Strawberry Coconut Mojito

One cocktail that just screams,"summer is finally here!" is a mojito. Because we grow mint in our backyard  there is usually not much of an excuse to not make one on a warm sunny day.

Last weekend the sun finally made a showing, we had taken the bully for a stroll up to the Proctor Farmer's Market where local strawberries were in abundance and we got a call from a friend who was looking to hang out on our sunny patio for the afternoon which inspired this cocktail concoction. 

We had some coconut rum ( not sure why or where it came from?) and the local strawberries and when we saw the mint we thought, mmmm....let's give a coconut, strawberry mojito a try.

Needless to say it was fantastic! Refreshingly minty with a hint of fresh strawberry.

Recipe:

Strawberry Coconut Mojito

10 fresh mint leaves 1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges 4-5 sliced local strawberries 2 tablespoons white sugar, or to taste Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a sturdy glass. Use a muddler to crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils and lime juice. Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar, and muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture. Fill the glass almost to the top with ice. Add sliced strawberries.  Pour the rum over the ice, and fill the glass with carbonated water. Stir, taste, and add more sugar if desired. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge.

1 cup ice cubes 1 1/2 fluid ounces white  coconut rum 1/2 cup club soda (or diet 7up, leave out sugar if you use 7up)

Bacon Egg Puff Pastry Tart

 

We don't really make much ado about breakfast beyond the occasional Sunday. But it does seem like we are always looking for a new Sunday morning dish because we typically stick to the same few favorites.

 

I came across a recipe for a Puff Pastry Tart on the blog French Press while disappointingly awake at 5:30 a.m. on one of only 2 days I get to sleep in. And typically as I grumpily accept being awake on these mornings I either watch cooking shows or cruise foodgawker to awaken my stomach as well. This recipe found while cruising served as inspiration and made me think, "mmmmm...we have some puff pastry in the freezer pretty sure we could pull this off this morning." This is where the 5:30 a.m. thing actually worked in our favor. I got up and took the puff pastry out of the freezer allowing it to defrost before we decide to really get up on this Sunday. I have a previous somewhat kitchen disaster type story while once trying to defrost frozen puff pastry in the microwave....yeah, don't try that.

 

 

With defrosted puff pastry and some leftover cooked bacon in the fridge this tart came together so quickly. And it's really a very versatile recipe as well. We ended up using sliced mozzarella as the base because that's what we had but you could use just about any type of cheese or meat. Canadian bacon or pancetta would both be great.

 

 

 

Our patio basil is going crazy so I added some to top the tart off after coming out of the oven.

 

 

I actually can't wait to make this one again and change up a few flavors. It makes for a great base recipe and even better its simple enough for a last minute Sunday breakfast but special enough to make for guests or a special occasion.

 

RECIPE:

 



Bacon & Egg Puff Pastry Tart

 

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of puff pastry {thawed}
• 5 slices  Mozzarella cheese
• 1 Tbsp finely diced chives
• 6 strips of bacon {cooked & sliced}
• egg wash {1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp milk}
• 6 eggs
• 1 bunch torn fresh basil
• salt and pepper

 

Instructions

• pre-heat the oven to 425
• on a lightly floured surface roll the puff pasty into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick
• with a sharp knife cut a "border" of about 1/2 inch around the entire rectangle
• prick only the center of the rectangle with the tines of a fork
• Layout the slices of cheese across the pastry
• sprinkle with the chives, and top with bacon
• brush the edges with the egg wash
• bake tart for 10 minutes
• crack the eggs onto the tart, season to taste with salt and pepper
• return to the oven for another 10 minutes {or until the eggs are done to your liking}
• sprinkle with fresh basil & additional chives

 



Polenta with Mushrooms, Asparagus & Poached Eggs

We had one of our typical late get up kind of Sunday mornings. Once finally ready to take on the world we lounged on the patio enjoying G's favorite morning latte' and a chai latte' for me while flipping through our latest Rachael Ray Everyday magazine. 

This recipe motivated us to make some brunch with mimosas. The creamy polenta with the egg yolk was pretty divine we must admit. A quick brunch recipe with ingredients we had on hand made it fairly perfect. 

Recipe:

Polenta with Mushrooms, Asparagus & Poached Eggs Adapted from Everyday Rachael Ray 

3 tspn Olive Oil

1 Cup sliced mushrooms 

5 asparagus sliced on an angle

1 twig fresh thyme chopped

3 clove garlic, diced

Salt & Pepper

1/4 cup marsala

1 1/2 Cup chicken stock

3/4 Cup instant polenta

1/2 Cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

2 tblspn buttter

2 eggs

1) Saute mushrooms and asparagus in skillet with olive oil until browned about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt & pepper. Add marsala until the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes.

2) While veggies cook, bring stock and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and whisk in polenta. Stir until polenta thickens 3-5 minutes. Stir in cheese and butter.

3) Poach eggs.

4) Divide the polenta among bowls. Make a well, then fill with mushroom mixture. Top each with a poached egg. 

Cucumber Basil Strawberry Smash

Been a bit busy is all we can say for our 4 month hiatus.We had  an absolutely beautiful weekend here in the Pacific Northwest so it was perfect to get our patio space set up for the summer days that we hope to enjoy. 

One of our favorite traditions to officially welcome the upcoming summer.

And along with a welcoming space to enjoy the warmth of summer comes a refreshing cocktail to toast it in with. 

This quick to make Cucumber-Basil-Strawberry Smash was a perfect treat to beat the "almost" heat of the first day of June.

RECIPE:

Cucumber-Basil-Strawberry Smash (adapted from June 2014 Rachael Ray Magazine)

3-5 Basil leaves

3 Cucumber slices

2 Strawberries sliced

3 oz. Vodka

Soda water/Lemon-Lime Soda or Limoncello

Use a wooden spoon to muddle/mash cucumber and basil in a tall glass. Add sliced strawberries. Fill glass with ice. Top with vodka and your choice of soda water, soda or limoncello. (Round 1 we used diet 7up, round two we used limoncello. Round 2 was pretty spectacular.)