Grilled Artichokes with Artichoke-Mint Dip by Eat Snooth via Epicurious

makes 6 servings

This dip is also delicious with thin baguette slices, toast, crackers, or tortilla chips.

ingredients

• 8 whole artichokes
• 1 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

preparation

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Using scissors, cut off spiky tips from artichokes. Using spoon, scrape out chokes from centers. Wrap each artichoke in foil. Using tines of fork, poke holes in foil. Grill until leaves pull away easily from heart, turning occasionally, about 40 minutes. Unwrap artichokes. Discard any outer leaves that may be charred and any tough inner leaves. Arrange 6 artichokes on platter. Remove leaves from remaining 2 artichokes and place on platter. Transfer artichoke hearts to processor. Add mint, cream cheese, and oil; blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer dip to bowl and place on platter.
http://eat.snooth.com/recipe-pairing-guide/r/grilled-artichokes-with-artichoke-mint-dip

Tapas Style Menu from The Fresh Market

Traditionally a collection of Spanish appetizers, Tapas in America has now evolved into a full meal consisting of several courses of small delicious dishes. The servings for each offering are small, but it allows you to indulge in an assortment of flavors.  Prepare our mouth-watering menu of items featuring dishes like Pomegranate and Feta Field Green Salad, Smoked Salmon wrapped Asparagus Spears and Raspberry Melba Crème Brulee. Our menu serves 4.

Starters

Picante stuffed Olives

Select 8-12 of your favorite Olives from the Olive Bar in our deli and stuff with small chunks of delicious Picante cheese, an Italian Provolone cheese and serve. Serve 2-3 olives per person.

Pomegranate and Feta Field Green Salad

In a large bowl, combine a 5 oz bag Earthbound Farms Organic Baby Lettuce Greens with ½ cup crumbled Feta, ¼ cup Toasted Almonds and ½ medium-sized Pink Lady Apple, chopped. Toss with 3 tbsp Organicville Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Divide into 4 equal servings and serve.

Mini Brie Tarts w/ Lemon Curd

Fill 4 Clearbrook Farms mini tart shells halfway full w/ Cathedral de Meaux Brie. Bake in an oven preheated at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until tarts are golden brown and brie is warm and bubbling. Remove from oven and top with a dollop of Scott’s Lemon Curd and serve.  Serve 1-2 tarts per person

Mediterranean Olive Toasts

Slice two 1” slices of Olive bread (available in our Bakery Department) and cut each slice into quarters. Toast bread until lightly brown and top with a small scoop of Rising Sun Farms Mediterranean Cheese Torta (approximately 1 tbsp), spreading it evenly over bread. Serve 2-3 olive toasts per person.

Main Course

Smoked Salmon wrapped Asparagus Spears

Steam 12 asparagus spears until just slightly tender (approximately 5 minutes), set aside. Using our 4 oz Wild Atlantic Sockeye Smoked Salmon, cut smoked salmon into twelve 4” by 2” strips. Spread Cibo Garlic and Herb spread over smoked salmon strip, lightly coating salmon. Repeat for all 12 pieces. Lay asparagus spear, down the center of smoked salmon with Cibo spread facing up and roll smoked salmon around asparagus. Serve 3 asparagus spears per person.

Coconut Shrimp

Available in our Seafood Department. Purchase 8 Coconut Shrimp and bake in a preheated 375° oven for 13-15 minutes, flipping the shrimp after about 7 minutes. Serve warm with Tropical Pepper Mango Coconut Sauce. Serves 4-5 Coconut Shrimp per person.

Dessert

Raspberry Melba Crème Brulee

Our Crème Brulee is available in our Bakery Department. Top 1 purchased Crème Brulee with a drizzle of Ruffettos Raspberry Melba Sauce just before serving. Served as a single portion to share.

Mini Cream Puffs

Our Mini Cream Puffs are available in our Bakery Department. Purchase  Mini Cream Puffs and top with a drizzle of warmed Silver Palate Chocolate Fudge sauce and whipped cream. Serves 1 cream puff person.

