Cherry Lemonade

This lemonade packs a punch, no doubt about it.  So if you're like my cute husband you may want to water it down a bit.  My kids love making this one.  They ask for it all the time.  If you feel like puckering up and have no one to kiss... this one is for you.

1 16 ounce bag frozen cherries
1 16 ounce jar maraschino cherries without stems
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice, about 5 or 6 lemons
4~6 cups cold water

Process cherries, cherry juice from jar, sugar and lemon juice in a blender until smooth.  Pour fruit mixture through a wire mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding solids.  (I actually strain it twice).  Stir in water to taste.  Serve over ice.

*If it's too thick or strong for your liking... add more water.

Pappardelle with Baby Spinach, Herbs and Ricotta

There is just something about fresh herbs.  I love them and use them every chance I get.  A perfect spring or summer time side dish.

Have all ingredients prepped and ready to go before beginning to cook~ the pasta needs to be hot when mixed with the other ingredients to create a creamy consistency.  Recipe adapted from Cooking Light magazine.  This was on the April 2011 cover and looked so good, I had to try.

8 ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat~leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
4 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cook pasta with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions, omitting additional fat.  Drain in a colander over a bowl, and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid.

Combine 1/2 cup reserved hot cooking liquid and ricotta cheese in a food processor or blender, and process until well blended.

Combine hot pasta, cheese mixture, spinach, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.  Add additional cooking liquid, if needed.

Chicago Style Hot Dog

A hot dog?  Really?!  Yup, this self proclaimed food snob (my husband and friends who really know me would also proclaim) loves a good Chicago style hot dog.  Maybe because there is so much going on you kinda forget what you are eating.  Maybe because it's just good.

Here are a couple of tips~ buy a good quality hot dog (not an awesome place to try to save a penny), celery salt is a must, sport peppers or go home, yes pickle relish and pickle spear, and don't even think about putting ketchup on it.  Seriously, don't go there.  I have met people who insist if you don't have all the ingredients, you can't call it a Chicago dog.  They can get pretty worked up about it, I think that's cool.  I don't get insane about a hot dog, but if you make my Chicken Tortilla Soup and don't use all the garnishes, I will get a little cranky.  My husband definitely knows to squeeze his lime.  ;)

When something is simple I think it's really important to buy the best quality ingredients you can afford.  I always think that, no matter what you are preparing.
I'm just sayin'...

Many places will boil or steam the hot dog.  I prefer the grill and it's always got to be well done for me.  I love the places where you can order a char~dog!  That makes me happy.  Ah, it's the simple things in life!

To make one Chicago Dog~

good quality hot dog~ I like Vienna Beef franks.  It says right on the label "Chicago's Hot Dog" :) Use what you like.
poppy seed bun
plain old yellow mustard
pickle relish
pickle spear
a couple slices of cucumber
a couple slices of tomato
diced onion~ I use white, sometimes red.
sport peppers
celery salt~ load it up.

Prepare hot dog the way you like.  Add ingredients and enjoy!

Honeydew Lemonade Smoothie

My friend Camille and I recently taught a smoothie class.  It was so hilarious...but that's a whole other story for another blog!  ;)

This was one of the recipes I shared because it's a little different from the normal fruit smoothies I make.  I usually don't add a lot of sugar or concentrated pre~made anything.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not what I usually do.  The frozen lemonade concentrate is a great balance to the mellow honeydew melon.  My kids love this!  My favorite part might be the crushed lemon candies, they make it fun and add a sweetness that is great.  It's not a big deal to crush up a few candies.  Right?

Smoothie~
1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
6 cups honeydew melon chunks, about 1 large melon
4 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
2~3 cups ice, depending on how you prefer it

Garnish~ It's not just cute, it adds to the drink!
1 lemon
Crushed lemon candies

Garnish~
Place a handful of lemon candies in a plastic Ziploc bag and crush with a meat mallet or rolling pin.  Use whatever gets the job done.  Transfer the crushed candies to a bowl the glass will fit inside with a little extra room on the sides.  Slice the lemon and run a wedge around the rim of the glass, keeping the glass upside down so the juice doesn't drip down (not a big deal, but it will look better).  Place juiced rim in bowl with candies and pull it up.  Set glasses aside while you make the smoothie.

Smoothie~
Blend all ingredients in a blender until ice is crushed.  Pour carefully into sugared glasses.  Enjoy!

Sweet~Hot Mustard Chicken wrapped in Bacon

My 9 year old daughter, Lauren loves these!  She asked me to make them everyday for her, minus the sesame seeds.  So cute.  Use a good set of tongs to handle the meat on the grill instead of a long fork to prevent piercing the meat, which will allow juices to escape.

A great appetizer or even dinner with some rice and a green salad.

2 (8~ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 bacon slices, cut into thirds
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sesame seeds for garnish

Cut chicken breasts into 24 (1 inch) pieces.  Wrap each chicken piece with 1 piece of bacon, and secure with a tooth pick.

Stir together orange marmalade, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, ground ginger and garlic powder in a large bowl.  

Remove and reserve 1/4 cup of marinade to drizzle over when chicken is cooked.

Add chicken to bowl, lightly tossing to coat.  Cover and chill for 2 hours, turning occasionally.  Remove chicken from marinade, discarding remaining used marinade.

Preheat grill to 350~400 degrees (medium high) heat.  Grill chicken covered with grill lid down, 4~5 minutes on each side or until done.  Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with reserved marinade.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Garlic Cheese Bread~ "Claim Jumper"

I love it when I find a restaurant I miss from home in my current area.  Claim Jumper restaurants started in California and all of their locations but two are in the west.  The two that aren't are in driving distance from me here in Illinois.  Lucky me!  One of the things I love at the restaurant is this garlic cheese bread.  It's honestly more of a cheese garlic bread.  The kids love it because it doesn't have a strong garlic taste, having no actual fresh garlic in it.  Great addition to any meal and it's ridiculously easy to make.  Recipe adapted from Todd Wilbur.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
dash of paprika
10 slices Texas toast (thick cut white bread)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Combine all the ingredients for the butter in a small bowl.  Spread generously on one side of each slice of Texas toast.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese begins to brown and bubble.

Beef Brisket with sweet tomato sauce

A friend gave me this recipe a long time ago, it was her mother's.  I like it for something different to what I normally do and have been making it for years.  I have thought of cutting the sauce recipe in half, it makes quite a bit.  I never have, I love it too much with mashed potatoes.  It's a great no fuss recipe.  I hope you enjoy it.

3 pounds yellow onions, chopped
3 tablespoons light olive oil
5~6 pound brisket, trimmed
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup ketchup
6 tablespoons lemon juice, about 2 large lemons
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
2 cups canned tomato puree

In a large saute pan, saute the onions in the olive oil until they are golden brown.

Season all sides of the brisket with salt and pepper.  Over high heat brown the brisket well on all sides in its own fat in a large, heavy~bottomed pot.  Add the onions.  Transfer to a 325 degree oven for 4 hours, until fork tender.

Skim the fat from the juices and discard.  In a separate bowl mix together the ketchup, lemon juice, brown sugar, and tomato puree.   Add tomato mixture to the pan and cook another 30 minutes.  Remove the brisket from the pot, slice thinly across the grain, and return the meat to the sauce to keep warm.

I always serve extra sauce on the side with some mashed potatoes.