Strawberry Goat Cheese Crostini

Spring is finally here and I'm ready for lighter meals, sunshine and cocktails on the patio!  It feels like we've been shut in with heavy comfort food and I'm ready for time with good friends and food that is almost too pretty to eat.  Strawberry Goat Cheese Crostini is exactly that.  Almost too pretty to eat.  Almost.  It's so light and tasty, with crisp crostini bread and creamy goat cheese.  Topped with sweet strawberries and a balsamic reduction, it is the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors.  Lovely as a snack with a crisp glass of wine, or the ideal appetizer for any upcoming events like bridal showers and Mother's Day gatherings.  This tasty little snack tastes as delicious as it looks and comes together so quickly.  Share it at your next girl's night for a WOW treat.

The perfect little light snack
for warmer weather.

Just a handful of ingredients with an
elegant result.

So quick and easy to prepare, and
strawberry season is upon us.
They will be perfectly ripe and sweet.

Sweet strawberries pair perfectly with the 
tartness of the balsamic glaze. (SEE NOTE)

Grab a glass of your favorite crisp wine and 
enjoy this simple, but sophisticated
appetizer on the patio in the sunshine.

STRAWBERRY GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

1 Baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
Olive oil
4 ounces goat cheese, softened
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
Balsamic reduction, glaze or your favorite balsamic vinegar
basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Arrange the baguette slices on a baking tray.  Brush lightly with olive oil and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden and crisp. 

Let the baguette slices cool and then spread each slice with a thin layer of softened goat cheese.  Top with a few sliced strawberries and drizzle with balsamic glaze.  (SEE NOTE) Garnish with basil leaves and freshly cracked black pepper.

NOTE: You can purchase balsamic glaze, or make your own by reducing balsamic vinegar on the stovetop at a low simmer until the amount has reduced by half.  It will become thick and syrup-y.  Or if you have a tasty flavored balsamic vinegar, feel free to use that.  We had a little bottle from a trip we enjoyed on our crostini.

The Cowboy Colada

It's World Whiskey Day.  I'll admit I am not much of a whiskey drinker.  Mr. Devilish Dish and his pals imbibe on occasion.  They have their bourbon and whiskey collections and fancy ice cubes and such.  You'll usually catch me with a glass of champagne or something tasty like the Hillstone Crisp Martini or the Hemingway Daiquiri.  But Mr. Devilish Dish is quite the charming bartender and we do pride ourselves on a very well-stocked bar so I'm always game to try any of his cocktail suggestions.  And slap the name COWBOY on anything and you practically have my heart.  I was incredibly surprised at how tasty this cocktail is.  Think the flavors of a fresh Pina Colada, but with the warmth and depth of a good whiskey.  And a little bit of heat from jalapeno.  That's right.  Jalapeno-infused whiskey is the base for this cocktail.  It's a little bit of smoky spice in your otherwise traditional tropical cocktail.  An unusual combination for both your fruity drink folks and AND your cowboys!

A surprising mash-up of whiskey 
and pina colada!

A cool, refreshing drink.  
Slightly sweet....

but the added depth, warmth and spice
from jalapeno-infused whiskey.

A cowboy drink by the fireplace.

Enjoy this unusual,
but delicious cocktail for
World Whiskey Day!

COWBOY COLADA

12 ounces good quality whiskey
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 ounce cream of coconut
1/2 ounce simple syrup
jalapeno slice for garnish

Pour the whiskey into a jar with a tight fitting lid.  Add the sliced jalapeno and let sit overnight.  Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the pepper slices and any bits or seeds.  Store the infused whiskey in a cool dark place until ready to use.

For the cocktail:

Fill a low-ball glass with crushed ice.  Place ice cubes into a cocktail shaker and add 1 1/2 ounces of the jalapeno-infused whiskey, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and simple syrup.  Shake.  Strain and pour over the crushed ice.  Garnish with a slice of fresh jalapeno. 

 

HOW TO: Poach Chicken Breasts

Mr. Devilish Dish loves to grill.  If the weather permits, I can just about count on him to cook our protein outside almost any night of the week.  But when the weather crummy or he is not home to help with dinner then the stove top it is.  Especially if he isn't home for dinner, I will almost always prepare myself some kind of Asian salad, with some shredded chicken inside.  This preparation is simple to do, and perfect for salads, enchilada and taquito filling, or a protein bowl where you just want a pile of juicy chicken.  Ideal to have on had to add to casseroles and soups too.  It's also a great method if you enjoy doing meal prep, because you can poach a large batch of chicken on the weekend and have chicken ready to go for any meal of your choice.  

This is my favorite method for 
preparing chicken breasts for
 a large variety of recipes.

