Scotch Sour

 

The scotch sour is a fantastic way to dress up Scotch whisky. It's a simple spin on the popular whiskey sour, and the basic recipe requires just two ingredients. This is one of the most delightful scotch cocktails you can mix up and it's an entirely different experience with each new whisky you choose to pour.

The interesting part of scotch sour recipes is that the majority skip the sweetener. That balance of sweet and sour is vital in the whisky version, but not so much in this recipe. You can always add a touch of sweetness, a splash of soda, or even an egg white to complete the traditional sour formula if you prefer. It's also likely that the perfect mix will change from one whiskey to another.

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Milk Substitutes- Chef Nini

In this recipe, don't go overboard on the lemon juice. Scotch is a bit touchier ​than other styles of whisky and the goal here is to merely accent it with the bright citrus flavor.

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"Most sours have three ingredients, but this recipe uses just two. The lemon and scotch play off each other in such a surprising, harmonious way. Lemon bolsters the scotch’s sweetness while the scotch mellows out the lemon. If you want to understand how good a simple cocktail can be, this recipe is a must." —Sean Johnson

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces blended Scotch whisky

• 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the scotch and lemon juice.

   

3. Shake well.

   

4. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with fresh ice. Serve and enjoy.

   

How Is Scotch Different From Whiskey?

Scotch is a style of whiskey, and the main difference between scotch and other whiskeys is geographic. They also differ in terms of ingredients and how the word whiskey is spelled. Scotch is whisky specifically made in Scotland. It is distilled from peat-dried malted barley, which imparts its signature smoky flavor, and is either blended or single malt. Scotch also spells whisky without the "e." Other whiskey styles are distilled in other parts of the world from other grains, including corn and rye.

Tips

• Save your really good scotch for sipping straight and choose a budget-friendly option for your scotch sour experiments.
• Blended scotch is generally preferred over single malts for this cocktail because the milder, balanced flavor tends to work best with lemon. It really does not work well with heavily peated scotch or those with other dominant flavors.
• Fresh lemon juice is essential. The bottled varieties do not have the clean taste that scotch deserves. One lemon yields about 1 3/4 ounces of fresh-squeezed juice, so half a lemon should be about right.
• If you prefer, stir this cocktail in the shaker for about 30 seconds. The ice dilution helps marry the two contrasting flavors, and it's still best when strained over fresh ice.

Skillet lamb and lentils

Easy one-pot lamb recipe, Yield 2 servings. 

Linda Gassenheimer TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE 

Here’s a warm and comforting meal that can be made in minutes using only one pot. For this easy dinner, tender lamb cut for kabobs and fragrant spices cook with canned lentils. It’s a family pleaser.

This recipe tastes great a second day. If you have time, make double the recipe and save half for another quick meal.

Helpful Hints: Using frozen chopped onion helps cut down on preparation.

Use any type of pasta sauce.

A quick way to chop cilantro is to snip the leaves from the stems with a scissors.

If the skillet becomes dry before the lentils are cooked, add a little water.

Shopping List: To buy: 

• 3/4 pound lamb cubes (cut for kabobs),
• 1 package frozen chopped onion, 
• 1 container minced garlic, 
• 1 bottle ground cumin, 
• 1 bunch fresh rosemary, 
• 1 jar pasta sauce, 
• 1 can lentils, 
• 1 package washed, ready-to-eat spinach 
• 1 bunch cilantro (optional garnish).

Staples: 

• olive oil, salt and black peppercorns.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound lamb cubes (cut for kabobs), about 1-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups frozen chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 1 cup rinsed and drained canned lentils
• 4 cups washed, ready-to-eat spinach
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional garnish)

Heat oil in a medium-size nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the lamb cubes and brown for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the cubes to make sure all sides are browned. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a plate. Lower heat to medium high. Add the onion and garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Add the cumin and rosemary. Cook another minute. Add the pasta sauce and lentils. Cook 2 minutes. Return the lamb to the skillet along with the spinach. Cook 2 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Divide between 2 dinner plates. Sprinkle cilantro on top (optional garnish).

Per serving: 569 calories (30.4% from fat), 19.2 g fat (4.7 g saturated, 7.8 g monounsaturated), 111 mg cholesterol, 49.5 g protein, 51.4 g carbohydrates, 15.4 g fiber, 210 mg sodium. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

Skillet lamb and lentils cooks in no time. Linda Gassenheimer/TNS

Teriyaki Pork & Bok Choy Ramen

Ingredients:

• teriyaki pork tenderloin
• bok choy
• hard-boiled egg
• cashews
• roughly chopped onion

Directions:

• Roast the port loin according to package directions.
• Hard boil one egg per serving
• Cook the ramen according to package directions, adding the onion and cashews from the start.  
• Add the bok choy towards the end.
• Mix in the pork and hard boiled egg, and serve.

Hannah's Veggie Bowl

Don’t you want to crawl through your screen and eat this?!?  Did you know it’s literally ALL (almost) veggies…?!  What‼️

I love teaching ‘healthy gourmet’ dishes-ones that honor both my Italian Culinary School roots and my Crohn’s disease. Restaurant worthy but loaded with nutrients that make you FEEL GOOD. 

Dad, husband, and busy mom approved✔️

Try it out, see how it feels!

