Infusions: Buddha Hand Citron and Grapefruit Rosemary Vodkas

This post has been a long time coming. Months and month ago I got this great idea. I was going to make all this infused alcohol for my friends and family for Christmas. Well I did a bit of the research and bought some nice bottles with stoppers and little book of infusion ideas. And then nothing.... I stored the bottles in the back of our spare bedrooms and for months they were covered over in gifts, then blankets and wedding accessories and then finally one day I saw it in the store. Christmas had come and gone but citrus fruit season was finally here and the Fairway near my work had one of the most interesting looking fruits I has ever seen...A Buddha Hand Citron

The book actually had a recipe for a vodka using this exotic citrus fruit but to be honest you don't really need much of a recipe as much as flavor pairing skills. One of my favorite "cookbooks"  The Flavor Bible is actually not really a cookbook at all but its a great one for making infusions. This book just lists different ingredients that compliment each other and that is the secret to a well balanced drink. The method of infusing vodkas is usually quite simple just add a flavorful item and let it sit for a bit. Its very important to carefully strain the vodka after flavoring as any debris left in the flavored vodka can go bad and really ruin your creation. For strong flavors - like hot peppers - use less time but for subtle flavors like fruits you can give it a bit longer.

For the Buddha Hand Citron I washed then cut up the fruit I left most of the white pith because its not very bitter in this fruit its actually the part you eat. Then I added it to a large clean airtight jar and added 1 L of vodka. As far as the quality of vodka, I usually try to find something moderately priced and fairly clean - Svedka is usually my go to since it is five times distilled and has a very low taste profile. Each one of my jars took just about a full 1.75L bottle.

My next flavor combo was grapefruit and rosemary. This is a little strange to some people but I had fallen in love with a cocktail (similar to this) featuring the duo and was confident that it was going to be good..... and it was! Because the grapefruit pith can be a bit stronger I took care to only use the skin and as little white as possible - I used the skin of three grapefruits. The rosemary I was able to use whole and put in three as well. I have also been experimenting with some other flavor so more options and some cocktails will be coming up soon....

Cooking fun with OXO! Peppermint Cheesecake minis

This winter I was super lucky to get a chance to check out the cutest new measuring set from OXO. For those of you who read this blog and are close friends you may know that I used to be a chemistry teacher. This is why I totally freaked when I saw this new set from OXO that is little beakers. I was so happy to have them because when I was making these adorable little cheesecakes I had to use some funky measurements because I was making 3/4 of a recipes. I know that sounds crazy but sometimes when you have a party to go to and you forgot to buy enough cream cheese and your amazing finance runs to the store but buys the wrong type and you have to get it in the oven because you still need to shower and your ride will be there in less than an hour....its a  3/4 of a cheese cake kind of day!

Luckily it was so easy to adapt the recipe and by making smaller cupcake versions not only was less messy to eat (with no cutting or serving to worry about) but no one missed the other 1/4 cake. I have seen many version of this with crushed peppermint candies but I have to be honest I think that they either have to be crushed into dust then it isn't pretty or its too chunky and I choke on them. I also didn't add the topping since I was already in a bit of a rush but these little cakes were done so fast that I never got an after shot! Filling the cakes was no fuss because I poured all of the batter into a zip top bag then cut off the corner. Using a baggie as a disposable pastry bag just makes clean up a breeze.

Recipe at Epicurious  Peppermint Twisted Cheesecake

Beef Stew

I posted about my Moroccan Chicken Stew a while ago but now I am going to give you the other half of that fun chilly weekend. Even though the weather seems unsure of where it is going I am still up for snuggling on the sofa with a warm cup of soup. This recipe is another one that I started on the stove but finished in the crock pot. For this one I decided to head out with some friends and leave dinner at home cooking for me while I enjoyed myself!

I just crave hearty stews like this once the temperature starts to go down. There is something about a cup of soup that just warms your whole day up. Luckily I haven't started to feel the winter sniffles and coughs but if you are this is a low maintenance way to enjoy some really tasty homemade soup. This soup was inspired by a new line of organic beef that was made available at my super market and was on sale... don't need to ask me twice!

Balsamic Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini

There is something special about caramelized onions. Its not that its expensive and it doesn't take a special pan or knife or anything really.... just time and attention. Its dishes like these that truly show off your cooking skills - its easy to make $40 a pound prosciutto taste good but how does the $0.99/lb onion fare.  I have to admit that this idea was totally ripped off from a friend... she served it at her Christmas party this year and I have been thinking of it ever since! She served brie with her crostini and that was a perfect pairing as well.

This is a simple and low cost appetizer that can either be assembled or just put out for guests to serve themselves. The most expensive part of the whole dish was the splash of aged balsamic I used to deglaze the pan at the end of the cooking. If you don't have the time (or inclination) to make the crostini yourself you can always get pre-made rounds at most stores - the store near me even sells them pre-seasoned which is even easier.

Follow the link for the directions

Roasted Butternut Squash Coconut Soup

I try really hard to pack lunch for Jeremy in the morning before work. Eating out in NY City every day can be not only expensive but really unhealthy! Not only is packing lunch a good savings but it gives you the ability to use your lunch hour for something fun too. When he doesn't have a pre-packed lunch one of the places he loves to go is Num Pang. Its a few subway stops from his work but they have one of the best bahn mi sandwiches in the city and they also have a soup that he just loves. We unfortunately don't know the recipe (and to be honest I haven't tried it since I work in NJ). But I did find a little info online about the ingredients though! The soup was listed as Roasted Butternut Squash Coconut Soup with Basil Croutons on a few Yelp reviews so that was was where I started.

