Bonefish Grill: Fresh Pineapple Martini

I'm not going to lie...I'm a girl that likes a little drink before her dinner.  Especially after a long week at work.  So when I ended up at Bonefish Grill one weekend, I selected this tropical number as my special evening drink.  I can't even tell you how delicious the vanilla syrup is with the pineapple.  And the elderflower liqueur adds this floral note.  A really beautiful summer drink.

Fresh Pineapple Martini
Adapted from Bonefish Grill

1 ounce Malibu rum
½ ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur
½ ounce Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup
½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 fresh pineapple wedges

Drop two pineapple wedges into a pint glass.  Add vanilla syrup; muddle well until all the pineapple is broken up.  Pack with ice and add remaining ingredients.Shake vigorously twenty times and strain into a frozen martini glass.  Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Makes one cocktail

Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup
From Absolut

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium heat in a small sauce pan. Continue to cook at a rapid simmer until the mixture thickens a bit, around 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla bean paste and let it cool to room temperature. Pour the mixture into a glass jar or a bottle and refrigerate. The syrup will last for around 2 weeks.

Pork Chop Paprikash and Homemade in the Kitchen: Strapačky (Noodles with Cabbage)

What do you do with a big package of pork chops and a mostly-full container of sour cream?  You make a recipe to use them up, of course!  And every time I googled pork chops and sour cream, some version of this recipe came up in the results.  So after reading about 30 different renditions, I came home and whipped up this one.

Pork Chop Paprikash

4 to 5 bone-in pork chops
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 green bell pepper (about ⅓ pound), cut into strips
2 Hungarian wax peppers, cut into strips (optional)
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1½ cups sour cream
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Season the pork chops with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

In an Instant Pot set on Sauté, brown pork chops on both sides.  Remove pork chops to a plate, then add the bell pepper, wax pepper, mushrooms, and onions.  Sauté until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have released their liquid.  Add the garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds.  Stir in the paprika, tomatoes, chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce, then add the pork chops back to the sauce.

Cover and seal, then cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.  Do a natural release for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure.  Open the lid and remove the pork chops to a plate.

Set the Instant Pot back on Sauté, then stir the sour cream into the sauce.  Put the cornstarch in a small bowl, then add several tablespoons of the hot sauce until a paste forms.  Add the paste to the sauce, stirring until the sauce thickens.  Add the pork chops back to the thickened sauce and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Strapačky (Noodles with Cabbage)
Adapted from Homemade in the Kitchen blog

8 ounces wide egg noodles
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus additional if needed
½ medium onion, chopped
½ green cabbage, chopped in bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add a big pinch of salt and egg noodles. Cook according to package directions, roughly 10 to 12 minutes. Drain when done.

Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add the onion, cabbage, and a big pinch of salt. Sauté for 15 to 20 minutes or until cabbage is brown and fork tender. Add more salt to taste, if necessary.

Add the cooked noodles to the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. If necessary, add additional butter. Toss in the caraway seeds and season with black pepper.

Makes 4 servings

German Traditional Cooking: Gurkensalat (Cucumber Salad)

I feel like I've been planning to make this cucumber salad for what seems like forever, but it just never happened.  I always enjoy this dish when I go to German restaurants, but considering how easy it is to throw together, I'm shocked it's just now getting made.  Light and delicious for summer.

Gurkensalat (Cucumber Salad)
Adapted from German Traditional Cooking

1 large hothouse seedless cucumber
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
Sea salt and ground white pepper

Peel the cucumber leaving some of the green rind.  Slice it very thinly.  Mix the salt and sugar into the vinegar, and marinate the cucumber in this mixture for 30 minutes.  Drain off the liquid, mix the sour cream, dill, and chives with the cucumber, and season to taste with additional sea salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

Cooking Classy: Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

I wasn't sure what my contribution to Mother's Day dinner would be until a strawberry shortcake was requested.  Normally strawberry shortcake is a pretty involved affair, with multiple separate cakes and a complex layering process to be repeated over and over.  It's not such a big deal if there's four or less people, but when you get above six, it can feel like forever before you get to your own dessert.  I decided to try making a trifle, which means just one layering process, and then dessert is ready!  The trifle was absolutely delicious, everyone was a fan, and I especially liked the cream cheese in the whipped cream.  I'll definitely make this again.

Note: When I took the cake out of the oven, I poked it all over with a toothpick and then I brushed it with Licor 43 (Cuarenta y Tres), a vanilla-flavored liqueur.  Absolutely not necessary, but I love to gild the lily a bit now and then.

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Adapted from Cooking Classy blog

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

Strawberry layer
3 pints fresh strawberries, diced, plus several additional whole berries, for garnish
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon Kirsch

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¾ teaspoon grated orange peel

Cream layer
2 cups heavy cream
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
¾ cup powdered sugar

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and baking powder, set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter, sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time then mix in vanilla. Add a third of the flour mixture and mix just until combined then add in half the sour cream and mix just until combined, repeat with flour and sour cream once more then end by mixing in last third of the flour mixture and mixing just until combined (scrape down bowl to ensure it's evenly combined).
Pour and spread batter evenly into prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 to 24 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, cut into 1-inch cubes (you'll have some leftover cake which you can chill or freeze and serve later with more fresh fruit and whipped cream).

For the strawberry layer:

Toss diced strawberries with the remaining ingredients. Let rest 20 minutes.

For the cream layer:

In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer whip heavy cream until soft peaks form (no need to clean beater blades for next step). In a separate medium mixing bowl whip cream cheese until smooth, add powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste and whip until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese mixture to heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form.

To assemble trifle:

Place a layer of cake cubes in the bottom of a trifle dish. Add half of strawberries over the cake. Spoon half of cream mixture on top of strawberries and smooth to the edges of the bowl. Repeat layering process once more. 

Garnish with fresh strawberries. Serve within an hour for best results (the cake can be made a day in advance and covered, just wait to prepare the cream mixture and strawberries until almost ready to serve).