Author Archives: Janis Chanin

Fresh Watermelon Margaritas

22 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by in Beverages, Boozy, Cocktails, Fruit, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Fresh Watermelon Margaritas

This is the perfect summer cocktail!!  So refreshing and light.  It sometimes gets me in trouble because it goes down so easily that I don’t realize how many I’ve had until the pitcher is gone!  Yes…I make them in bulk.  Don’t judge.  Just promise me you’ll enjoy these margaritas on a perfect summer night.

Fresh Watermelon Margaritas
Yield:  one drink
Time:  15 minutes total

¼ of a watermelon
1½ shots of tequila
½ shot of Grand Marnier or Cointreau
1 shot simple syrup (* see note at bottom on how to make it)

1.  Cut a quarter of a watermelon into cubes.  Purée in a blender until liquefied.  Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl or measuring cup.  Pour through the strainer to filter out the pulp.  Measure out 5 shots of the watermelon juice into a cocktail shaker.  (Save the remaining watermelon juice for future cocktails!)

2.  Pour the tequila, Grand Marnier, and simple syrup into the cocktail shaker.  Pack shaker with ice cubes.  Shake, then strain into a glass.  Enjoy!!

* How to make simple syrup:  Pour two cups of water and two cups of sugar into a medium saucepan.  Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally.  Allow to boil lightly for 2-3 minutes.  Once all of the sugar has melted, remove pan from heat and allow to cool.  Store covered in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Fresh Watermelon Margaritas

<–  Photo proof that I make these Fresh Watermelon Margaritas in bulk!  Although I love this photo because without perspective, this actually looks like a normal sized mason jar, and not the gigantic beast that it really is!

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Caprese Skewers con Prosciutto

15 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by in Appetizers, Quick and Easy

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Caprese Skewers con Prosciutto

This recipe is one of my go-to summer appetizers.  They’re crowd pleasers and a perfect accompaniment to cold beers on the roofdeck on a Friday evening.  They come together quickly, can be made hours in advance and stored in the fridge, ready and waiting to be pulled out in time for happy hour!

Caprese Skewers con Prosciutto
Yield:  24 skewers
Time:  10-15 minutes total

12 large cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
24 small balls of fresh mozzarella (I prefer the kind that comes marinated in olive oil and herbs)
a large handful of fresh basil, cut into roughly 1½-inch pieces
8 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 2-inch wide strips
24 toothpicks / party picks

1.  Thread a ball of mozzarella on a toothpick.

2.  Fold the basil in half, thread onto the toothpick, sliding on next to the mozzarella.

3.  Fold the prosciutto into a ribbon-like shape and thread onto the toothpick.

4.  Spear a tomato half to finish the skewer.

Enjoy!!

Caprese Skewers con ProsciuttoCaprese Skewers con Prosciutto

 

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Fruit Topped Cookie Pizza

10 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Dessert, Fruit

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Fruit Topped Cookie PizzaThis recipe has a special place in my heart.  My mom always made it every year for dessert on Super Bowl Sunday, and still to this day, the big game just doesn’t feel complete to me without a cookie pizza!  I’m not exactly sure why we always made it for the Super Bowl, because it actually seems more like a summertime dessert, but I love it so much that I’ll eat it any time of the year!

Fruit Topped Cookie Pizza
Yield:  16 slices
Time:  50 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling prior to serving

For crust:
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1¼ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder

For topping:
8 oz. package reduced fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
8 oz. fat free Cool Whip (or other whipped topping)
Fruit for topping such as: sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, mandarin orange segments, sliced kiwi, pitted cherries,…

1.  Make the crust:  Cream together the sugar and butter.  Mix in the egg and vanilla.  Blend in the flour, salt, and baking powder.  I knead the dough a bit with my hands (don’t over-knead or it will get tough, knead just enough so that the ingredients all come together and it’s moist and crumbly).  Press the dough into the bottom of a greased 9-inch round pizza pan.  (Note:  Use a pizza pan with a solid bottom…not the type that has the holes on the bottom!)  Bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.  Set aside and allow to cool.

2.  Whip together the cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, and Cool Whip.  Spread evenly over the top of the prepared crust, all the way to the edge.  Arrange fruit of choice on top in a decorative pattern.  I like to arrange it so that when the “pizza” is cut into slices, each slice has a variety of fruit on it.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

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Citrus Shrimp Summer Salad

03 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Dinner, Fish, Fruit, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Salad

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Citrus Shrimp Summer Salad

The first few hot days of the year always make me crave summer-inspired salads filled with fresh berries!  Here’s a salad you can enjoy now and continue making all the way through the end of August!

 

Citrus Shrimp Summer Salad
Yield:  4 dinner-sized salads
Time:  25 minutes total

For the shrimp:
1 lb. raw shrimp (peeled, deveined, and tails removed)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
zest of one orange
2 tbsp. lemon juice (or orange juice)
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

For the salad:
6 cups salad greens
2 avocados, chopped into bite-sized pieces
¾ cup blueberries
10 strawberries, sliced
¼ of a red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
6 small tomatoes, quartered
8 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
lemon oil
blueberry balsamic

1.  Wash the salad greens and arrange on four dinner plates.  Top with avocado, blueberries, strawberries, red onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and goat cheese.  Drizzle the salads with lemon oil and blueberry balsamic.

2.  Place the EVOO and shrimp in a sauté pan over medium heat.  Stir in the garlic, orange zest, and lemon juice.  Cook until the shrimp is opaque, about 5-8 minutes.  Stir in the parsley and cook for another 2 minutes.  Top the prepared salads with the cooked shrimp.

Citrus Shrimp Summer Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lentil Farro Salad

27 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by in Dinner, Healthy, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Lentil Farro Salad

This recipe is filling enough to eat alone for dinner, but it also works great as a side dish to any fish, chicken, or meat.  I personally love it paired with a simple honey-mustard glazed filet of salmon, served over a bed of lentils.  (My note on how to cook lentils below will leave you with extra lentils–convenient for creating that bed to serve the salmon on!  I got the idea from one of my favorite restaurants which serves salmon over lentils mixed with sautéed mushrooms and a roasted red pepper glaze….YUM!)

Lentil Farro Salad
Yield:  4 dinner-sized portions or 8 side-dish portions
Time:  10 minutes total (or 50 minutes if you didn’t pre-cooked the farro and lentils)

4 tbsp. lemon juice
6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
¼ cup basil, chiffonade
6 scallions, diced
5 tbsp. hot sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ cup fresh parsley, diced
¾ cup cooked lentils*
¾ cup cooked farro** (or quinoa or couscous)
3 roasted red peppers, diced
4 carrots, grated
8 radishes, thinly sliced

1.  In a large bowl, combine the cooked lentils*, cooked farro**, roasted red peppers, carrots, radishes, and scallions.

2.  In a measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, EVOO, hot sauce, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley.  Pour over the ingredients in the large bowl.  Toss to coat.

* I always make extra lentils to have leftovers.  Make sure you rinse the lentils first and pick out any small stones that may be mixed in with them.  How to cook lentils:  Combine 1½ cups of rinsed lentils with 2¼ cups water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15-35 minutes, depending on the type of lentil you’re using (red go quicker, green take a little longer).

** How to cook farro:  Bring 2½ cups of water to a boil.  Stir in 8 oz. farro, and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.  Remove from the heat, but keep covered so the farro re-absorbs some of the moisture.  Let stand (covered and off the heat) for 10 minutes.

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Lentil Farro SaladLentil Farro Salad