Thirst Quencher of The Week: Summer Red Sangria w/ Mint infused Simple Syrup

Summer Red Sangria

 Hi-Ya !

North Cackalacky has been dealing with a heat wave bringing 90 degree (+) temperatures with no sight of relief any time soon, so needless to say the sweltering heat + asthma = outdoor activities at a minimum.  Guess what ?  I can still celebrate Summer indoors with a Festive, Fruity and Fun refreshment.  

Fruit, Wine, Summer Evenings  ? Yes, Please !


Let's make a nice refreshing pitcher of Summer Red Sangria.

Mint-Infused Simple Syrup

Berries, Limes, Oranges, OH MY !!

Ingredients
Serves 3- 4

• 1 bottle of Prosecco, chilled (I like the light, crisp bubbly of an Italian Prosecco, but you could also use a sparkling white)
• 1 bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir)
• 1 Orange cut into slices
• 1 Lime cut into slices
• 1 cup of fresh Strawberries, halved
• 1/2 cup of fresh Pineapples, cubed
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 4-5 mint leaves

Instructions

1. To make the mint infused simple syrup add the sugar and water to medium pot and simmer over low-medium heat, stirring frequently until dissolved.  Stir in mint leaves and let cool. 
2. Add the orange slices, lime slices, strawberries and pineapples in bottom of  2-quart pitcher. 
3. Pour wine and cooled mint infused simple syrup over fruit. Add the super chilled Prosecco and enjoy with a slice of orange dangling on the outside of your glass.
4. Drink responsibly ! 

**Side Note:  You can change up your fruit and citrus per your taste buds, but be sure to add the bubbly :) 

Green Goodness: Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi-Ya !

I have a wicked sweet tooth for some CHOCOLATE and a bowl of fresh strawberries was not going to do the trick.  I was on the hunt for Chocolate and I wasn't going to stop until I had some.  Who doesn't love Chocolate, right ?  I'm not a respecter of chocolate; I love milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate.  

I narrowed my Saturday Night Splurge to a couple of these beauties:  

Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Matcha ? Yep, I had to throw a piece of healthiness in the mix. 

This recipe is simple and it will take no time to you get to gobble a nice gooey, GREEN chocolate chip cookie !!

All ingredients on board !

Butter, sugar & vanilla extract

Matcha, egg, baking soda, salt, flour, white chocolate chips

Ready to go in oven !!

And Wala!

....... And can you believe I got my daughter, who disliked Matcha the first time she tried it, to be my cookie critic? She was a tough cookie (no pun intended) to break. But the results are in...

 And she loves them!! She had 3 and couldn't wait until my second batch of green goodness to come out of the oven!

Ingredients
Makes approximately 3 dozen (if you don't count the ones you ate right off the cookie sheet !)

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup of white all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tbsp of organic Matcha
• 1 cup of white chocolate chip morsels
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In mixing bowl add the softened butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract. You can use a hand mixer or a wooden spoon, if you opt for the wooden spoon it just may take a lil' longer to get to that smooth velvety consistency. 
3. Add egg, baking soda, matcha and salt to the butter/sugar mixture and stir thoroughly. Stir in white chocolate chips and flour until you get a stiff, sticky dough mixture.
4. Scoop a mini mountain (1 tbsp) on an ungreased cookie sheet or line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.  
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The center will be chewy and the edges crispy.

Note:  I had a nice cold glass of unsweetened Almond Milk.

Zucchini Noodles w/ Shrimp and Garlicky Avocado Cream Sauce

Hi-Ya !

Today is Awesome!  And it’s not just because I’m sharing this NOTEWORTHY recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp and Garlicky Avocado Cream Sauce with you.  Today is awesome because in addition to this rock-star dish, it is a quick, healthy meal and easy to make.  I am going to keep this version classic and classy, but this could be dressed up by adding your favorite veggies or even changing up the protein.

First things first, my zucchini is the star of this dish simply because I get to use another one of my Go-Go gadgets - Kitchen Supreme Spiral Slicer purchased from Amazon.  If you don’t have a Spiralizer then you may use a vegetable peeler to make thin ribbon type noodles or use a grater to make shredded noodles.

Tofu Review: Love it or Hate it

Hi-Ya!

Time to try something new, Tofu !  I am no way or no how a vegetarian, but I do like to go meatless from time to time, but in doing so I have been lacking the protein I need.  A friend told me about tofu and of course my first reaction was like, "yuk, tofu !", but after much consideration I've decided to give it a try and cook it, taste it and tell you about it!

Let me share what I’ve learned about Tofu. (The internet is a powerful engine...hehe)

Tofu 101

Tofu, or bean curd, is a popular food derived from soya. It is made by curdling fresh soya milk, pressing it into a solid block and then cooling it – in much the same way that traditional dairy cheese is made by curdling and solidifying milk. The liquid (whey) is discarded, and the curds are pressed to form a cohesive bond. A staple ingredient in Thai and Chinese cookery, it can be cooked in different ways to change its texture from smooth and soft to crisp and crunchy. Read More about Tofu

One other important thing I need to familiarize myself with before I dive head first into this new meatless protein ---the different types of tofu:

Thrist Quencher of the Week: Almond Matcha Martini

Hi-Ya!

I am a big fan of green tea and I try to get a cup in every day, but Matcha (powdered green tea) is a whole other beast in itself and its known for its POWERHOUSE antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.  Not only can you enjoy a nice warm cup of matcha, but you also can add it to countless recipes, including green smoothies. It may take a little while for your palette to get use to the taste of matcha in its rare form, so try adding into smoothies or even baking with it.....You'll thank me later!

On another note..... Did you know that your local Starbucks offers Matcha? Its not on their menu, but they have it just ask for it by name!

