Donut Army

  Such a simple dish - easy to put together and makes an eminently presentable dish. There is no point in removing the garlic from the pan - just leave it in there. But be mindful when eating, because it won't be mellow at all - just eat around it. Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Coconut & Lime 1/2 lb brussels sprouts, cut in half lengthwise 5 cloves garlic, smashed 1 T butter 1 T olive oil In a saucepan with a lid, heat oil and butter. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 1-3 minutes. Discard garlic. Place brussels sprouts cut side down in the pan. Stir, then cover and let steam until cooked through, 5-10 minutes, depending on size. Stir occasionally. If they look dry or begin to stick, add a couple teaspoons of water and continue to cover. The brussels sprouts should be hot, bright green and almost carmelized on the cut side. Remove from heat and serve.

  This was so lovely that it was my go-to cocktail through some of the coldest nights this winter. I never did get my garnish to float, though. Bijou The Essential Cocktail, Dale DeGrof 1 1/2 oz gin 1/2 oz green chartreuse 1/2 oz sweet vermouth dash orange bitters Combine gin, chartreuse, vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a cherry and a piece of lemon peel on top.

  Refreshing and with a hint of "what is that flavor?" Blood Orange Aperitif Biscuits and Booze 2 oz vodka 1 oz dry vermouth 1 oz blood orange liqueur 1 dash Angostura bitters Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake well, then strain into a chilled coupe.

  A simple yet flavorful quick dinner. I have made this so often now that I use eyeball measurements -- "oh I feel like more peas than that tonight" kind of thing. It's a forgiving dish in that regard.   Pasta with Peas, Fresh Sage, and Bread Crumbs Local Flavor magazine 1/2 lb small pasta, like radiatore or farfalle 4 T unsalted butter, olive oil, or a mix of both 1/4 c shallot or scallion, diced 1 lb peas 3 T sage, chopped 1 tsp lemon zest, grated 1/2 c bread crumb 1/3 c parsley, chopped Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta. Cook according to directions. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 T of butter in a large skillet. Add shallots and cook gently for a few minutes, until softened. Add peas, sage and 1 c of pasta water. Stew until peas are bright green and tender, 1-2 minutes. Add lemon zest. Crisp bread crumbs in the remaining butter or oil in a small skillet. When pasta is done, drain it and add directly to the peas and toss. Taste for salt. Season with pep

  A simple salad that holds up well and gives a lovely variation on the average everyday green salad. Shredded Bok Choy Salad Donut Army 2 lb baby bok choy 1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, thinly sliced 1 red pepper, seeded and julienned 3 scallion, thinly sliced Cut bok choy in half lengthwise. Cut leaves crosswise into 1" strips. Cut stalks into 1/4" dice. Serve with dressing of choice - oil and vinegar recommended. Can also serve with a peanut butter-based dressing to play off the bok choy.

This banana bread is flavored oh so faintly, but oh so deliciously, with bourbon. Highly recommend. Maybe don't use the real good stuff like I did, though. Jacked-Up Banana Bread Smitten Kitchen 3-4 bananas, smashed 1/3 c salted butter, melted 3/4 c brown sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp vanilla 1 T bourbon 1 tsp baking soda pinch salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg pinch cloves 1 1/2 c flour Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

  Light and refreshing, but with the substantive crunch that comes from larger grain couscous. Highly recommended! Toasted-Couscous Tabbouleh Martha Stewart Living 1 red onion, in 1/4" dice 2 c water 8 oz Israeli couscous 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt 1/4 c parsley, chopped 1/4 c mint, chopped 2 tsp olive oil 2 tsp lemon juice Place red onion in a small bowl, and cover with water. Let soak 30 minutes; transfer to paper towels, and drain. Lightly coat a medium saucepan with cooking spray, and place over medium heat. Add couscous; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt; cook until all water has been absorbed and couscous is al dente, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool completely. In a large bowl, combine couscous, reserved red onion, parsley, mint, oil, and lemon juice; toss to combine. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve, garnished with lemon wedges.

  This cocktail was a huge hit among the subscribers of my cocktail of the month club. (A reminder - if you are interested in membership, DM me and I can send you a coupon code for $25 off your first box.) This cocktail is an interesting mix of sweet and crisp. I found the citrus flavor a bit too forward from the original recipe, so on the second (and third and fourth....), I increased the prickly pear and removed the grapefruit spritz. Sepal & Spice Kellie Thorn 2 oz dry gin 1 tsp spiced prickly pear - hibiscus syrup 2 dashes Angostura bitters 2 dashes orange bitters 1 spritz grapefruit oil Add gin, syrup, and bitters to a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Stir to chill. Spritz with the grapefruit oil before serving.

