Cocktails, Schmocktails! Cucumber-Lime-Mint Elixir and Tarragon-Meyer Lemon Syrup

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Lately, I find more people are looking for non-alcoholic options at cocktail hour. There are many options out there which include alcohol-free spirits as well as vegetable and fruit mixers. Most of them are simply awful, so I started making my own. I work with a client who has to monitor her glucose intake, so most fruit concoctions are out. Which leaves delicious vegetables and citrus! I have 2 recipes to share which are great mixed with tonic, ginger ale, or plain old seltzer. And if you aren't avoiding booze, I suggest hitting them with vodka, tequila, or gin.

  

Cucumber-Lime-Mint Elixir

Ingredients
2 3-inch pieces lemongrass, crushed with a hammer or meat pounder (or a squeeze of lemongrass paste)
2 large English cucumbers, rinsed
2 large bunches mint, leaves only
2 whole limes, rinsed
7-10 large basil leaves
2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute like Swerve)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Procedure
Cut up cucumber and limes (skin and all) and throw into blender along with everything else. Purée till smooth and then strain. Mix with ginger ale, tonic or lemon lime mixer over ice.

Tarragon-Meyer Lemon Syrup

Ingredients
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
1 small bunch tarragon, plus some for garnish
1 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 cup sparkling or still water, divided

Procedure
Combine the sugar, water, vanilla, honey, and thyme into a pot and stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Strain to remove tarragon and allow to cool. Stir in lemon juice. Pour the syrup and lemon mixture into a glass with ice and top with 1/4 cup soda water. Garnish with a sprig of tarragon.

What's your favorite mocktal?

Lemon Cake — a blast from my past!

When I was young and had lots of free time, I developed my love of baking and cooking by working with my father in the kitchen. He was an amazing and intuitive cook and could remember flavors like some people remember places. But he did not like the feel of flour and never really got into baking — just eating — so that's when I started doing my own research and development. Clipping recipes from the NY Times, buying cookbooks and just making stuff up. This is also when I started my yearly tradition of making a small gift cookbook for my friends. I did it for many years, some years producing over 70 copies. This was when I was at the mercy of Kinkos! Oh the hours spent waiting and collating. Unfortunately, my busy schedule has prevented me from making these gift books in the past few years, but who knows? maybe this year I will get back to business.

This recipe for a simple — and rather delicious — lemon cake is from my first cookbook home-published in 1975 called Stacy's Occasional Eats which had 10 recipes typed by my mother Bernice and a silk screened cover. I think you can never go wrong with a lemon cake and everything you need to make it is probably in your kitchen right now! So give it a go, and remember the lemon can be exchanged for lime or orange or tangerine with delicious results!

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Procedure
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. In separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately to sugar butter mixture with milk beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down sides of bowl throughout the mixing process. Pour into loaf pan and smooth out top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean and top is golden brown.

While cake rests, in small saucepan combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the lemon juice and cook till sugar dissolves. Poke a number of toothpick holes in the cake and pour mixture slowly on top of the cake till it all soaks in. Let it cool completely in pan, then remove.

That's it, super easy. Whipped cream doesn't hurt!

Pomegranate Lime Cake

Excellent Ingredient of the Week
I meant to do this recipe last week, but we ran out of time. Which is a good thing because it gave me a chance to adjust the recipe, and it needed it. It’s a pretty great unusual cake with lots of potential.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pomegranate juice, divided
grated lime peel of 2 limes divided
6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 drops lime oil
2/3 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 81/2 X 12-inch cake pan. I used an old Pyrex pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended, 1 minute. Using electric mixer, add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, vanilla, and 1/2 the lime peel (mixture may appear curdled). Beat flour mixture into batter just until blended. Stir in yogurt.

Spread batter in pan. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cake cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar into medium bowl; whisk in 1/4 cup pomegranate juice, and half of the lime peel that’s left. Using fork, poke holes in top of warm cake, spacing 1 inch apart. Pour glaze over cake and spread evenly. Cool completely. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds, mint, and rest of the lime peel over cake before serving.

