Sparkling Lemon Ginger Cooler

 Happy Sunday Funday!

I love all things lemon and ginger, so was super excited to find this recipe on Zite. It's like grown-up lemon aid, and it's delicious. The only change I'd make would be to add more ginger to the syrup...can't wait to make these again!

Cheers!

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 1.5 oz. lemon ginger simple syrup (recipe below)
• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 oz. (or enough to top off your glass) Prosecco

Method:

1. Please a good handful of ice in a tall glass.
2. Add simple syrup, vodka, and lemon juice - mix well.
3. Top with Prosecco - mix again.
4. Garnish with a lemon slice.

Lemon Ginger Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 C water
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1 oz. fresh ginger, grated (a piece just a bit smaller than a golf ball)
• Zest of one large lemon

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves - just a couple of minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let steep until it comes to room temperature.
4. Strain twice to remove all the pulp.
5. Use immediately or keep unused portions in an air tight container in he fridge.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak (with Chimichurri Sauce)

If the chimichurri sauce was good by itself, it was amazing with a deliciously marinated, perfectly grilled flank steak!

The steak we cooked was a little over a pound (the recipe called for a two-pound steak), but I forgot to halve the marinade. I actually think it worked out well, though - since it marinated for two days, the extra sauce made for an incredibly tender piece of meat.

I would absolutely make this again - maybe next week! ;-)

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• 3/4 C extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. hot sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp. lower sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. steak seasoning
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1.25 lb. beef flank steak

Method:

1. In a gallon sized Ziploc bag, combine all marinade ingredients: garlic through cumin. Mix well.
2. Add steak to the bag and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. (Or for 2 days if it suites you.)
3. When ready to cook, spray grill grate with cooking oil and preheat to medium.
4. Grill steak for 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.
5. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Cut meat across the grain into thin, slanting slices.
7. Serve with chimichurri sauce.

Chimichurri Sauce

It's been ages since I've posted anything. Long story about not being able to get pictures off of my old phone, but not realizing that until after I deleted all food pictures from said phone. Finally got my act together this weekend with a new phone and immediately took a picture of our Sunday Funday dinner in the making.

Except we didn't have it on Sunday. Got sidetracked at Villa Napoletana.

So it's Manic Monday dinner.

I didn't really know what chimichurri sauce was, but it's fun to say and sounds interesting. Saw a recipe for it in Big Y's magazine last week so decided to give it a try.

Because of the raw onion and garlic and the vinegar, it was pretty sharp when I first made it. Since it had an extra day to mellow out in the fridge, though, it is much smoother. Can't wait to try it with grilled flank steak tonight!

Shockingly, our new Ninja blender does in fact make more than just frozen cocktails...

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• 3/4 C extra virgin olive oil

Method:

• In a food processor or blender, combine parsley, shallot, garlic, and seasonings.
• Pulse to combine well.
• With the motor running, stream in the vinegar and oil in a steady stream.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl/blender and pulse a few times to combine.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Source: Big Y

Lamb Stew with Onions and Potatoes

Each time I make a new recipe I take a photo of it, intending to blog about it right away. Unfortunately, no matter how much of a hit a dish may have been, it doesn't always make it from table top to laptop as timely as I'd like.

We made this lamb stew one cold weekend at the beach, months ago. Aside from the lamb itself, you likely have everything else you need on hand. And, unlike beef stew, which I find tends to come out tasting a little bland no matter how much you doctor it up, this was more complex. The wine certainly helped, as did the gaminess of the lamb. Served with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up the silky gravy, it was perfect for a cold, windy night on PI.

The calendar may say it's Spring but, with another snow storm predicted for the next couple of days, there may be one last stew dinner we can indulge in. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 C olive oil
• 3 lbs. boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat and sinew, and cut into 2" cubes
• 2 T flour
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 C dry red wine
• 3 1/2 C beef stock
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1 large onion, large diced
• 12 small red-skinned potatoes, halved
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper. Toss the lamb with the flour in a large bowl to coat.
3. Working in 2 batches, add the lamb to the pot and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a bowl.
4. Pour off the excess oil.
5. Add the garlic to the same pot and saute over medium heat until tender and fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Add the wine and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes.
7. Return the lamb to the pot.
8. Stir in the broth, tomatoes with their juices, and tomato paste. Cover partially and simmer over medium-low until the lamb is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
9. Add the onions, potatoes, and carrots to the stew.
10. Simmer until the lamb and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes longer.
11. Season the stew, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Source:  Food Network

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

We eat well at the beach. Anywhere, really, but at the beach especially.

It helps that your internal clock switches to "vacation time" as soon as you come over the bridge into Newburyport. Whether you're there for the night, a weekend, or your summer vacation week, there's something that's just different about time spent on the water.

And, how can food not play a huge role in that, when each day starts with a "committee meeting" to decide on the day's culinary adventure? Most often it's breakfast in (unless someone suggests Mad Martha's...and the wait's not too long), lunch out (but a grilled ham and cheese at home works, too), and dinner in (well...what does the Plum Island Grille have for specials?!). Grocery lists are drafted, reservations made, plans set.

It's a lazy, comfortable, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of time - is it any wonder it's one of my favorite places to be?!

We'll next be there for Easter weekend, and we have a fabulous menu planned.  Can't wait to share it with you!

This apple crisp is by far the best I've ever had. Most crisps tastes pretty much the same to me - not much distinguishes one from the next. Until now. The orange and lemon put it truly over the top. And they aren't just background flavors; they compliment the apples perfectly while standing on their own, as well.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds McIntosh or Macoun apples
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 T freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 T freshly squeezed lemon  juice
• 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 C flour
• 3/4 C sugar
• 3/4 C light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 C oatmeal
• 1/2 lb. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.
2. Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges.
3. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the baking dish.
4. To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.
5. Place the crisp on a sheet pan to catch any juices and bake for 1 hour or until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.