Friday Summer Cocktail – Strawberry Mojitos

The Mojito is my favourite summer drink.

This strawberry version is lovely. It has a really nice light strawberry flavour, plus you still get the freshness of the mint and the tartness of the lime.

What you need,

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1 oz. white rum

2 wedges of lime

4-5 fresh mint leaves

1 large strawberries, sliced

1 oz. strawberry simple syrup (recipe below)

Ice

Club Soda

For the simple syrup:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

5-6 large strawberries, roughly chopped

In a tall glass muddle the simple syrup, sliced strawberries, lime and mint leaves. Pour in the rum and stir. Add 3-4 large ice cubes to the glass and top with club soda.

Stir well.

To make the Strawberry Simple Syrup,

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, water and strawberries.

Bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds or so until the sugar is dissolved.

Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until smooth.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge.

I suggest you make a big pitcher of these Strawberry Mojitos and invite some friends over.

Happy Weekend!

Jen

Recipe adapted from  Key Ingredient

Creamy Chicken and Herb Skillet

If you don’t have dinner plans for tomorrow I suggest you make this Creamy Chicken and Herb Skillet.

It is crazy easy and it tastes like a dream! Plus it takes all of 15 minutes!

The crispy chicken and the creamy flavourful sauce is perfection.

What you need,

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2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded thin

Salt and Pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large shallot, minced

5 oz. herb and garlic Boursin Cheese

½ cup chicken broth

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil

In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.

Season both sides of the pounded chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan and reduce to medium heat. Cook the shallot for 1 minute or so until just starting to soften.

Add the broth, cheese and lemon juice. Stir until thick and creamy.

Stir in the chopped basil.

Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Spoon the sauce over the cooked chicken and serve.

Both my in house taste tester and I loved this dish.

The sauce would be great on pasta too!

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

PS. If you haven’t ever checked out Iowa Girl Eats, DO IT!

She has so many amazing recipes‼

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

My friend Carole was telling me about this amazing dinner she made the other day, Chicken Caesar Sandwiches, I knew I needed to make it ASAP. She brought me the recipe and I whipped it up.

It is simple and quick and it tastes amazing!

What you need,

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1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked, cooled and chopped

½ lb. bacon, cooked until crisp

1 cup tiny tomatoes, halved or 2 whole tomatoes, diced

4 cups romaine lettuce leaves

4 soft dinner rolls or French bread

For the dressing;

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1tbsp. anchovy paste

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tbsp. mayo

3 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl toss together the diced chicken, chopped tomatoes and cooked and crumbled bacon.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, red wine vinegar, anchovy paste, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking the whole time.

Stir in the mayo, Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne until well blended.

Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the dressing over the chicken and toss well to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to 4 hours.

To serve, pile some romaine lettuce onto the bun and top with the cold chicken mixture.

The dressing for these sandwiches is so good, might be the best Caesar dressing I have ever had, I think it is going to be my new go to recipe.

So simple and yet so delicious.

A perfect dinner for a hot summer day!

Jen

Recipe from Carole

Muffin Tin Donuts

I whipped up a batch of these muffins for breakfast this morning. Holy man they are GOOD!

They really do taste like a cinnamon sugar donut.

They are soft and moist on the inside and a bit crunchy on the outside.

The layer of cinnamon sugar on the outside is perfection!

They are simple and quick to make, they would be a great addition to any brunch.

What you need,

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2¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cornstarch

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt (I used salted butter so I skipped the salt)

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup buttermilk

8 tbsp. butter, melted

2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk

For the coating,

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

8 tbsp. melted butter

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees (my oven runs a little hot so I set it to 375), and adjust the rack to the middle position.

Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, salt (if using) and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl stir the buttermilk, melted butter and eggs together.

Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until just combined.

Scoop the batter into the muffin tins using a large ice cream scoop.

Bake for 19-22 minutes until the muffins start to brown and a tooth pick comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.

Melt the butter in a small dish.

Working 1 muffin at a time, brush the entire surface with the melted butter then roll it around in the cinnamon sugar until well coated.

Continue the coating process with each muffin.

Place the sugared muffins on a rack to cool.

If you have a hankering for a donut but don’t feel like leaving the house to get one, make these little beauties.

They really are amazing!

Jen

Recipe from Cooks Country Magazine

Friday Summer Cocktail - The Caesar

I have always loved a good Caesar! The tangy Clamato juice with a good hit of spice, it is just an all-round great cocktail!

 

What you need,

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1½ oz. vodka

2 dashes Tabasco

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Clamato Juice

Clamato rim seasoning or celery salt

Lime wedges

Celery

Ice

Rub the rim of a tall glass with a lime wedge and dip in into the rim seasoning or celery salt.

Place 4 or 5 ice cubes into the glass then pour the vodka over the ice.

Shake in the Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce.

Top with Clamato juice and stir to combine.

Garnish with a celery stalk and a lime wedge.

I added a spicy dilly bean I made too!

There you have it a cool and spicy summer drink!

Happy weekend!

Jen