Tag Archives: mint

Bailey’s Shamrock Shakes

15 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by in Boozy, Desserts, Holidays, Smoothies & Shakes

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Bailey's Shamrock Shake

I don’t remember my first Shamrock Shake, but I know they have been around for quite some time. I remember wondering what this green milkshake from the drivethru was all about and wondered how it was so darn good. It was simple while still being really unique, and it was GREEN.

Years later, the Shamrock Shake seems to have drawn quite a cult following. Everyone makes a really big deal about them every March. However, since I made my first Shamrock Shake at home, I haven’t worried about going to the drivethru. This year…it was only natural to add one of my favorite Irish boozes to the mix. Baileys……..of course. It’s pretty much your standard Shamrock shake…with Baileys. Just treat yourself to one and don’t worry about it.

Recipe
Bailey’s Shamrock Shake
By Baked Northwest
Makes 1 large or 2 small shakes

Ingredients

  • 3-4 scoops of good vanilla ice cream
  • 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • 4 ice cubes
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. mint extract (depending on how much mint flavor you want mixed with your Bailey’s)
  • 5 drops green food coloring
  • whipped cream and green sprinkles for garnish, and maybe a maraschino cherry
  1. Add first five ingredients to a blender and blend until thick and smooth. If shake is too thin, add a bit more ice cream. If it’s too thick, add a small splash of Bailey’s or another ice cube.
  2. Pour in a glass (or two), add whipped cream and sprinkles to the top. Enjoy, and be happy you didn’t sit in the drive thru.
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Quinoa Tabbouleh

02 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by in Entertaining, Healthy, Meatless Monday, Salad, Side Dish, Weeknight Meals

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Quinoa TabboulehHave you ever found yourself with an abundance of an herb, and you don’t quite know what to do with all of it? Have you ever decided to plant something, thinking you would probably kill it, when all of a sudden you have too much of one thing?Quinoa TabboulehI feel like this has happened to a lot of home gardeners with mint. You imagine you are going to have some mojitos, maybe throw it in some tea, and that’ll be it. However…many times you are left with so much mint you just don’t know how you will EVER use it all.

This Tabbouleh salad is a great solution to your mint problem. Here we use 3 cups (!!!) mint to make a refreshing and healthy summer salad. Of course, if you don’t quite have that much mint in your garden you can easily use only 1-2 cups and you are still going to have a GREAT tabbouleh. The quinoa and cabbage really mix things up too.Quinoa Tabbouleh

Recipe
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Adapted from Bon Appétit
serves 8 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 – 1/2 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1”-thick wedges, then very thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 medium head purple cabbage, cut into 1”-thick wedges, then very thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)*
  • 1 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia), finely chopped
  • 4 cups assorted small tomatoes, halved, quartered if large (we used red and yellow cherry tomatoes)
  • 3 cups coarsely chopped fresh mint
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt, to taste

*NOTE: you can use only green or only purple cabbage – just make sure you have about 4 cups chopped cabbage total.

Directions

  • Place rinsed, dried quinoa in a pot and add 2 cups water. Bring quinoa to a boil, then let simmer, covered, on the stove until quinoa has absorbed most of the water. Fluff quinoa with a fork and remove from heat.
  • Toss quinoa, cabbage, onion, tomatoes, mint, oil, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl to combine; season with salt.
  • DO AHEAD: Tabbouleh can be made 4 hours ahead. You can toss with oil and lemon juice just before serving, but I like adding it right away and letting the flavors develop. This salad is great the next day, straight out of the fridge!

Fresh Herb and Tofu Curry

29 Thursday May 2014

Posted by in Seattle, Soups, Vegetarian

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Herb and Tofu CurryOne of my later-in-life food discoveries was yellow curry. I had never really had it, or thought to order it, until my first job out of college. We ordered a lot of takeout…one of the places down the street was the diviest looking joint ever. Like, I would never go in there on a whim. BUT we had a “house account” there where we didn’t even have to use a credit card, they would just send us a bill in the mail…weird, right?Herb and Tofu Curry

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Thirsty Thursday | Pineapple Drops

22 Thursday May 2014

Posted by in Boozy, Entertaining, Thirsty Thursday

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Pineapple DropsLet’s get summery up in here! These pineapple drops are a nice alternative to the classic lemon drop. They are especially awesome if you decide to throw a luau themed party! Or if you are just sitting in your backyard. You don’t have to be on a tropical island to drink these. Trust. Me.Pineapple DropThese come together super easy, you can ether bust one out in a cocktail shaker or make a pitcher for a crowd. I had to test a single one out before making them for others because well you know…research.Pineapple Drops

