Strawberry Balsamic Sorbet w/ Dark Chocolate Chunks

a sweet surprise

I'm staking a claim that my favorite dessert is any form of frozen treat - sorbet, sherbet, ice cream sandwich... There's nothing better than an ice cold sweet treat on a hot summer day. I think America's with me on this upcoming holiday weekend. It's summer, it's hot, and everyone should be eating frozen treats!

So, for this post I've made a somewhat unexpected strawberry sorbet. I've added balsamic vinegar to the mix. It adds a nice tang and pairs so well with the strawberries and dark chocolate. It's official, we've reached the tipping point of summer and the 90 degree days are upon us. Make this creamy sorbet to cool down. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8
1 C Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 C Water
6 C Strawberries, hauled & sliced
1 Lemon, peel & juice
4-5 oz. Dark Chocolate Chunks

Directions
Combine the sugar, balsamic, water, and 3 wide strips of lemon peel in a sauce pan. Bring to a bubble and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and rest for 20 minutes.

Remove the lemon peel from the simple syrup, discard. Combine half the syrup, strawberries, and lemon juice in a blender. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Process the remaining syrup, strawberries, and lemon juice. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into the freezer can of an ice cream maker. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your machine to make the sorbet. Put the sorbet into a freezer safe bowl, stir in the chocolate chunks, and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from the freezer 15 minutes prior to serving. Scoop the sorbet into bowls and serve immediately. Cool off with this unexpected frozen sweet treat. Enjoy!

Italian Inspired Portobello Burgers

why did the mushroom get invited to the party?
'cuz he's a fungi!

Okay, I know that was bad, but I remember that joke from when I was a kid. Anyway, I've mentioned in one of my past posts that I'm a vegetarian (I do eat seafood and some chicken). So, I eat a lot of portobello burgers in the summer. One way I jazz them up is by marinating them. They are like little sponges and will soak it up!

Balsamic vinegar is the perfect base to build a marinade for portobello burgers. It's fruity and a little sweet. It balances nicely with the earthiness of the mushroom. Also, balsamic is innately Italian, so what's better than adding more complementary flavors, such as roasted red pepper, basil, and smoked mozzarella cheese? Nothing! If you have a vegetarian coming to your next cookout offer to make them one of these burgers. I'm sure they will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Here's how to make them...

Ingredients - Makes 4 Burgers
3 T Balsamic Vinegar
2 T Brown Sugar
1 T Dried Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Portobello Mushroom Caps, stems removed
4 Slices Smoked Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 C Mayo
4 Whole Wheat Buns
4 Slices Red Onion
4 Slices Roasted Red Pepper
1 Large Tomato, sliced
12 Fresh Basil Leaves

Directions

Begin by making the marinade: In a baking dish large enough for the mushrooms, combine the balsamic, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, and peppers. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Place the mushrooms into the marinade, coating both sides really well. Cover and marinate (at room temperature) for up to 2 hours.

Grill the mushrooms: Preheat a grill to med-high heat. Remove the mushrooms from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off. Do not discard the marinade. Place the mushrooms on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Place the cheese on each portobello (suggest gill side) and cook 2 more minutes. Remove and rest.

As the mushrooms cook, make the mayo: Combine 2 T of the marinade and the mayo in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. Also prepare the toppings.


Finally, build the burger: On the bottom bun, spread 1-2 T of the mayo. Top with the portobello, a slice of red onion, a slice of roasted red pepper, a slice or two of tomato, and 3 basil leaves. Make the other burgers and serve immediately with your favorite summer salad. Enjoy!

Summer Golden Beet Salad w/ Balsamic Drizzle Dressing

a mid-summer's night salad...

It's summer solstice or mid-summer or the longest day of the year as many say. A day where the sun is up its longest, making it the perfect time to celebrate the beginning of the summer season. Although it's not actually any longer than any other day of the year, we have more light (5 seconds more to be exact). So, have a picnic, grill out, or just have dinner for the family outside. Whatever you decide to do, try to at least stay up until the sun sets for our "longest day" of the year.

I've made this summer salad to kick off the season. It's fruity and earthy and quite beautiful. The colors make me think of the golden sun setting over an empty field. The reds, yellows, greens, and purples. I'm specifically focusing on balsamic vinegar for this series and its deep flavors and purple color. Make this salad to celebrate our "longest day". Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Summer Salad
3 Medium Golden Beets (~ 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 T Olive Oil, divided
3 C Arugula
1/2 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
1/4 C Dried Cranberries
1/4 C Pistachios, shelled & roughly chopped
4 oz. Plain Goat Cheese, crumbled

Balsamic Drizzle Dressing
1/3 C Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
2 tsp. Honey
Salt & Pepper

Directions
Begin by roasting the beets: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the top (leafy parts) and bottom off each of the beets. Note: you can save the leafy parts to cook or discard if they don't look good. Scrub the beets and pat them dry.

Lay out a large piece of heavy duty foil (or double up with regular foil). Place the beets on top and drizzle with 1/2 T olive oil. Rub to coat the beets well with the oil, then wrap them tightly in the foil. Put them in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove the beets from the oven, unwrap, and allow to partially cool, about 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, carefully (beets will still be a little hot), rub the skin from the outside of the beets, discard. Once all the skin has been removed, cut the beets into wedges. Set aside.

Prepare the onion for the salad: Put the onion slices into a small bowl and cover with cold water. Soaking the onion in cold water will take away a little of the harsh bite raw onions can have. Set aside.

