Tag Archives: food

It’s football season and it’s all about the spread…

Posted on by
Reply

For the game day sandwiches that is!
10012018-5178-(1)And we all know that no great sandwich ever started off with a lame spread.  In fact, the spread is the magic, the foundation for greatness to build upon.   The spread makes all the difference in the world.  And anyone who’s ever made their own will agree with me when I say, there’s nothing better than fresh made mayo – simply trust me and skip the jar at the grocery store because there is NO comparison.

Now, I know that you might be thinking to yourself right now that making your own fresh mayo sounds like a lot of work or that it’s probably a tricky endeavor but trust me…it’s rather quite simple.  We’re talking six ingredients here, an immersion blender, a jar and happy sandwiches in your future in less than 10 minutes tops!

So, shall we make a batch?

Here’s the lineup (sorry, I couldn’t help myself)

1 Cup Avocado oil
1 Large Egg (the freshest egg you can buy and let it get to room temperature)
¼ tsp White wine vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

To mix I use the container that came with my immersion blender because it’s a tall cylinder shape that’s wide enough to properly blend the ingredients.  If you have a wide mouth canning jar that works great as well.

Add the egg first followed by the vinegar, oil and the rest of the ingredients.  Then put the blender all the way to the bottom on your container and let it blend for about 30 seconds, then slowly raise it up blending as you go until everything is blended well and is smooth.  Your mayo will thicken up after it’s been refrigerated for a little bit but you don’t need to wait for that to happen before you can enjoy it.  I say make those sammies right away and score some points with your couch stadium friends (sorry I couldn’t resist dropping one more in the mix)!

And there you have it, the simple base and I encourage you to play with this recipe and create your own additional flavors such as a couple of my favorites, chipotle, roasted tomato and a lovely avocado/cilantro blend.  There are no flavor limits…well maybe not cotton candy, that would surly be a flavor limit.

Now, back to making sandwiches…

I am,
The Urban Mountaineer

Peachy Jam Tangerine Paletas

Posted on by
Reply

ice cream bars on table with peaches and oranges

As much as I truly LOVE autumn I’m trying to hold onto summer as long as I can and these peaches are helping me fend off the pending transition into winter.  So I purchased a final basket of these beauties to make a couple final treats before sweater-weather is here to stay.

Last week I used some of these fresh peaches to make a fruit jam.  I stewed them down (not too mushy, keep some pieces whole) with savory roasted peaches, fresh apricots, white peaches and figs to make a sweet and savory fruit jam.  We then topped some of the warm jam over vanilla gelato and topped with crumbled glazed pecans.

I’m using the same jam in this Peachy Tangerine Paleta recipe below.  Paletas are traditionally made with fresh fruit but hey we like to mix it up a little.  What gives these Paletas a fresh flavor above the sweetness is the infusion of citrus in the cream.

I hope you enjoy these tail-end summer treats as much as we do!

Peachy Jam Tangerine Paletas

  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 cup of freshly squeezed juice from a combination of oranges and tangerines
  • Zest of orange (2-3 TBL)
  • Fruit jam made of roasted yellow peaches, white peaches, apricots and figs
  • Crumbled graham crackers

Whisk together zest, juice, half and half and condensed milk until completely blended and then pour into molds (6) leaving about an inch from the top.  Cover with lids but don’t add the sticks yet.  Freeze for about an hour.

Remove from freezer and spoon the fruit jam into the center of the molds filling just shy of the top and gently stir the fruit around.  Replace lids with sticks and freeze for at least 5 hours.

Gently remove the peachy palates and press them gently into the graham cracker crumbs.

Thoroughly enjoy…

I am,
The Urban Mountaineer

Just in time for the weekend: Tabouli

Posted on by
1

Bowl of Tabouli on a wood table

 

I’ve been so busy with my relocation it seems like I’ve barely set foot in the kitchen to make anything more robust than a jumbo cappuccino or an occasional hand-tossed pizza.  But I think I’m getting my culinary groove back and happy to say my pots and pans are starting to feel less neglected.

Recently I had a couple of friends visit over the Memorial Day holiday and we pretty much noshed on simple foods for the day (accompanied by fabulous wines of course). I just had to make Tabouli because it’s one of my favorite summertime food staples. I love how light and fresh it tastes and at the same time has such depth of flavors. It’s so easy to make (I’m not kidding) yet it’s a perfect dish for any meal. Plus I think it’s pretty darn healthy and healthy food allows me to feel less guilty about the wine. Continue reading →