The Devilish Dish

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Easy Peasy Caprese Salad

We've been working on our yard a lot this year. The deck has been stained and sealed with new lights installed all around. I got a great little corner plant stand to hold some of my plants and herbs. Mr. Devilish Dish got a new grill he's been playing with. Once we pop up the big red umbrella and turn on the tunes it is a great little place to dine al fresco or enjoy an evening cocktail. Now in no way do I have a green thumb, but I try harder every year. I really love having tomatoes, peppers and especially fresh herbs for cooking. So when Mr. Devilish Dish suggested an impromptu meal on the patio with friends I was totally excited to show off our hard work. I wasn't as excited when he suggested grilling beer brats for dinner, with the usual side dishes of baked beans and potato salad. Don't get me wrong, I love baked beans and potato salad and they are my go-to summer side dishes, BUT it was a small gathering which didn't require the typical large, potluck-style side dish. We ran to the store for a few essentials and I said, "Let me assess what produce looks the prettiest and I will create a side dish around that." I found the prettiest package of little organic heirloom tomatoes. Not only were they bursting with flavor, but the color variety was gorgeous. When you start with great tomatoes, you really don't need a lot of ingredients to improve upon their flavor. I knew immediately a Caprese-style salad would be perfect. The traditional Caprese salad features alternating tomato and mozzarella slices topped with fresh basil leaves and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic. With a patio full of fresh herbs that would be no problem. I grabbed a package of mozzarella pearls, because I knew their tiny bite size would be ideal with the cherry tomatoes. This salad goes together in under 10 minutes and makes the perfect fresh side dish for any grilled meal. And with the weather getting hotter and tomatoes getting riper, you'll want to make this all summer, it is easy peasy!

A colorful side dish perfect for dining al fresco.
Goes together in under 10 minutes.
Easy Peasy!

Only 5 ingredients...

Check out the vibrant colors
of the fresh tomatoes and basil!

Grown-Up Cherry Limeades

Sonic-Drive In was founded in Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1953. So cherry limeades were quintessential to my childhood. Lots of high school nights were spend "cruising" around aimlessly with my friends only to wind up at the drive in for a cherry limeade drink. I don't drink them that often as an adult, mainly because I survive on Diet Coke or water only, but they sure are tasty every once in a while. Since we've been stuck at home with nothing to do, Mr. Devilish Dish and I have been working diligently in our backyard. It's not a huge back yard, but it does have plenty of space for Ghirardelli "Elli" to run laps like shes a racing dog. And there is a lovely deck where we like to sit in the evenings and enjoy an adult beverage while we watch said dog racing. Along with yard work, our adult beverage consumption as increased and it has been kind of fun to come up with a different cocktail each weekend. Last time we enjoyed the Birthday Weekend Cocktail invented by my friend Jenny featuring moscato wine, vanilla vodka and strawberry soda pop. Also during the quarantine here in Oklahoma small towns, "cruising" has become a thing again. Huge Facebook groups have formed and folks of all ages are social-distancing by driving around in their cars listening to music and visiting the drive-ins just like the old high school days. We haven't done that yet, but I want to soon, so I can see all of the classic cars and motorcycles and basically feel like I'm in high school again. As we were reminiscing about our high school days the topic of Cherry Limeades came up and I decided a Grown-Up Cherry Limeade would be the ideal patio beverage. With Memorial Day weekend and cook outs coming up, here's a blast from the past with an updated adult twist. So take a spin in your classic car, come home and put on some 80's music and get on the patio with a Grown-Up Cherry Limeade drink.

A childhood favorite gets an adult makeover!

Refreshing, nostalgic and patio ready

You MUST get the Tillen FarmsMerry Maraschino Cherries.
They are so worth it and totally make the drink!

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend
and drink responsibly!

GROWN-UP CHERRY LIMEADES

4 ounces prepared limeade (I made a pitcher from concentrate)
4 ounces lemon-lime soda (I used Diet 7Up)
1 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce grenadine (I used the juice from the cherry jar instead and it's so good)
*Maraschino Cherries - You HAVE to get the Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino Cherries!
Lime wedges for garnish

In a glass, combine limeade, lemon-lime soda, vodka and grenadine. Stir and add ice. Garnish with cherries and lime wedges.

*NOTE: These are the absolute best Maraschino Cherries I've ever tasted and I don't even like maraschino cherries :) you can use regular grenadine, but trust me, splurge on these cherries and use their juice in your cocktail instead. It's so good.

