Holiday Drinks
Halloween Martini (alcoholic)
Check out this hair-raising, halloween martini we stumbled upon from martiniart via bloomacious. Indulge in this sweet yet slightly sinful treat!
2 ounces of Godiva Dark Chocolate liqueur
2 ounces of Creme de Cacao
2 ounces of freezing Goldenbarr Chocolate vodka
2 tablespoons of shaved white chocolate
2 well chilled, classy looking martini glasses
Dip martini glass rims into water or syrup and then into the white chocolate shavings. Combine the Godiva Chocolate liqueur, Creme de Cacao, and Goldenbarr Chocolate vodka into a cocktail shaker full of cracked ice. Shake and pour into prepared martini glasses. Garnish with a charming halloween creature as shown!
Almond Joy Martini (alcoholic)
Liquid candy? Oh yes! What could be better to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings? Compliments to thedeliciouslife for the refreshing recipe.
Shake 1 oz. each of coconut-flavored rum (Parrot Bay or Malibu), Frangelico (if you don’t feel like a nut, leave the Frangelico out), Godiva (or other chocolate-flavored liqueur), Hershey’s chocolate syrup, and vodka. Add 4 oz. of half and half or light cream, shake with ice, then strain into a chilled glass.
Cider Beetles makes 12 beetles, prep 30 min, cook time 2 hours
We love fall, apples, and thus apple cider. But beetles are icky! How, then, would cider and bettle ever be in the same sentence? Thanks to chaosinthekitchen you're sure to invite these special critters into a glass of apple juice anytime!
6 oranges
approx 6 cups firmly packed brown sugar (depends on the size of your oranges)
12 small cinnamon sticks
12 small whole nutmegs
24 whole allspice
96 whole cloves
Slice oranges in half and scoop out the flesh without breaking through the orange rind. Crumble sheets of foil into small balls to fill out your orange halves. Place orange halves cut side up, like a bowl, on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 250°F for 2 hours or until dry and hard. Once oranges have cooled, pack brown sugar firmly into each orange half, mounding slightly. Arrange spices in the brown sugar to resemble beetles: use a cinnamon stick as the body, a nutmeg for the head, 2 allspice on each side of the head for eyes, and 6-8 cloves arranged as the legs/feet. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
Directions for use, attach to gift beetles on decorative card:
Unwrap cider beetle and drop into 1 1/2 quarts apple juice or cider. Simmer for 30 min. Strain out whole spices and orange rind from cider to serve. May add 1/2 cup of brandy, and heat well. Store left over cider in the refrigerator.
Summertime Drinks
Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
3 cups lemon juice (around 20 lemons)
2 cups sugar
12 cups water, chilled
Squeeze lemons and combine with water and sugar in one-gallon jug. Stir until sugar dissolves.
Makes 16, one-cup servings.
Lower-Calorie Margaritas (alcoholic)
Mix together 2/3 c lime juice, 1/3 c lemon juice, and the juice of one orange. Then stir in some sugar to taste. For each drink use 3-ish oz of juice mix, 1 1/4 oz of good tequila, 1/2 oz of Grand Marnier, and 1/2 oz Cointreau. Shake well.
Alabama Sweet Tea (non-alcoholic)
2 cups sugar
3 large tea bags of orange pekoe tea
1/2 gallon water
1 tray ice cubes
3 or so cold cups water
Pour sugar into pitcher. Bring 1/2 gal water to a boil, then remove from heat and place tea bags inside. Let steep 5-6 min. Remove tea bags and return to heat. Bring to just boiling and pour over sugar in pitcher; stir to dissolve sugar. Fill pitcher halfway with ice and stir till most melts. Fill rest of pitcher with cold water; stor to blend.
Berry Fizz (alcoholic or non)
1 cup blue berries
1 cup soda water
2 T honey
1 t lemon juice
Place in blender and whiz until well blended. For alcoholic version, in individual glasses add a 1 1/2 oz of gin, vodka, or light rum, depending on your taste preference.
Recipes for Spring
Asparagus-Goat Cheese Tart with Almond Crust
For Crust:
1 cup all purpose Gluten Free Flour (or regular)
1/3 cup Quinoa, Millet, or Brown Rice Flour
1/4 cup Almond flour
1/4 cup Fine Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup Cold Water, plus an extra tablespoon or two
For Filling:
1 bunch of Asparagus
8 ounces Goat Cheese
2 Eggs
Splash of Whole Milk
2 cloves Minced Garlic
For crust: Place the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse till mixed. Add oil until crumbly using pulse, and then water a little at a time until correct consistently. Let rest for around an hour. Preheat oven to 350. Roll out dough and place in a tart or pie pan (or individual tartlette molds).
For filling: Beat the eggs with a whisk, and mash the goat cheese in with the milk. Stir in the garlic. Pour into the prepared tart pan and lay the asparagus as if spokes in a wheel. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to one hour, or until set.
Creamy Spring Chicken (with artichokes and mushrooms)
I’m making this at least once a week right now. The white wine, lemon and artichokes give a fresh spring taste, while the cream and mushrooms make it hearty enough for weather that still hasn’t decided to make the full switch from rainy and cool. It’s great over fettucine, or wrapped in pastry puffs. I use bone-in chicken breasts because I find that they taste better than boneless skinless ones, but you could easily use boneless, skinless ones and just cook for less time.