Recipe
Pineapple Drops
adapted from Sunset

For a crowd (about 6 martinis):

  • 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 1/2 cups vodka
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Couple of lime wedges
  • About 1 cup sugar
  • Fresh pineapple, cut into 3/4-in. chunks

For one cocktail:

  • 1 oz (1 shot glass) pineapple juice
  • 1 oz vodka
  • squeeze of fresh lime juice (I used about 1 lime)
  • lime wedge
  • fresh pineapple
  • a few fresh mint leaves (optional. Cilantro would also work)

Directions

For a crowd:

  1. In a pitcher, mix pineapple juice, vodka, and lime juice, then chill until cold.
  2. Rub lime wedges around rims of 6 martini glasses. Pour sugar onto a large plate. Dip rims of glasses in sugar. Divide vodka mixture among glasses. Push a few pineapple chunks onto each skewer and set one in each glass.

For one cocktail:

Combine ice, pineapple juice, vodka, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously, and strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. If using mint, first muddle the ice and mint in a cocktail shaker, then add juices and vodka and shake. Garnish with fresh pineapple chunks.

Chilled Strawberry Soup

11 Sunday May 2014

Posted by in Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Smoothies & Shakes, Soups, Vegetarian

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strawberry soupIs this one of the weirdest things you haver ever heard of? Strawberry…soup? Ok, it’s probably not the weirdest thing…but still. Not your everyday soup. However, this soup is quite tasty and I highly recommend making it under several different circumstances:

  1. It’s sweltering hot outside and you want something chilled and refreshing.
  2. You are hosting a fancy summer soirée and want to look creative and awesome.
  3. If Gazpacho (aka cold tomato soup, ugh) just isn’t your thing.
  4. There are tons of strawberries in your kitchen, and you are looking to do something “different”.
  5. You are hosting a “ladies only” event…This doesn’t really strike me as a soup a lot of dudes would be into. I’m thinking bridal shower, mother’s day brunch, baby shower…However, maybe not baby shower, since this soup has WINE in it. Which brings me to…
  6. GIRLS WINE WEEKEND. This really doesn’t have to be soup, it can pretty much be a smoothie and the best way to start a wine-filled weekend…A totally healthy breakfast alternative to mimosas or Bloody Mary’s…Because why not be smart when boozin, better to stick with one type of alcohol all day!*

So now that it’s clear I am very excited about the Riesling in this soup, I feel it’s best to put a disclaimer out there that in about a month I will be doing a day in NAPA for a joint Bachelorette party with my favorite girls! Since moving I miss everyone terribly, and I booked my flight pretty much the second the dates were set in stone. For whatever ridiculous reason, making this soup made me reallyreallyEXTRA excited for the upcoming girls wine weekend.

Strawberry Soup

*Drink responsibly. It is recommended to eat something with your breakfast booze, like a f*ckin bagel.

Recipe
Chilled Strawberry Soup
adapted from Southern Living
makes about 4 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh sliced strawberries, washed with stems removed
  • 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 
  • 1/2 cup Riesling or other sweet white wine
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • Garnishes: olive oil, freshly ground pepper, sliced fresh strawberries, fresh mint and/or basil

Directions

  1. Process 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries, Greek yogurt, Riesling, and sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Cover and chill 2 hours. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground pepper, chopped fresh mint, and sliced fresh strawberries.

 

Thirsty Thursday | Juice of a Few Flowers

09 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Easy, Entertaining, Thirsty Thursday

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Juice of a Few Flowers

Back in December, we made Candied Citrus Peels and they essentially changed life as we know it. They are an amazing gift, portable, last a long time (I’m still enjoying one of our batches!) and taste freaking amazing. Oh, and you are also left with this ridiculous citrus simple syrup once you are done making the peels. Heaven knows we can’t let that go to waste!

Juice of a Few Flowers Continue reading →

Grilled Rib Eye with Orzo Salad

19 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by in Easy, Grilling, Main Dish, Pasta, Salad, Steak, Weeknight Meals

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Grilled Rib Eye with Orzo Salad
I’m in a zone right now where I’m trying to use up all of the food in the house. I saw this recipe in Sunset Magazine and thought it would be the perfect use for the large amount of orzo I have laying around.
The ingredients don’t seem like anything too fancy, but I was pleasantly surprised with the delicious results. Bonus: this is the best leftover bring-to-work lunch salad ever!
Recipe note: I could not find halloumi at my local store, the guy looked at me like I was making sh*t up. I ended up finding Kasseri, which is not the best grilling cheese, but it worked ok. Feta would me a much easier option, just crumbled over the finished salad.
Recipe
Grilled Rib Eye with Orzo Salad
adapted from Sunset Magazine
Ingredients
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 1 boneless rib-eye steak (about 1 lb.), about 1 in. thick
  • 1 pkg. (12 oz.) halloumi (if you are grilling the cheese), if not try feta, Kasseri, or myzithra
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped (not necessary, but a good addition)
  • 1/2 – 1 whole roughly chopped red bell pepper (depends on how much you like peppers – I went for it and added the whole thing).
  • 1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 1/3 cup oregano leaves, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

