Memorial Day, Moscow Mules and Cauliflower

Memorial Day weekend is my go-to weekend for some relaxing and hanging out with my girlfriends while Dan goes camping with his family - not so this year. True to form it rained most of the weekend although we did get a burst of sunshine at the end of the day. I took it to mean that it was Happy Hour! 

My normal adult beverage is a glass of white wine and I shake it up in the summer with a gin and tonic or a Moscow mule. I’ve been feeling the need to change things up lately and I’ve been doing some mixology - making different versions of the mule based on the fruit I have in the fridge. 

My first changeup was a blueberry lemon mule then came the blackberry lemon mule (I was out of blueberries) and over the weekend - the strawberry mule. They were all good - unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the blueberry and blackberry but I did get a photo of the strawberry. 

All of the varieties have a similar preparation, the only thing that is different is the fruit.  

ingredients

3-5 blueberries (or blackberries or strawberries - use only 1 large or 2 small strawberries) + more for garnish

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice + slice of lemon for garnish

2 ounces vodka

6 ounces ginger beer

Instructions

Squeeze the lemon juice and toss in the blueberries. Muddle the blueberries in the lemon juice and add the vodka and ginger beer. Stir well, add ice, garnish and enjoy!

I’ve also been trying new recipes to keep dinner interesting using standard ingredients. I found the Maple Sriracha Cauliflower on Closet Cooking site. They did it as an appetizer, I opted for cauliflower steaks - although some of the steaks crumbled a bit - it was still delicious. The sweetness of the maple syrup combined with the Sriracha was an amazing combination. Dan immediately asked to have it put on the rotation. 

The prep time on this is about 10 minutes and I baked them for about 30 minutes - it totally depends on the size of the cauliflower pieces. I served it with my 10+ ingredient green salad!

Maple Sriracha Cauliflower 

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1 T olive oil

2 T maple syrup

2 T Siracha

1 T soy sauce (use tamari for vegan version)

garlic chives for garnish

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together oil, maple syrup, sriracha, and soy sauce. Cut the medium head of cauliflower into steaks (you will get 3 and some chunks. Place cauliflower on a lightly oiled baking dish and brush liberally with the oil mixture. Roast 15 minutes, turn and brush the other side. Roast until edges are browned and cooked about another 15 minutes Garnish with garlic chives. 

A Spicy Mango and Black Bean Salad

I am loving the warm weather and even though we’re still under a stay at home until the 18th, I’ve been keeping busy gardening, cooking, and taking an online QiYoga class. The class was originally community ed and in person, but crazy times call for digital solutions, and actually it works pretty well. 

I’ve spent the last couple of days getting the garden and all of our pots planted - things are looking pretty good if I do say so myself. The experiment crops this year are garlic and fingerling potatoes - with luck we’ll be swimming in garlic just in time to make tomato sauce - can’t wait. 

Until we get to harvest season, I’m still doing my masked shopping thing. We’ve done a good job at using up things in the freezer and pantry and my trips generally are for fresh veggies and fruits. A week or so ago bought 2 mangos and then forgot about them when I was putting groceries away yesterday there they were - ripe and ready to be used. 

The sweet and spicy flavors come together in this salad with the smoky pepitas and chipotle lime vinaigrette and it's perfect for lunch, potluck, or a picnic. Served with some homemade bread and a nice glass of white wine. 

Ingredients

For The Salad:

1 C Quinoa rinsed under running water

1 3/4 C Water

1/2 C Pepitas

1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp + 1/8 Sea Salt divided

1/4 tsp Smoky Paprika

1, 15 oz Can of Black Beans rinsed 

3/4 C Purple Onion diced, about 1/2 an onion 

2 C Mangos diced

2 C Baby Spinach chopped and packed

4 Tbs Cilantro finely chopped

2 avocados cubed

For the Dressing:

1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Chipotle Pepper adobo sauce* 

2 tsp Adobo Sauce

1 Tbs + 1 tsp Lime Juice fresh squeezed

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Ground Cumin

15 Stems of Fresh Cilantro leafless stem part removed

1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil 48g

Instructions

For the Salad:

In a small saucepot, bring quinoa and water to a boil, turn to low, and simmer uncovered for 13-14 minutes. Remove from heat, stir, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. The quinoa is ready when all the water is absorbed. Remove lid and place in refrigerator while the rest of the salad is being prepared.

Preheat oven to 325F (163C). Toss pepitas with 1/2 tsp of olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and paprika. Toast pepitas for about 8 minutes. They will be slightly golden and fragrant when ready. Set aside until cool.

In a large bowl combine the quinoa, beans, onion, mangos, spinach, cilantro, pepitas, and the remaining 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt.

For the Dressing:

In a food processor, combine the apple cider vinegar, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, lime juice, salt, cumin, and cilantro. With the processor on, pour in the olive oil. Process until smooth.

To Assemble:

Before serving drizzle 3/4 of the dressing over the salad and mix well. Taste to see if more dressing is desired and adjust as needed. If time is available, dress the salad for about an hour before serving. The flavors will come together as it sets in the fridge.

Just before serving, dice the avocado and gently toss it into the salad. Store the salad in a lidded container for up to two days.

*Notes - you can find chipotle pepper in adobo sauce in the Mexican food section of the grocery store. Store leftover chipotle pepper in adobo sauce in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to one month.