Key Lime Tart

Available in our Bakery Department, ready to serve. Purchase 1 Key Lime Tart and serve as a single portion to share.

http://www.thefreshmarket.com/ideas/entertaining/tapas/tapas-style-menu

10 CLASSIC COCKTAILS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW HOW TO MAKE...by Lisa Washington of All Women Stalk

Ladies, if you consider yourself a master mixologist or a bartender-in-training, there are some classic cocktails that every woman should know how to make! I put together a list of the 10 most popular and time-honored drinks that people have loved for centuries so that you get your street cred as an expert in libations. So dazzle friends and family by mastering and making these delicious and timeless drinks!

1. MARTINI

The martini is one of the most popular and well-loved traditional drinks of all time! It’s the perfect drink to have at happy hour or a relaxing night at home because it doesn’t require a lot of time and it’s not too complicated. Holding a martini in my hand instantly makes me feel glamorous and I love the olives! Make sure you use a high quality gin to make this elegant drink!

Ingredients:
1/2 fluid ounce dry vermouth
4 fluid ounces gin
2 pimento-stuffed green olives

Directions:Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the vermouth, followed closely by the gin. Shake while counting to 30. Divide into 2 cocktail glasses. Garnish with 1 olive each.

2. BLOODY MARY

When I was younger, the mere mention of the words “bloody Mary” gave me the creeps. As a grown-up, however, it totally perks me up when I hear those words because it’s the name of one of my favorite classic cocktails! Refreshing, spicy and savory, it’s said to alleviate the symptoms of even the worst hangover the morning after, but tastes great anytime!

Ingredients:
2 ounces Pepper Infused Vodka
1/2 Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
6-8 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce
4-6 Dashes Tabasco Sauce
2-3 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
3 Dashes Celery Salt
2 Dashes White Pepper
2 Dashes Garlic Powder
2 Dashes Onion Powder
Clamato Juice
Coarse salt for rimming

Garnishes:Celery stalk is standard. Try a dill pickle spear, jalapeño stuff olives on a skewer or shrimp cocktail for something off the beaten track.

Directions:Rim a Collins glass with salt. Fill glass half full with ice. Season ice with sauces, bitters, powders, peppers and salts. Pour in vodka. Top off with Clamato Juice leaving a half inch at the rim of the glass. Squeeze in lime and drop into glass. Garnish.

3. DAIQUIRI

Daiquiris are often thought of as a girly drink rather than a classic cocktail, but they've been around for many years with many variations. It’s actually the drink of choice for many people when they go out for cocktails. You can jazz up this drink with other flavors like strawberry or even avocado, but going back to basics with a simple white rum can be great too!

Ingredients:
1 part sugar syrup
2 parts lime juice
8 parts white rum (Bacardi is best)

Directions:
Shake all of the above vigorously and strain in to chilled old fashioned or cocktail glasses.

4. GIN AND TONIC

The Gin and Tonic looks so deceptively simple and it's a cinch to make. Although there are only two main ingredients to this traditional drink, it can be easily goofed for the simple fact that it appears so simple to make! Guys love this smooth and refreshing drink, so master it quickly and impress your guy friends or even a date with your dexterities!

Ingredients:
2 oz gin
5 oz tonic water
1 lime wedge

Directions:
Pour the gin and the tonic water into a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes. Stir well. Garnish with the lime wedge.

5. MANHATTAN

This is one of the most eye-catching classic cocktails due to the deep color from the bourbon and the bright red cherry. This east-coast native is sometimes shaken and sometimes stirred, depending on what your guests prefer. Either way you make it, it’s a decadent sweet treat that’s sure to please whiskey lovers!

Ingredients:
2 oz rye whiskey
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
maraschino cherry for garnish

Directions:
Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
Stir well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with the cherry.
Source: cocktails.about.com

6. MOJITO

This one of Ernest Hemingway’s fave classic cocktails, so you know it’s gotta be good! I love anything with a hint of mint, so I knew I would love this drink at first taste. This tropical cocktail makes for a cool and invigorating drink for those hot  summer nights or for those nights you wish you were in warmer weather.

