Cilantro Mojito made with Dark Rum

Happy Victoria Day long-weekend! It’s so gorgeous out and I know none of you want to be hanging inside or looking at the computer, don’t think I haven’t noticed. I figured if I had any chance of winning your attention for a few moments it would be for booze so this is me trying to serve up some drink inspiration.

I often talk about the copious amounts of rum that are in my house, which is actually dropping at a more constant rate lately because I’ve been experimenting with rum cocktails. I’ve picked up cilantro lately, this is my Spring herb for sure, I throw into salads of all kinds, sauces and dips, even to just add to a sandwich. I happened across a post from Aarti Sequeria who teaches an easy way to keep cilantro fresh for weeks in your fridge which is great for all kinds of reasons, more cocktails being one of them. With these two ingredients combined, rum and cilantro, I my newest obsession was born, makeshift-makewonderful-mojitos. Basil, cilantro or the classic, mint would all work well. The dark rum turns this mojito the colour of iced tea and I add a bit of fizz by using diet soda and use lemon slices instead of lime. Measurements and ingredients are for one drink.

Cilantro Mojito made with Dark Rum 

• a few leaves of cilantro
• 2 thin lemon slices
• 1/2 tsp organic cane sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 1.5 oz of dark rum
• 2 ice cubes
• diet lemon-lime soda, or sparkling water (sprite, 7-up)

Method

In a tall glass, add two thin lemon slices, washed and torn cilantro, sugar and a pinch of salt.

Muddle with a back or a wooden spoon or a proper muddling tool if you have one of those.

Add in rum, stir, top with a few ice cubes, then fill the remaining space in the glass with soda.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Yoghurt Dip

We are forecasted to have an absolutely beautiful weekend in Halifax. Whenever nice weather comes our way I feel there are a few activities one must partake in. Now that the patios are out I totally support your decision to drink margaritas, sangria or beer by the pitcher on a patio at any fine Halifax establishment. If you don’t feel up to heading downtown for any reason (heads up the Blue Nose Marathon is this weekend) you should instead plan a BBQ, or a picnic. Invite some friends, or family or your neighbours and just relax with good people and food outside. Growlers from Garrison Brewery or Propeller Brewery should be invited, just sayin’.

When you do plan a BBQ this weekend, or get invited to one, remember that BBQing can be hard work, especially when you have a few hungry and slightly buzzed people hanging around you. To prevent ‘vulture’ syndrome, as I like to call it, make a dip before people come over so you have something to snack on while you sip on drinks and get to work cooking food.

I know what you are thinking, well what is a quick and easy dip, right? Why not try something new, something fresh and low in fat and calories and high in flavour like this Mediterranean Yoghurt and Feta Dip. You can choose to make labneh with 0% yoghurt and also use light feta to cut down on the calorie and fat count in this already good option. The lemon juice and zest adds zing, straining the yoghurt to make labneh makes it thick and creamy as cream cheese without the extra fat and the fresh veggies mixed with the salty feta and olives to give this dip bite.

If you are short on time you can use plain Greek yoghurt however it won’t be as creamy and thick as if you strain it the night before.

Mediterranean Yoghurt Dip

• 1 recipe of labneh, yields approximately 1+1/2 cups
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1-1 1/2 tbs)
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1/3 cup finely diced mix of peppers
• 4-6 black olives, pitted and diced
• 1/4 cup of crumbled feta
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste
• extra green onion and olive oil for garnish

Method

Make the labneh the day before you want to make this dip.

Prepare the vegetables, thinly slice the green onion reserving some for the garnish. Finely dice any peppers, pit and dice the black olives and place in a medium sized bowl with all the labneh. Zest and juice your lemon and add to the yoghurt along with olive oil, oregano, garlic salt and pepper. Stir all the ingredients together, and then add the crumbled feta and combine.

Check for seasoning, you may need a bit of sea salt. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavours marry.

You can absolutely make this the night before you want to serve it. Garnish with more olive oil and green onions, serve with rice crackers or grilled Greek pita and veggies.

Not ready for something new? Why not try an old favorite like guacamole and pico de gallo that is great served with corn chips. Hummus of all kinds are welcome served with fresh veggies and pita. Dill dip goes great with thick pretzel sticks, or pretzel crackers but if you are craving a rich cheesy dip try my garlicky nacho dip. 

