Whoomp! It’s going to be weekend and I’m pretty excited! I’m heading to a DIY barbecue pizza party and I’m bringing tiny meatballs, roasted garlic, and caramelized onions. I can’t wait to see what other pizza toppings there are. Other than that, I don’t have too much planned for the weekend, just the usual errand-running and dinner party things with friends.
I’ve been busying eating all of the summertime fruits, including lychee. Lychee is one of my faves, but they’re not as sweet and juicy as I remember as a kid. And what’s up with lychee not being being as pinky-red as they used to be?
WEBSTUFF:
1. This absolutely freaks the shit out of me and it’s also a really good read.
2. I love eating out, but this seems a little bit crazy.
3. Boy oh boy, is working at Lululemon a head trip.
4. There are some hardcore toys in this article…
LINK LOVE
1. Speaking of lychee, Cynthia made this gorgeous lychee and white nectarine cobbler.
2. This is the pineapple cake of my dreams.
3. It’s Popsicle Week at Wit and Vinegar and it’s all of my icy dreams come true. (Check out my pop right here!)
4. This fried chicken sandwich…SO GOOD.
5. Give me all the grilled chicken.
I’VE GOT MY EYES ON YOU:
1. Did you guys buy anything on Prime Day? It was kind of a bust, but I did find this torch top for my Searzall.
2. I blazed through Luckiest Girl Alive (I felt neutral trending towards slightly bored by it) and have moved on to The Cage. It’s a YA novel (I LOVE reading YA) about humans in a….wait for it…zoo created by aliens. LOL. So far I like it though!
I’ve been buying my cold brew by the bottle, but when I started seeing homemade versions all over the internet (here, here, here, here), I was intrigued. But let’s back up – what is cold brew coffee you ask? (if you’re not asking you can scroll down and skip this paragraph). It’s regular coffee beans (get a good quality kind) that you soak overnight and then strain instead of brewing it in a coffee maker. The benefits are that it’s less acidic than regular coffee, so it’s a little healthier and easier on the tummy. Plus, you can store it in the fridge and it’ll last almost a week.
I usually drink mine Americano style, and Jack drinks his with chocolate almond milk. Today we’re meeting in the (lightly sweet) middle with iced almond milk lattes made with homemade cold brew iced cubes… because no one wants a watery coffee drink once the ice melts.
Summer has officially begun, and I don’t know about you – but I’m already eating more ice cream, popsicles and other “fun” summery foods. Not that I see anything wrong with an occasional indulgence – but I like to balance things out by adding a little more green wherever I can.
Today I’ve partnered with Evolution Fresh to come up with 3 healthy recipes to help you get more greens into your day. Their cold-pressed green juices are packed with kale, spinach, cucumber, lettuces and herbs, among other flavorful ingredients. Obviously the easiest way to get more green is to just drink the juice (and it’s delicious)… but I had fun thinking outside of the box (er, bottle) to create these simple summery recipes:
1. Make a sweet green lemony pesto:
Pesto is already pretty green, but this one uses green juice in place of most of the olive oil to make an overall lighter version. Sweet Greens and Lemon juice make it every bit as zesty delicious.
2. Cook rice with green juice instead of water or broth:
I have to say that I’m so in love with this trick. I used green juice in place of water or broth to cook my rice. It adds extra nutrition (over 1 pound of green vegetables’ worth!) but the flavor is very mild so you’re actually eating more greens than it feels like. Essential Greens with Lime is perfect for green cilantro rice – I like to serve this with tacos or grilled veggie kabobs. After the rice is done cooking, I season it with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, a few squeezes of lime and chopped cilantro. Top your plate with a scoop of salsa.
THIS IS A QUICKIE! QUICK AND EASY RECIPES THAT I DON’T HAVE MUCH TO SAY ABOUT, ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT THEY TASTE AWESOME AND YOU SHOULD GIVE THEM A GO!
Guacamole is always a favorite around here. Give me a big bag of crispy, crunchy tortilla chips (even better if they’re homemade!) and a big bowl of guacamole and I’ll call it dinner. Guacamole, like so many other things in life, is way better when you make it at home. Forget about that weird bright green goopy stuff you see in plastic tubs at the store. That stuff, it’s just masquerading as guacamole. Make the real thing, you won’t regret it!
Really, it can be as simple as mashing up some avocado with lime juice, salt, and pepper. I like to add in a bunch of herbs for an extra bit of deliciousness. My favorite renditions are ones that have a little bit of an Asian flair going on: fish sauce, shallots, cilantro, mint, green onions, lime, Thai chili, and of course, lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Of course, you can do a straight up classic guacamole too. I’ve included both recipes here. Go forth and guacamole friends!
Ifind it soothing to spend a few hours chopping, bashing and mixing, so to me
holiday cooking is the very definition of luxury (and much more fun than the
regular midweek routine). So here are two dishes with a distinctly Eastery feel:
one a slow braise full of sensational spicing, the other a blissfully simple,
flourless, lemony pud. Happy Easter.