Luckily I had a few cans of coconut milk sitting in my cabinet along with some fun herb cubes (that I keep meaning to post about! sorry) and a squash to roast. What could be easier? I asked a friend to bring over a crusty loaf of french bread and got to work... Roasting squash can be done one of two ways - either half the squash and scoop out of the skin after cooking or peel and cube before hand. It can be annoying to peel squash but I find that my oxo peeler actually does a great job and then I don't have to burn my hands when its out of the oven (I have to admit I never wait long enough!) I just sort of made this up as I went along but he was pretty happy with it. It wasn't exactly the same but it was a good start... I was hoping to get a chance to taste it so I could get a bit closer. but unfortunately it looks to not be on the menu any more.


keep reading for my recipe

Wine Braised Short Ribs

I have another stove top to crock pot recipe to share! This is one of my favorite ways to make dinner in the winter when coming home is often in the dark and I often am just not in the mood to get cooking. Starting on the stove top doesn't really speed up the cooking but it helps to get some of the fat out before you braise the ribs.  This helps to decrease some of the calories though to be honest this dish is far from diet friendly. Short ribs are however a delicious choice for a hearty, dinner and can be served many different ways. I find you can't go wrong with this simple but effective herbed wine braising liquid.

I first came to love short ribs when I visited David Burke's Townhouse with a friend. I easily found some attempts at the recipe online and went from there. This is a little less complicated and that's great when you have a million errands to run every weekend! I started this dish in the afternoon before I left to go out to the gym and then enjoyed them when I finally got around to sitting on the couch.

Moroccan Chicken Stew

As a New England girl, I am use to crazy weather so when the temps dropped this past week after a long weekend in Vegas I was ready for some soup. I tried to grab some at lunch but everyplace I went was expensive or watery - I just had to make it myself. I knew that my schedule was going to be a little crazy so I wasn't going to be able to hang around for hours simmering but I needed a little more than just stick it in the crockpot. I made a compromise that did leave me with a few extra dishes but dinner much faster and easier than either of the other ways!

The easy secret to this soup is the spice blend. I have mentioned them a hundred times before (and I do not get paid to say this) but I just love my spice blends from Spices Inc. it just makes getting dinner together a little easier. Also the hardest part can be getting the ratio of the spices correct - when using a blend that's already done just add to your desired intensity. Plus its a lot easier to put everything away with just one bottle to take out.

Keep reading for the recipe

Chipotle and Coffee rubbed Brisket tacos

I have a confession to make.....sometimes I stay up way too late watching Food Network. I just have to wait and see who wins the episode or what diner is going to be visited! I know its silly and that the re-runs will be on endlessly but when it comes to foodie porn I just can't say no. This sometimes means that my wonderful guy gets fed up and retreats to bed alone with me saying just five more minutes! From there it just gets worse...once he is gone there is no one to witness my compulsive food TV watching all while pinning and searching food blogs. On average I would say that only one in million of these recipes that are just so interesting I can't tear myself away from the TV actually end up getting made since so many have crazy ingredients and scary processed ingredients. This recipe is the exception!
 

I found this recipe while watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. This show definitely comes on late night and has cost me a few hours of necessary sleep but this gem was worth it! I love making brisket and with a Jewish fiancee it seems like I will have a lifetime of holidays to make it for. This recipe is definitely different though! Step aside cloyingly sweet Rosh Hashanah briskets with apricot jam and dried fruits for a real kick. I also love that this can be made in a crockpot. There is nothing better for parties than crockpot recipes that can be served out in little wraps or rolls. My usually go to is pulled pork but since there are some who don't eat pork, beef brisket is a fun alternative.

Keep reading for more info and the recipe!

Pork stuffed with Swiss Chard

Stuffing pork chops isn't a new idea but this is definitely different from what you usually see. Traditional pork chops are usually done with buttery breadcrumbs which I do enjoy but you don't always want something so heavy. During the summer its so easy to just head down to your local farmer's market and find beautiful vibrant vegetables. From the brilliant red chard to the purple cauliflower that I recently posted I can't help but be drawn to these items.

Sometimes I end up with a fridge that is packed with produce and a schedule that just doesn't let up. You can make this stuffing in advance and then store it in the fridge for a few days before using it. It makes your whole dinner easier when you prep in advance! If you want to make this dish even better try brining your pork chops overnight to infuse even more flavor and juiciness into the meat.

Read on for the recipe!

Greek Salmon Lettuce Cups

Lettuce Cups or wraps are a common site in Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants around me. One of the first times I ever saw them was in the Asian Fusion restaurant P.F. Changs. Its been years since I have been to one of these and to be honest my Asian inspiration stops there! This dish uses traditional Greek flavors with a little twist. If you are trying to eat low carb, lettuce wraps can be a great invention since a single leaf of lettuce is almost no calories! I love using fresh local ingredients and when I saw this Boston lettuce at my local farmer's market the other day I decided that I had to create something fresh and healthy. I have done a few other versions of this type of dish using shrimp and crab so don't be afraid to make this your own based on the ingredients that you have handy.

What do Lettuce Cups have to do with phylo dough and grape leaves you ask? Well the connection here is in the spices that I used - garlic, parsley, oregano and lemon were my base ingredients. There are two ingredients that always makes me think Greek that I didn't include - Feta Cheese and Olives. My boyfriend only has one real food hate and that is olives so they usually aren't in the house unless I get them on takeout and while I do often use grated cheese on my pasta with seafood I didn't think that the flavors really worked in this situation. This recipe calls for about 1 lb of wild salmon (I used Coho which is a bit thinner than other types) if you can't find wild salmon or don't want to spend the money consider using another type of wild fish versus using a farmed fish. The health benefits of wild fish are greater than the farmed versions so the difference in price is absolutely worth it!

click through for the recipe