Tag Archives: lemon

SPARKLING CELEBRATORY COCKTAILS

03 Friday Mar 2017

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When hosting a dinner party I always like to greet our guests with a fun and delicious cocktail – to start the evening with a festive flair and set the mood.

These two libations are both topped with champagne – so our guests immediately feel sparkly and celebrated.

APEROL, BLOOD ORANGE AND MINT

aperol blood orange

Stir together 1/4 cup Aperol and 1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice. Pour into a glass, top with sparkling wine and garnish with mint.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, February 2017

www.southernliving.com/

GINGER FRENCH 75

ginger french 75

1/4 cup sugar

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup gin

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

sparkling wine

In a saucepan, boil sugar, ginger and 1/4 cup water, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Strain.

In a shaker, vigorously shake ginger syrup, gin, lemon juice and ice until chilled. Strain into flutes, top with sparkling wine.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray, January/February, 2015

www.rachaelray.com/

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MARDI GRAS

28 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by in bars and cookies, Recipes

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The Sazerac, originally served at the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans, dates back to the 1800’s. This mixture of rye whiskey, Peychauds bitters and angostura bitters with a Herbsaint or absinthe wash and a suggestion of sugar and lemon, is thought by some to be the first and the official cocktail of NOLA.

SAZERAC SHORTBREAD

sazerac shortbread

1 tablespoon bourbon

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon anise seeds

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

1 cup flour

Heat oven to 325F.

In the stand of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until creamy. Add the lemon zest, anise seeds, salt and flour, mix until combined. Stir in the bourbon.

Press evenly into an 8-inch square cake pan. Cut dough into 6 strips crosswise and 4 strips lengthwise. Dock the dough with a fork.

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cut along the same marks again, then cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

CITRUS BLUSH MARTINI

10 Friday Jun 2016

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An invigorating welcome to the weekend!!

CITRUS BLUSH MARTINI

citrus blush martini

2 ounces gin

3/4 ounce orange liqueur

1/2 ounce vermouth

1/2 ounce fresh Meyer lemon juice

lemon to garnish

Add gin, orange liqueur, vermouth and lemon juice to cocktail shaker. Add ice to cocktail shaker, cover and shake vigorously. Strain into martini glass, garnish with lemon.

Enjoy!

 

SMOKED SALMON CANAPES

09 Monday May 2016

Posted by in Appetizers, Recipes

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Last Summer, a friend presented me with his mandolin after I had complimented it one night as he was preparing dinner.

mandolin

I sent another huge thank you to he and his wife while I was making these appetizers for a dinner party we were hosting – it was invaluable during the meal preparation – perfectly slicing the radishes I was using, making the job quick and efficient, and the result uniform and beautiful.

SMOKED SALMON CANAPES

smoked salmon canapes

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup fresh dill, plus extra for garnish

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper to taste

baguette, sliced and toasted

smoked salmon

sliced radishes

In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, dill, garlic powder, lemon juice and black pepper until well mixed. Spread the cream cheese mixture on baguette slices, top with smoked salmon and radishes and garnish with dill sprigs.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from At Home In Arkansas, April 2016

athomearkansas.com/

FRESH PEACH MINT JULEP

06 Friday May 2016

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In preparation for the Kentucky Derby, I mixed up a delicious, fresh interpretation on the traditional Julep.

FRESH PEACH MINT JULEP

fresh peach mint julep

FOR THE LEMON MINT SIMPLE SYRUP

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 lemon zested

juice from 1/2 a lemon

1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves

FOR THE PEACH MINT JULEPS

6 to 8 mint leaves

1 peach, peeled and cut into cubes

10 oz prepared lemon-mint simple syrup, chilled

10 ounces peach schnapps

2 ounces bourbon

ice

TO PREPARE THE LEMON MINT SIMPLE SYRUP

Heat the sugar, water, and lemon zest and juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint leaves. Let mint steep for 15 minutes, then strain into a bottle, discarding the solids. Let the syrup cool, then stir in lemon juice. Refrigerate.

TO PREPARE THE PEACH MINT JULEPS

Lightly muddle the mint leaves and fresh peach. Add the Lemon-Mint simple syrup, peach schnapps and bourbon and top with ice, stir until cold. Fill a glass with more ice, top with the Peach Mint Julep. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Piece, Love and Cooking

www.facebook.com › Places › Atlanta, Georgia

WHISKEY SMASH

22 Friday Apr 2016

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In honor and celebration of Earth Day with mint fresh from our garden.