Make the drizzle: In a small sauce pan, whisk the balsamic, mustard, and honey together. Over med-high heat, bring the mixture to a bubble. Simmer until the mixture is reduced to 1/4 C, approx. 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool.

Arrange the Salad: Dress the arugula with the remaining 1/2 T olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Then, on a large platter put the dressed arugula down first and top with the other ingredients in this order: red onion (drained), beets, cranberries, pistachios, and goat cheese. Drizzle the balsamic dressing over top. Serve immediately. Sun and summer have arrived! Enjoy.

Sparkling White Sangria

bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, bubbles...

I don't suppose anyone would want me to make a drink or dessert out of mussels. So, instead, I've made a drink that will pair well with mussels. My Aunt L made this delicious Sparkling White Sangria for my wedding shower a couple years ago. It's crisp and clean allowing the mussels to shine through even as you enjoy this drink. And, just as so many other recipes I've posted, it's super easy to make!

This drink can be made up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. It's great for a party or half the recipe for a smaller group - say 2 (ha!). As summer is just around the corner, I'm sure you'll find plenty of occasions to make this drink. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8-10
2, 750ml. Sparkling White Wine (suggest Prosecco)
1 1/2 C Cointreau
1 C Apple Juice (light okay)
1/2 C Orange Juice (no pulp)
1 Orange, thinly sliced
1 Red Apple, thinly sliced
1 Green Apple, thinly sliced
Fresh Mint for Serving

Directions
Combine all ingredients, except for the mint, in a large service. Chill for 1-4 hours. When ready, serve over ice with torn fresh mint. Cheers!

Linguine & Mussels in White Wine Sauce

light white wine dances with succulent mussels over pasta

This spring recipe will brighten your day. And, with all the rain we've had in Cincy this week - I needed this! It's light, bright, and lemony, but gives comfort only pasta can provide. Pairing mussels with white wine is an age old tradition, thanks northern Italy. So, I'm not messing with it much, or at all really.

This recipe is so simple and quick to prepare. It's the perfect mid-week dinner. I honestly think cleaning the mussels takes the most time. Before preparing this recipe, be sure to review my previous post for three key things you need to know before cooking mussels. Once you have those down, let's get cooking! Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1 1/2 lbs. Mussels, cleaned & debearded
2 T Unsalted Butter

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
2 Shallots, minced
1 - 1 1/2 C Dry White Wine (suggest Chardonnay)
1 Box (13.5 oz) Whole Wheat Linguine
Kosher Salt
1 Lemon, zest & juice
3 T Parsley, chopped
Serve w/ Crusty Bread

Directions
Begin by cleaning and debearding the mussels. Allow them to drain as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Heat a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add salt and the pasta just prior to adding the wine to the skillet (see below). Cook the pasta to al dente. Reserve 1 C of the cooking water before draining.

As the water comes to a boil, heat a large skillet over med-high. Add the butter, oil, garlic, and shallots. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and softened. Carefully add in the white wine. Bring to a bubble, then add the mussels. Cover and cook 4-6 minutes or until the mussels open. Discard any that don't.

Add the pasta and some of the reserved cooking water to the skillet with the mussels. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Add the zest and juice of the lemon, and more of the cooking water as needed, until a nice sauce forms.

Plate the pasta and mussels. Top with the parsley and serve with slices of the crusty bread (and the remainder of the wine). Mangia!

Thai Style Steamed Mussels

don't be intimidated, Thai this recipe out...

I've gone a little chef-y on you with this series - I'm featuring mussels. But, really, there isn't that much more to cooking them than say shrimp or a nice piece of fish. You just have to know how to clean and prepare them properly. There are three key things you need to know before cooking mussels:

1) You need to clean them really well - scrub them under cool running water with a hard bristled brush.

The beard: small "hairs" seen at bottom left

2) They have beards - not all of them do, but some of them will and you need to remove it. See the picture (right) where a tuft of "hair" is hanging from the mussel. All you have to do is grab it and tug it free, pulling left or right.

3) They MUST be alive - you do not want to eat a dead mussel, that can make you sick. You want mussels that are tightly shut or shut when you tap the shell. If there are any that are broken or don't close when you tap them, throw them away!!

Really that's all you need to know. Don't be afraid of them. They are much more afraid of us - wouldn't you be? We are going to eat them! So, step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Make this appetizer and impress your guests, here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 6-8 Appetizer Portions
2 1/2 lbs. Mussels, debearded & scrubbed
2 T Peanut Oil
2 Stalks Lemongrass, crushed
3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 inches Ginger, grated/minced
1 Serrano Pepper, chopped
1 Green Onion, chopped
1/2 C Dry White Wine
2 T Lime Juice
2 T Fish Sauce
1 Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk (suggest Chaokoh)
2 T Cilantro, chopped
2 T Basil, chopped
Serve: Crusty White Baguette

Directions
Begin by cleaning and debearding the mussels. Put them in a colander and allow them to drain.

Heat a large Dutch Oven over med-high heat. Add the oil, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, Serrano, and green onion. Cook for 2 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the wine, lime juice, fish sauce, and coconut milk. Cook for another minute.

Next, add the mussels. Stir to coat them with the broth and turn the heat down to medium. Cover the pot and steam for 4-6 minutes, until the mussels open. If any don't open, discard. They were dead already.

Finally, pour the mussels and the broth into a serving dish. Top with the chopped cilantro and basil. Serve with torn slices of crusty bread to soak up the best part - the flavorful broth. Enjoy with the remainder of the bottle of wine!