Noble Pig: World's Best Cosmopolitan

When I went to the liquor store to pick up some citron vodka for this drink, the lady at the checkout asked what I was making with it - margarita? Cosmopolitan?  When I confirmed it was a cosmopolitan, she told me: "I don't need to card you then.  If you know what a cosmo is, you're old enough to drink."  I'm not sure how I feel about essentially being called old, but I'm 100% okay with making up a couple of glasses of this delicious concoction.

Note: If you like yours a little sweeter, use the higher amount of cranberry juice.

World's Best Cosmopolitan
Adapted from Noble Pig blog

2½ ounce citron vodka, such as Absolut Citron (do not substitute plain vodka)

1 ounce Cointreau or Patron Citrónge 

1 to 1½ ounce cranberry juice

½ ounce fresh lime juice

Finely crushed ice
Orange peel or lime wheel, for garnish

Add vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice and fresh lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until very cold. Strain into a cold martini glass and finish of with a scoop of very finely, crushed ice. Garnish with an orange peel.

Garlic Delight: Oyster Mushrooms Sautéed with Garlic Butter

I was taking a walk the other day, and on the trunk of a partially dead weeping willow tree was this fantastic profusion of mushroom caps.  Being a mushroom lover, I stopped dead in my tracks and went to examine this beauty.  After much consideration (and a boatload of research), I had pretty well convinced myself they were oyster mushrooms.  So I went back and harvested them the next day.  And I cooked them.  No, I am not crazy.  They turned out fantastic, and I didn't die or start seeing things that don't exist, so bonus points for that.  I recommend you purchase yours in the regular grocery store, just to be safe.

Oyster Mushrooms Sautéed with Garlic Butter
From Garlic Delight blog

12 ounces oyster mushrooms, any oyster mushrooms work or use a mixture
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

If the mushrooms aren't already split apart, separate them into individual "petals" (the fruiting body, including the cap and stipe). You can leave the small oyster mushrooms and cook them as is. If you're cooking King Oyster mushrooms, cut the caps off. Then slice the stipe into flat cylinders about ½-inch thick.

Heat the frying pan over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons of butter. When the butter looks like it's half melted (meaning most of the butter is liquid but there is still some soft solid chunks), turn the heat down to low.

Add the chopped garlic into the butter. Stir to combine.  Add the chopped mushrooms to the garlic and butter.  Stir the mushrooms so they are coated in the garlic butter.

Leave the mushrooms to sauté in the garlic butter. The oyster mushrooms should begin to soften. If you're using pink oyster mushrooms, they should begin turning gold.  Keep the heat low such that you see the garlic and mushrooms sizzle around the edges but they are not turning brown quickly. If the garlic is turning brown within 2 to 3 minutes, turn the heat down to avoid burning the garlic.

Add the salt and pepper. Stir to combine. After adding the salt, the mushrooms should wilt further and release any liquid they may be holding.  The mushrooms should be cooked through by now. They are ready to serve. Optionally, you can caramelize them further if you're not in a hurry and want to add extra flavor.

If you want to caramelize the mushrooms, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter as the mushrooms have likely soaked up all the previously added fat.  Spread the mushrooms into one layer with even spacing between them. Avoid stirring them too much as you want to give them adequate contact time with the hot pan to caramelize.

Allow the mushrooms to cook until they are browned on the edges. The butter should have also developed a golden brown color and a nutty aroma.  Flip the mushrooms once to caramelize both sides. Once the mushrooms are brown to your satisfaction, turn the heat off and allow the mushrooms to cook in the residual heat while you prepare to serve them.

Serve the sautéed oyster mushrooms as a side dish or a topping. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings

365 Days of Crockpot: Instant Pot Creamy Sausage Parmesan Pasta

So, the inspiration for this dish was rather mundane - I wanted to clear some stuff out of my pantry and fridge.  Plus, any time I can dump a bunch of stuff into a cooker and let it handle the process for me is a big win in my book.  I had never cooked pasta in the Instant Pot before, so I wasn't sure if the five minute cook time was really going to do it, but it turned out fantastic, so I guess now I'm a believer.

Instant Pot Creamy Sausage Parmesan Pasta
Adapted from 365 Days of Crockpot blog

1 pound Italian sausage

10 to 12 cremini mushrooms, quartered

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried sage

1¾ cup chicken broth 

1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 pound trottole pasta
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach

Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. When the display says HOT, add in the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Brown the sausage for about 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms.  Continue to sauté until the mushrooms release their water and then it cooks off.  Sprinkle the sausage mixture with the garlic powder, onion powder, and sage, and stir to combine.  Deglaze the pot with the chicken broth, then add the tomatoes and the pasta.

Cover and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to HIGH for 5 minutes.  When the time is up perform a quick release by moving the valve to venting.  Once the valve has dropped, remove the lid.  Stir in the cream and parmesan cheese. Stir in the spinach until it has wilted down.

Makes 6 servings

Alton Brown: Beef Jerky

So I recently bought myself a Excalibur dehydrator.  Because why not.  I mean, this is a pandemic.  That means I can buy whatever weird cooking implement I can think of, and I am not to be judged.  But back to the dehydrator.  What is the first thing most people think of to make in a dehydrator?  That's right, jerky.  So of course I had to whip up a batch.  And it was fan-frickin-tastic.  Alton Brown is definitely one of my go-to chefs.

