Recipes

It’s always been a struggle for me to truly enjoy eating salads – I’ll admit it. But growing up, drenching some lettuce in this sweet Italian dressing was a sure-fire way to get me to partake in some veggies. This is the primary salad topper I remember my mom making as a kid and it is still one of my go-to recipes today, because it is quick and delicious. Just throw all the ingredients in the food processor and you’re done!

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
Handful fresh parsley (about 1/4 c. unchopped)
Pinch crushed red pepper

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender. Pulse until well-blended and parsley is no longer in large pieces. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Drizzle the finished dressing on your favorite greens for salad. Toss in some toasted walnuts, bacon, shredded mozzarella, and diced tomatoes for an easy side for any meal.

This dressing is great just on spinach or romaine lettuce, but I have also used it as a marinade for chicken, and it turned out wonderfully juicy and flavorful. Alternatively, try it as a the base for a potato or pasta salad recipe, or toss broccoli or asparagus in it before roasting them in the oven.

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Caroline

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I made this recipe recently for my family’s Preakness Party, mainly because crab cakes were a good choice for “Maryland” cuisine. The crab cakes ended up being a huge hit – we had no leftovers! This appetizer recipe is both easy and elegant for entertaining, so if you enjoy seafood, this is a great choice for your next gathering. I like to bake my crab cakes instead of frying them; I find they are less likely to burn, and they are healthier that way.

Ingredients:

For the crab cake bites:

1 8 oz package of lump crab meat (juice drained)
2/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 T. whole grain mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning (find it near the seafood section)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Dash of salt

For the garlic-mustard aioli dipping sauce:

1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
2 tsp. hot sauce
2 tsp. ketchup
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 T. whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Chopped chives, for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375º F.  Start by picking through the crab meat with your fingers, to make sure that there are no bits of shell (I hate this part – but it’s worth it, no one wants to eat shell pieces).  In a medium-sized bowl, gently combine all of the crab cake ingredients until all components are fully incorporated; do not over-mix. Place mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill; this will help make the patties easier to form.

Once the mixture has chilled, spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray to ensure the crab cakes don’t stick on the bottom. Form the crab mixture into small patties, about the size of a poker chip, and place them on the cookie sheet. Leave at least an inch of space between each crab cake on the sheet. Bake the mini crab cakes for about 15 minutes, or until the crab cakes are set and the bottoms are golden brown.

While the mini crab cakes are in the oven, make the garlic-mustard aioli. Mix together all sauce ingredients except chives, salt, and pepper. Taste for flavor; add salt and pepper as needed. Top aioli with sprinkling of chives. Serve this sauce on the side for guests to dip mini crab cakes in it.

Place the crab cakes on a vintage cake stand or a pretty platter with dipping sauce in the center and enjoy! What are your favorite appetizer recipes?

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Caroline

You need an expensive, as-seen-on-tv soda maker to make your own soda, correct? Wrong! Making different flavors of fruit soda is actually really easy to do at home, without any sort of fancy gadget. I chose rhubarb for this recipe, because it is a beautiful pink color and happens to be in season, but try substituting other fruits such as strawberries or black cherries instead!

Ingredients:

1 pound rhubarb (approximately 8-10 stalks)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 quart Seltzer Water
Ice

Start by scrubbing the rhubarb stalks. Chop the cleaned stalks into small pieces, roughly 1″ in size. Place the rhubarb pieces, water, and sugar into a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let cook for 30 minutes. Set the pan aside for mixture to cool and thicken. When it has cooled completely, pour the syrup into a fine-mesh sieve with a bowl underneath it. Let the mixture drain for approximately one hour, or until the liquid has separated from the rhubarb pulp. Store strained syrup in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

To make the soda itself, put 3 tablespoons of the cooled syrup into the bottom of a glass. Top with 1 cup of seltzer water and mix well to combine. Add ice to the glass. Enjoy!

Now that you’ve made all this sweet syrup, what do you with it other than making pop? Here are some more ideas:

• Drizzle some over vanilla ice cream for a delicious sundae
• Mix some vodka into the seltzer for a refreshing cocktail
• Pour a little into a fluted glass and top with champagne for a fun bellini
• Top pancakes with it for a new breakfast twist
• Mix with a little balsamic vinegar and brush onto grilled chicken for a savory glaze

What other fruit and soda combos would you like to try? Let me know in the comments below!

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Caroline

There’s nothing better than the first grilled meal of the season. One of the first things I wanted to make this year when the weather allowed was Maple-Mustard Pork. This simple and scrumptious recipe is fit for a fancy dinner party, but is casual enough for a summer BBQ.

Ingredients:

1 pound trimmed pork tenderloin
1/2 cup real maple syrup (I used Simple Gourmet Hickory Syrup – found at Celebrate Local)
3 T. whole grain mustard
3 T. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. garlic, chopped
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients except for pork in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine into a marinade. Place the pork in a container with a lid. Generously coat the pork with the marinade, and cover with the lid. Let the tenderloin marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or at least for 4 hours.  Once the pork is done marinating, be sure to keep the excess marinade that is left in the container.

Brush the grates of your grill with vegetable oil to prevent the tenderloin from sticking. Place the marinated meat on the grill, in an area of indirect heat (not on top of the flame). Turn the pork throughout the grilling process so all sides are evenly cooked. Every 15 minutes, brush on some of the reserved maple-mustard marinade. Cook the pork until the internal temperature reaches 140° F when checked with a meat thermometer. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, then slice into 1 inch pieces.

If any of the marinade is left after the basting process, place the liquid in a saucepan. Bring the leftover marinade to a boil, stirring at a boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 more minutes to reduce liquid. Place reduced marinade over sliced tenderloin. Serve this easy dish with Brussels Sprouts or smashed redskin potatoes on the side, or thinly carve the leftovers and make a memorable sandwich. Enjoy!