Ingredients:
Ice
6 ounces light rum
12 mint sprigs, or spearmint, 8 roughly broken apart
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons sugar
Club soda
4 slices of lime

Directions:
Place ice in beverage shaker then add in the rum, 8 broken up mint sprigs, lime juice and sugar. Shake well and serve over ice in a high ball glass. Top off each glass with a splash of club soda. Garnish each with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint.

7. SCREWDRIVER

This is another one of the super simple traditional drinks that only has two ingredients. If you’ve got some OJ in your fridge, you’re halfway done with your screwdriver! For best results, choose a pulp-free orange juice, unless you like pulp in your mixed drinks. Screwdrivers are uncomplicated, readily available and absolutely delectable!

Ingredients:
1 part Vodka
2 parts Orange Juice

Directions:
Build over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

8. MARGARITA

A salt-rimmed glass filled with sweet citrus liquid is my idea of the perfect traditional drink! Margaritas are another common “chick drink,” but I know men love ‘em too--even if they don’t always admit it! Whether it’s served blended or over ice, it’s the ideal concoction to serve at a summer BBQ or for a girls’ night in. Have fun adding your own twist to it by adding fruit flavors!

Ingredients:
Salt, for rimming the glass (optional)
Ice
1 1/2 ounces tequila (blanco, 100 percent agave)
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce Cointreau (not Triple Sec)

Directions:
If using salt, place in a shallow dish. Moisten the rim of a rocks glass with a dampened paper towel, then dip in salt. Fill the glass with ice; add tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau; and stir a few times until chilled. Serve immediately.

9. OLD FASHIONED

Traditional drinks like the Old Fashioned beautifully marry sweetness, a little sourness and little bitterness. This drink really lives up to its name, which was said to be coined back in the late 1800’s! Enjoy this lively balance of flavors at your favorite bar or restaurant or keep ingredients on hand to enjoy the sophisticated blends at home anytime!

Ingredients:
2 dashes aromatic bitters
½ tsp sugar dissolved with water and bitters
1½ oz of bourbon
1 cherry
1 orange slice
1 lemon wedge

Directions:
Fill glass with ice. Add cherry, orange slice, and lemon wedge. Pour in bourbon. Serve in a rocks glass over ice

10. WHITE RUSSIAN

White Russians are classic cocktails that are like dessert in a glass! Creamy, dreamy and sugary, this drink makes vodka go down smooth. This particular recipe is reminiscent of a festive holiday drink from the optional nutmeg added to the mix. If you’re not a fan the cream, leave it out and make another classic drink, the Black Russian.

Ingredients:
1 oz. Smirnoff No. 21® Vodka
0.5 oz. Godiva® Mocha Liqueur
2 oz. cream
1 sprinkle(s) nutmeg

Directions:
Using a rocks glass, add cream, Godiva Mocha Liqueur, Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka. Shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with a sprinkle nutmeg.

http://cooking.allwomenstalk.com/classic-cocktails-every-woman-should-know-how-to-make

If you like to entertain, keep these classic cocktail recipes on hand so you can whip up any of these traditional drinks and impress your pals! All of these drinks would make great adult beverages for any get-together. If you like to add a little variety to your drinks, many of these recipes can be made with fruit flavors to add a fun twist! What’s your favorite cocktail?

THE ULTIMATE BAR NUTS Hot nuts from Union Square Cafe by Dawn Diffenderffer-Baker of Eat Snooth

Obsession. There is no other way to describe the way I feel about these nuts. These hot nuts. Look, I'm not proud that I am officially obsessed with hot nuts. I love a good innuendo and nothing makes me dirty giggle more than talking about how much I love the taste of these hot nuts in my mouth. But, make these just once, and you too, will want these hot nuts in your mouth all the time. <snicker>

I first heard about this recipe on the Food Network show, "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," when Giada DeLaurentiis and her blinding white teeth (yes, Giada, I see your teeth, please put at least half of them away behind your lips) and her heaving bosom (yes, Giada, I see your boobs, please put at least half of them away behind a shirt), slobbered on and on about these hot nuts that are served at Happy Hour at the Union Square Cafe in New York.

