Holiday Infusions

I recently decided to try my hand at some new, winter themed infusions and wanted to share.  If you are still contemplating what to get friends or family this holiday, consider giving one of these delicious concoctions.  You can customize depending on what you know they like.  If you know they aren’t a vodka fan, infuse bourbon!  On another note, they make such beautiful, homemade gifts.  You can also buy very cheap jars, with a surprisingly good seal, at the dollar store.  Need I say more?

Cranberry Orange Vodka

What you’ll need (makes two 36 oz. mason jars):

• Large mason jars
• 12-16 oz. frozen cranberries
• 1-2 large oranges, washed
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• Your favorite vodka

Add the frozen cranberries to a sauce pot on medium heat.  Once they start to “juice” or “pop,” add the sugar.  After simmering for a few minutes, they will start to burst and look like the picture below.  Don’t worry about the seeds – you can strain those later.

While the cranberries are simmering, you can prepare everything else.  Cut your oranges into large chunks and drop into your mason jars.  Note: Depending on when you are making these infusions, you may want to wait for this step.  The citrus flavor takes much less time to infuse, while the cranberry can be left for weeks.  If you want a more intense orange flavor (like I did), you can infuse with a small amount of orange now (taking out after about a week) and add more 2-3 days before giving your gift.  It also makes it look very festive if presented with fresh fruit in the jar.

Take the cranberries off the heat and let cool completely.  They will look a little watery, but will firm up as they cool.  The natural juices will simply add to the flavor.  Once the cranberry mixture has cooled, pour into mason jars and fill with vodka.

Now, you simply have to wait.  As mentioned above, if you are doing this many weeks in advance, you will want to take out this first round of citrus chunks.  Leave the cranberries in for up to two weeks and smell/taste as you go.  I usually shake them at least once a day, and I always make sure to store them in the fridge while infusing.

Once the flavor level is where you want it, the rest is sort of up to you.  As this is my blog though, I will, of course, give my recommendation.

Recommended gifting:

Strain the cranberries from the vodka with a mesh strainer or cheese cloth and pour back into your cleaned mason jars.  Add chunks of fresh orange and add to the jars, along with a handful or two of whole, frozen cranberries.  These are simply for decoration.

Here are a few more ideas for holiday infusions…

Cinnamon Orange Bourbon

What you will need:

• Mason jar
• Bourbon
• 4 cinnamon sticks per 36 oz. mason jar
• 1 large orange

Wash and add both your cinnamon sticks and orange to the mason jar, and top with bourbon.  Infuse the orange for 1 week before discarding, but feel free to leave the cinnamon sticks in for much longer.  Smell or taste every few days to check the progress of your infusion, and remove cinnamon sticks (if at all) once it has infused to your desired level.

Apple Pie Bourbon

What you will need:

• Mason jar
• Bourbon
• 2 fresh apples – washed, cored, peeled, and chopped
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• Vanilla bean
• Allspice berries (optional)

Wash all ingredients and combine with bourbon in a mason jar.  You will want to split your vanilla bean with a knife before adding.  Let this infuse until it has reached your desired flavor level and strain.  If you find that one flavor is taking over the others, simply strain that ingredient out and continue infusing.  The vanilla can be very potent.

Candy Cane Vodka 

What you will need:

• Mason jar
• Candy canes or peppermint sticks
• Vodka
• Pre-made hot cocoa mix (optional)

This one makes a really great present, with a beautiful presentation.  It’s also very easy.  Unwrap and drop a few candy canes into your mason jar of vodka.  For a cute gift idea, add pre-made hot cocoa mix to a decorative bag, and attach it to the jar.  For the prettiest presentation, add the candy canes directly before giving – once they have been sitting for a few days, the red color is stripped from the candy canes, which gives the vodka a nice pink color.  Give directions to add to hot cocoa or coffee.

Pear Ginger Vodka

What you will need:

• Mason jar
• Vodka
• 2-3 fresh pears – washed, cored, and chopped
• 1 medium to large chunk of fresh ginger, peeled
• 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Add all ingredients to your mason jar.  Infuse for about one week, or until desired flavor is reached.  Strain and serve!