Slow Cooker Lima Beans in Tomato Sauce

I have high hopes. My hopes are that everyone is going to be thinking “oh yeah, lima beans, my favorite!”. The realities are that I might not get an overwhelming response from this post which is a damn shame. A REAL damn shame because for those of you who have never tried lima beans, I wish you knew how lovely they are because you would scream ‘yum!’ or ‘ I want to try those!’ upon the sight of these delicious buttery beans. Alas, I am no fool, beans are a hard sell. I’m still going to try though, so here are my sales pitches.

What if I called them by their Greek name gigantes (giants! cute right?), would that make you feel more like eating lima beans? I sure wish it did, but cute names for under appreciated food doesn’t often work, therefore I am employing other tactics.

Taste maybe? These beans are soft, tender, and delicately simmered in a rich tomato sauce. They are to ‘try’ for, get it? As in ‘to die for’, ok not helping.

Cost? It will cost you less than $5 to make a pot of beans for a week. What do you have to lose? Certainly not your fortune!

If prospects as intriguing as adventure, great taste and even the possibility to save money all failed, what about minimizing effort put into meal preparation? Will the idea of ‘cooking while you work and coming home to a warm pot of beans’ help you on a rainy day? I think so! That is some major spirit lifting in my books. Or if it’s really warming up where you are now, do you really want to turn on the oven? I would hope not, you have beer to drink and sun to dance in. 

Plea-bargaining. Just make the beans, please, they won’t disappoint, they take minimal effort, and yeah I’ll even throw this in (health), they be good for you so eat ’em! Beans are not for just the winter months so dust off your slow cooker and save some sanity.

Slow Cooker Lima Beans in Tomato Sauce

adapted from Bobby Flay’s recipe for Gigantes 

• 2 cups of lima beans soaked overnight (12 hours), rinsed
• 1 large white onion, cut into half moon slices
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
• 1 stalk of celery, sliced thin
• 1 can of diced, no-salt tomatoes
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns
• 2 tsp of dried oregano
• a pinch of chili flakes
• 2 tsp of garam masala (use 2 tsp of allspice if you don’t have any)
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 3-4 cups of water
• a handful of cilantro with stems, rinsed and chopped finely
• extra cilantro for garnish

Finish seasoning with:

• 1-2 tsp garam masala (optional)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• black pepper and sea salt to taste

Method

The night before sort through your dried lima beans for any funky business.

Rinse and drain twice. Add beans to a large bowl, cover with 2-3 inches of water and let sit in the fridge overnight.

To save on time in the morning, prepare the onions, celery and garlic and set aside in the fridge.

In the morning rinse the beans one more time and add to your slow cooker. You need a 4 quart size minimum to fit all these beans.

Add the beans, a tin of tomatoes, the onion, garlic, celery, cilantro, olive oil and the first round of seasoning to the slow cooker. Stir with a spoon to mix up all the ingredients and then cover beans with 3 cups of water.

Cook on the high setting for about 6 hours. If you are able to be home to switch the temperature during the day you can cook them for about 3 hours on high and then turn the temperate to low and cook an additional 4 hours. I like a thicker sauce, but you may need to add more water during the cooking process. The beans will keep their form when cooked but soften and have tender, buttery centers. Once the beans are cooked, add in the additional garam masala, garlic powder and stir. Season with sea salt and pepper to your taste. You can turn the heat down to low to keep the beans warm.

Serve topped with more fresh cilantro, with a crisp white wine (or light beer) and a hunk of bread. Dinner is served.

Baked Eggs in Raclette Cheese Cups

It’s still spring and I’m still egg crazy. I’m also still salad crazy, and foodgawker crazy; I’m feeling really inspired.

Today I wanted to write about taking a chance, picking up something at the grocery store and turning it into something you haven’t eaten, or seen, or just invented. It’s OK no one is watching, just go with it and have fun.

A few weeks ago I was at the grocery store trying to stick to a budget, and when I am in this mood I usually find and try new things. New and cheap things to shake things up and to make me feel like I’m not eating and making the same thing all the time.

I thought about radishes, they are beautiful, crisp and Springy and a little over $1 but I decided they were for another day. I almost picked up beets which I do like when prepared well but I shied away, now I can’t stop thinking up recipes with beets, so that might be my next adventure, be prepared.

I went to the deli section, which I generally avoid, but found a great sale on Raclette cheese. If you do not know what Raclette cheese is, it’s a firm cheese that has a high melting temperature, which makes it awesome to fry or grill. It’s salty, and high in fat and all out indulgent. It’s popular in Europe, especially around the holidays, some use a Raclette grill and have what I can only assume is similar to a fondue party. Others heat a half wheel of the cheese and you serve yourself by scraping off the grilled top of the cheese like in this picture I found on good ole Google.

