Pomegranitas

I'm getting creative witih Pom juice today. I used it to make two sweet treats, this one I call Pomegranita. A granita is an icy treat made of fruit juice, water, and sugar. Popular granitas include coffee, orange, and grapefruit. Think of it as an ice cream with an emphasis on the ice. And no cream. Pomegranates are a tree/shrub fruit native to ancient Persia and cultivated across the Mediterranean world. The part of the fruit that is edible are the tiny sacs of juice that surround each seed.

You can use fruit juice of any sort to make this simple dessert ice, either fresh or pre-packaged. Pomegranate juice is perfect. The color is deep and rich and sweetening the tart juice into an ice makes for a perfect palate cleanser.

Of course you can combine pomegrante with other juices, adjust the sweetness level, or add herbs to infuse the granita. But sometimes the simplest recipe is best, so see this as a base to experiment with.

You will need:
1 c water
1/2 c sugar
2 c pom juice
Splash of lemon juice

Start by making simple syrup - disolve sugar in boiling water.

I decided to expiriment with splenda - they say it taste the same.

It's really light, and they say you measure it equal to sugar.

Once sugar is dissolved, add pom juice or other fruit juice.

I added a splash (about two tablespoons) of lemon juice.

Now pour into the sheet pan and let it cool. In the future I would actually let it cool in the sauce pan and then pour the cooled liquid into the sheet pan after it was in the freezer.

Walking this to the freezer was not easy.

Every 20 minutes I went back to the freezer and scraped the pan with a fork.

Now it is starting to look like a granita.

After an hour, this is what the fruity ice mixture looks like.

It melts really fast, so quickly move the granita to an airtight container and store in the freezer.

Serve quickly and eat fast!

The pom is tart, the splenda is sweet but I would have preferred real sugar. The ice will want to melt quickly, but once you taste it, you won't want give it that chance.

Cream of Green Chile Soup

What a week... I had a really big meeting in downtown Austin this week and boy am I glad it is behind me. Lots of work, but it was worth it - turned out to be a successful three day conference. I was exhausted afterwards and thoroughly enjoyed taking today off. Jim had today off also so we went down to one of my favorite lunch spots, Flip Happy Crepes. (That is their trailer above) Ya'll, you have no idea... their food is crazy good. I always get the Pork Special, a handmade crepe filled with pulled pork, caramelized onions and cheddar cheese. Believe it or not, they serve from this  metal airstream trailer parked on a corner in south Austin. Always a line, always worth the wait. I heard Bobby Flay paid them a visit for an episode of Throwdown, although I haven't seen it yet.

Thanks everyone for all the really sweet comments you left on my last post. Jim and I are super excited about our engagement and I can't wait to start planning this wedding. We are researching having our ceremony in California's wine country, anyone have leads on wineries in northern California?

Now lets get on to the recipe all ready! A while back I posted about my attempt to replicate the creamy and spicy chile soup I had while visiting El Paso. I was so happy to actually find the correct recipe for Cream of Green Chile Soup online. Without further ado, here is a fabulous (not fat free) soup from West Texas.


Ingredients:
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
6 to 8 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil plus 1 tablespoon butter
1 pound roasted and peeled green Anaheim chiles, chopped (about 2 pounds fresh)
1 jalapeño chile, minced (I would suggest two)
1/3 cup white wine
4 cups heavy cream
4 cups half-and-half
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups sour cream
white pepper
salt to taste

2 pounds of fresh anaheim chiles, 1 jalapeno pepper (should have used two) and two yellow onions.

I used this Better Than Bouillon jar instead of the the dry powder - Love it! The wine I used is a white from La Yunta. The wine buyer for a local shop here in Austin helped me pick it out.

Don't panic, but this recipe calls for 32 ounces of whipping cream and 32 ounces of half and half. It makes about six cups of delicious soup. I forced myself to divide the soup into four servings and share with friends - this soup was really good and I probably would have slurped up all six servings myself had it been left at my house.

To prepare the chiles, I first rinsed them and placed on a sheet pan to roast in the oven at 400 until charred and blistered.

Meanwhile add the olive oil and butter to a deep heavy bottom stock pot.

When butter has melted and oil is hot, add onions and garlic and saute over medium heat until soft.

When chiles are blistered pull them out of the oven and then we need to steam them so the skin comes off easier.

The best way I came up with is to put them in a bowl with a tight fitted lid.

The bowl fills up with steam from the chiles and I let it sit like this for 10-15 minutes.

Once steamed, lets chop off the stems and peel the skins off.

I'm paranoid about burning my hands and eyes so I usually wear gloves when dealing with peppers or chiles. Seriously, have you ever burned yourself? You will do it only once.

Dice the chiles and jalapeno and add to the onions and garlic. Continue to saute until the veggies are soft and starting to brown.

Now pour in the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up brown bits on the bottom. Continue to cook until wine has nearly disappeared.