And for those missing summer…

Mint Grapefruit Vodka

What you will need:

• Mason jar
• Vodka
• Fresh grapefruit, washed and chunked
• Fresh mint leaves

Add all ingredients to your mason jar and infuse for about a week.  Strain (or not), add some ribbon, and give to someone you love!

-M

Basil-Infused White Wine Spritzers

You might have noticed that I like cocktails.  You might have also noticed that I enjoyed homemade infusions.  Recently I thought, “why not combine the two?” and came up with a basil-infused white wine spritzer that would be perfect for any brunch or sunny afternoon.  This tutorial will go through the steps of how to make your own basil simple syrup which can be used in a multitude of cocktails.  For example, my first creation with this simple syrup was a basil-gin martini.  (Spoiler: it was delicious.)  This recipe can also be altered depending on what is fresh, in season, etc.  Want a mint simple syrup for mojitos?  Just substitute mint for basil.  Experiment with these recipes and tweak them to your own tastes.  If you prefer your drinks on the sweet side, substitute 7-Up for club soda.  You get the point.  On to the recipes.

What you will need for the simple syrup:

• 2 c. water
• 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. packed fresh basil (I used Thai basil because you can find it at any Asian grocery store for a fraction of what you would pay at the grocery store.)

I wasn’t joking about Asian grocery stores.  This huge bundle of basil only cost $1.89.

Directions:

Make sure to separate the leaves from the stems and give them a good wash to remove any excess dirt.  Roughly chop and/or bruise the basil.  This helps to release it’s flavor more intensely than if you simply dumped them into the syrup.

Add the water and basil to a sauce pan and turn the burner on medium heat.

Next, whisk in the sugar until it is completely dissolved.  This can take a few minutes.  At this point, you can choose to intensify the basil flavor even more by letting the syrup simmer for 5-10 minutes.  This is completely optional, but I find that it can be a little too bland without this step.

Once the syrup has been simmering for a few minutes, turn off the heat and leave it on the stove until it cools completely.  Then, strain the basil out of the saucepan and pour into an air-tight container.  The syrup should have a slight greenish tint to it when you’re finished.  Store in the fridge and use as needed.

Now onto the spritzers…

What you will need:

• Your favorite white wine
• Triple sec (optional)
• Basil-infused simple syrup
• Favorite club soda/seltzer
• Fresh lime

Directions:

Start by pouring your glass about halfway full with white wine.  I prefer Pinot Grigio, but almost any white wine will do.  I would advise against white wines like Chardonnay that have a distinct oak-y flavor, as it tends to overwhelm the other flavors.  I also use Safeway’s brand of seltzer because they are cheap, have no calories, and come in many delicious flavors including grapefruit, raspberry, and mandarin, to name a few.  You can always go with traditional club soda or 7-Up if you choose.

Add a splash of triple sec or your basil-infused simple syrup–just enough to add a little touch of sweet.  Adjust this to your tastes.  Top it off with soda and a squeeze of fresh lime, and enjoy!

-M

Homemade Eggs Florentine

Brunch might be my favorite meal.  You can get up late and still eat “breakfast” food, and to top it all off, you can also have an late morning or early afternoon cocktail.  One of my favorite brunch foods is Eggs Benedict, but to be honest, I’m not yet up for the task of making homemade hollandaise sauce.  But making a garlic-spinach bechamel sauce is a piece of cake.  So here is my take on Eggs Florentine, an Italian twist on the traditional brunch food.  Although this recipe is vegetarian, you can always add some crispy prosciutto.  This recipe makes two servings.

What you will need:

• 1 1/2 c. packed fresh spinach
• 2 ciabatta rolls or your favorite kind of bread
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1/2 c. half and half
• 1 c. milk
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by taking the stems off the spinach and washing it thoroughly.  Next, add butter to a sauce pan, and add the grated garlic clove.

Cook on medium heat for about 1 minute, then add the flour to create a roux.  Cook the roux for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and golden.  Whisk in the milk, half and half, and spinach.

Continue to stir until the spinach has wilted.  Stir in most of the grated parmesan, but reserve some to sprinkle on top.  Also add your salt and pepper.

Once your sauce has thickened, set aside for later.  Cut your ciabatta buns in half and toast in a skillet with butter.  You will also want to start poaching your eggs.  If you are weary of poaching eggs, you can bake them in a greased muffin pan until the whites are solid but the yolks are still runny.  The egg yolk adds a lot of flavor to the sauce as it oozes out.

