Emeril's Virgin Or Bloody Mary

Photo: Liquor.com

Last winter I bought 4 large (48 ounce) cans of Sacramento Tomato juice with the intention of making tomato soup over the cold months. But the hookah smoker's fire knocked out the gas in our apartment building (for 5 months), so making soup didn't happen.

Now that I'm back home cooking again soup season is over. What to do with all the tomato juice?

Oh I know, make Emeril's Bloody Marys! Spring is brunch season, so what a refreshing way to drink tomato juice which is rich in vitamins A and C.

A Virgin Mary is a Bloody Mary without alcohol, so free free to enjoy the cocktail your way. No need to buy a mix. Perhaps Emeril's makes the best fresh mix in the country. Below is their recipe, which I have reduced to 4 servings.

Emeril's Bloody Mary Mix

Ingredients:

2 cups tomato juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 

1/2 teaspoon of dried garlic powder (or mince fresh garlic)

1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce (Frank's, Louisiana or Tabasco), or to taste

1/2 teaspoon of dried celery powder

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional (aside for the original recipe): a sprinkle of dill if you have it - it's good too!

Vodka - 1 ounce per glass for a Bloody Mary

Directions:

1) Toss the ingredients one by one into a blender and mix until smooth.

2) Chill for at least 2 hours. Make it the night before to have ready for the next day's brunch and all the spices will marinade to perfection. 

Poor into 4 glasses over ice and add an ounce of vodka to each glass. Enough for 2 people because who are we kidding ... you're going to use a pitcher and pour Bloody Marys into tall glasses, aren't you?

I want to thank Emeril's New Orlean's restaurant for sharing their famous Bloody Mary Mix with the world. None better!

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Bean, Avocado, Corn, Onion And Tomato Salad

Phoro: natalieshealth.com

Eating beans helps people to live longer! A fact. In 2009, a Vitality Project lead by Dan Buettner studied the lifestyles of people who live in Blue Zones -- which are areas of the world with the longest life spans. People in the Blue Zones tend to live to be 100+ years old. Along with other healthy habits, it turns out that the people who live in epicenters of old age eat lots of beans. Since beans are healthy and tasty, perhaps we should emulate them. So now I'm looking for ways to eat more beans.

Last night's dinner was a quick and easy recipe I pulled off Facebook. As usual, I made it my own:

Bean, Avocado, Corn, Onion and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

1 15-16 ounce can of beans (Use black, red kidney, pink or your favorite.)
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 cups of corn kernels (I grilled 16 ounces of frozen corn in a skillet, but you can use a can, or fresh corn -- cut off the cob.)

French Tart-FT

1 small onion, diced
1 large ripe tomato, diced (or plum or cherry tomatoes, i.e. any)
seasonings to taste:
salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, Herb De Provence, dried chipotle powder and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
A sprinkle of soy sauce
A sprinkle of Worcestershire sauce

Dressing: You can use lemon (i.e., lemon + extra virgin olive oil); or vinaigrette (vinegar + extra virgin olive oil). I like vinaigrette.

Directions:

Toss everything into a big bowl and mix thoroughly. I made a vinaigrette dressing, adding it to the bean juice that was left in the can of beans. A very adoptable recipe, season everything to taste. 

You can also add other crunchy vegetables like diced celery; carrot, red peppers; an apple; or sunflower seeds to the salad. I made mine with just the 5 ingredients listed in the heading and went the spicy chipotle and red pepper flake route.

Such a simple salad to toss together and picnic friendly. Bon Appétite!

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Stow And Go Travel Hats

A walk down Madison Avenue confirms it.  Hats are all the rage this summer.  Perhaps inspired by the Royal Wedding and the Kentucky Derby, it's a good thing.  Dermatologists agree wearing one is the best way to prevent skin cancer and premature aging.  Not only is covering your head a sensible barrier against the sun's harmful rays, it keeps you dry and comfortable.  The right hat keeps you cool with portable shade.  Wherever you go, your shade comes with you.

On the hottest days, I sometimes prefer to cover up with a hat and light clothing instead of applying wet, sticky sunscreens.  Cotton and straw feels so good, helping you stay fresh and clean on the most humid days.

World famous hatters include James Lock and Co. and Philip Treacy, but you don't need a royal budget to buy a fashionable and functional hat.