Now we add the chicken bouillon, I love how creamy and concentrated this Better than Bouillon is.

Yes, add all the whipping cream.

Pick yourself up off the floor - now add all the half and half.

Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce heat to low to allow a small simmer for 45 minutes.

Next, I took my immersion blender and went to town on the pot of soup.

I gave the soup a taste test and it was not spicy enough so I added about two tablespoons of pickled jalapenos from the fridge. I didn't want the soup HOT, but I wanted a soft burn for sure.

We are getting close here. Taste and add white pepper and salt as you like.

Stir in the sour cream and then I pour the mixture cup by cup through a fine mesh strainer.

Straining results in a super creamy and luxurious soup. Oh my, this is a GREAT first course for guests - I'm only making this again for a dinner party since it is just incredibly rich and I don't trust myself alone around this indulgence.

This Cream of Green Chile Soup must be shared with friends and family. Yum!

{Cream of Green Chile Soup}

I Said Yes

Big news folks...

I'm engaged!!!

Jim popped the question on Good Friday while we were camping at Inks Lake. When we met back in 2006 Jim convinced me to go camping with him. I did not grow up in a camping family, had never been camping, was not really interested in camping. Then he began to tell me about hiking the trails, roasting marshmallows, snuggling under a blanket by the fire. Now THAT sounded fun. So I borrowed some equipment from my boss, Jim purchased a new tent and I packed a blow up mattress.

Our first go around at Inks Lake was anything but ideal. Jim was living in Houston at the time and drove to Austin with the FLU. He wasn't going to let anything keep him from camping. It was Easter 2007, the year Austin froze over! Not only was Jim sick as a dog, but we were SO cold at night and the air mattress would not fit in the tent so sleeping on egg crates was very uncomfortable. I can't explain how that awful camping trip got me hooked, but it did. We've camped five or six times since then and always plan a trip over Easter weekend.

So there we are on Good Friday, setting up camp - we each have our jobs and areas to unpack and set. When we finished I opened a bottle of wine and crawled to the top of our site where we can look over Inks Lake from the high rocks. It's a beautiful view of the Hill Country and the sun sets right in front of us.

It was a perfect moment and Jim took the opportunity to kneel on the rocks, hold out the most beautiful ring and ask me to marry him. I cried and said "are you serious?" about three times before I was able to get out a "yes!"

Jim and I spent the next two days talking about the engagement, the parties that will take place, the registry we must complete, the date we will find and the location of the ceremony. This last week has been a whirlwind of excitement and I am really looking forward to moving into this next fun stage together.

Jim is my all time love. The one who I believe God put on this earth to partner with me. I can't wait to share every day of my life with you Jim!

Camping Preview

When Jim was younger his family camped quite often. He once told me a story about him and his two younger brothers who bought or brought coon skin caps with them one camp trip. It was a Texas summer and those three boys wore their very hot coon skin caps for three days straight! Jim laughs when he tells the story because he remembers how much he loved that hat and how ridiculous the three of them must have looked.

Last month Jim and I visited Washington on the Brazos, and I just HAD to have a picture of Jim wearing this coon skin hat we found in the gift store. Priceless!

This is a little unusual for me, a post without pictures. It is because I’m going to share my weekend menu plan with you before any of it is even made. Jim and I are camping this Easter, like we have the last two years together. I look forward to this camping trip every year and it seems to come at a time when I really need to get the hell out of dodge. The camping gear has already been pulled out of storage, dog sitter is lined up – the only thing left to do is grocery shop and pack for our meals. This is the really fun part in my opinion. As a planner, I really enjoy mapping out each meal and seeing how I can use the leftovers from one meal as part of the next meal. Tonight when I’m finished grocery shopping (yes, I know it is late) I will come home and clean produce, measure out ingredients, put in baggies and label…oh how I love to label. I will do as much as I can do ahead of time so I’m not searching for things while camping. When we are out there in the middle of nowhere I don’t want any stress. I want it to just be me and my coleman stove. I like to take my time cooking and then sit down with Jim and serve a gourmet meal under the blue sky or stars. So here is my plan, let me know what you think of all this.

Friday Breakfast – Cinnamon Rolls
Store bought cinnamon rolls that I will bake in my oven while we pack the car. Then I package these up in to-go containers and we eat them on the drive up (and hopefully we swing through a starbucks too.)

Friday Lunch – Fried Chicken Salad
Tonight I will marinade chicken in low fat buttermilk and two squirts of hot sauce in a zip top bag and throw in fridge. In the morning this goes into the ice chest. After we get the tent and camp site set up I will take the chicken out of the marinade and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Dredge in flour, dredge in homemade ranch dressing, dredge in flour again. Heat canola oil to 360 and cook for 10 minutes or until crispy brown. Slice and serve over baby spinach with bacon pieces, shredded cheese and ranch dressing. Tonight I will pre-make the homemade ranch dressing: Mash 1 clove garlic with a little salt. Mix garlic paste with 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk or regular milk, to taste. Add 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, more if desired. Store in airtight container in fridge and throw in ice chest in the morning. Ranch is also a great snack with crisp carrots while camping.