Take your eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon.  Make sure to let it hang out and get rid of as much excess water as possible.

Place the eggs on the toasted bread and top with your garlic-spinach bechamel sauce.  Sprinkle the rest of the parmesan on top.

Serve with a fresh bellini or bloody mary, and enjoy!

-M

GINger-Lemon Drop

I love lemon all year round, but I tend to get cravings for it in the Spring.  You might already know this if you’ve seen my post on how to make creamy lemon chicken pasta.  I was craving something light and refreshing, so I altered a drink recipe from my post on homemade alcohol infusions to create the perfect Springtime cocktail.  This cocktail can be made with vodka if you prefer, but I love the extra botanical flavor of gin.

What you will need:

• Gin
• Fresh lemons
• Granulated sugar
• Ground ginger (fresh only!  The kind in the tube is fine, too.)
• Small strainer
• Citrus juicer (optional)

Cocktail Recipe:

• 3 oz. gin
• 1 1/2 oz. ginger simple syrup
• 1 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

First you will make your ginger simple syrup so that it has time to cool before putting your cocktail together.  Add 1/2 c. of water and 1/2 c. sugar to a saucepan and turn on medium heat.  Add 1-2 tbsp. of ground ginger (depending on how strong of a ginger flavor you want) and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.  Take off the heat and set aside.

While your syrup is cooling, juice your lemons through a strainer to catch the pulp and seeds.  Add ice to a martini shaker, then add the gin and strained lemon juice.  You will then add your simple syrup.  If you don’t want the ginger pieces in your drink, you can also use your strainer to catch the bits in the simple syrup.  I don’t mind the bits, and I like the strong ginger flavor, so I just dumped my simple syrup right into the shaker.

Shake until well chilled, then serve straight up with a lemon garnish.

Enjoy!

-M

Easy Caprese Sandwich

There’s not much to this sandwich, but it was too good not to share.  I didn’t take the time to make pesto at home this time, but the store bought pesto we bought worked just fine.

What you will need:

• Your favorite kind of bread (I used a sourdough loaf)
• Fresh mozzarella
• Pesto
• Fresh tomato

Slice the bread and spread pesto on one side (or both if you’re feeling adventurous).  Slice your mozzarella and tomatoes, then top one slice at a time with both.  Add butter to a skillet and then the bread once it’s melted.  Top with the other slice of bread and turn when golden brown.  If the mozzarella isn’t melting, put a piece of foil over the top of the sandwiches.  Once both sides are golden brown and the cheese is melted, you’re done!

Wasn’t that easy?  Enjoy!

-M

Basic Tomato Sauce

Can I tell you a secret?  I used to use Prego pasta sauce.  Exclusively.  My mom used it when we were kids, and so it was second nature to pop open a jar for spaghetti dinner.  But when I saw an episode of No Reservations where Anthony Bourdain mocked my favorite pasta sauce, I thought it might be time to make my own.  I also traveled to Italy and realized how wrong Prego was, on so many levels.  The long list of ingredients wouldn’t fly in an Italian kitchen.  Don’t get me wrong–Prego might be good in a pinch, but a basic tomato sauce is so easy and cheap to make (and freeze for later use!) that it’s kind of ridiculous to buy pre-made marinara.  So here is my tomato sauce that can be used in a myriad of Italian dishes.

What you will need:

• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. dried basil and/or oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by dicing your garlic.  Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan, and add garlic once the oil is hot.  Saute over medium heat for about a minute, making sure you don’t burn your garlic.  Add the diced tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper and reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until some of the liquid has cooked off.  You don’t want your sauce to be too watery.

Use your handy-dandy immersion blender (seriously, just buy one!) and blend until you have reached your desired consistency.  I don’t like my sauce too chunky, but I also don’t like it completely blended.  If you like it chunky, you can leave it as is.  Finally, add in your dried herbs.  You can always use fresh, too, if you prefer.  If you find now that the sauce is still too watery, put it back on the heat and simmer uncovered to let the extra juices evaporate.  Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.

Now you’re ready to make any Italian dish that requires a tomato sauce!

