Bloody Mary Seasoning

Who doesn't love a Bloody Mary?  They make it acceptable to drink in the morning! But I've found it's difficult to make a quality one at home without using a store bought mix . This seasoning turns plain tomato juice into tasty homemade Bloody Mary mix.

Ingredients:
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/8 tsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper

-This makes enough seasoning for several drinks. Add 3/4 tsp to your favorite Bloody Mary recipe.

There are many ways to make a Bloody Mary and everyone has their own preferences on taste and spiciness. I played around with a few recipes and came up with this one; it has a ton of flavor, but you can tone it down a bit by adding less juices:

5.5 oz V8 juice
2.5 oz vodka
3/4 tsp bloody mary seasoning
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp pickle juice
1 tsp olive juice
few dashes of hot sauce
optional 1/2 tsp horseradish

Combine everything in a shaker with ice. Shake until well mixed, and pour into a pint glass over ice.
I used pickle, olive, and jalapeno slices for garnish.

I like them spicy!

Wasabi Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
3 large red potatoes
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp wasabi mayo (or 1/2 Tbsp wasabi paste)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper
green onions to garnish

Recipe:
Cut the potatoes into large chunks (leave the skin on). In a large saucepan, put in the potatoes, garlic and salt, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork.

Drain off the water and add the butter, milk, wasabi, and soy sauce. Use a potato masher and mash until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with green onions if desired.

Meatless Meatball Sub

TVP is textured vegetable protein, and it is very versatile as a meat substitute. It may seem like this recipe has a lot of ingredients, but it is fairly easy to make. TVP doesn't have much flavor on its own so there are a lot of seasonings added to make it taste more like real meat. 

Ingredients:
Meatballs
1 1/4 c. TVP
1 3/4 c. water
1 small onion
2 Tbsp oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp liquid smoke
1tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 c oil for frying

Sandwich
Sub style bread loaves
Mozzarella slices
Pesto
Marinara sauce

Recipe:
Bring the water to a boil. Add the TVP and let it sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile saute the onion and garlic in oil. Add all the spices and liquids. Combine this mixture with the TVP.

In a separate bowl add flour, bread crumbs, and wheat gluten. Mix the dry ingredients with the TVP. Heat oil in a frying pan. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and fry until all sides are golden brown.

Spread pesto onto the bread, fill with meatballs, and top with cheese and marinara sauce. Place the sandwich under the broiler until cheese is melted.

Painkiller

The painkiller cocktail was said to be created at the Soggy Dollar Bar on the island of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. Alex and I tried this famous cocktail on that very island on our honeymoon!!

With a generous dose of nutmeg sprinkled on top, you get a bit of the spice with every sip making this a perfect fall cocktail.

Ingredients:
3 oz rum
3 oz pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
1 oz cream of coconut*
dash of nutmeg

*make sure to use "cream of coconut" not "coconut cream" there is actually a difference. 

Recipe:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake until well incorporated. Pour into a pint glass and sprinkle with nutmeg.

 

Cheesy Jalapeno Artichoke Bread

I've posted a recipe for the artichoke bread a while back. This time I decided to make it spicy. The recipe is pretty much the same but with a few extra ingredients to add a kick!

Ingredients:
1/4 c. butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 c. Italian blend cheese
1/2 c. cheddar cheese
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 loaf French bread
2 Jalapenos
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:
Melt the butter in a pan on the stovetop. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add artichokes, cheeses, yogurt, and spices. Stir to combine.

Set oven to broil. Slice the bread lengthwise and spoon mixture onto bread. Arrange jalapeno slices on top of mixture.

Broil 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cararmel Pecan Carrot Cupcakes

I made these gems for Father's Day. They were absolutely decadent.

Ingredients:
Cakes
1 c. sugar
1c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cinnamon
3/4 c. oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. shredded carrots
1/2 c. crushed pineapple, drained
1/2c pecans

Frosting
1 stick butter
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese
1/4 c. caramel sauce
sprinkling of chopped pecans

Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a pan with paper liners.
Mix the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Make a well in the middle then add the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine until well incorporated. Stir in the carrots, pineapple, and nuts.

Fill the cups 3/4 full and bake for 15-16 minutes. Cool cupcakes before frosting.

To make frosting, cream butter, sugar and salt for 2 minutes on low speed. When fluffy add the cream cheese and mix until smooth. Frost cupcakes, drizzle with caramel, and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

White Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Crust
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. plain almonds, processed
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 Tbsp Amaretto
Cake
3 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp Amaretto
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
2 c. white chocolate
1/2 c. half and half
Topping
1 (16 oz) plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. To make the crust combine the cracker crumbs, processed almonds, sugar, melted butter, and Amaretto. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 in. springform pan or a 9x13 for bars. Bake the crust for 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese, sugar and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Blend in the vanilla and Amaretto. Melt the chocolate chips with half and half over a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Blend the chocolate mixture with the cream cheese until well combined.

Bake for 55-65 minutes. To make the topping, mix the yogurt, sugar, and almond extract. Set aside until cake is done baking.

Let the cake stand for 5 minutes before spreading the topping on. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes then sprinkle with sliced almonds. Cool for 4 hours or overnight.