SSC Cold as Ice Edition: Fresh & Fruity Dishes Best Served Cold!

Summer. It's great right? Lounging on the beach, basking in cool breeze, hanging out on your deck, grilling in the afternoon, sitting in your beautiful air conditioned, well ventilated apartment with a sweater on...You have all of those things right? You do? Well, screw you. I don't.

In light of the fact that most of us don't live near beaches, have fancy decks, air conditioning and up to code ventilation, I'm taking the helm this week to bring to you SSC: Cold As Ice Edition. An array of dishes, best served cold. This stuff is also is great to prep the night before and perfect to bring to an outdoor meal, provided you can find a place that isn't private property or littered with hypodermic needles.

Hey, it might feel like an oven in your apartment, but at lest you won't have to turn yours on! Enjoy!




Edamame, Corn & Black Bean Salad
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups cooked shelled edamame
1 cups cooked corn (I just used the frozen kind)
1 cup black beans (I used canned...make sure to drain)
1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup cilantro

In a small saucepan, combine vinegars, sugar, cumin and garlic. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

Place edamame, corn, black beans and red pepper in a medium bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables. Stir. Refrigerate 2-4 hours. Stir in cilantro before serving.




Chicken Curry Salad
This fan favorite has a pretty simple recipe but everyone always freaks over its EXTREME AWESOMENESS. This is also a great recipe if you have a bunch of leftover chicken. You're welcome.





1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
2 tsp curry powder
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/3 cup dried sweetened coconut
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 large onion, diced
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

lettuce
sandwich wraps (Spinach is my favorite but multigrain or white works great too.)

Combine all ingredients (sans the actual wraps & lettuce...obviously). Chill 3-5 hrs or overnight. Serve in wraps with lettuce. You will not be disappointed.




Hawaiian Salad/ Ambrosia
This is not even remotely close to an actual salad, which is probably why it is so damn delicious...

1 bag of mini marshmallows
1/2 pint sour cream
1 large can of fruit cocktail, drained
1 medium can of pineapple


Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Refrigerate 5-6 hours or overnight.




Pretty Much the Best Strawberry Shortcake Ever
This is an amazing recipe that my mom used to make after we went strawberry picking every summer. It's a modified Fanny Farmer recipe and it's always been one of my absolute favorites!





Sponge Cake
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp cold water
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup sugar

2 8-inch layer cake pans

Whipped cream & Strawberries
1 pint heavy whipping cream
Sugar to taste
1lb strawberries, washed and halved


Pre-heat oven to 350.

Separate egg whites from egg yolks into 2 separate bowls. In yet another bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt. Beat egg whites until they stand in soft peaks. Beat in 1/4 of the sugar.

Without washing the beater, beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Then beat in vanilla, water, lemon juice and the remainder of the sugar.

Pour yolk mixture into the whites and fold together until well blended. Fold in flour mixture. Spray pans with cooking spray. Pour into pans.

Bake 25-30 minutes. (To test, press lightly with finger. If the cake is done it will spring back.)
Let cool.


Whipped Cream
Pour cream into a large bowl. Start whipping. Gradually add sugar to taste. I really have no idea how much I use. Maybe a half a cup? I dunno. Beat until it stands in soft peaks.

Construction
After cake has thoroughly cooled spread whipped cream on top of one cake. Place sliced strawberries on top. Place unfrosted cake on top of that. Spread whipped cream and place strawberries on top of that. You have now made a delicious cake. Hooray!





Booze Pairings!

Domain Houchart Provence Rosé 2010whole foods, $10
Rosé gets a bad rap, and this is because of that trashy little Miss White Zin, Beringer to be exact, trouncing around with her fakery, misleading impressible drinkers into thinking that she is a real pink wine. It's a dye job, people!

Rosé is the perfect summer wine. I eagerly await the summers through the brutally cold New England winter for this wonderful style of wine to at last be seasonally appropriate. Boy, was I happy when Sanity Supper Club member Jen plopped a bottle of Houchart rosé on the table to enjoy with our fresh and fruity summer meal.