Note: Alton has a lot of instructions about building your own dehydrator set.  But I just stuck it in my premade dehydrator because I don't hate uni-taskers with the same passion Alton does.  Mine took about 5 hours to dry, but follow your unit's directions.

Beef Jerky

From Alton Brown

1½ to 2 pounds flank steak
⅔ cup Worcestershire sauce
⅔ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Trim the steak of any excess fat, place in a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up. This makes the meat much easier to slice.

Remove steak from the freezer and thinly slice, with the grain, into long strips.  Place the strips of meat, along with all of the remaining ingredients, in the zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Put the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat on 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug it in, and set it to medium.

Allow the meat to dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.

Once dry, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Nestlé: Chocolate Truffle Pie

Sometimes a girl just needs a little chocolate.  Okay, a lot of chocolate.  And in those instances, the more delicious the chocolate, the better.  So why not a chocolate cookie crust filled with chocolate truffle?  It perfectly satisfied my craving, but I must warn you - it's VERY rich.  Very.  You may need a glass of milk with it.  But it will definitely scratch that chocolate itch.

Chocolate Truffle Pie

Adapted from Nestlé

1 prepared 9-inch (6-ounce) Oreo cookie crust
1½ cups heavy cream

2 large egg yolks
¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 (12-ounce) package Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon salted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together heavy cream, egg yolks, and espresso powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is very hot and thickens slightly; do not boil. Remove from heat; stir in morsels, butter, and vanilla extract until morsels are completely melted and mixture is smooth.

Pour into crust; refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.

Makes 10 servings

I Am a Food Blog: Full English Breakfast

This isn't so much a recipe as a set of directions for balancing the preparation of multiple breakfast items at one time so that you arrive at the finish line with a fantastic hot meal, care of our cousins across the Atlantic.  And as long as you can get past the fact that there are beans for breakfast, you'll be just fine.  Make sure and serve with milky tea.

Note: Here is a picture of the ingredients I used.  If you want to be super authentic, you need that teal can of beans.  Alas, I was not able to locate black pudding from any grocery delivery service, so I was missing one item.  Still think I did well, considering the pandemic constraints.  I also added a little Italian herb mixture to the mushrooms and tomatoes; they were delicious.

Full English Breakfast

Adapted from I Am a Food Blog

1 can beans Heinz preferred
4 links sausage, breakfast sausage preferred
4 slices back bacon or Irish bacon
4 slices black pudding, if desired
1 cup white mushrooms, halved or sliced
2 small tomatoes, halved
4 slices white bread
4 large eggs

Heat up the beans over low in a small pot. Keep warm on low.

Cook the sausages over medium to medium low heat, turning occasionally, until brown and cooked through. In the same pan, cook the bacon, flipping as needed. Fry the blood pudding slices over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

In another pan, heat up a bit of oil or butter, and cook the mushrooms, without moving, until brown and caramelized. Remove from the pan, then sear the cut side of the tomato briefly. Remove from the pan, season everything with salt and pepper.

Wipe the pan down and heat up a bit of oil or butter over medium heat. Fry the bread until golden, flipping and adding more oil or butter as needed. Remove and set aside. Finally, fry the eggs to your liking. Plate everything up: sausages, bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, tomato, bread, and eggs. Enjoy immediately!

Makes 2 large servings that will keep you full all day

Garlic and Chives: Bò Lúc Lắc (Shaking Beef)

There's a local Vietnamese restaurant that serves this pretty fantastic beef dish.  No, I mostly do not order phở like everyone else.  I wasn't even sure what I was ordering the first time, but I was very happily surprised.  The next step?  Trying to figure out how to make it at home.  Luckily, a restaurant in California was spilling its secrets!  For a dish that's pretty simple, ingredient-wise, this recipe yields a very flavorful dinner in not much time at all.

Bò Lúc Lắc (Shaking Beef)
Adapted from Garlic and Chives restaurant, Garden Grove, CA as seen at Plate Art for Kids blog

1½ pounds filet mignon or boneless ribeye steak

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium green bell pepper

1 medium sweet onion

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

Marinade:

6 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Salad:

1½ teaspoons granulated sugar

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Pinch kosher salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1½ tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 shallot, thinly sliced

Dash sesame oil

4 cups Romaine lettuce leaves, chopped, or watercress leaves

Trim excess fat from beef, and then cut into ¾-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Add the beef and toss well to coat. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

For the dressing: In large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar and water. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the shallot and sesame oil. Put the romaine or watercress salad on top but hold off on tossing.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the cubed beef and spread it out in one layer. Cook in batches, if necessary. Let the beef sear for about 1 minute, before shaking the wok or skillet to sear another side. Cook for another 30 seconds or so and shake. Cook the beef this way for about 4 minutes total, until nicely browned and medium rare. Add cubed bell peppers and onions. Finally, add the dark soy sauce to enhance the flavor and color of the beef.

In between shakes, toss the romaine or watercress salad and transfer onto a platter or serving dish. When the beef is done, pile the beef on top of the romaine or watercress salad and serve immediately with lots of rice.

Makes 4 servings