I may add some crushed red pepper or coarsely chopped red peppers. Or pre-blender/immersion blender I may add a TBSP of cream cheese or Marscapone …
Little Brother Bear stopped by the Sarcastic Household to help me with some prep work. Ingredients: 1 Yellow Squash 1 Eggplant 1 Red Pepper 2 Zucchini My Homemade Tomato Sauce 2 TBSP Unsalted Butter 1 Cup Croutons/Stale Bread Crumbs Start by placing a ladle-full of sauce in the bottom of a buttered/greased casserole dish. The just layer the Eggplant, then the Zucchini, and then the Yellow Squash followed by another ladle full of sauce. This should make about two layers, depending on your dish. Also there are enough veggies and sauce in this recipe to make two dishes and give one away to a neighbor or freeze for a rainy day. Lastly, add the Red Pepper rings on top of the last layer of sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. While that’s cooking have another glass of wine and put your butter and croutons/stale bread into a food processor and mix until small magical clumps of goodness are formed. After 40 minutes pull the casserole out of the oven, and add the crumbles and bake for another 20 minutes. The final product needs to rest for about ten minutes before you slice it. Finally, top with a little …
This week has been surprisingly un-fall-like, mid-seventies. In Chicago, in October? Next thing you know it will be blizzard season so I better shut up about it. Anyway, I was craving something that screams fall! So I thought sweet potato! Sorry it’s another Italian recipe. I’m not even Italian… Ingredients for the Fennel Mascarpone Cream Sauce 2 1/2 TBSP Olive Oil 1 Medium Bulb of Fennel, cut into matchstick size pieces 3/4 Cup Diced Onion 1/2 TSP Pepper 1 TSP Salt 2 Garlic Cloves, grated 1/2 Cup Low-Sodium Chicken Stock 3/4 Cup Milk 4 TBSP Mascarpone Cheese (can also substitute Goat Cheese or Cream Cheese) 1 TSP Corn Starch mixed with 2 TSP Cold Water, only add if sauce is not thick enough for your liking If you haven’t worked with fennel before make sure you cut off the fronds and use the bulb only for the sauce. Cut it into fourths and cut out the core on an angle. Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Sautee onions until they are just about translucent then add your fennel. Cook about 4 minutes, until the fennel softens. Add your garlic and cook an additional minute or two. Add the chicken …