Braised oxtail with saffron risotto and orange
gremolata
The secret to great risotto is to beat the rice as much as you can while it’s
cooking. This helps bind the starches and fat, and creates that famous, creamy
texture. The oxtail’s flavour improves immeasurably if you make it a few days
ahead. Serves six-plus. Olive oil 2 oxtails, cut into
chunks 1 tbsp flour Salt and freshly
ground black pepper 2 onions, peeled and finely
sliced 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely
sliced 3 bay leaves 1 sprig
rosemary 1 star anise 1 cinnamon
stick Peel from ½ orange 400g tinned
plum tomatoes, drained 500ml red
wine 500ml beef stock 6 carrots, peeled
and cut in half lengthways
For the risotto 150g butter 2 medium onions,
peeled and finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely
chopped 500g carnaroli rice 125ml dry
vermouth 1½-1¾ litres hot chicken
stock 1 tsp saffron threads soaked in 2 tbsp hot
water 100g parmesan, grated
For the
gremolata 1 small orange, zest finely grated ½
garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped ½ bunch parsley,
leaves picked and finely chopped
Heat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Put a tablespoon of oil in a heavy
casserole over a medium-high heat. Dust the oxtail in well-seasoned flour and
brown the meat in batches, adding more oil as needed; transfer each batch of
browned meat to a bowl.
Wipe clean the pan, turn down the heat and add two tablespoons of oil. Sweat
the onions for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet, adding the garlic halfway
through. Stir in the herbs, spices, orange peel, tomatoes and oxtail.
Pour on the wine, add enough stock just to cover and bring to a boil. Season
generously, cover partially and pop in the oven for three hours, until the meat
is falling off the bone; add the carrots for the last hour. Leave the casserole
to cool. A layer of fat should rise to the top – skim off the excess and, if the
sauce is still a bit on the thin side, remove the meat and reduce the sauce for
five minutes or so, to thicken.
For the risotto, melt half the butter in a heavy pan, wider than it is tall,
over a medium heat and add the onion and celery. Add a pinch of salt and sweat
for 10 minutes, until soft, then add the rice and stir to coat every grain in
butter.
Add the vermouth and, as soon as it begins to bubble, add hot stock a ladle
at a time. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon and make sure the rice has
absorbed each ladle of stock before adding the next. Stir in the saffron once
half the stock has been used. Continue adding the stock, stirring, until most of
it has been absorbed and the risotto has a light, nutty bite – this will take
about 15-20 minutes (you may need more or less stock, depending on the rice).
Take the pot off the heat and, bearing in mind that the rice will keep absorbing
liquid, stir in the cheese and remaining butter. Season to taste and add a
little more liquid if the risotto is too thick.
Very finely chop all the gremolata ingredients. Spoon generous dollops of
risotto on to hot plates or bowls, top with a few pieces of the oxtail and spoon
over lots of sauce. Sprinkle some gremolata on each portion and serve at
once.
St Clement’s pudding cake
Thomasina Miers’ St Clement’s pudding cake: ‘Rich and
light.’ Photograph: Johanna Parkin for the Guardian. Food styling: Maud Eden
A deliciously citrussy flourless cake that manages to feel both rich and
light. I like it with lots of thick cream. Serves six to eight. 250g soft butter, plus extra to grease 180g
golden caster sugar 2 heaped teaspoons
honey 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla
essence 1 orange, zest and juice 2
lemons, zest and juice 125g fine
polenta 125g ground almonds A generous
pinch of salt
Heat the oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 2½ and grease a 20cm cake tin or
ovenproof dish. In a bowl, beat the butter, sugar and honey until light and
fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating continuously. Beat in the
vanilla essence and citrus zest and juices. Don’t worry if the mixture curdles:
once cooked, it will be beautifully smooth. Fold in the polenta, almonds and
salt.
Pour the mix into the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, until just set. Remove,
leave to cool a little and serve warm with a jug of the best cream you can
afford.
And for the rest of the week…
The oxtail ragù makes great leftovers – just take all the meat off the bone
and eat later in the week with some creamy, parmesan-rich fast-cook polenta or
with spaghetti for a very satisfying quick meal. Leftover risotto makes a tasty
snack: roll it into balls, fill with blue cheese, dust in breadcrumbs (or excess
ground almonds from the cake) and deep-fry until crisp. All just need a fresh,
green salad alongside. If you’ve got lots of oranges and lemons, use them in
early spring salads: one of my favourite seasonal combos is orange segments,
tiny florets of raw cauliflower and slivers of fennel and apple in a sharp
french dressing.
I’ve been buying my cold brew by the bottle, but when I started seeing homemade versions all over the internet (here, here, here, here), I was intrigued. But let’s back up – what is cold brew coffee you ask? (if you’re not asking you can scroll down and skip this paragraph). It’s regular coffee beans (get a good quality kind) that you soak overnight and then strain instead of brewing it in a coffee maker. The benefits are that it’s less acidic than regular coffee, so it’s a little healthier and easier on the tummy. Plus, you can store it in the fridge and it’ll last almost a week.