-M

Thai Red Curry Stir-fry

As much as I love curry, it can get a little boring after a while.  So, I thought, why not switch it up and make a Thai curry instead?  Although it bears the same name, Thai curry and Indian curry are two completely different animals.  Both are flavorful, but in their own unique ways.  I also wanted something that wasn’t quite as time consuming as the Indian dishes we usually make.  You can find Thai curry paste in the Asian section of most grocery stores.  I use Thai Kitchen brand.  This recipe can be used with many variations of meat, tofu, veggies, etc.  So if you aren’t a fan of chicken and green beans, try beef and broccoli or whatever combination you like.

What you will need:

• 2 chicken breasts (or meat of choice)
• 1/2 lb. of fresh green beans
• 2 tbsp. Thai red or green curry
• 2-3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbs. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. ginger paste
• 1-2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• 1 tsp. sriracha sauce (optional)

Start by washing and trimming your green beans.  Throw them in a pot with water–just enough to cover the beans.  Bring to a boil and blanch until they have reached the desired tenderness.  I prefer mine to have a nice crunch to them, which takes about 5 minutes on a low boil.  While the green beans are cooking, chop your chicken into bite sized pieces.

In a medium bowl, add curry paste, vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.  Toss and coat your chicken pieces and set aside.  If you have the time, you can let this marinate for a few hours or overnight.  If you’re like me, you don’t plan dinner early enough to think of such things.

Drain your green beans once they are done cooking, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Heat your vegetable oil in a large pan and add the chicken.  The mixture tends to pop, so use a splatter screen if you have one.  Cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  In the last minute of cooking, toss in your green beans and coat in the sauce.  If the sauce is too thick, add more soy sauce and/or vinegar.

Serve over rice, and enjoy!

-M

Creamy Blue Cheese Tomato Soup

The first time my uncle made this soup for me, I regretted not watching how he made it.  When I found out he was making it again, I insisted that I be there to watch and take notes.  It’s that good.  It has now become a staple in our house not only because it’s insanely delicious, but also easy to make.  This soup is also versatile in that you can add different peppers, toppings, etc.  As with all recipes, feel free to tweak it to match your tastes.

What you will need:

• A handful of blue cheese crumbles
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1/2 of a white onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 c. half and half
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
•  Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by chopping your veggies.  I used a green bell pepper because it was on sale, but you can use whatever kind of peppers you like.  If you want more heat, throw in a jalapeno, too.

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large sauce pan and throw in your veggies once the oil is hot.  Saute your veggies until they begin to caramelize.  This will take approximately 8-10 minutes.

Once your veggies have a nice brown color, add your canned tomatoes (with juices) and spices.  Stir thoroughly to get all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan–they contain a lot of flavor.  Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until all the veggies are tender.

Your soup should look like this after it has simmered.  Take the soup off the heat and blend with an immersion or regular blender.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, consider buying one.  They are excellent for soups and sauces.  Anyway, puree the soup until is has a nice, smooth consistency.  You can leave chunks if you prefer it that way.  After it is pureed, slowly stir in your half and half.  If you find the soup too thick, feel free to add more.  Put the soup back on low to medium heat, and toss in your blue cheese crumbles.  Stir the soup as it heats up, allowing the blue cheese to melt.

Top each bowl with extra blue cheese.  Serve with crusty bread or crushed tortilla chips, and enjoy!

-M

Springtime Lemon-Cream Chicken Pasta

It feels like Spring outside, and that inspires me to make food that tastes fresh.  What’s more fresh and flavorful than lemon?  I’ll use pretty much any excuse to add it to anything–cocktails, risotto, angel food cake, etc.  A few years ago, I tried my hand at a lemon cream sauce, which is a little scary because of the curdle factor.  Admittedly, I messed it up a few times before getting it right.  So if it’s your first time cooking with dairy, or if you have never mixed dairy and citrus, you might want to grab an extra lemon just in case.  This sauce can be used on a number of things, too.  It doesn’t have to be a chicken pasta.  Shrimp would make a good substitute, or simply serve with fresh pasta.

Side note–I finally found my camera charger, hence, the better photos.