And, I have to admit, they not only looked great, but also looked really easy to replicate at home, so I bookmarked them in my brain. Oh, who am I kidding. I'm 40 now, all bookmarks stay in my brain for approximately 4.5 seconds. I really made a note in my Blackberry, which is totally the boss of me.

A couple of months later, when putting together the menu for a dinner party on our deck, I remembered Giada's heaving blindingly white bosom teeth, and looked up the recipe. And who was noted as the author of the recipe on the Food Network website, but the Queen of the Heaving Bosom... Nigella Lawson!  I love me some Nigella, so I was starting to feel really good about this recipe. Turns out, I was right. Two things that Nigella, Giada and I have in common… heaving bosoms and a love for these hot nuts in our mouth.

Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts

Recipe courtesy of Food Network, modified just a bit

2 1/4 cups (18-ounces) assorted unsalted nuts (if you happen to have a Trader Joe's near you, I have found that the perfect assortment is one bag of their fancy mixed nuts (cashews, pistachios, almonds, macadamias), and half a bag of peanuts also from TJ's. For both, I buy the 50% less salt variety)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves (yes, that is 2 Tablespoons, and that is very important)
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons Maldon or other sea salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter.

Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm. Obsess.

These keep really, really well for about a week. If I am taking to a party and want them to still be warm, I line a cookie tin with foil, and make the nuts just before I hit the road. The cookie tin will keep them nice and warm for quite some time.

http://eat.snooth.com/articles/union-square-cafe-bar-nuts/

Cinnamon Toasted Almonds Recipe by Krista Rollins of Joyful Healthy Eats

These Cinnamon Toasted Almonds are a healthy snack option for during the day and only require 4 ingredients to make.

I am always looking for something to snack on during the day and these Cinnamon Toasted Almonds are not only absolutely delicious but also crazy easy to make and only call for 4 ingredients. Once these Almonds are tossed with cinnamon and toasted to perfection they are good to go and ready to be snacked on. My husband likes to mix them with raisins, he says they taste like your eating a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel. To give him credit, I tried it and it kinda does, and who doesn’t want to eat a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel. 

Cinnamon Toasted Almonds Recipe by Krista Rollins of Joyful Healthy Eats

 

5 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Author: Krista

Recipe type: Snack, Appetizer, Paleo

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 cups of whole almonds
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250º.
2. In a large bowl, add almonds, cinnamon, salt, and olive oil.
3. Toss to coat all almonds thoroughly. Spread out on baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Roast for 1 hour, remove from oven and serve immediately or store in air tight container.

http://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/cinnamon-toasted-almonds/

Mediterranean Chicken Flatbread with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce by Krista Rollins of Joyful Healthy Eats

Mediterranean Chicken Flatbread with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce

 

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

50 mins

Recipe type: Paleo, Gluten Free, Poultry, Flatbread

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of boneless chicken breast, 1″ cubes
• 1 teaspoon of dry oregano
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• juice of one lemon
• 2 red peppers, 1″ cubes
• 1 yellow pepper, 1″ cubes
• 1 red onion, 1″ cubes
• 1 large zucchini squash, ½” slices
• Paleo Avocado Tzatziki Sauce
• 5 Whole Wheat Flatbread {omit these if you would like this meal to be Paleo or Gluten Free}

Instructions

1. Soak 12 wooden skewers in cold water for 20 minutes. {this prevents the wood from burning once on grill.)
2. Add 1 lb. of cubed boneless chicken breast to a bowl along with lemon juice, dry oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat chicken.
3. On wooden skewers alternate chicken with vegetables.
4. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
5. In the meantime, make Paleo Avocado Tzatziki – recipe HERE.
6. Add Chicken & Vegetable Skewers to the grill. Grill each side for 4-5 minutes. Remove from grill.
7. Next add 5 whole wheat flatbreads to grill. Grill each side for 2-3 minutes. {your just looking for the flatbreads to get warmed up and for slight grill marks.} Remove from grill.
8. To assemble, place flatbread on plate add 1 skewer of the chicken & vegetable combo and top with Paleo Avocado Tzatziki. {to make this meal completely Paleo and Gluten free omit the flatbread}