Sun 'N' Sand is a green-minded company located in Grand Praire, Texas.  They make fun, super cute, durable hats (and bags) for a fraction of what other hat makers charge.  Choose from lightweight solids, retro patterns or vintage fedoras.  The company's motto is: "Causal simplicity where natural is better."  All their hats are handmade, but you'd never guess it by their reasonable prices.  Most are $22, or less.  And, many of the hats are designed for travel, which means they can be folded, rolled and packed away in a tote, making them perfect hats to take to the beach and on vacation.  Why pay more when you can get all natural fibers, contemporary style and SPF 50+ solar protection for less? It's a steal ... and ultra smart!


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Flirty Girl Wants To Make You Smile

The photo is from Google Maps

One of the most beloved brands in New Orleans, Flirty Girl, was launched in 2009 by single mother and New Orleans native, Lauren LeBlanc Haydel, initially as an online business. Today she has 8 retail stores and 60 employees. The brand was voted Best of New Orleans by Gambit magazine for 11 years in a row.

Flirty Girl's aim is to make you smile while celebrating the city of New Orleans with shirts, skorts, scarves, jackets, shoes, kitchen and bar glasses, hair accessories, food and spices, soap, together with holiday-and-novelty gifts.

The retailer has become a must-stop for tourists but if you can't make it to New Orleans you can still send some "local love + fun finds" by ordering online, the place where it all began. Perhaps someone on your holiday list could use a smile or has fond memories of the Big Easy.

King Cake Bolt Balm

Ahhh, the only cute alligator is a toy alligator (🐊 see far above👆), but LOOK he's crawling away and headed for the flamingo🦩who should not stand tall and be eaten. Run!! ... run away!!!⚜️

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Making Healthy Pie Crust

I had a jar of Grandma Hoerner's Pecan Pie Filling in my pantry. It has the bourbon, you add the eggs. I bought it at Whole Foods reduced for about $3 dollars before the pandemic ... it was time to use it! I should have made a traditional flaky pie crust but I didn't want to consume the calories of a stick of butter. Since I'd be the only person eating the pie, I decided to play around with trying to make a healthy pie crust. No visitors to worry about feeding it to! I can eat a less-than-perfect dish but have higher standards for what I serve guests.

I'm not unhappy with the results and yet I'm not quite there. What I produced was tasty and editable and I think if I add a little butter and a sprinkle of baking soda to the dough next time I'll get the missing flaky texture. The following is the recipe for the very editable, yet chewy crust with my next attempt's 2 additional ingredients: 

A Healthy Banana Crust For Pies

2 ripe bananas

2 cups whole wheat flour

I think these 2 additions will make a flaky dough:

2 tablespoons ice cold butter, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

 

1) Incorporate all the ingredients and press into a buttered or cooking-sprayed pie pan. I was fine with pressing it flat into a pan. If you wish to roll flat with a rolling pin, just add more flour to counter a sticky dough (and the rustic style:).

2) Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes.

3) Remove from the oven and let it cool a bit before pouring in your prepared pie filling then return it to the oven to bake for the required time.

The pecan pie I'm now eating is good without being too rich, or sickeningly sweet. The bananas do add a mild sweetness without sugar (or a banana flavor) which is a good thing.

 

🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧

Alternate Healthy Pie Crusts from around the web I think would work too:

🥧 Mix uncooked oatmeal and dates in a food processor

until it forms a ball, press it into a pan then add your pie filling. The dough can be eaten baked or unbaked.

🥧 Crispy cereal combined with peanut butter that gets pressed into a pan with no baking. Like a graham cracker and butter crust, it won't be flaky but still good.

I'm aware of almond and other nut or soy flours, but let's keep it simple with ingredients already in the panty. 

Does a healthy and flaky pie crust exist?

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Homemade Granola Is Better

Granola is a whole grain, crunchy treat I like, but rarely eat.  The reason: Many granola bars sold in supermarkets are packed with calories, but are not that wholesome.  And they seem very expensive considering the stingy size you get … 3 or 4 bites per bar.  Hey, are we birds, or humans who like to eat?  PLEase! Give us a serving, not a sample.  And let's keep ingredients healthy and simple.

So this morning I baked a big sheet of granola.  Easy-breezy recipe, and when it cooled, I broke it up, rustic style.  Voilà:

Coconut-Walnut Granola

Ingredients:

3 cups Old Fashioned oats

1 cup coconut  

1 cup chopped walnuts (or peanuts, or pecans, or sliced almonds)

¼ cup flax seeds

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons honey

¼ cup canola oil (or try peanut oil.)

