Jalapeno, Sundried Tomato, Garlic Infused Vodka for Bloody Marys

I love to experiment with new drinks..."mixology"! This one turned out delicious!!

Prepare one week in advance:

Infuse the following ingredients in 4 cups of vodka in a glass jar (see note #1 & #2 below):
1 small handful of sundried tomatoes
2 jalapenos, cut in half lengthwise
2 whole cloves garlic

note #1: I believe in the statement "you get what you pay for". If you use cheap vodka, that is what it is going to taste like. Use something that tastes good as a plain vodka for your infused vodka's in order to get the best flavors in the vodka, and in the drinks you prepare with them! I recommend Tito's Handmade Vodka, but you can use what you like best!

note #2: Always use a glass jar for infusion. Using something of another material can take on unexpected flavors.

One week later...
After the vodka infuses for one week, strain through cheesecloth or a strainer into a glass jar. You may want to leave the jalapenos in the new jar for added spice, but if you leave the garlic or tomatoes, they will get rancid.

Drink time!
You are ready to prepare you bloody mary drinks! Use your favorite recipe, or follow my delicious combination below. I made these camping and they were a big hit!!

Bloody Mary's

Fill each glass with ice, then add the following ingredients:
2 shots infused vodka (recipe above)
3 splashes hot sauce (Tabasco)
1 lemon wedge, squeezed
Fresh cracked black pepper
1 splash Worcestershire sauce
Fill to top with tomato juice
Jalapeno stuffed olives (at least 2 for me please!)

Cheers!

Cucumber Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I love crispy, garden fresh cucumbers! This recipe is a simple, tasty side for any summer meal. It goes especially well with something off the grill, like my Beer 'Can' Chicken!

Ingredients
Cucumbers (2 regular, 3 large pickling or 1 english - your preference or availability)
1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 TBSP Poppy Seed
3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 TBSP Honey
1/2 CUP Mayo (I like to use the Hellman's brand olive oil mayonnaise)
Salt
Pepper

Peel cucumbers. If you have garden fresh cucumbers and you know that they have not been sprayed with any pesticides, you can peel strips, leaving some of the skin for extra crunchiness! Thinly slice cucumbers and red onion and place in a bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, poppy seed, honey and apple cider vinegar. Whisk vigorously until well blended. Pour about 1/2 to 2/3 of the dressing on cucumbers/onions. Stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper, and serve!

Note: There will be some dressing left, you will not need it all! Save for another salad during the week. It will last in the fridge for about 7-10 days.

ENJOY!

Beer 'Can' Chicken!

I have had a craving for some beer can chicken and I don't think we could stand up an entire chicken in our gas grille. So, I adapted a bit and made this (delicious) recipe!

Ingredients:
2 bottles/cans of your favorite beer
Rub (see recipe below, or use your favorite)
Chicken pieces (I used 2 breast pieces (= 1 split breast) and 2 thighs)

Yup, that's it!!!

Marinate the chicken in 1 bottle of beer for at least 24 hours (longer will help the chicken absorb the delicious beer flavors. (NOTE 1: This will be really tasty with a dark beer or a beer with some spice kick to it!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place chicken on a rack above a cookie sheet. Pour 1/2 of the second beer into the cookie sheet (NOTE 2: The rest is for the cook - Drink away!) Tent foil over the chicken, leaving some space for venting. Make sure the foil is not against the chicken or it will stick. Put cookie sheet in oven to bake for 40 minutes (NOTE 3: for different types of chicken pieces, the time may need to be adjusted less).

When there are about 5 minutes left in cooking time, light your grille!

Remove chicken from oven after 40 minutes and cover both sides thoroughly with rub.

NOTE 4: Don't be afraid to create your own rub with the flavors that you like, but I have added my recipe below!!! It is TASTY!

NOTE 5: Before grilling, be sure to oil your grates or the chicken skin will stick and you will lose the most delicious part! (The easiest way to do this is to place a little canola/vegetable/olive oil in a small bowl and use a piece of paper towel to absorb some and wipe on grille).

Grill chicken pieces for about 10 minutes per side, and ready to serve!

This chicken was delicious with some farm fresh corn on the cob and my cucumber salad. ENJOY!

RUB:
1 TBSP Garlic Powder
1 TBSP Cumin
1 TBSP Smoked Paprika
1 TBSP Kosher Salt
1 TBSP Mixed-up Pepper (Jane's Krazy Mixed-up Seasoning)
2 TBSP Sugar in the Raw
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Cayenne

Bocado Tapas - Review - July 2014

We purchased a Groupon a few weeks back for Bocado Tapas Wine Bar (60 Valley Street, Providence) and decided to use it this past Saturday. We would definitely go back, despite my mixed review below. The atmosphere was nice, and it would be a great place for after work drinks and snacks!

Inside View of Bar Area

The Groupon included a ton of food!

First order of business...DRINKS! We decided to try the Mixed Berry Sangria. It was...not the right decision. It was a pitcher of ice with 3 blueberries and some watered down rose wine. Please know that I am a sangria snob! I make my own which is kick ass!! (Note to self - post that recipe on blog!) So, when I go out, I really should not even bother trying sangria...just stick with wine!

We started with two items from the charcuteria y queso: Tenera Curada (house cured beef loin with garlic, mustard & herbs, lightly smoked) and Queso de Cabra con miel (fried goat cheese with honey & almonds). The beef had a nice smoky taste and the fried cheese was delicious on the pieces of french bread. The charcuteria part of the menu is extensive and there are several items we would like to try the next time!

The next part of our Groupon included 4 tapas.

Atun de Bacado (raw tuna with lemon basil crema, sweet potato chips & chili avocado)
The tuna was spice rubbed then seared. The spice and the chili avocado overpowered the taste of the tuna.

Conejo de Blanco (slow braised rabbit in white wine, garlic & fresh thyme reduction with rustic toast)
This was delicious, the best part of our visit! The rabbit was moist and tasty. We wanted more and would order this again!

Vieiras Con Truffle y Tocino (bacon wrapped scallops with white truffle honey & red pepper flakes)
These were tasty although there was more spice taste to the honey and no taste of white truffle.

Hamburguesas de Gambas (twin mini shrimp & parmesan burgers with hot cherry pepper sauce)
Although the hubby liked these, I didn't care for the texture of them. And, I am of the opinion that cheese does not go with seafood.





Onto the main course...

Paella Clasica (saffron rice, chicken, calamari, shrimp, chorizo, mussels, little necks)
This was rather bland. It tasted like everything was cooked separately and then thrown in a pan tossed together and served. There was not that deep flavor that a paella typically has.

AND Dessert - Churros! These were a sweet tasty finish!









Rating = Give it another try