Paleo Avocado Tzakziki Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup grated cucumber
• 1 ripe avoacdo
• 1 small garlic clove, grated {make sure it is small}
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. dry dill
• Juice of 1 lemon
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Grate cucumber and a small garlic clove. {make sure it is small or it will overpower the sauce}
2. Add cucumber and garlic to small food processor.
3. Add 1 whole ripe avocado.
4. Then olive oil, juice from 1 lemon, dry dill, and salt & pepper to taste.
5. Blend until completely combined.
6. You can store in refrigerator.
7. Serve with pita bread, veggies, on a salad, or as a condiment on a burger or sandwich.
8. {recipe from Practical Paleo}

http://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/mediterranean-chicken-flatbread-avocado-tzatziki-sauce/

http://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/paleo-avocado-tzatziki-sauce/

Blood Orange Cosmopolitans by Heather King at Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Make sure you run out and get a bag of blood oranges now.  They are not available year round and now is the peek of their season.  Why not just buy 2 or 3?  Because you are going to want to make this drink several times for yourself and your friends.  Do yourself a favor and go ahead and buy the bag, you won’t be sorry!

Blood Orange Cosmopolitans

Yield: Makes 4 cocktails

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. freshly squeezed blood orange juice (about 3 oranges)
• 3/4 c. cranberry juice
• 1/3 c. Triple Sec (or other orange liqueur)
• 1 c. vokda

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and add ice.
2. Shake and strain into glasses. Top with a blood orange slice if desired.

Notes

Source: Pink Parsley

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http://hezzi-dsbooksandcooks.com/2014/03/blood-orange-cosmopolitans.html

Meyer Lemon-Vanilla Bean Bourbon Smash by Lori Yates at Foxes Love Lemons

Meyer Lemon-Vanilla Bean Bourbon Smash

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yield: Enough simple syrup for about 8 cocktails

Ingredients

• For the Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup:
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and scraped
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• For the Meyer Lemon-Vanilla Bean Bourbon Smash (1 cocktail):
• 1/4-inch-thick slice of Meyer lemon
• Ice
• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1 ounce Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup
• 4 dashes orange bitters
• Club soda

Instructions

1. Make Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup: In small saucepan, combine vanilla bean, sugar and water. Simmer over medium heat 5 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand at room temperature until completely cool. Remove vanilla bean and discard. Transfer syrup to airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 month.
2. Make Meyer Lemon-Vanilla Bean Bourbon Smash: In rocks glass, muddle lemon slice. Add ice, bourbon, Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup and bitters; stir. Top drink off with club soda.

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http://foxeslovelemons.com/meyer-lemon-vanilla-bean-bourbon-smash/#_a5y_p=1445201

Shirley Temple Recipe by Stacey Martin at This Lil Piglet

 Shirley Temple Recipe

Author: Stacey Martin

Recipe type: Beverage

Prep time:  2 mins

Total time:  2 mins

Serves: 1

 

Ingredients

• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup gingerale
• ½ cup lime soda
• 2 tbsp of grenadine
• slices of lime for garnish
• maraschino cherries with stems for garnish

Instructions

1. Fill a large glass half full with ice cubes.
2. Layer the drink with orange juice first, pop then grenadine.
3. Add 2 slices of lime and a maraschino cherry to the beverage, serve un-stirred.
4. Stir before drinking.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

http://thislilpiglet.net/2014/02/shirley-temple-recipe/

7 GREAT STARTERS ...by Rebecca at All Women Stalk

I love to cook and doing dinner for my friends it is a real favorite activity of mine but while I’m great with mains and desserts, I often struggle to think of good starting dishes. To me, the first course shouldn’t be too filling, should quite easy to make, and should taste delicious. I’ve gone through my recipe collection and made a list of 7 great starters to help all of you out there who might have the same creative block as me