HOW TO POACH CHICKEN BREASTS FOR VARIOUS PREPARATIONS

1-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt

Additional aromatics optional include:

smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, sliced fresh ginger, fresh herbs, sliced onion, white wine...the ideas are endless, just choose flavors that compliment what you are planning to use the cooked chicken with)  You don't have to add these, I typically just use the salt method, but if you enjoy chicken on a regular basis the variety of flavors in the poaching liquid would be a nice change of pace.

Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in the bottom of a large pot.  Sprinkle with salt (and any additional aromatics you want to add.) If using wine add it now.  Pour in enough cold water to cover the chicken breasts by an inch.

Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat.  It will start to develop a white scummy-looking foam, which you can skim off if desired.  It is fine to leave it as it does not affect the chicken cooking or flavor.

As soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid and let the chicken simmer.  Begin checking the chicken with a thermometer after 8 minutes of simmer time.  The thickest part of the meat should read 165 degrees F.  If it is not done, the chicken will typically reach temperature within 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat.

Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid to a clean cutting board.  Poached chicken can be served, hot or cold.  It can be served whole, sliced, diced or shredded per your recipe.  

Irish Cream Cheesecake

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This is one holiday Mr. Devilish Dish and I love to celebrate.  Sometimes we go the fun route and celebrate with something non-traditional like Shamrock Shake Pie, and sometimes we enjoy bacon and cabbage.  We both have Irish heritage - his roots are "Black Irish" which is clearly evident with his dark hair and olive skin.  My side is the stereotypical auburn haired, lighter skin tone version.  I even have a claddagh tattoo, which is an Irish symbol representing LOVE (heart), LOYALTY (crown) and FRIENDSHIP (hands).  It's safe to say we appreciate our heritage, although Irish Cream may not be something our ancestors enjoyed.  We definitely enjoyed this IRISH CREAM CHEESECAKE.  To be honest, I hardly ever make any cheesecake besides my New York Style Cheesecake, since that is everyone's birthday request.  I don't think I've ever made a cheesecake with a sour cream topping, but not only did it add flavor, it made the top absolutely perfect and smooth.  If you are looking for a WOW dessert for the month of March, or you simply love the flavor of Irish Cream liqueur, this cheesecake is a total winner.

Our new favorite cheesecake!

The ingredients...Though they seem
complicated, cheesecakes are usually
just a few ingredients and simple to
prepare.

Use a small glass or cup to get the 
crust tapped down evenly.

Bake that thing and allow to cool
completely before you prepare the topping.

Combine the topping ingredients.

Spread evenly over the top of the 
baked and cooled cheesecake.

Chill until cold and set.

Enjoy for a Happy St. Patrick's Day
or any day you want a delicious dessert.

IRISH CREAM CHEESECAKE

For the Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1/2 Irish Cream liqueur

For the Topping:
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup Irish Cream liqueur

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  To prepare the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  Spread the mixture evenly across the bottom and partly up the sides of a 9 or 10-inch springform pan.  Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.  With a mixer combine the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Add the Irish Cream and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pour into the chilled crust and bake for 25 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before topping.  To prepare the topping thoroughly blend together sour cream, sugar and Irish cream.  Spread mixture evenly on top of cheesecake.  Allow to chill and set until firm.

 

 

Espresso Martini - National Espresso Martini Day

 I have to admit until recently I've never been much of a coffee drinker.  Or a martini drinker for that matter.  A couple of years ago I convinced Mr. Devilish Dish to drive over an hour to buy an old wooden hutch off of Facebook Marketplace, load it in the truck and drive it back another hour to a friend's house that specialized in re-doing old furniture.  Long story short, we had this hutch painted to match our kitchen cabinets.  Then we cut it in half and hung the upper portion on the wall to store and display dishes.  The bottom half was nice and deep and ideal for storing large bowls and platters, and on top, our ice machine sits perfectly.  Now Mr. Devilish Dish did all of this work because I promised him this piece of furniture would be his "coffee bar" when really I wanted it for storage purposes.  After much patience, he FINALLY said, "I was told this would be a coffee bar." And coffee bar it has become.  It's now home to the ice machine, Ninja Slushi machine, and espresso machine.  Plus every little toy and gadget that goes with an espresso machine.  And when you have all of the things to make coffee drinks, you learn to love coffee, which now I finally do.   Mr. Devilish Dish is not only quite the bartender, he's quite the barista too.  He can make just about any coffee drink you can imagine, to include making his own homemade vanilla syrup.  My favorite might be when the bartender and barista collide and you get the perfect Espresso Martini.  You can totally substitute cold brew concentrate if you don't have your own personal barista around the house.  This classic delicious drink is great any time of day.  It provides a little pick me up, but it's also a great after dinner cocktail if you enjoy a little coffee with your dessert.  It's National Espresso Martini Day, so be sure and enjoy one no matter what time it is.