  1. Heat a grill to medium-high (400° to 450°). Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain, then set aside.
  2. Brush steak and cheese with 2 tbsp. oil and sprinkle steak with salt. Grill both, turning once, until grill marks appear on cheese, and steak is done the way you like, 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare. Let steak rest 10 minutes.
  3. Cut halloumi slices into quarters. Combine cheese, orzo, remaining 4 tbsp. oil, and remaining ingredients in a bowl; divide among 4 plates. Top with sliced steak.

Lentil Almond Stir Fry

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by in Bloggerific, Healthy, Main Dish

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Lentil Almost Stir Fry

Thank goodness I have a friend like Erin (she is amazing…check out our gnocchi night from awhile back) who, on a regular basis, shows me awesome recipes. I would have never chosen to make this recipe on my own, because it sounds kind of weird. A Stir Fry with lentils, almonds, and brussels sprouts? Really? But she raved about it, and had every reason to! Continue reading →

Roasted Chickpeas with Feta, Mint, and Lemon

31 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in Appetizers, Easy, Healthy, Side Dish

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Healthy. Fast. And so easy. I made this dish for the first time while doing about 10 other things. So basically, you can make this with your eyes closed (I am not the world’s greatest multi-tasker).
What caught my eye originally was the mint. Now that summer is upon us, I have to find ways to use the herbs in my garden. Some herbs tend to do better than others…and as many of you know mint tends to grow so abundantly some almost consider it a weed (a very delicious one). The mint adds the perfect touch to this easy side dish. When the garbanzo beans come out of the oven hot and garlicky and smelling amazing, you almost want to just puree everything into hummus right there. Don’t do it though. Try it this way just this once and you won’t be disappointed.

Roasted Chickpeas with Feta, Mint, and Lemon
(Makes 4-5 servings; recipe adapted from The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh.)

  • 2 cans (15 oz. can) chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 3/4 – 1 cup crumbled Feta
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • lemon wedges to squeeze over finished dish
Preheat oven to 375F.  Dump chickpeas into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears.  Let chickpeas drain at least 5 minutes.
Mix together the olive oil, finely minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and fresh ground black pepper.  Spray a large rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray (11 X 7 or slightly larger).  Put drained chickpeas into baking dish, add olive oil mixture and stir until the chickpeas are well coated with oil, then put in the oven and roast 15-18 minutes.
While chickpeas are roasting, wash mint, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and coarsely chop.  Crumble Feta.  Start to check chickpeas after 15 minutes, and as soon as they are hot and barely beginning to crisp on top remove from oven.
Spoon chickpeas into a serving dish.  Let chickpeas cool 5 minutes, then stir in crumbled Feta and chopped mint.  Season with more salt and fresh ground black pepper if desired.  Serve warm, with lemon wedges to squeeze over the finished dish.

Always Perfection @ Auntie Tricia’s

21 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Boozy, Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Main Dish, Salad, Uncategorized

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Probably one of my favorite things is being invited over to my Aunt Tricia’s house. She is the Master Entertainer, her husband is the Ultimate Bartender, and her dogs are always ready to “clean” the dishes for her…if you know what I mean!

She always executes the perfect menu and everyone always has so much fun. Needless to say, I’m pretty proud to be related to her, and I hope one day I will be able to entertain like she does.

Below is a look at last week’s dinner…Recipes included!

Recipe
The Perfect Manhattan

Fill cocktail shaker 1/2 full with ice.

  • 2 shots knob creek bourbon
  • 1/2 shot red vermouth
  • dash of bitters…there are all sorts of flavors out there these days…
  • Shake 10 times and strain into a frozen martini glass. (I leave a little water on the glass before freezing, so I get a nice frost on the glass)
3 Luxardo brand cherries on a pick.  Add and enjoy!
Both Recipes below are from Ina Garten’s How Easy is That? Cookbook.

 

Recipe
Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

  • 10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and 1/2-inch-diced
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and 1/2-inch-diced
  • 1 can or jar (12 to 16 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • 8 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch-diced
  • Toasted pita bread, for serving

Directions

Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve the salad with the toasted pita bread.

Recipe
Lemon Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • 1 lemon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.