Chicken Korma

Korma is a type of curry, made with meat or vegetables cooked in a flavorful sauce. You can vary the type of vegetables you like, or opt for lamb, shrimp or in this case chicken. If you've ever eaten at an Indian food buffet, chances are you've had Korma. You know from past posts like Butter Chicken and Homemade Naan Bread that we are huge fans of Indian food around here. This type of cuisine always seems complicated to me and I'm guessing it's due to either number of spices in a recipe or simply because they aren't spices that are usually in my wheelhouse and for some reason I equate exotic spice with difficulty. Which isn't the case with this recipe at all. It's quite simple to make and easily changed around to accommodate any variety of meats or vegetables you have on hand. You could easily leave out the meat altogether and substitute some hearty potatoes or cauliflower for a tasty veggie version too. Serve with Basmati or Jasmine rice and a batch of my Homemade Naan Bread to soak up the sauce. The creamy sauce and warm flavors are sure to satisfy. Don't be afraid to try something new in your kitchen. It's as simple as reaching into your spice cabinet!

A simple to make curry using chicken, or whatever
meats or vegetables you have on hand.

Everything cooks in one dish.

The resulting sauce is rich, creamy and flavorful.
Check out the BALTI DISH.

Serve over Basmati or Jasmine Rice with Naan Bread
for a satisfying meal.

Strawberry Rolls

Since the quarantine, I've been trying to bake some kind of treat every week to share with my family. So far I've made the No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread and Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate Chips. My mom had some blackberries in her freezer that she shared. Much to my brother's chagrin I did not make homemade blackberry cobblers, I used them to make the Berry Best Muffins. (Sorry Bro, I'll make you a cobbler on your birthday!) By far, the Strawberry Rolls have been the biggest hit, AND the easiest to prepare! These sweet little rolls would be ideal for a Mother's Day Breakfast or Brunch, and they would look lovely in a little basket as a gift for Mom or Grandma. Bonus, they are easy enough for the kids to help prepare and everyone loves them. Strawberries are in season right now, so it's easy to find big, beautiful bright red berries at peak flavor. Using crescent roll dough makes this recipe a breeze, and it takes just a handful of ingredients. Surprise your family (and especially the MOMS) this weekend with a super simple, strawberry treat...

A tasty, simple to prepare treat.
Ideal for Mother's Day or anytime you
need a little snack.

Combine fresh chopped strawberries,
sugar, vanilla and salt.

Roll up strawberry mixture in to
prepared crescent roll dough triangles.

Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.

It's okay if the filling leaks out.
You want to see the pretty
color once they're baked.

Warm tender rolls with a sweet berry filling

The perfect treat for MOM, or anyone
who deserves a little homemade strawberry snack.

Monte Cristo Bread Pudding #LeftoversChallenge

We're big fans of Binging With Babish here at The Devilish Dish. His videos are informative and entertaining and hilarious at the same time. He's also a big supporter of the restaurant industry and so are we! My brother-in-law just took a chef gig at a restaurant in New Orleans. But of course sadly, he along with so many others in the industry aren't working right now. In his latest Binging with Babish video, Andrew Rea (aka Oliver Babish) along with other chefs, encourages viewers to support their local restaurants by ordering take out and to show support: create a recipe using the hashtag #LeftoversChallenge. We had just enjoyed an Easter Feast from our favorite local Italian restaurant, Benvenuti's. We had ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots, snap peas, salad, Italian mac and cheese, carrot cake and lots of homemade rolls with butter. By the time the family feasted for a couple of days all we really had leftover was ham and rolls and after watching the #LeftoversChallenge Episode, my quarantine creative wheels started turning. Leftover ham and rolls have lots of potential. Ham sandwiches, Ham Salad sandwiches, Ham and cheese sandwiches. Never one to go with the obvious I thought about a variation on Eggs Benedict. Which got me thinking about my Benedict Strata breakfast casserole. Which then got me thinking about Monte Cristo Sandwiches, and I decided I would blend the two ideas and Monte Cristo Bread Pudding was born. We had everything on hand for a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich (which consists of ham, turkey, Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard, on bread, then dipped and griddled in a slightly sweet French Toast-like batter and served with powdered sugar and jam for dipping.) We were lacking the turkey and Swiss cheese so I improvised with A LOT of ham, and a combination of grated Cheddar, Mozzarella and a little Gruyere. Hey it's quarantine, get creative with what you have! I also tried to be fancy ala Babish and make mine in large souffle-style dishes. In hindsight I should have baked it in a shallow baking dish or smaller ramekins to allow the bread cubes to get extra toasty, but I was going for a fancy presentation. It actually turned out quite lovely, and we had a brand new jar of raspberry jam in our pantry that we warmed up to pour on top. A terrific brunch treat. I encourage you to support your local restaurants during this time. Grab some carry out and cocktails and if you happen to have leftovers, get creative and share your ideas in the comments! #LeftoversChallenge.