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Caroline

I’m going to come out and say it: I love cheese! In any form. So when a few years ago my husband suggested that once a month we have wine and cheese for dinner, I was on board. The only thing better than cheese is cheese paired with wine. Making a cheese plate is an easy way to entertain, because serving a cheese plate as an appetizer platter looks fancy, but requires little work on your part. Little effort is a good thing, in my world.

Start by getting a mix of cheese styles: soft, mild, aged, hard, smoked, and blue. Here are some examples to mix and match: buttermilk blue, sharp Irish cheddar, smoked Gouda, baby Swiss, Camembert, and honey goat cheese. Columbus has some great farmer’s markets, and you can often find local cheesemakers, such as Laurel Valley Creamery and Blue Jacket Dairy touting their wares at these events.

So what else to put on the plate? I like to add a variety of flavors and textures. I always have some kind of jam, generally apricot, because it adds that perfect balance of sweetness and tang. Other fruit items, like thinly sliced apples, grapes, and figs are also a good idea. Now let’s talk about meat. I love the saltiness that prosciutto or salami brings to a cheese platter, but Serrano ham is a fun addition too. Whole grain mustard is a must, adding that perfect bite to your cheeses.

Now where do you put all of these goodies? On crackers or crostini! You can buy pre-toasted bread slices for crostini in most groceries in the bakery section. Near the cheese department, you can generally get interesting cracker varieties as well. I like to get a mix of wheat entertainer crackers, pretzel thins, or pita chips. Add some roasted red peppers, pickled artichokes, or nuts on the side, and you are all set to entertain!

Here are some of my favorite places in Columbus to get unique kinds of cheese:

Curds and Whey (North Market): http://www.northmarket.com/meet-the-market/our-merchants/curds-whey.aspx

Hills Market (Downtown + Worthington) : http://thehillsmarket.com/

Giant Eagle Market District (Campus) : http://www.marketdistrict.com/Locations/Kingsdale.aspx

Weiland’s Market (Clintonville) : http://www.weilandsmarket.com/

Blue Jacket Dairy (Worthington Farmer’s Market) : www.bluejacketdairy.com

Laurel Valley Creamery (Athen’s Farmer’s Market) : http://www.laurelvalleycreamery.com/site/#/home/

Whole Foods (Upper Arlington):  https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/upperarlington

Katzinger’s Deli (German Village):  http://www.katzingers.com/

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Caroline

It’s no secret that I love a craft cocktail from places around town such as Curio, Mouton, or Denmark on High (posts to come, of course).  However, with all the snow central Ohio has been experiencing lately, sometimes you just want to curl up by the fire at home. Enter my new obsession: infusing liquor myself. It is super easy, and in all likelihood, you already have ingredients on hand to try one!

I have found that the larger-sized Mason jars are best for making these concoctions. They seal well, they have a built-in measurement guide on the jar, and because they are clear, you can see what is going on in there.

Blackberry Bourbon

• 2 cups quality bourbon
• 1 pint fresh blackberries

Take a clean Mason jar and place the blackberries inside. Use a muddling stick or wooden spoon to break up the berries a little. This will help them start to macerate and release their juice into your bourbon.

Fill the Mason jar with the 2 cups bourbon. Place the lid on tightly, and put the jar in a cool, dark place like a cupboard. Every day, take the jar out and turn it upside down and shake it a little to be sure it distributes properly. Be patient, and find other delicious things to drink in the meantime. After about 7 days, the infusion is done. That’s it!

Notice how the color has changed after 2 days.

As a bourbon aficionado, I drank Blackberry Bourbon both on the rocks and later, mixed with a little sweet tea, but I can’t wait for summer to come so I can add this to lemonade for a fruity and potent cocktail.

How long to let it sit? This really depends on the level of taste you want. Try a spoonful of the liquid every couple days until the desired taste is achieved.  For more potent items like cinnamon or coffee, you don’t need more than a few days. Fruits like pineapples and lemons, which break down more slowly, need a couple weeks.

The beauty of these infusions is that you can create as much or as little of the mixture as you’d like. If you aren’t quite sure how the pairing will work out, try it in a small amount. Have multiple infusion jars going at once so you are always prepared to make a new drink. The other wonderful aspect of infusions is that they take a lot of the alcohol “burn” out of the spirit, and can make you a believer in a liquor you might not normally sample.

Enjoy on the rocks

Here are some of my other favorite pairings:

1. Gin + Cucumbers

I can’t stand cucumbers, but my friends love this one. Cucumbers are a pretty potent ingredient, so this one only needs a few days. Add some tonic or soda water and you’ve got a cocktail already.

2. Bourbon + Coffee

This one would be great churned in with some vanilla ice cream, but I have trouble saving it long enough. Hello brunch cocktails!

3. Rum + Pineapple

This duo screams to be mixed into any tropical drink. Margaritas, mojitos, daiquiris, you name it.

4. Apple + Cinnamon + Whiskey

Apple Pie Moonshine is trendy right now, but you can get a similar flavor and cut out the cooking step that the traditional recipe requires.

5. Vodka + Almost Anything

Take a page out of new slider joint Cray’s book and pair this neutral spirit with anything you can imagine. They have kinds with Skittles or gummy bears for martinis and even garlic for bloody marys. The possibilities are endless!

My new mission is to try and recreate the Mobster Manhattan from Prohibition Gastro Lounge, which used a maple bacon-infused Woodford Reserve.

What combos have you tried? Any suggestions for what infusion I should attempt next?  Leave them in the comments below.

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Caroline