3 bone-in, chicken breasts, salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 onion, diced
14 oz can of artichoke hearts
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (any kind will do, I like baby bellas)
1 clove garlic, minced ¼ cup white wine (use whatever is handy)
¼ cup heavy cream
juice of ½ lemon
Preheat the oven to 350º. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet, skin side up. Rub olive oil on breasts, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes. Depending on the size of the breasts, they will be cooked most of the way through. You don’t actually want them cooked all the way through. Let them cool long enough so that you can comfortably shred or chop the meat.
Meanwhile, sauté the onions and mushrooms in 2 tbsp olive oil or butter for 6 to 7 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 1to 2 more minutes (until just cooked). Stir in the artichokes, wine, and lemon juice and cook until sauce is reduced slightly. It’s up to you how “saucy” you want it to be. Add the chicken and cook (still over medium-low heat) for a minute or two (depending on how done your chicken was to begin with). Finally, stir the cream and let it coat everything. Keep it warm on a low setting (you don’t want to overcook the chicken) and serve it over pasta, rice, on pastry dough, or just eat from the pan.
Iris Staff Favorite Wintry Recipes
Every year, about October or November, I decide it’s time to fortify myself for the long winter months ahead. That means I go into a baking frenzy that leaves my pants a little snugger and no leftover Cookinglight unturned. But what I truly enjoy baking are those little gems my Gram (a crazy Irish woman, who oft brandished a frying pan to slap the “fresh” right out of me) left behind. And since I’m still rather fresh, after all these years, I pass on her secret recipe for these delectable bar cookies on to you.
Grandma Marion’s Toffee Bars
1 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 t vanilla
2 cups flour
1-2 large bars of milk chocolate (depending on how thick you like your chocolate layer. We recommend Hershey’s Symphony or Dove milk chocolate, as they melt evenly.)
½ to 1 c walnuts (optional)
Cream butter and sugar. Mix in the remaining ingredients through flour. Press into a 9x13-inch pan. Bake 15 minutes in a 350˚ oven. Do not over bake.
Melt 1-2 milk chocolate bars in a double boiler (which can be fashioned by placing a smaller pot in a larger pot, about a third full of water at a rolling boil.) Stir constantly and remove from the heat as soon as melted. If you have trouble melting your chocolate evenly, add a little shortening or butter to the chocolate.
While the bars are still warm, evenly spread the chocolate over the surface. Sprinkle nuts on top if desired, immediately after spreading the chocolate.
Cool before serving.
Contributed by Katy Shively Meier, Iris Online Editor
I hosted many a debate-watching party at my house this year, where a bunch of my friends got together for some political circus watching while munching on yummy fall treats. One of my favorite, no fail, knock their socks off, shut up and eat goodies: candied bacon. Doesn’t it already sound just amazing?
Candied Bacon
1 lb. bacon
1 c brown sugar
1 t cayenne pepper
You take a cup of brown sugar and mix it with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper on a plate. Take about a pound of bacon and take each bacon slice and press it into the sugar/pepper mixture. (You might have to cut the bacon in half in order to make this easier). Put the bacon slices on a broiler pan or rack over a baking sheet (to catch the grease) and bake in a 350° oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. You can try to wait until they’re cool, but good luck with that. If you’re feeling very culinarily-inclined, you can even chop up some pecans in a food processor and add those to the sugar/pepper mix. Now stand back and wait for the marriage proposals because will LOVE you for these.
Contributed by Lauren Russo, Iris Assistant Editor
Cool air means it's time for warm food, and I love making soup in the fall. Here are two of my favorites:
Creamy Squash Soup
One large (about 2.5 lb) butternut squash
One white onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 gloves of garlic
3 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper
Fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon butter
Grated carrot (optional)
Heavy cream (optional)
One dollop sour cream
Chives
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheet with cooking spray. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place face down on the cookie sheet. Roast for approximately 45-50 minutes. It is done when the flesh is soft and scoops out easily. Let cool completely. In a stock pot or other large pan, heat olive oil. Saute a chopped white onion and garlic until soft, season with salt and pepper. At this point, you can also throw in some fresh grated carrot which makes the soup sweeter. Add a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and a tablespoon of butter. When the mix is all nice and soft, add 3 cups vegetable broth and the squash. Transfer to a food processor or use an immersion blender to puree until soft. You can adjust the consistency by adding more vegetable broth, or to make it really creamy, some heavy cream. Season again with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives.
Potato and Chard Soup
One onion, chopped
One carrot, chopped
One rib celery, chopped
4 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cupes vegetable broth
Salt
Pepper
Ginger
Thyme
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Chard, washed and chopped
In a stock pot or other large pan, heat a small amount of olive oil. Sautee one chopped onion, one chopped carrot and one rib of celery until soft. Add potatoes and vegetable broth. Season with salt, pepper, fresh ginger and thyme. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Add 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp heavy cream. Add chard (use however much you want, it will cook down considerably). Enjoy!
Contributed by Kristin Gilger, Iris columnist.