Guest Bram Meehan: The Sour

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Caskstrength's Bartender Re-education Plan brings us the Refreshing Beverage of the Week: The Sour.

Ingredients and Procedure
Spirit + (Lemon or Lime) + Sugar + Shake + Strain = Sour

There you go. Two parts spirit (pretty much anything, Andrew says), one part each of lemon or lime, and simple syrup. He's right, it's a great, classic drink that shows how good simplicity can be when done well. To learn why you should avoid mix and some of the other finer points, be sure to read his whole post.

White Chocolate-Key Lime Pie

The Altitude Adjustment Section
This is a super easy, no-bake pie, which is an improvement over regular key lime pie (in my opinion), because the chocolate helps the texture of the pie and makes it a little denser.

Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream
1 (11-ounce) package white chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/3 cup fresh Key lime or lime juice
1 (9-inch) ready-made graham cracker crust, or your favorite prepared recipe
lime slices for garnish

Procedure
Combine cream and white chocolate morsels in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook 5 minutes or until morsels melt, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add sour cream, lime rind, and juice; stir well. Pour into crust. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Garnish, if desired, with lime slices.

Nectarine-Lime Curd Tart with a Brown Sugar Crust

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I love nectarines and they have been pretty good this year. So I was very intrigued when I found this recipe where the nectarine was pureed and added to the curd filling — what a great idea! And you can make all the parts ahead of time, which is a plus. This recipe is from the dear, departed Gourmet magazine, June 1998 issue. For this recipe they called for a 13 1/2 x 4 x 1-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable fluted rim; you could also use an 8 1/2 x 1-inch round.

Ingredients for curd
1 firm-ripe medium nectarine
5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime
2 tablespoons unsalted
1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for crust
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for glaze
4 firm-ripe medium nectarines
1/3 cup peach or ginger jam

Procedure
To make the curd, halve and pit a nectarine. Cut halves into pieces and in a blender purée until smooth. In a heavy saucepan whisk together purée, yolks, granulated sugar, lime juice, butter, and vanilla. Cook mixture over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until it just reaches a boil, about 7 minutes, and immediately remove pan from heat. Strain curd through a sieve into a bowl and cool, its surface covered with a buttered round of wax paper. Chill curd at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

To make the crust, cut butter into pieces. In a food processor pulse flour, brown sugar, and salt until combined well. Add butter and blend until dough begins to form (mixture should hold together when squeezed between fingers). Press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of a 13 1/2 x 4 x 1-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Bake crust in middle of a 375 oven 20 minutes and cool in pan on a rack. Crust may be made 2 days ahead and kept in pan, covered, at room temperature. Halve and pit nectarines. Cut halves into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Spoon curd into shell, smoothing top, and arrange nectarine slices decoratively on top.

In a small saucepan heat jam over low heat until hot. Pour jam through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids. Lightly brush fruit with glaze. Chill tart, loosely covered with plastic wrap, until ready to serve. Tart may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Flavored Ice Cubes

Excellent Ingredient of the Week
Ice cubes — are they really an ingredient? They can be, and I think it's time! Why not make some creative ice cubes to flavor your beverages? Here are some great ideas:

Cucumber-Basil Puree Cubes

Combine 1 cup water, 1 cucumber (peeled and seeded), 1/4 cup torn basil, and some coarse salt in a blender and freeze in an ice-cube tray. Nice in tomato juice.

Orange-Lime

Combine 1 1/2 cups orange juice, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1 teaspoon lime zest in a bowl and freeze in an ice-cube tray. These would be great in lemonade.

Coffee or Herbal Tea

There is nothing worse than watery, cold coffee, which is what one gets when conventional ice cubes go into the glass. This task is easily accomplished by pouring your leftover morning coffee into ice cube trays. Once they're frozen, pop them into a freezer bag. Herbal ice tea with the addition of fresh mint will keep your tea fresh or give your sparkling water pizazz.