1. REFRESHING MINT, LIME AND MELON SALAD

Since the top half of the world if getting ready for summer, I thought I’d lead with this extremely simple, refreshing summer salad starter. All you’ll need are two or three galia melons (depending on how many people you’re serving) chopped into slices, the juice of two limes, sea salt and pepper and a handful of chopped mint leaves. Preparation couldn’t be easier: throw all the ingredients into a bowl and make sure the melon is well coated in lime juice and seasoning. Leave to infuse for about forty minutes and serve

2. TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

Another very easy and really tasty recipe: this one is light and delicious, but needs to be made with good quality ingredients. You’ll need about a dozen fresh plum tomatoes (more if you’re serving a lot of people), a glug of olive oil, basil, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper, garlic and some fresh ciabatta for your bruschetta. Chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl with the basil, olive oil, lemon, garlic and seasoning. Mix together and leave to rest. Brush your sliced ciabatta with olive oil and garlic and toast on baking sheets in the oven until golden. Once the bread is crisp, carefully spoon the tomato mix on top of it, plate up, and enjoy.

3. SESAME SALMON CROSTINI

For this quick, warm starter you’ll need a fillet of salmon, thinly-sliced, olive-oil-brushed, toasted, seasoned slices of your favourite crostini bread, sesame oil, chopped chilli and coriander and rice-wine vinegar. Before you begin, mix a dose of sesame oil with vinegar chilli and chopped coriander in small bowl. Slice the salmon into thin strips and in a hot pan toss the fish together with the prepared oil mixture. Serve with warm crostini: delicious!

4. PAN FRIED PRAWNS AND SALSA VERDE

To do this tasty sea food starter you’ll need peeled prawns to serve however many guests you’re expecting, paprika, chilli and olive oil. To make the salsa, finely chop capers, olives, parsley and dill; mix together, add a dash of lemon juice and one of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and set aside. In a hot pan, fry off your prawns with the paprika, chilli and olive oil until they’re tender and cooked through. Serve with a chilled dry white for maximum effect.

5. TOMATO, BACON AND GOAT’S CHEESE TARTLETS

Literally, this starter couldn’t be easier. It involves puff pastry which, if you can’t be bothered to make yourself, it’s quicker and easier to buy at the shops. Other ingredients include halved cherry tomatoes, small squares of bacon or pancetta, goat’s cheese (use feta if you’re not a fan), olive oil and some chopped basil. Roll out your pastry, prick all over with a fork and cut into squares. Pinch the edges of these so they curl up and bake them blind for a few minutes until they’re just crisp. On each square place an assortment of tomato, cheese and bacon; sprinkle with basil, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put these under the grill until the cheese is melting and the tomatoes are looking sufficiently wrinkled. Voila: tasty tartlet starters.

6. QUICK POTATO SALAD WITH PANCETTA

You’ll need baby potatoes, boiled in salted water, some good quality, finely sliced pancetta, a squeeze of lemon juice, parsley and either a tangy, home-made mayonnaise or a tub of crème fraiche. Add the lemon juice and mayo or crème fraiche to the potatoes along with the parsley and mix together until thoroughly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and plate up with the delicious, smokey pancetta.

7. BEETROOT, FETA AND FIG SALAD

You’ll need freshly boiled beetroot slices, an assortment of your favourite salad leaves, some good-quality feta, olive oil, lemon juice, about four figs cut into wedges and a good glug of balsamic. Toss all the ingredients together making sure your liquid ingredients are evenly coating the leaves, figs and beetroot. Season with salt and pepper and serve with extra olive oil and balsamic on the stable for those keen to add more.

This is my list of 7 great starter recipes: do you have any favorites of your own to add?

http://cooking.allwomenstalk.com/7-great-starters

Blueberry French Toast Sandwich by Bluewillow

  Blueberry French Toast Sandwich
This is a yummy and easy breakfast. Try it..you will be hooked!

