Month August 2012

Grilled Fruit Tailgate Sangria (aka- Steelers Sangria or Crimson Tide Sangria)

Carroll 1 Comment

I can smell the pigskin in the air…Football season is approaching swiftly and we are ready!   Tailgate food may possibly be my favorite cuisine.   In an effort to keep it light and not ruin a week of dieting, I’ll be mixing up some light sangria.  And to keep in theme of tailgate grilling, I will throw the fruit on the hot grill too!

Tailgate Sangria

I loved grilling the fruit for sangria, it really brought out the earthy flavors of the wine and cinnamon.   The char on the fruit pushed the drink into fall with its smokiness.  It also softens the booziness of the liquor, making it very drinkable…. Beware 🙂

  • 2 Granny Smith Apples, sliced in eighths
  • 1 Navel Orange, sliced in eighths
  • 2 Limes, sliced in eighths
  • 2 bottles red wine
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup diet cranberry juice
  • ½ cup cherry brandy
  • ½ cup orange curacao
  • ¾ cup simple syrup
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 36 ounces diet ginger ale, 3 cans

Over a hot grill, arrange the wedges on the racks and cook until fruit is just beginning to char, about 3-4 minutes per side. 

In a large gallon pitcher, combine the wine, juices, liquors, simple syrup and cinnamon stick.  Add the sliced fruit and chill overnight, (or at least a couple hours). 

When ready to serve, add the diet ginger ale to the sangria and pour over ice.

Makes about 1 gallon

Grilled Fruit Sangria

When I am at the grocery and see deep sales on red wine that I am unfamiliar with; I grab it up knowing that it will be perfect for sangria, if nothing else.   Some wine connoisseurs may disagree, but I see no reason to spend a lot of money on sangria. 

Red Wine is soaking up the grill flavor!

Grilled fruit would work great with white sangria as well; charred stone fruit with white wine would draw out the oak flavors of the white wine.   I am not a big chardonnay fan, so this would be a perfect answer to the bottles sitting on my shelf collecting dust. 

Any fruit will work if it is in season!

Cheers to football season, may the best teams win! Here we go Steelers and Roll Tide!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Carroll 5 Comments

Summer vacation has caught up with us, which is evident in the tightness of our pants.  Time to lighten up and hopefully we can knock these extra pounds off before football season starts.  With this goal, we really try to kick up the flavors in our dishes, which helps to satisfy the rumbles in the tummy that a diet brings. 

Lemon, Feta, Tomatoes, Basil…perfect blend of flavors!

For some people quinoa sounds a bit intimidating, even exotic, which may make it seem unapproachable.  The good news is that it is very simple to cook, almost as easy as rice.  It also is very versatile, and can be used in place of pasta or rice in many dishes; but gives you much more nutrients.   Read more about Quinoa here.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup raw quinoa
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon diced onion
  • 10 grape tomatoes, split in half
  • 1 tablespoon chiffonade, sliced basil
  • 2 tablespoon crumbled feta
  • 4 cups arugula or preferred greens

Method

Cook the quinoa according to the packaging.  While the grains are cooking prepare the vinaigrette.  Combine the lemon zest, juice, vinegar and mustard in a mixing bowl.  Whisk aggressively while slowly adding in the oil.  After the quinoa is cooked, transfer it to a shallow container and pour ½ of the vinaigrette over the grains, mixing well.  Adding the vinaigrette to the quinoa while it is still hot will help the flavor steep into the grains.  Add in the onions, tomatoes, basil and feta as well, giving the chance for all the flavors to mingle and blossom.   Cool the salad until ready to serve. 

When ready to serve, toss the greens with remaining vinaigrette and assemble the plate by putting the greens on the plate, followed by the quinoa salad.

Serves 2-4, depending how hungry everyone is!

Healthy and tasty summer dish!

My mom, Queenie, was the one that taught me to put vinaigrette onto the grains (potatoes, pasta, ect) when they came out of the pot.  This trick, in my opinion is the secret to any great cooked salad. (Queenie, thank you)

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Cheers to the fast approaching end of summer!  Enjoy!!

Silver Queen Corn Risotto

Carroll 1 Comment

My husband, Sir Wes, took a trip to his hometown recently, Fairhope, Alabama, AKA- LA.  He thoughtfully brought me back a sack of fresh Silver Queen corn from one of the local delicatessens of lower Alabama.   The roads of southern Alabama are filled with stands selling the local bounty, and I, along with the rest of Alabama just love it!  We had a few cobs before we had to head out of town so I cut the rest off the cob and stuck it in the freezer for another day.

Silver Queen Corn in all its glory!

While summer usually demands light and easy food, there are times when you crave a rich, comfort dish.  Making a risotto out of summer corn provides a little bit of both!

Alabama Risotto

Silver Queen Corn Risotto

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup diced onion
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 2 ¼ cup Silver Queen Corn kernels, feel free to substitute your favorite local corn
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 ¼ cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon white corn meal, PAN is the brand I use
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup shredded parmesan
  • 2 tablespoon chopped basil
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Mise en Place for a untraditional risotto!

Start by heating the olive oil in a medium pan and add the onions and chopped garlic.  Sauté over medium high heat for a few minutes until the onions become translucent.  Add corn kernels and sauté until slightly toasted, bringing out the natural corn sugars.   Add the wine and deglaze the pan.  Slowly add the chicken stock, ½ cup at a time simmering to release the starches from the corn.  Sprinkle the corn meal into the pan and stir continuously, while the broth starts to thicken.  Pour in both milks, simmering for a few minutes; afterwards adding in the parmesan and basil.   Season the risotto with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.  Add in grilled shrimp or chicken to make a perfect meal!

Serves 2- 4 people.

Sweet and Cream Corn Riso!

Thanks to Sir Wes for this great gift from the Alabama farmers.  If you haven’t ever tried this variety of corn, you must!

Silver Queen Corn Risotto

Basil adds the perfect touch!

Cheers to long summer days, pool pruned fingers and the gifts from the cornfields!