Most likely, people in Halifax weren’t buying it because they didn’t know what to do with it, but I remembered a few years back there was a trend in Halifax with Raclette parties. I assumed it would taste like Halloumi, and I was right, it totally does. If you can’t find it at your local supermarket in Halifax I was just at Pete’s Frootiuqe downtown and they carry it now.

Anyway, when I got home all I could think of to do with it was I need to fry it, and as tempting as it is to just fry cheese and eat it, it doesn’t make for a great blog post. It must have been fate because I logged on to FoodGawker and within the first three pictures was a picture of Baked Eggs with Halloumi by Eat Drink Daily. I was so excited I didn’t even go to the site to look at the recipe, I immediately went in the kitchen and made baked eggs.

My version is definitely easier but the one thing I had wished I tried from Eat Drink Daily was to fry the cheese before putting them in the muffin tin, to get that charred taste I’m so fond of. Besides that I feel like this recipe would make a great brunch idea when having people over, it would also be good to make a few extra and bring the leftovers with a salad to work. If you have a newer muffin tin you will probably have more room than I did, as mine are pretty shallow so adding things like green onions or sauteed mushrooms would be amazing. If you are doing the brunch idea you could even have each guest put what they liked in each of their eggs before baking. This would be a fun recipe idea to involve your kids in as well. I am giving you the basic instructions but you can make two as I did, or twelve.

Baked Eggs in Raclette Cheese Cups

• raclette or halloumi cheese cut into 1/4″ slices
• free-range eggs
• pepper to taste
• sides such as ingredients for a salad or roasted potatoes
• a muffin tin
• non stick spray

Method

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray.

Get out your ingredients, and slice your cheese into 1/4″ slices. If you don’t have the attack of the lazies you can heat a fry pan over medium high heat and fry the raclette/halloumi, just to char the sides. Set aside and cook any add ins you fancy.

Whether you fried the cheese or not, you want to add a slice to the bottom of the muffin pan place any add ins of your choice on top of the cheese then crack and egg over the top. Season with pepper, the cheese has a lot of salt so I would caution you against adding any extra.

Bake for about 12 -15 minutes if you want the yolks slightly runny, or up to 20 minutes if you want the yolks cooked through. I let mine cook for the full amount of time, the cheese formed a nice cup around the egg so you got a taste of it in every bite. I served mine with a simple salad, some olive oil and lemon.

Try out this recipe and let me know your favorite combos. Or next time you go to the grocery store pick up something new and share your concoctions with me!

Attems Venezia Giulia 2010

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

I hope you all remembered your Momma and are doing something special for her today. If you forgot, I have two things for you. The first is a hilarious but educational video on how you should treat your Mom. It may involve Mr.T, ok it does involve Mr.T but I’m not telling you anymore you’ll have to watch it on YouTube here.

The second thing I want to share with you today is this wine. I haven’t done a wine review in a while but this one deserves one, and your Mom deserves this wine. It’s a white wine, Sauvignon Blanc, from Northern Italy and it’s $24.99 a bottle. You can get it at most NSLC’s but I would check out their website first to make sure they have it  because to my knowledge they recently started carrying it.

A crisp white wine for a Mother’s Day brunch or supper al fresco, I think I may have just solved a few of your problems today. If grumpiness is one, make sure you check out that video, I have you covered.

 Sauvignon Blanc is traditionally a French grape, and I would assume, usually grown in a cooler climate than most traditional Italian wines. They did a great job making a full fruit, clean wine.This wine tastes slightly of grapefruit and does not finish strongly in oak. It has a snappy and refreshing aftertaste. It is dry but seriously drinkable and would pair well with brunch items, eggs, crepes, waffles, salads, fruit and creamy cheeses such as Brie.

I often feel, when I’ve drank other Sauvigon Blancs they have a grassy taste, which I’m usually not a fan of. This wine is definitely not grassy, and while this may sound weird to you, with the wine being so crisp and cold it reminded me of slate. I think what I tasted is what ‘winos’ refer to as having a minerality or tasting a mineral quality to the wine.  Work in process I am. 

Either way I hope you pick up this wine for your Mom or just a special summer day sipper. Go forth and brunch!

NSLC Tasting Notes: This vibrant Sauvignon Blanc displays showy tropical fruit aromatics in combination with a lean body and nervy drying acidity in the finish.