Sunday Mimosa Wannabe: The CocoApple

This morning, my friend and I had a craving for mimosas and were highly disappointed to discover that there was no champagne in the wine cooler.  However, there were several bottles of Martinelli's sparkling apple cider leftover from last Christmas.  Hmmmm.... There was also a liquor cabinet (well, a kitchen cabinet) full of all types of liquor.  The CocoApple was born:

The CocoApple
2 parts Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider
1 part Malibu Coconut Rum

It was surprisingly good.

Blood Orange Martini

Allow me to clarify...the time stamp on my blog is wrong! It's not 9:00 on a Saturday morning; it's 11:00! That said, let me say this: I do not subscribe to antiquated notions of the acceptability or inacceptability of enjoying a delightful cocktail before 5:00 p.m. That's just nonsense. I believe that if one is enjoying a leisurely weekend in one's home (or someone else's home), that one should be perfectly comfortable sipping a cocktail whether it's 10:00 a.m. or 10:00 p.m.  So, there.

At precisely 10:45 this morning, I prepared this lovely concoction and I am sipping her right now.

Blood Orange Martini
3 oz vodka (I use Svedka...see rant below)
3 oz Stirrings "Simple Blood Orange Martini" mixer

Shake with ice in a martini shaker, pour, and enjoy.

Vodka Rant
I hate "cheap" vodka. I don't do Stoli, can't abide by Absolut (gives me an Absolut headache), and hope that anyone who reaches for the Gibley's on the bottom shelf in the liquor store throws out their back. However, Svedka vodka, which sells for a little more than half the cost of Grey Goose and Ketel One is wonderful! It's got a mild flavor, doesn't give headaches, and is smooth enough to sip chilled or on the rocks. That's the true test.  I swear by Svedka and purchase it at Sam's Club. Four stars! (Belvedere gets five, but for the price).

Slow Cookin': Great Northern Beans

This Crock Pot may well be my favorite purchase of all 2009.  Today, I'm simmering Great Northern Beans with smoked turkey sausage and leftover ham from last week's Crock Pot meal.

Pre-Cooked

Crock Pot Great Northern Beans

2 15 oz cans Great Northern Beans
1 can chicken broth
1 smoked turkey sausage (it had been in my freezer for months), sliced
2 slabs leftover Coca Cola Ham (from last weekend's meal), cubed
2 Tbs chopped garlic
Red pepper flakes

I am a firm believer in not wasting food. I've never been on the cuspice of starvation and I've never not known where my next meal was coming from; I just I LOVE food and it horrifies me to think how much waste goes on in our country. I refuse to throw away perfectly good food and I'm discovering that my slow cooker will be the perfect accomplice in my food-frugal ways.

I'm going to let my beans cook on high for about 4 hours while I do laundry, hit the supermarket, clean my closet, and sip a cocktail (COCKTAIL DETAILS IN NEXT POST!)

Slow Cookin'! Philippe's Peanut Chicken

My ex, who was Congolese by way of Tanzania, taught me this recipe.  I adapted it for the slow cooker. I don't measure anything...all measurements are estimates.

Peanut Chicken Stew
1/2 c smooth peanut butter
1/2 can tomato paste
8 oz chicken broth
2 carrots, chopped into rings
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 chicken legs (or thighs), skin removed
1 small onion
1 tbs chopped garlic
1 habanero pepper
crushed red pepper, seasoned salt to taste

Coat chicken legs with seasoning (red pepper and salt) and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Layer sweet potato, carrots, garlic, and onion on top. Blend peanut butter, chicken broth, and tomato paste and pour over chicken and veggies. Drop in habanero pepper (don't cut it!). Cook on high for 6 hours. Serve over rice (Basmati rice is great with this!)

Family Recipe: Spaghetti & Shrimp

Recently, I emailed my siblings to ask them to mail me some of their specialty recipes. My sister Carolyn was the only one who responded.  I've pasted her recipe, just as she typed it, with just a little editorializing of my own.  I'm going to make this one day this week.

Spaghetti and Shrimp
Spaghetti
Olive oil
Butter
Salt
Chopped garlic
Sun dried tomatoes
Spinach (if frozen, thaw and drain)
Can of diced tomatoes
White wine
Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Well, I boil my spaghetti. I do not measure anything. To a frying pan, I add olive oil, butter, salt and chopped garlic. Once this is sauteed, I add sliced sundried tomatoes. I diddle them around a bit and then I add a bag of frozen spinach (which I have thawed and drained). Then I remove everything from the pan and then to the empty pan I add and sautee more chopped garlic, salt, olive oil, and butter. Once sauteed, I add a can of diced tomatoes and a cup of white wine. I let this reduce a bit and then I add my deveined shrimp. Once cooked, I diddle everything around in a big bowl (including the spaghetti). Then I do a taste test to see if more garlic and salt is needed and also to see if I should add onion powder [note: there was no mention of onion powder in the ingredients list, so if you were relying on that for your grocery list, you're just S.O.L., I guess]. Once it tastes the way I like, I add grated parmesan cheese and toss.

Turkey Wings and Rice (Hearty Winter Fare!)

Did I mention how much I love my new slow cooker?

I used it to make one of my favorite dishes: smothered turkey wings served over rice. Since I make it so spicy with black and red pepper, I like to drink it with red wine. Tonight, I'm having a simple Cotes du Rhone.

Smothered Turkey Wings
2 fresh turkey wings (NOT smoked!)
2 stalks celery
2 small yellow onions
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz chicken broth
Lawry's Seasoned Salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Wash and season turkey wings to taste using seasonings listed above, then layer them in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Chop onions and celery (size depends on your personal preference) and layer on top of turkey wings.
Mix together cream of chicken soup and chicken broth and pour over turkey wings, celery, and onion.

Cook for 5 hours on high or until turkey wings are tender. I like to pull the meat from the bones and discard the bones before serving over rice. Then I can eat it a little more gracefully and pretend I'm eating some fancy risotto :-).

Leftover Meal Inspiration

Since I purchased my Crock Pot last weekend, I have accumulated a freezer full of leftovers. Pulled chicken, turkey wings with gravy, ham, and African peanut chicken stew.  I've got to figure out some ways to create meals from my leftovers...

Here's an inspiration for this week taken from blogchef.net:

Chicken Burritos (using leftover pulled chicken)

This is not my photo...just an inspiration pic until I make my burritos later this week (maybe Tuesday since I have to eat my leftover cabbage tomorrow!).

White Chocolate Rum Cream

This concoction is relatively simple.  While it would make perfect sense to have it AFTER dinner, I'm waiting while my slow cooker ham and baked potatoes simmer away in a crock of cola and brown sugar sticky goodness!  There's no better way to while away the time than to create a new cocktail...

I mixed 1 part Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur with 1 part Cruzan Rum Cream.  The rum cream is a lovely memento of this summer's trip to St. Croix!

POSTSCRIPT: My ham turned out...okay. I think I could have done much better with a 4-hour Crock Pot meal. Maybe because I'm not much of a meat eater, but I wasn't impressed.  My side of cabbage with jalapenos was MUCH tastier. I wish I had taken a photo, but I didn't.