What you will need:

• 1 lb. chicken breast
• 3 c. pasta (I used penne, but you can use whatever you prefer)
• 1/2 c. half and half, or heavy cream
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp. butter
• The juice of 2 large lemons, strained
• 1/2 to 3/4 c. pasta water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by pounding your chicken breasts to about 3/4 inch thick if they are large.  I just use the bottom of a heavy skillet.  Melt a small amount of butter in a pan.  You don’t need much, just enough to keep the chicken from sticking as it cooks.  Salt and pepper both sides of your chicken breasts, then add to the hot pan.  Cook on both sides until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes on each side, take off the heat and cover loosely with aluminum foil.  Set aside until you are ready to assemble your pasta.  While you are cooking your chicken, start the pasta according to the directions on the box.

While the chicken and pasta are cooking, juice 2 large lemons and strain out the seeds and pulp.  If you want a more intense lemon flavor, you can add some zest from your lemons.  Add 1/2 c. of the pasta water to the lemon juice, and keep extra pasta water on hand in case you need more later.  The starch from the pasta water helps to thicken the sauce.  Once the pasta is done, strain the rest of the water out.  You shouldn’t need more than 3/4 c. total.  Add 3 tbsp. butter to a sauce pan and add the lemon juice-pasta water mixture.  On low heat, slowly add your half and half or heavy cream while continuously whisking.  I tend to use half and half because it tastes just as good but has fewer calories.  If your sauce hasn’t curdled, give yourself a high five–the hardest part is over.  Add salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese, and stir.

Slice your chicken breast, and add the pasta back into the sauce.  Heat until you have the desired consistency, and remember that it will thicken as it sits.

Serve with garlic bread or salad, and enjoy your springtime recipe.

-M

Homemade Mutter Paneer

Remember when I wrote a whole post on how to make paneer but then left you wondering what the hell to do with it?  This post will remedy that!  I felt as if I might be overwhelming my readers with too many Indian recipes, but we make it so often that I find myself with nothing else to post.  For years, I was one of the pickiest eaters on the planet.  I think I could have won a Guinness World Record for it–I wouldn’t eat anything that might have touched lettuce or onions, which was basically everything.  Now, I wonder if I am making up for lost time by constantly eating some of the most unique and spicy flavors in the world.  If you like or love mutter paneer as much as I do, you will absolutely want to try this recipe at home.  This recipe makes at least 4 servings that you can freeze or eat as leftovers.

What you will need:

• Your homemade paneer, cubed (see post on homemade paneer cheese)
• 1 1/2 c. frozen green peas
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 white onion
• 3 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste (or 1 1/2 tbsp. of each, grated)
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 4 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. tumeric
• 3 tsp. garam masala
• 1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded (leave seeds in for more heat)
• 2 tbsp. butter for sauce
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1/4 c. heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by cubing your paneer and setting aside.  You will want to start the sauce and let it simmer while you fry your paneer.  Don’t worry if it crumbles a little bit.  You might need to be gentle while cubing and frying, though, so that the cheese doesn’t completely fall apart.  I cut it into big pieces to avoid that.

Dice your onion and jalapeno and add to a large pot with butter.  Cook on medium heat until the onions become soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.  In the last minute or so, add your grated ginger and garlic.  I buy pre-grated ginger that comes in a tube, and you can also buy ginger-garlic paste in this form.  It doesn’t go bad and is incredibly handy to have around if you use ginger like we do.

Portion out your dry spices, and add them to the onion mixture, adding oil or butter if it becomes too dry.  You will want to cook the spices for about 30 seconds before adding the canned tomatoes.

At this point, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer the sauce.  Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add vegetable oil to fry your paneer.  You will want enough oil to cover the entire bottom of the pan liberally.  Some people deep fry their paneer, but since I lack a gallbladder, I try to stay away from anything deep fried.  If you have a deep fryer or prefer it that way, go for it.  Gently place your paneer pieces in the skillet once it’s hot and fry each side until golden brown, then set aside on a paper towel.

Once your paneer is fried, you will want to finish your sauce.  Take off the heat and use an immersion or regular blender to create a smooth puree.  Once pureed, add the frozen peas and slowly stir in the heavy cream.  The frozen peas cool down the sauce enough that you do not need to temper your cream.  If this worries you, go ahead and temper it.  Gently add in your fried paneer pieces and fold into the sauce.

Simmer your paneer in the sauce just long enough for the paneer to be heated through.  Some of the pieces will probably cool off while you are finishing the sauce.

Serve with basmati rice and homemade naan!

-M