Recipe:

• 1 bag of frozen cauliflower rice 
• 1 butternut squash, chopped 1in dice
• 1 can chickpeas, drained  
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1 cup of Dino kale, chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan  
• 1 cup lemon herb sauce (recipe👇) 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roast squash with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic powder for ~40 minutes or until crispy and tender. 

Roast chickpeas on a sheet tray for ~20 minutes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and curry powder. 

Meanwhile, cook cauliflower rice on stovetop in a medium pot with 2 tbsp of water over medium heat until thawed (5 minutes). Add a minced garlic clove and chopped kale. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the cooked squash, chickpeas, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the lemon herb sauce

In a food processor, blend together zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 cup of fresh herbs (I used half basil, half parsley), 2 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup olive oil, 4 ice cubes, salt/pepper. Blend. 

Garnish bowls with a generous drizzle of sauce and extra goat/Parmesan cheese if you’re feeling wild. I was.

Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs

• Prep: 20 mins
• Cook: 30 mins
• Marinate and Rest Time: 4 hrs 10 mins
• Total: 5 hrs
• Servings: 6 to 8 servings
• Nutrition Facts (per serving)
• 690 Calories
• 47g Fat
• 17g Carbs
• 54g Protein

Chicken thighs are the juiciest, most flavorful part of the chicken—and they're less expensive than chicken breasts. However, chicken thighs are often overlooked, but their dark meat has much more flavor and they are easier to cook because they don't dry out as easily. Take it a step further, and when the bone is left in, they taste even better. But you have to treat them right when you cook them, and this easy grilled BBQ chicken recipe does just that.

The chicken is first marinated in a mix of olive oil, vinegar, and spices and then grilled. During the final stages of cooking, you continue to brush it with a sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce, which you make from scratch. As the sauce cooks, it reduces to a pleasantly sticky consistency—just like a good barbecue sauce should. Serve it with your favorite sides, such a grilled or boiled corn on the cob, baked beans, or coleslaw.

If you don't like to cook on the grill or you don't have access to one, check out the variation for baked barbecued chicken thighs following the recipe. 

Ingredients

• 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• For the Marinade
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• For the Barbecue Sauce
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Make the Marinade

Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, white vinegar, salt, granulated sugar, and red pepper flakes.

Place chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag.  Pour marinade over top, seal bag, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for four to six hours, or up to overnight.

Make the Barbecue Sauce

Prepare the sauce by combining ketchup, white vinegar, brown sugar, sweet paprika, olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, if using, and salt in a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes to thicken; then cover and set aside. If making the sauce a day in advance, cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring the sauce to room temperature before finishing the recipe, but do not boil or overheat it.

Grill the Chicken

Heat a grill on medium-low heat to about 300 F. Remove chicken from marinade, discard remaining marinade, and place chicken thighs skin-side down on heated grill.

Cook for about 30 minutes with the lid down, turning occasionally.

During the last 20 minutes or so of cooking, brush sauce over the chicken until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 F and the sauce has cooked down to a sticky consistency. Make sure to test more than one piece for consistency.

Once cooked through, remove the chicken from the heat and place onto a large platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.  

 https://www.thespruceeats.com/bbq-chicken-thighs-recipe-334134

Caipirinha

 

Ingredients

• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 ounces cachaça
• Garnish: lime wheel

Steps

• In a double rocks glass, muddle the lime wedges and sugar.
• Fill the glass with ice, add the cachaça, and stir briefly.
• Garnish with a lime wheel.

Chances are high you encountered Brazil’s national drink, the Caipirinha, if you’ve traveled to the South American country. Refreshing and easy to make, the cocktail contains fresh lime juice, sugar and cachaça—a spirit as central to Brazilian identity as samba, soccer and carnival. Cachaça is also the country’s national spirit, inextricably tying this drink to its home.

First made in the 1500s, cachaça is similar to rum, but it has a flavor all its own. Most rums are distilled from molasses, a byproduct of sugarcane processing, while cachaça is distilled from the fermented juice of sugar cane. This important difference yields a distinct spirit that is characterized by its funky, grassy flavors, which set the Caipirinha apart from other sweet-and-sour cocktails like the Daiquiri.

It’s unclear exactly when the Caipirinha first appeared, but many historians believe it was served in the early 20th century as a remedy for illness. Others say it was invented in the 19th century by Brazilian farmers as a way to showcase local sugarcane. Regardless of how or when it was born, drinkers have gravitated toward its pleasing flavors and heady effects ever since.

The Caipirinha is easy to make and can be constructed right in the glass, but its build instructions are exacting. Lime juice and simple syrup won’t get the job done: The drink specifically calls for lime wedges and finely granulated sugar. Muddling the limes with abrasive sugar helps to release not only the fruit’s juice, but also the rich, aromatic oils from the peel.

The classic Caipirinha is not a cocktail that requires improvement—it’s delicious as is. But that’s never kept bartenders from experimenting and tweaking the original recipe. The most common variation is the Caipiroska, which is simply made with vodka in place of cachaça. Other variations call for muddling fruits like raspberry or pineapple with the lime. Whichever route you go, the Caipirinha is refreshing and flavorful, with a unique ability to bring you straight to the tropics, no matter where you’re drinking.

Disappearing Savory Parmesan Crisps

From MV Magazine/Cook the Vineyard

https://mvmagazine.com/news/2021/03/30/baking-together-14-disappearing-savory-parmesan-crisps