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Optional: ½ cup dried raisins or cranberries; a dash of cinnamin

Directions:

1. On a cookie sheet, combine the oats, coconut, nuts and flax seeds; toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

2. Put the brown sugar, honey and oil in a pot and simmer on the stovetop until it bubbles, about 8 minutes.

3. Turn off the flame and add the vanilla to the liquid mixture.

4. Next, combine the dry into the wet ingredients.

5. Fold in chocolate chips (or dried fruit if you wish).

6. Evenly spread the granola mixture on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. (Or just grease the pan with canola or olive oil. Use what you have.)

7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

8. Allow to cool completely; remove from the cookie sheet, then cut or break it up into pieces.  I think the granola tastes better a day old, or more.

Note:  After you make granola a few times, try adding ½ cup peanut butter to the mix (step 3).  To make bars [as opposed to cereal] add 2 eggs and about 1/3 cup of water (step 4) to get the granola to stick together.

It's delicious for breakfast, or anytime with a cup of coffee or tea.

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A Sugarless Chocolate Milkshake

Photo: Unsplash

I've been making some version of a chocolate milkshake for years. If consumed as a quick meal, I'll toss a scoop of whey chocolate protein powder into a cup of skim milk with ice and drink it. 

Today let's make a healthy, thick chocolate milkshake as a snack. It has the protein of milk and potassium of a banana but for a meal, I need additional whey protein. 

Ideally, a healthy snack should be 100 to 200 calories and not more. The banana gives the milkshake its thickness, but the unsweetened cocoa powder will dominate its flavor. Here's the recipe:

Healthy Thick Chocolate Milkshake

Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/2 cups skim milk - Start with 1 cup and test the thickness. If you think ahead to use frozen banana slices, you'll need the extra milk.

2 tablespoons of cacao powder, or dark cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 large banana - If you want to slice and freeze your banana ahead of time, you can skip the ice cubes. But who always thinks ahead when you crave a snack?

4 ice cubes

Directions:

Toss the milk, cocoa powder, banana, and ice cubes into a

blender and mix until you get a rich, thick, and delicious milkshake. At this step, you can add the extra 1/2 of milk if the shake is too thick. Pour into a tall glass. If you need to gain weight lucky you, you can garnish with extras like nuts, seeds, chocolate shavings, or whipped cream. I drink my milkshake as is. It's still tasty!

Yes, you can make this milkshake with oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk. My favorite is cow's milk, which has 8 grams of protein per cup.  

Skim milk is 90 calories per cup, the banana is about 100 calories (usually I use a medium banana so 70 calories) and the cocoa powder is 50 calories, so our milkshake is over 200 calories but not by a significant amount, and they aren't empty calories. Personally, I'm mindful, yet not obsessive when counting calories. My aim is to stay in the ballpark. When hungry, I consider vegetables, fruit, or skim milk -- free food, never fretting over the few extra calories they contain. 

Enjoy!

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A Better Aperol Spritz, The Drink Of The Summer

Photo: New York Times

Everywhere there is outside dining in Manhattan I see this sunset-colored orange drink. Yesterday as I passed the Mark Hotel's fancy outside linen tables I pulled the waiter aside to ask, "What's everybody drinking?" His answer: Aperol Spritz!" 

He asked if I'd like to have one. "Thanks," said I, "I never sit and drink alone, not even at home. I'll return with a friend." The gracious man understood. 

Meanwhile out of intellectual curiosity (isn't it why you're interested too?😋), I had to google the cocktail. According to the New York Times, it's become the drink of the summer, as well as, an instagram hit after Campari, the maker of Aperol, launched a successful marketing campaign. Yet according to the publication, Aperol is too sweet, not a bitter enough aperitif (a before dinner beverage to stimulate appetite) and therefore, not the ingredient to use for the best version of this popular Italian spritzer. Instead use any of the following superior bitters ...

Photo: New York Times - click to go there or enlarge

Another necessity is to use good champagne or sparkling wine. Never mix cocktails with inferior ingredients that taste less than great if you were to consume them straight. Advise I hear often even in cooking!

For this in favor Italian Spritz you can use a delicious Prosecco. I've never tried the NYT's high brow quality sparkling wine suggestion - pétillant naturel. But hey, if you have it at home or wish to hop to the wine store, opt for it!