Are your curious yet? Try it, you just may be converted!

Ingredients

Serving Size: 1

• 1 tbsp of Kiss Me Organics: Matcha Ceremonial Grade Green Tea Powder purchased here
• 8 oz of Silk sweetened almond milk
• Couple of ice cubes

Add all ingredients in your shaker and Shake Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake to ensure all the powder is dissolved.  Pour into a martini glass and ENJOY !!!!

, 

PRP Wine International - Charlotte, NC (South End)

Hi-Ya !

PRP Wine International is a distributor of quality and unique wines from all over the globe.  Their corporate location is in Chicago, IL and they have 9 retail locations, including Charlotte, NC, which is located in the Historic South End, commonly known simply as "South End".



How'd I come about PRP you ask?  Well, all who know me know I like to entertain and that I am Groupon fanatic.  I wanted to host a wine tasting party and I happen to come across a Groupon offer from PRP, where a wine consultant would come to your home and bring wine for you and your friends to taste.  Who could pass this deal up, right ? The party was a success and hence brings me to my blog post  and my continued patronage to PRP.  One of the things I like about PRP is that I have my very own wine consultant who provides me with detail knowledge about any of the wines I am interested in as well as food pairing, storage, etc. And if I like a wine I can have my favorite bottle shipped directly to my door. Now that's service, right ?!?!?

I recently attended PRP's Summer Wine Warehouse Event, where clients (like myself)  are invited to take advantage of rare treasures, retired wines or your favorite all at reasonable prices, but wait there's more...you get to taste test them ALL before your decide which bottle or two you want to take home with you.  Whelp, at the end of the evening and 10-12 tasting later I chose three bottles that will find its home on my wine rack.

Check PRP Wine International out here

Kale Salad w/ Mango Vinaigrette

Hi- Ya !

It's HOT outside Baby!!! In the summer months I tend to eat more salads.  I like to change up my greens and vinaigrette's.  One of my go-to greens is Kale.  Kale is an impressive green, high in Antioxidants and Vitamin C.  It tends to be a tough green, so I use a method to soften the leaves as part of my preparation of this deli-sh salad, which you will find below.

I start off with a bowl of clean, dried, destemmed, chopped kale.  I don't know about you, but time is a commodity and I am always looking for ways to shorten my prep time in the kitchen.  One of my time-saving gadgets is my handy dandy Chef'n Looseleaf Kale and Herb stripper that is easy and quick to use.  If you don't have this gadget run to your closest Sur La Table and pick up or order online here.  Until you get yours you may cut the stems away from the leaves with your everyday kitchen knife.

Now its time to get your hands a little dirty (wink, wink). You will need to marinate the kale to soften them up a bit.  Drizzle extra virgin olive oil b.k.a. EVOO and pinch of kosher salt.  Squeeze the juice from 1/2 of a lemon, then with your fingers rub them leaves down.  Let them hang out in the bowl while you prepare the vinaigrette.

  

Mango (another FAVE summer fruit) will be the staple of this vinaigrette. Guess what? I have another user friendly gadget.....Pampered Chef Mango Wedge Slicer here.  Mangoes can be a bit messy if you have a really ripe one, so be sure to use a cutting board.  

In a small bowl add mango rice vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and mango puree.  Slowly pour in the walnut oil in bowl while whisking for about 1-2 minutes making sure the oil is completely ONE with the other ingredients.

Now lets assemble your salad !!

Place the marinated kale on a big plate or bowl.  Add the cucumbers, chopped mango, red onions, English cucumbers, craisins, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese.   Pour about 2-4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over your salad, toss and enjoy.

Ingredients for Kale Salad
Serving Size: 1

2 cups of softened Kale, desteemed, washed, dried, & chopped
½ mango chopped
2 tbsp diced red onions
4-5 slices of an English cucumber, diced
1/8 cup of Ocean Spray’s Reduced Sugar Craisins
2 tbsp of crumbled goat cheese
8-10 cherry tomatoes

Ingredients for Mango Vinaigrette
Serving Size: 2 oz

2 tbsp of Nakano Seasoned Mango Rice Vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup of La Tourangelle Roasted Walnut Oil
1 tbsp of mango puree (from previous used fresh mango)
Pinch of kosher salt

Thirst Quencher of the Week: Minty Watermelon Green Smoothie

Hi-ya !!

I start my day off with a green smoothie just about every day and I like to dibble and dabble with different combination so not to get bored with my daily ritual.  I get a lot of my inspirations for smoothie recipes from my weekly grocery shopping expeditions.   Last week I came across a limited edition of Chobani Watermelon Greek yogurt and Silk cashew milk, which inspired me for this featured smoothie.  Watermelon is one of my "FAVE" summer fruit and I thought that would be a great ingredient to add too.

Every Kitchen Has A Story To Tell.....

Inspiration. Delectables. Tidbits. 

  (3) Reasons you should stick around and explore my blog..…

Taste and Tell with Tee

Wow, my 1st blog post!  I thought this day would never come, but my perseverance, my love for food, and my passion to cook has made this dream a reality.

Over the years I have developed an addiction to various social media outlets; Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.  I have not explored the Twitter world yet, but who knows. Social media leaves a bad taste in the mouths of some, but, I must give social media its props.  It has allowed me to reconnect with family members, make new friends, land a job, and try that new recipe …..

Ultimately the inspiration to start my food blog 

I enjoy sharing my food selfies and recipes in various groups on Facebook and Instagram and my friends were consistently suggesting I create an E-cookbook (next goal), but I figured I should build my recipe repertoire up, so what better avenue to do so than a blog.

I am so excited to get started and share my adventure with you, so sit back, grab your favorite beverage and enjoy the ride.