Friday Dinner – Standard Steak, Potatoes, Corn on the Cob
I say standard because when we camp this is always one of our dinners. Jim would be terribly disappointed if I left it off the menu. Tonight I will season the steaks with Saltgrass 7 seasoning and put in a zip top bag. I will also clean and butter the corn on the cob, season with salt and pepper and wrap in foil, twisting the ends closed. The potatoes will be prepped the same way. Before the sun goes down Jim will start the fire and I will put the foil wrapped potatoes right on the campfire, followed by the foil wrapped corn and the steaks. Everything is cooked over an open flame! Potatoes are served with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon pieces (which I will fry up here at the house and bring in a zip top bag).

Saturday Breakfast – Bloody Mary’s and Breakfast Tacos
I’m going to bring along a spicy bloody mary mix and serve up a spiked morning beverage along with breakfast tacos. The breakfast tacos will be black beans (from a can) and scrambled eggs with bacon pieces and my homemade vera cruz salsa on a flour tortilla. A hearty breakfast is necessary for the hiking we plan on doing Saturday.

Saturday Lunch – Simple Sandwiches
Super easy sandwiches. I will bring sandwich bread, cold cuts of meat and sliced deli cheese along with condiments like mayo and mustard. We will also have the spinach from Friday’s lunch if either of us want greens on the sandwich. I was thinking that we could even cook these between two pans and make our own Panini press if that sounds good at the time. We will be coming back from our morning hike and starving, so a quick bite is exactly what we need.

Saturday Dinner – Walnut Pesto Chicken and Egg Noodles with Basil Cream Sauce

Tonight I will marinade the chicken in store bought pesto, then throw in the cooler before we leave in the morning. Also in my cuisinart I will blend walnuts with bread crumbs, bring in a zip top bag. Saturday night I will beat eggs in bowl. Dip pesto marinated chicken in walnuts, then eggs, then walnut mixture again. Saute chicken in olive oil over medium heat until brown and crispy. Boil water and add egg noodles, cooking until al dente. Meanwhile, melt 2 tbs butter until bubbling slightly, add 2 tbs flour, and cook until golden brown. Add cream or half and half, stir to incorporate. Add goat cheese, stir until melted. Add spices like onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper (if needed). If the sauce tightens too much, thin with milk. Add chopped basil about 5 minutes before the pasta is al dente, simmer on low. When pasta is finished, add the basil cream sauce. Serve chicken on top of pasta. So this recipe is from three different sources and I made up bits here and there. In my head this meal works because the pesto has basil in it and the creamy sauce will have basil in it. Sounds yummy, right? I feel hopeful that I can pull this off at a camp site.

Sunday Breakfast – French Toast
Combine 1/2 cup whole milk with 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 and a half eggs, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ cup bourbon in pie plate. Heat skillet over medium-low heat for a minute or 2, then grease the pan with a teaspoon or more of butter. When the butter starts to sizzle turn the heat up a touch. Dip the bread into the batter, coating each side for 20 seconds, then gently shake off any excess batter and put the battered bread directly into the preheated pan. Cook the French toast 5 to 6 minutes in total, flipping once or twice, until golden brown. Serve with warmed maple syrup and a side of bacon.

Sunday Lunch - Sandwiches
We will be busy cleaning the camp site and packing everything up so Sunday lunch has got to be an easy grab and go meal. With the tortillas from Saturday’s breakfast I could even to a meat and cheese roll up for lunch. Maybe I should pack some cream cheese too. I love tortillas rolled up with some cream cheese, spinach (Friday’s lunch), deli meat (Saturday’s lunch).

Snacks – Pringles, grapes, carrots, something sweet like cookies that won’t melt in the Texas heat.
Drinks – Red Wine, Bud Select, White Wine, Bloody Mary Mix, Vodka, Hot Chocolate and okay, I will throw in some water.

That is our plan, wish me luck. I hope everyone has a wonderful and happy Easter weekend!

Toffee Apple Dip

I attended a girls get-together at my friend Allyson's home last month. I absolutely LOVED this fruit dip that she made and I insisted she share the recipe with me so I could post about it here.

The recipe for this Toffee Apple Dip came from a sister of a co-worker of mine. Thanks Laura for sharing the secret to this amazingly delicious fruit dip.

In a bowl, mix one 8 oz package of softened cream cheese and 1 cup toffee chips, 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Yes, it's that easy!

Serve the toffee mixture with fruits for dipping. Laura also suggest dipping the apple slices in pineapple juice first to keep them from browning. Love that tip!

And I love this dip!