Passion Fruit and Cilantro

Mix juice with chopped fresh cilantro and freeze in an ice-cube tray. Serve with seltzer or a tequila drink of some kind — get creative!

Ginger and Honey

Mix equal parts water, honey, and grated ginger and freeze in an ice-cube tray. It works best with a vodka tonic.

Guest Bram Meehan: Thieves' Punch

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Here's a festive holiday punch, good for brunches and other fun times! This recipe makes 8 drinks.

Ingredients
16 ounces white rum
5 ounces tawny port
10 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
5 ounces simple syrup
20 dashes Angostura bitters, or to taste

Procedure
Mix and serve over ice with an orange slice!

Weight Watcher's Frozen Key Lime Pie

Low-Cal But Still Lovely
I adapted this recipe for Key Lime Pie from the Weight Watcher's website. It pretty much tastes like a regular Key Lime pie. Great to serve partially frozen. Super fast and easy. Holds well in the freezer.

Ingredients
6 whole reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
11 oz fat-free sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh Lime juice -Key lime if possible (15 Key limes made the right amount at 10 cents a piece)
1 Tbsp lime zest

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350. Grind graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Or place crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Place crumbs in a small bowl. Melt butter on stovetop or in microwave and pour over graham cracker crumbs, mixing with a fork until completely moistened. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom of a 9-inch pie pan; place crust in refrigerator while preparing lime filling. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk and eggs; mix until smooth. Add lime juice and zest and stir until incorporated and pour into prepared crust. Bake pie for 15 minutes. Cool completely. For best flavor and texture, serve chilled. Yields 8 slices, each serving is 3 points, and totally worth it!

Oven-Dried Pear Slices with Lime

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Here is a sort of non-chocolate recipe from Chocolate Obsession for oven-dried pear slices — which of course, you can dip in chocolate — but this is also a great way to enjoy your home-grown pears after the season ends.

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1 2/3 cup water
1 cup key lime juice or fresh regular lime juice
3 medium pears (Bartlett are a good choice), green and hard

Procedure
Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and stir occasionally over medium heat, till sugar dissolves and simmers, about 3 minutes. Add the lime juice and remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cut the pear slices into 1/16 inch slices. I use a mandoline. As you slice, immediately submerge slices into lime liquid. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 3 days. Preheat oven to 225. Line the bottom of 3 sheet pans with parchment. Carefully pat dry the slices and arrange them close together on the sheet pans. Bake them till they are completely dry and brown, about 2 hours. To test if they are done, cool one and it should be very crisp. Let cool at room temp and store them in an airtight container. Dip in chocolate before serving. This can also be done with apple slices and orange juice.

Cantaloupe Lime Sorbet with a hint of Tarragon

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Okay, so it's not actual high altitude baking, but it is a tasty, healthy sweet. This is another great Weight Watchers option. I do fresh fruit sorbets all summer long and always keep a few flavors in the freezer. They get hard over time, so it's best to let soften about 15 minutes on the counter, then re-whip in the food processor and put back in the freezer until it's time to serve. Just be sure to use ripe fruit. I usually keep my fruit in a bowl on the counter for a week till it smells quite fragrant then I cube it and freeze it. Cantaloupe is a great base and you can add berries, peaches, or — for a creamier texture — a banana. Freeze everything separately and combine as needed.

Ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup Splenda sugar substitute
30 medium tarragon leaves
1 medium cantaloupe, well ripened, skinned, seeded, cut into cubes and frozen in ziplock bag
3 tablespoons lime juice

Procedure
In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar substitute, lime juice, and Tarragon; bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes more; remove from heat and let cool. Strain out tarragon. Next, take frozen melon cubes out of freezer and puree in food processor. Add sugar syrup. Take puree and pour into shallow metal tray and freeze till solid about 30 minute. Break up with a fork and place back in food processor. Puree till smooth and refreeze. Eat soon! Yields about 2/3 cup per serving. 8 servings.