WHISKEY SMASH

whiskey smash

6 fresh mint leaves

1/4 orange, halved

2 tablespoons simple syrup

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup bourbon

ice

splash of club soda

mint and orange wedge to serve

Place mint, orange, simple syrup and lemon juice in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Muddle the ingredients for about 30 seconds. Add bourbon.

Fill a glass with ice. Strain bourbon mixture into glass, discarding solids. Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with fresh mint and an orange wedge.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Entertain Decorate Celebrate, September/October 2015

www.celebratemag.com/

HARISSA SWEET POTATOES and SPICED SWEET POTATO FRIES

07 Monday Mar 2016

Posted by in Recipes, Vegetables

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In preparation to leave town, I instituted “catch and kill” as a dear and clever friend calls it, otherwise known as eating left overs or whatever is available in the refrigerator and pantry. I pan-seared sausages and assembled grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids, cut up strawberries and kiwifruit, and shared a little of my arugula salad with each of them. Finding one, lone sweet potato in the vegetable bin, I decided to spice it up with a little cinnamon and harissa sauce – and having all the ingredients on hand allowed me to maintain my goal of emptying the cupboards.

HARISSA SWEET POTATOES

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (I obviously used one, and adjusted the recipe as needed)

salt and pepper

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

pinch of ground cinnamon

1 to 2 teaspoons of dried oregano

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon of honey

1 tablespoon of harissa paste

In a medium saucepan, cover the sweet potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and cook the potatoes until just tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain and return the potatoes to the pot. Add the chicken stock, cumin, cinnamon, thyme, lemon zest and honey and mash the potatoes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and harissa.

Spoon the mashed potatoes into a bowl, top with parsley.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine, October 2013

www.rachaelraymag.com/

Here is another Sweet Potato recipe, in case you happen to have a couple of extra in the vegetable bin.

SPICED SWEET POTATO FRIES

1 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Heat oven to 450F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut sweet potatoes into french-fry sized sticks. In a large bowl, mix oil, Cajun seasoning, salt and sugar. Toss potatoes to coat. Spread on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the potatoes over and continue to bake until crisp tender and nicely browned at the edges, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oprah Magazine, April 2012

www.oprah.com/



LEMON BUTTER COOKIES

28 Monday Sep 2015

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A friend generously delivered dinner to our family and I returned one of her dishes filled with Lemon Butter Cookies.

LEMON BUTTER COOKIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

GLAZE

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

MAKE THE COOKIES
Heat oven to 350F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the confectioners sugar until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest and juice, then beat in the flour and salt until just incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Place 1 tablespoon sized scoops of cookie dough on cookie sheets, gently flattening each cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and just firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
MAKE THE GLAZE
In a bowl, whisk the confectioners sugar with the lemon juice and butter until smooth. Spread the lemon glaze on the cooled cookies.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, April 2014
www.foodandwine.com/recipes‎

LA BELLA DONNA COCKTAIL

25 Friday Sep 2015

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This wonderfully undeniable mix of gruff sophistication is the perfect cocktail to enjoy the rumble of the Bikes Blues and Barbecue festival that takes over the town this time each year.

LA BELLA DONNA COCKTAIL

la bella donna cocktail

3/4 ounce lemon juice

3/4 ounce simple syrup

8 fresh mint leaves

1 1/2 ounces rum

1/2 ounce sherry

1/4 ounce Cynar

2 ounces champagne

Put lemon juice, simple syrup and mint in a cocktail shaker. Muddle mint, pressing down gently on the leaves with a wooden spoon to extract the mints essential oils. Add rum, sherry and Cynar. Top with ice, close shaker and shake for 5 seconds. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with champagne.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oprah Magazine, May 2015

www.oprah.com/app/food.html

STRAWBERRY ROSE SPRITZER and STRAWBERRY MINT SPARKLING LIMEADE

21 Friday Aug 2015

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These yummy, refreshing, wine based strawberry cocktails smell and taste like summer!

STRAWBERRY ROSE SPRITZER

strawberry rose spritzer

Combine 1 pint of hulled, sliced strawberries and one 750-ml bottle rose wine in a large pitcher. Cover and chill for 3 hours to infuse wine. Strain wine into another pitcher, discarding strawberries. Stir in 2 cups soda water, 1/3 cup Aperol and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Divide among ice-filled glasses.

Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY MINT SPARLKING LIMEADE

strawberry mint limeade

3 cups sliced strawberries

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 (750-mililiter) bottle sparkling rose wine, chilled

Place strawberries, mint, lime juice and agave nectar into a blender, process until smooth. Divide among glasses and top with sparkling wine.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, May 2012

www.cookinglight.com/