This is an ultra easy cocktail to make at home. For the most delicious spritz I've consulted several sources to learn you always use a 3:2:1 ratio of: 3 parts dry, tasty Champagne or sparkling wine: 2 parts aperitif (bitters): and 1 part carbonated (soda) water. 

So let's turn this ratio into a refreshing recipe, shall we? - per serving: 

Best Italian Aperol Spitz

Ingredients:

3 ounces brut Champagne or dry sparkling wine

2 ounces aperitif (go with bitter, not sweet)

1 ounce club soda or plain sparkling water

Directions: 

1) Start with ice cold ingredients and have ice on the side. Heck, ice the glass before you start too!

2) Pour the ingredients in the order and ounces into a glass (or pitcher). Give it a stir and pour over ice in a glass.

You can garnish with an orange slice (or olive) if you wish.

So readers, here's your chance to sip a better Aperol Spitz, the drink of the summer, by following this simple recipe, as well as, saving the $30 bucks charged by the Mark Hotel. You're welcome! I love you too!!😍

Thank you, New York Times for the nitty-gritty tips (article linked)!

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Top Round London Broil Steak

Photo: Pinterest - London broil board

When you think of a desirable cut of beef, usually the most expensive cuts, tenderloin, fillet mignon, or porterhouse come to mind. They are from parts of the cow that don't get overworked and so have marveling, or fat that is clearly visible before cooking. The pockets of fat, or marveling, produces a tender piece of beef.

As mouthwatering as higher priced cuts are, I often prepare a cheaper piece of beef for an equally satisfying dinner.

 

I'm very fond of Top Round "London Broil" steaks. Admittedly, this cut requires braising -- slow cooking in liquid -- to tenderize what is otherwise a tough piece of beef. However with braising, the meat falls apart when pierced with a fork; and it is a lean, delicious cut of beef. There is no fat to trim. Add potatoes, carrots and a green salad for a balanced, stick-to-your-ribs supper.

Here in the USA, supermarkets sell beef as London broil steaks, but the term really refers to a cooking method, and the packaging should also list the cut of beef: Top Round, Flank, Shoulder, Shank, etc.

Not only is a Top Round London broil steak easy to prepare and tasty to eat, it is easy to clean up! You can make it in a crock pot, but I usually simmer the meat in a covered skillet on a stove top for 3 hours. Here's my easy-breezy-one-skillet recipe:

Set aside a 12'' pan brushed with olive oil.

Top Round London Broil Steak

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds top round steak (If thicker and heavier, technically, it's a roast, but as long as the meat is flat, you can use the skillet-on-a-stove-top method.) 
2 stalks of celery
3-4 carrots
1 small onion
3-4 garlic cloves

Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, dried garlic, onion powder, ground celery, a few turns of the nutmeg mill, dried oregano, Herbs de Provence, Worcestershire sauce (or a squirt of soy sauce and cider vinegar, sans WS)

Optional: potatoes

Directions:

1) Take the steak (or steaks) out of the refrigerator and season both sides to taste with the dried spices. I use salt and dried spices as a rub, then let the meat rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
2) After resting, sear the meat on both sides in an oiled skillet.
3) Next scrap the bottom of the pan while adding 4 cups of water. Mix the meat scrapings in the water for flavor. (Don't you dare throw it out!) Bring the water and meat to a boil, then lower the flame. Cover and simmer.
4) Dice the garlic cloves, onion and celery. Add to the pan, along with carrots and quartered potatoes, if you wish. Add the Worcestershire sauce and remaining spices to the skillet.
5) The potatoes and carrots will be tender after about 20 minutes. Remove and put aside while the meat continues to simmer. Alternately, you can put the potatoes in to cook the last half hour, or so. Either way works.
6) Keep simmering until the meat is tender. I turn the meat over about every hour. If your water evaporates, add another cup. You can test by poking the beef with a fork. It will fall apart when done.
7) When the meat, potatoes and carrots are tender, remove from the liquid. Place on a serving plate.
8) If you wish, add some corn starch (per the directions on the box); or flour to thicken the gravy. Make sure you scrap the bottom of the pan to make the gravy. Taste and spice again if necessary.

Supermarkets often sell top round steaks at $2.69-$2.99 per pound, which is a steal! 

Although it takes time to tenderize, there's no real labor involved. Leftovers make delicious beef sandwiches, or a 2nd meal during the week. Bon Appetit!

Photo: dreamtime.com

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