  Lovely combination - if making again, I would amp up the caraway profile by smashing my own caraway seed first - just to make it a hair more interesting. Right to Roam Shaker and Spoon 1 1/2 oz dry gin 1 oz salted blueberry-caraway syrup 3/4 oz lime juice 1 dehydrated lime wheel Fill a Ziploc bag with ice cubes and smash into smaller pieces. Add liquid ingredients to a shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously, for 14-30 seconds. Strain into a hurricane or collins glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Light and refreshing - dangerously so. I had downed my first one in a matter of minutes. That said, it's delicious and eminently presentable in this bright yellow color! White Negroni Daiquiri Imbibe Magazine 1 oz white rum 1/2 oz lillet blanc 1/2 oz Suze 1 oz lemon juice 2 tsp simple syrup 3 dashes orange bitter Combine in a shaker with ice. Shake until cold. Strain into a coupe glass.

  A one-dish wonder that is on regular rotation in this house. Simple to put together. Easy to double for leftovers throughout the week. And dirties only one pan! Greek Chicken Traybake Every Last Bite 1 red bell pepper, in 2" chunks 1 yellow bell pepper, in 2" chunks 1 red onion, in 8ths 2 c cherry tomatoes 1 lemon 2 chicken breasts, in strips 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/4 c olive oil 1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp oregano, dried 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 T basil, fresh 1/4 c feta cheese, crumbled Preheat the oven to 400. In a large baking sheet or roasting tray, add the chopped peppers, red onion slices, artichoke hearts, lemon wedges and tomatoes. In a bowl whisk together the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, paprika and oregano. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the veggies, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss until well coated. Place the chicken pieces on top of the veggies and brush sauce. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, add in the fet

  As part of a mail-order cocktail-of-the-month club *, I am sent ingredients for cocktails that I would never otherwise try -- including this one. All the individual ingredients are delicious, but it's not a combination I would ever choose. But this was as warming as an evening by the fire! *If you happen to be interested in joining, message me and I can get you a coupon for $25 off your first box. Framboise Thaw 3 1/2 oz water 1 oz spiced apple cider concentrate 2 oz dry gin 1 oz raspberry syrup 1 cinnamon stick Combine liquids in a glass. Stir and serve with the cinnamon stick.

  This soup is in regular rotation around here. The extra step of pureeing some chickpeas does add an extra set of dishes to the clean-up, but is worth the step as it helps thicken the broth. "About 30 Minutes" Chickpea and Pasta Soup with Rosemary Sunday Soups 1 c leeks, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and sliced 3 tsp salt, divided 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp thyme, dried 1 14.5 oz can diced tomato 4 c water or stock 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained 1 c small pasta 2 tsp rosemary, chopped 3 oz baby spinach, chopped Put water or stock in a pot. Add leeks, carrot, 2 tsp salt, bay leaf, thyme, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. Strain stock into a large bowl, and return strained stock to the pot. It should yield 4 c liquid; if not, add enough water to equal this amount. Puree 1/2 c chickpeas with 1/4 c water in a blender. Add the pureed chickpeas, pasta, rosemary, and remaining 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until pasta is al dente. Add more water if necess

Salty Raccoon Margarita Imbibe Magazine 1 1/2 oz tequila blanco 1 oz rosemary syrup 1 oz lime juice Rosemary Syrup: bring 1 c water to a boil. Add 1 c sugar and 4-5 sprigs rosemary. Take off heat and cool. Strain into a jar. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Line half the rim of a rocks glass with smoked seat salt; add ice and set aside. Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into ice-filled glass.

While preparing a soup for dinner, I had a sudden hankering for smoked paprika. I wondered what it might be like to flavor naan with paprika, but realizing I didn't have enough time, I just made these little tortilla-like flatbreads. Delicious!  Smoked Paprika Flatbread 8 oz bread flour 2 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp salt 4 oz warm water 4 tbsp olive oil I n bowl of a mixer, combine all ingredients. Beat 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rest 15 minutes. Divide dough into 6 portions. Roll each portion out into a thin flatbread shape. Cook on a flat griddle 2-3 minutes per side.