Simple Strawberry Cocktails

After picking eight heaping quarts of beautiful strawberries, I had to try a couple of new strawberry cocktails. I must say that it is difficult to make a strawberry cocktail that I would prefer to my favorite Strawberry-Basil Martini and (close second) The Union Square Strawberry Cocktail. Thankfully, we had plenty of strawberries and beautiful evenings to be able to enjoy all of them! 🙂

Both of these cocktails are incredibly simple and quick to prepare. The first is a Strawberry Gin & Tonic- perfect because one of my favorite summer cocktails is a classic gin and tonic. The recipe is from hometoheather.com. The second is a Spicy Strawberry Margarita. My husband made it as a celebratory cocktail on my birthday. ❤ He garnished the rim of the glass with a mixture of coarse salt and chile powder. The recipe was adapted from vinepair.com, contributed by Natalie Migliarini. Tasty and refreshing.

Strawberry Gin & Tonic

Yield: 1 cocktail

• 1 shot gin
• 1 wedge lime
• tonic water, to fill
• 1 mashed strawberry
• lime wedge or slice, or strawberry, for garnish
• ice

1. Use a highball glass and fill about ¼ full with ice.
2. Pour the gin over the ice.
3. Add your mashed berry, squeeze the lime wedge and fill with tonic water.
4. Garnish with lime or strawberry and serve.

Spicy Strawberry Margarita:

Yield: 1 cocktail

• 1.5 ounces tequila
• 1 ounce of lime juice
• 1/2 serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded (if desired), chopped or sliced into rings
• 3 strawberries, chopped
• 1/2 ounce agave nectar
• salt and/or Tajín or chile powder, for the rim
• 1 cup ice

1. Rim a rocks glass with salt and/or Tajín or chile powder.
2. Chop peppers and strawberries and add all ingredients into shaker, shaking to chill and combine.
3. Pour chilled mixture, including the ice, into rocks glass.
4. Garnish with a fresh strawberry, if desired.

Creamy Caramelized Broccoli Soup with Lemon Zest & Chile

I have a few very GREEN soups to share. 🙂

This soup is described as “a lot more interesting than your average vegetable purée” because the broccoli is caramelized before being incorporated in the soup, adding a greater depth of flavor. By only caramelizing one side of each floret, leaving the other side bright green, the broccoli’s sweetness is preserved. It was quite delicious.

This recipe was adapted from Dinner: Changing the Game by Melissa Clark. The soup was inspired by one served by Andrew Feinberg at his former restaurant, Franny’s in Brooklyn. Next time I will make 1 1/2  to 2 times the recipe to have more leftovers! 🙂

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 8 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 2 heads of broccoli (about 2 pounds), separated into small florets, stems peeled and diced
• 2 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 large Spanish onion, diced
• 5 to 10 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 1/4 tsp red chile flakes
• 8 to 10 oz potatoes, thinly sliced (peeled, if desired)(I used unpeeled Dutch yellow baby potatoes)
• 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1/2 a lemon, plus more to taste
• grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
• flaky sea salt, for serving

1. In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high to high heat. (I used a large enameled cast iron pot.)
2. Add about 1/3 of the broccoli, just enough so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a single layer without crowding. Cook the broccoli without touching it- until it is dark brown on one side (leave one side bright green), 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Transfer the broccoli to a large bowl, and repeat with the remaining broccoli, adding another 2 tablespoons oil for each batch. When all of the broccoli has been browned, season it with 1 teaspoon of salt.
4. Reduce the heat under the soup pot to medium-low. Add the butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
5. When the butter has melted, add the onions garlic, pepper, chile flakes, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook the onion-garlic mixture until the onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
6. Add the potatoes, 4 cups of water, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Add the broccoli, cover again, and cook until it is tender, another 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Stir the lemon zest into the soup.
9. Using an immersion blender (or working in batches in a blender or food processor), coarsely purée the soup, leaving some small chunks for texture, if desired. (I puréed the soup until smooth.)
10. Stir in the lemon juice.
11. When serving, finish with grated cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of black pepper and flaky sea salt.

Squash & Pork Stir-Fry

I’m sure you’ve rushed around the grocery store thinking you’ve purchased the necessary ingredients to throw together a “quick” weeknight meal. Right? I thought that was the case for me… When  I started to prepare this dish, I realized that I had ground pork instead of pork sausage and butternut instead of kabocha squash. I’m blaming holiday stress and distraction. (Well, truth be told, the squash was a conscious substitution- no fabulous kabocha to be found.)

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, contributed by Chris Morocco. I doubled the recipe, used ground pork instead of pork sausage (oops!), seasoned accordingly, butternut instead of kabocha squash, and cashews instead of peanuts. I also omitted the sugar. I roasted the squash instead of steaming and sautéing it. We let the dish stand alone, but it would also be wonderful accompanied by rice. Delicious!