• 1 3 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1- 1/2 tbl confectioner sugar
• 1 package (12 oz) frozen french toast slices
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

In a small bowl mix cream cheese and sugar. Set aside.
Heat french toast according to directions. Spread cream cheese on one side of bread, add blueberries, top with other slice. Garnish with extra blueberries and confectioner sugar if desired.

http://www.tumblr.com/reblog/5389239383/oiNrggor

http://bluewillowblog.com/post/5389239383/blueberry-french-toast-sandwich-this-is-a-yummy

5 green cocktails in honor of St. Patrick’s Day By Justin Kennedy

Green beer is easy. Just a little food coloring and voila. However,these are some really good cocktails from nypost.com. Enjoy.

Forget the green beer and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with these exotic emerald cocktails.Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/NY Post

Partying on St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t have to mean swilling astringent Irish whiskey or cheaply dyed suds. Instead, use the holiday as an excuse to explore some unusual green concoctions: Think herbaceous gin and cucumber or tequila with celery juice. These five emerald cocktails created by some of the city’s best bartenders are boozy gems well worth raising a glass to. Sláinte!

The Close Haul

The Drink bartender Allie Zempel goes green with a cucumber juice cocktail called the Close Haul.Photo: Astrid Stawiar

$5 at The Drink, 228 Manhattan Ave., Williamsburg; 718-782-8463
This festive punch is a perfect beverage to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a crowd; the Drink serves it both by the glass and by the bowl for groups to share. The bar’s Frank Cisneros says that Damrak gin has pleasantly sweet notes of honeysuckle that go well with chamomile and cucumber, while Meyer lemon bitters make the whole drink “pop.”

Recipe: Combine 10 ounces of Damrak gin, 7 ¹/₂ ounces of cucumber juice, 5 ounces of lemon juice, 5 ounces of chamomile syrup* and 1 bar spoon of Meyer lemon bitters in a decorative bowl. Add large ice cubes, stir and garnish with lemon slices. Serves 4. *For chamomile syrup, brew 1 cup of strong chamomile tea and combine with 1 cup of superfine sugar. Allow sugar to dissolve and cool before mixing with other ingredients.

Tipple trivia: The Drink has a nautical theme and most of the owners are sailors. The Close Haul’s name refers to a speedy configuration in sailing. “Hopefully, it reminds you of a breezy day by the seashore,” Cisneros says.

Salty Monk

Freemans’ Yana Volfson mixes it up with tequila and celery juice.Photo: Astrid Stawiarz

$13 at Freemans, 191 Chrystie St., #2F; 212-420-0012. This springy cocktail combines savory celery juice and refreshing citrus with the herbaceous sweetness of yellow Chartreuse. “It’s a cheery riff on some flavor profiles that tickle my palate,” says Freemans beverage director Yana Volfson.

Recipe: Combine 1 ¹/₂ ounces tequila blanco, ¹/₄ ounce yellow Chartreuse, ¹/₄ ounce simple syrup, ¹/₂ ounce lime juice and ³/₄ ounce of celery juice in a tin canister and shake hard. Serve up in a cocktail coupe with a lightly salted rim. Makes one cocktail.

Tipple trivia: Like the more common green Chartreuse, yellow Chartreuse is made with 130 varieties of herbs, plants and flowers. It clocks in at just 86 proof though — compared to 110 for the green stuff — and is marked with distinct notes of citrus, honey, saffron and licorice.

The Green Dragon

Poteen, a special unaged Irish whiskey, is new to the US.
Photo: Anne Wermiel

$14 at The Dead Rabbit, 30 Water St.; 646-422-7906
Cocktail star Jack McGarry’s take on a traditional tiki swizzle showcases poteen, a type of unaged Irish whiskey that’s only recently become available in the US. “We wanted to really show off its versatility,” says Dead Rabbit bartender Pam Wiznitzer.