Such a tasty cocktail.  
Good thing it's National Espresso Martini Day!

The ingredients.  Mr. Devilish Dish
used his homemade vanilla syrup in this,
but you can use regular simple syrup too.

Look at that crema on top.  
Enough to float the coffee bean garnish.

Did you know traditionally you garnish 
with three beans to represent health,
wealth and happiness?
I got an extra one :)

It's National Espresso Martini Day
so ENJOY!

ESPRESSO MARTINI

2 ounces good quality vodka
1/2 ounce coffee liqueur (Like Kahlua, St. George Nola, or Mr. Black)
1 ounce espresso freshly brewed (or cold brew concentrate)
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Garnish: coffee beans

Add vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until well-chilled.  Strain into a martini glass and garnish with coffee beans

Shamrock Shake Pie

Mr. Devilish Dish loves the flavor combination of mint and chocolate.  He will always choose Junior Mints at the movies when I choose Milk Duds.  He loves mint chocolate chip ice cream, and he especially loves when the month of March rolls around and he can get a Shamrock Shake at McDonalds.  I'm not usually a fan, but when I saw the recipe for this Shamrock Shake Pie, I knew right away I would be planning a special meal for St. Patrick's Day.  We enjoyed Bangers & Mash (sausages and mashed potatoes) and delicious Creamed Leeks, which brought a beautiful, natural green to the dinner plate.  Rounding out the meal was this not so traditional but super tasty and fun pie.  It was colorful and truly tastes as good as it looks. I made things simple by using a store-bought graham cracker crust, and garnished my pie with chocolate mint candies.  The perfect dessert for any meal during the month of March.

This is the cutest, and tastiest dessert.

The ingredients.  Be sure to read my 
note regarding whether you want to use
Cool Whip or heavy whipped cream.

Garnish with whipped cream and 
mint candies.  So cute and tasty too.

SHAMROCK SHAKE PIE

1 Premade Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 (3.4 ounce) box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon green food coloring
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip OR 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream - whipped*SEE NOTE

Optional Garnish Ideas: Additional whipped cream, mint candies, maraschino cherries

In a large bowl mix together the pudding mix and milk until well combined.  Add the food coloring and mint extract.  Fold in the Cool-Whip or whipped cream.  (*NOTE: I'm not usually a fan of Cool-Whip so I will substitute heavy cream that I have whipped myself.  While I think it makes a better flavor and texture, Cool Whip does contain a stabilizer that will keep your pie longer without weeping.  That being said, this pie lasted at least 2 or 3 days for us without getting melty or "weepy."  If you think you need to make this pie in advance - more than just the day before serving - you might want to use Cool Whip instead of whipped heavy cream.) Once this mixture is combined, pour into the premade crust a refrigerate until completely set, about 4 hours or overnight.  When ready to serve, garnish with whipped cream and mint candies or maraschino cherries.

Have a Lucky March,

Creamed Leeks

Last St. Patrick's Day we decided to go all out for an Irish meal.  Mr. Devilish Dish insisted on "Bangers and Mash" which is sausage served with mashed potatoes.  I felt like we needed something else, and certainly something green so we opted for Creamed Leeks.  This is one of my favorite side dishes, with its subtle onion flavor.  We love leeks in soups and sauces.  My husband uses them often when he makes his own chicken stock.  Leeks are delicious in casseroles, and just about any place you want to add flavor but possible not a strong onion taste or texture.  Of all of the things we use leeks for, this is by far my favorite way to serve them.  They were both tasty and eye catching as part of our St. Patrick's holiday meal, but I especially love to serve this with steaks or beef tenderloin.  It's an impressive recipe, but so simple to prepare.  

A sophisticated side dish for 
any meal where you want the subtle
flavor of onion.

Sauté the leeks in butter, then
simmer in stock until tender.
Finish off with heavy cream and 
seasonings.

We enjoyed these for St. Patrick's Day
alongside the traditional Bangers & Mash,
and the non-traditional Shamrock Shake Pie.

CREAMED LEEKS

3-4 large leeks, washed well (they can hold a lot of dirt so wash carefully)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

dash of cayenne pepper or pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Slice the leeks into thin slices.  (Use the white and yellow parts only.  Save the green parts for making stock or discard.) In a large sauté pan, melt the butter.  Once the butter is hot, add the leeks and sauté until they begin to soften.  Add the stock and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the leeks are tender.  Stir in the cream and cook for another minute or two.  Season with salt and pepper and cayenne if desired.  Serve hot.