Yield: 4 Servings

• 1 medium butternut or kabocha squash, cut into 1-inch pieces, approximately 4 cups
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound (80 percent lean) ground pork
• 1 tsp coarse salt, plus more for squash
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for squash
• dash or two of red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and sliced
• 1 T finely grated peeled ginger root
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 1 large lime)
• 4 tsp fish sauce
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• salted, roasted peanuts or cashews and chopped cilantro, for serving, as desired

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. Toss squash with 1 T olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place squash on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, and paprika; cook, breaking into large pieces and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, shallot, chiles, and ginger and cook, stirring often, just until softened, about 2 minutes.
5. Add roasted squash, lime juice, fish sauce, and scallions; toss to combine.
6. Serve stir-fry topped with nuts and cilantro, as desired.

One Year Ago:

• Turkey & Spinach Curry

Two Years Ago:

• Panko-Crusted Mustard Salmon
• Velvet Chicken with Mustard Sauce

Three Years Ago:

• Pea Risotto
• Caramel Chicken

Four Years Ago:

• Butternut Squash & Bacon Quiche
• Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce

If you like this you may also like:

• Thai One-Pot

Pork Chile Verde

As I love sharing recipes, I am also thrilled when someone shares a recipe with me! 🙂 My son’s swimming coach texted me the link to this wonderful dish after she made it for her family. What fun! She knew we would enjoy it too.

This recipe was adapted from Today.com, contributed by Padma Lakshmi. I doubled the garlic, reduced the pork, used large onions, and seeded the jalapeños. We ate it over brown Basmati rice with cornbread on the side. Full-flavored and absolutely fabulous!

Yield: Serves 6

• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
• 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
• 4 jalapeños, seeded
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, divided
• 2 large yellow onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 to 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1 shot tequila, preferably Alejo
• 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 lime, juiced, optional
• rice, for serving, optional

1. In a blender (I used a Vitamix), combine the tomatillos, avocados, jalapeños, four cloves of garlic, cilantro, lime juice, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar. Puree until smooth. (Side note: This makes a great salsa verde sauce on its own; you may want to buy double the ingredients and use the extra as a dipping sauce for other savory treats!)
2. In a heavy soup pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Slice remaining four cloves of the garlic in half, and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the onions, oregano, cumin, remaining sesame seeds and red pepper flakes, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.
4. Add the ground pork and cook until no longer pink, about 6 minutes.
5. Add in the shot of tequila.
6. Add the tomatillo sauce, beans and water or stock to the pork mixture.
7. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often.
8. Stir in the lime juice just before serving, if desired.

One Year Ago:

• Chorizo-Potato Tacos

Two Years Ago:

• Corn Queso Fundido
• Dark Meat Chicken Chili

Three Years Ago:

• Chicken Chili with Chipotle and Poblano Chiles
• Slow-Cooker Chicken Mole

Four Years Ago:

• Chipotle Chicken & Rice
• Enchiladas Suizas

Dark Meat Chicken Chili

This chili has an incredible rich flavor. The chicken is browned and then braised and both dried and smoked chiles are used instead of chili powder. Not too spicy- just absolutely delicious!!

This recipe was adapted from a dark meat turkey chili in Bon Appetit, contributed by Claire Saffitz. I substituted boneless, skinless, chicken thighs for turkey drumsticks and adjusted the cooking times. We ate it with all of the toppings (of course) as well as with cornbread on the side (in Pullman loaf form!). Perfect for any cold day- or for the Super Bowl. 🙂

Yield: 8 Servings

• 2 guajillo chiles, stems removed
• 1 ancho chile, stem removed
• 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, plus 1 Tbsp. adobo
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 12-oz. can Pilsner or other light beer
• 2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed
• Lime wedges, sour cream, chopped red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and sliced avocado (for serving)

1. Toast guajillo and ancho chiles in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, tossing, until darkened in color and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add 1 cup boiling water. Let sit 10 minutes.
2. Add chipotle chile and adobo to the soaked dried chiles and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Set chile purée aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches if needed, cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic to same pot; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 8–10 minutes.
5. Mix in cocoa, cumin, oregano, and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
6. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until onion is coated and paste begins to darken, about 2 minutes. Add reserved chile purée and bring to boil.
7. Continue to cook, stirring, until thickened and darkened in color, about 3 minutes.
8. Add tomatoes, beer, and 4 cups water; season with salt and return chicken to pot. Bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat and gently simmer, uncovered, until meat is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and let cool slightly. Shred meat and return to pot.
10. Add beans and simmer, adding more water as needed, until meat is beginning to fall apart and beans are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes; season chili with salt.
11. Serve chili with lime wedges, sour cream, red onion, chopped cilantro, and sliced avocado.

One Year Ago:

• Chicken Chili with Chipotle and Poblano Chiles

Two Years Ago:

• Cheddar Corn Chowder