Recipe: Combine 2 ounces poteen, ¹/₄ ounce anisette, ¹/₄ ounce absinthe, 1 ounce lime juice, ³/₄ ounce pistachio syrup and 3 dashes of bay leaf tincture in a shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled highball glass filled with ice. Top with DRY cucumber soda and grated nutmeg. Makes one cocktail.

Tipple trivia: The Dead Rabbits were a mid-19th century New York City gang lead by roustabout Irishman John Morrissey. Born in Tipperary, Ireland, in 1831, Morrissey immigrated to New York with his parents when he was 18. The Dead Rabbits’ name derives from the Anglicized Irish word “raibead,” which was slang for a “big, hulking fellow.”

The Last Word

Joaquin Simó prepares The Last Word at Pouring Ribbons. Photo: Anne Wermiel

$14 at Pouring Ribbons, 225 Avenue B; 917-656-6788
Ordering this drink was once a sort of secret handshake within the cocktail industry. “If you ordered it at a bar, it flagged you as a sophisticated drinker,” says Pouring Ribbons barkeep Joaquin Simó. In recent years, the powerful cocktail has gone more mainstream and is now something of a modern classic.

Recipe: Combine ³/₄ ounce each of London dry gin, fresh lime juice, Green Chartreuse and Luxardo Maraschino liqueur in a mixing tin. Fill with ice, and shake vigorously until very cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Makes one cocktail.

Tipple trivia: Pouring Ribbons has the most extensive selection of vintage Chartreuse in the country, with bottles dating back more than 70 years. They even offer Chartreuse flights, a chance to taste different vintages side by side.

Pour Vida

Go for smoke with a mezcal cocktail.
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz

$14 at Raines Law Room, 48 W. 17th St.; no phone
Head bartender Meaghan Dorman says this house creation provides a clean, citrus-driven backdrop for earthy mezcal, tequila’s smoky cousin and currently all the rage with American mixologists. According to Dorman, it’s a great cocktail for special occasions like St. Patrick’s Day because of its unusual flavor profile.

Recipe: Combine ³/₄ ounce each of lime juice, Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Cointreau and Bénédictine (an herbal French liqueur) in a shaker with grapefruit peel. Shake. Serve up in a coupe. Makes one cocktail.

Tipple trivia: Mezcal is available at most boutique wine and spirits stores, but if you can’t find it — or don’t have it handy — you can substitute tequila.

http://nypost.com/2014/03/13/5-green-cocktails-st-patricks-day/

Happy St Patrick’s Day everybody!!! Drink some green beer and have some corned beef, cabbage and potatoes for me. #2014SaintPattiesDay

A Simple Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe

By JULIEVR from babble.com

Corned beef and cabbage is a pretty traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal – and a perfect midwinter feast, when there’s not much in season yet but there are still potatoes and carrots in cool storage. I had been noticing corned beef brisket in the meat section of the grocery store for years, idly thinking it would be something my Ukrainian (and carnivorously salt-loving) husband would like, but not really knowing what to do with it. It turned out to be brilliant for the slow cooker – all I did was upend the package into the pot, cover it with water, and set it for 6 hours. At that point we pulled the brisket out of its broth and set it aside, added some baby potatoes, chunked carrots and wedges of cabbage to the broth – this is also called New England Boiled Dinner – and cranked the slow cooker up to high to cook them. Alternatively you could cook the brisket on the stovetop, or pour the broth into a pot and do the same thing – you wind up with these fantastically salty, seasoned veg to go with the meat.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

2-3 lb corned beef brisket
4 large or 10 new potatoes, thin skinned, quartered if large
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small head cabbage, cut into small wedges

Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes per pound, or until tender. Alternatively, do the same on low in a slow cooker for 6-8 hours.

Add potatoes and carrots and cook until the vegetables are almost tender; add cabbage and cook for 10 more minutes, until everything is tender. (If you’re using a slow cooker, remove the meat and let it rest; add the vegetables to the broth, turn it up to high and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the veg are tender.) Pull the meat apart with forks or slice it across the grain; serve with the vegetables, covered in broth. Serves 8.

http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/a-simple-corned-beef-cabbage-recipe/