We took the Binging with Babish #LeftoversChallenge!
Monte Cristo Bread Pudding

Everything you need for a Monte Cristo
(with a little quarantine creativity)
Ham and Rolls from Benvenuti's.

We didn't have turkey or the traditional Swiss cheese
on hand so we used our quarantine creativity.
Cheddar, mozzarella and a little Gruyere.

It's not a Monte Cristo without
Dijon mustard, and a little sweetness from
vanilla and raspberry jam.

Combine the custard mixture, cubed leftover rolls,
chopped leftover ham and cheeses. Allow to rest
on the counter for 15-20 minutes before baking.

Garnish with powdered sugar and serve with
warmed raspberry jam.
Just like a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich.

Bake until the mixture is puffed,
the custard has set and you have a lovely
golden brown top.

Monte Cristo Bread Pudding
Quarantine Creativity
#LeftoversChallenge

Serve with warmed raspberry jam.
Support your local restaurants!
(Tip Generously)

{Gluten Free} Strawberry Shortcakes

Easter celebrations were different for everyone this year. One thing that doesn't change around here is family, and gluten allergy. We had a lovely meal that my father-in-law ordered from a local restaurant. It was pretty traditional: ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots, peas, and salad. The dessert was carrot cake and while I'm sure it was delicious I didn't partake because I don't like carrot cake and I don't eat gluten. We almost always have Strawberry Shortcake as our Easter dessert, and Mr. Devilish Dish and Little Devil both agree the gluten free version is tasty. Growing up, Strawberry Shortcake for me was pound cake or angel food cake with strawberries and whipped topping. I never knew that is was really more like a biscuit until my friend Amy introduced me to the Southern version. She lives part of the year in Georgia so she's in the know when it comes to down home treats. She made a peach shortcake once and I was (pleasantly) surprised that the "cake" part was really a little drop biscuit. This style of biscuit translates well to gluten-free baking as you aren't expecting a high rise or fluffy layers. I've adapted this recipe to give it a slightly sweet top which adds just a little bit more flavor. It is a cute little bite and we've even eaten the leftover shortcakes with jam for breakfast. It's strawberry season, so whip up an easy batch of these shortcakes and enjoy those big, beautiful berries!

It's Strawberry Season! Even gluten free folks can enjoy.

The traditional biscuit-style shortcakes
in gluten-free form!

Look at the big berry...It's bigger than the shortcake.

Top the shortcakes with generous spoonfuls of
sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

Make Your Own Pizza Night

A while back Little Devil asked if her BFF could come over for dinner. She's from an Italian family and they enjoy cooking just as much as we do. When they were younger, the girls would make homemade pizzelle cookies when Little Devil spent the night at her house. I figured rather than just making dinner and all of us sitting down to the table, it would be more fun to do something interactive where we could all be in the kitchen. Several years ago Little Devil took a Sushi Making Class. She got quite good at it, and we bought her all of the tools to make it. (Which was an economic decision on our part because we could not afford to buy enough sushi to fill that kid up.) She even had her own sushi knife that she purchased herself. That she was quite proud of. So proud she felt the need to take it in and out of the sheath to show it off. I think you know where this is going. ME: Put that up, you're going to cut yourself. LITTLE DEVIL: Ouch!!!!! Followed by tears, panic, bloodshed, a trip to the E.R. and stitches. That knife has not been out of the drawer since. When I asked if she and Missy would like to make sushi, her reply was, "How about homemade pizza?" (The sushi making days are over I guess.) That's what we did. Homemade Pizza. Make Your Own Pizza Night. It was delicious and a blast and we all came up with some pretty creative combinations. My Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe is super easy. From there the sky was the limit on toppings. So much fun. You definitely need to have a Make Your Own Pizza Night as soon as possible!