This particular wine blogger gets rather spoiled working in a fine wine shop, and sometimes forgets about some really great mass produced wines, this being one of them. This light and bright rosé has a good amount of acidity balanced out by a creamy texture. It went perfectly with everything from the lightly savory summer salad, but had strong enough fruit flavors to hold up to the spicy curry wraps, and delicate enough to compliment the strawberry shortcake dessert.

You can find this wine a most Wholefoods with a wine section. It only runs about 10 bucks a bottle, so it wont break the bank. I am thinking of going out to buy a case myself...(as I sit and write this on my work computer,).

P.S. If you like Beringer white zin, by all means drink it. I am of the opinion that you should drink what you like. When it comes to having a good time with your friends, your drink choice is never wrong!



Margaritas!
(This is a basic recipe but you can tinker with it to make your own)

lime wedges
coarse salt
1/4 cup fresh lime juice,(about 1 large lime)
1/4 cup agave tequila
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1/2 cup coarsely cracked ice cubes




Rub the rims of 2 martini glasses with a lime wedge, then dip the rims in a dish of course salt. Refrigerate the glasses if desired.

In a shaker, combine the lime juice, tequila, and orange liqueur. Add ice and shake 10 to 15 seconds, then strain into the prepared glasses.



















Your chef for the evening; A mini shortcake with raspberries for our favorite SSC member with an unfortunate strawberry allergy; the best toothpick holder ever














The ladies!; The spread!















Shea gets serious; Quickly disappearing deliciousness; Jen! Wraps! Yum!




Cheers!
Christa & Phoebe




About Christa
Christa is a comedian, artist and graphic designer living in Boston. Because most of her family is fresh off the boat, she knows a thing or two about traditional European cooking and baking, provided that the recipes are in English (Thanks a lot, crappy American school system!). She also has a vast knowledge of fancy-smancy beers made by smelly hippies. Although she has no food credits to speak of, generally speaking everything she makes is considered to be "damn good." Check out her other blog Shameless Pomp and Circumstance if you feel like it!

Texican/Mexican Nite (2/15/11)

Ahhh taco night! The great American bastardization of the beautiful and flamboyant Mexican culture. We here at Supper Club wanted to bring Tex/Mex night back to the basics. No more canned salsa, frozen guacamole or margarita mixes. While none of us are actually Mexican, quite a few of us has spent time in central America, picking up great ideas for recipes as we go. So we present to you, with Emily as our gracious host, a much fresher, taster and fun take on food that is almost, but not quite Mexican.






Emily's Awesome Guacamole

2 Avocados
1/4 c Cilantro
Kosher salt (to taste)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 Diced Onion

Chop onions and cilantro. Smash up avocados.
Add all ingredients together. Tasty!



Christa's Super Delicious Salsa
5-6 ripe vine tomatoes
2-3 jalapeno peppers
1/4 green pepper
1 red anaheim pepper
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 white onion
2 scallions
½ cup lime juice (approx 2 limes)
1 tbsp chopped garlic


Variation 1- Really Freakin Hot Salsa
Add ½ -1 serrano chili pepper

Variation 2- Mango Salsa
Replace 1/2 c lime juice with 1/2 c lemon juice
Leave out chili powder
add 1 mango, chopped

Chop up everything and throw into a bowl. For milder salsa use fewer peppers. That's pretty much it.



Black Beans and Rice
1 japeno, seeded and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can black beans
1 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 c fresh cilantro
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Heat oil in small pot. When oil is hot (but not smoking) add jalapeno, onions and garlic and cook on medium high heat until onions are translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients except salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until water has mostly dissolved. Season, garnish with cilantro and serve!


Mexican Rice
2 tbsp canola oil
1 c rice
1 yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
2 c chicken broth
1 tablespoon cumin
2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Heat oil in pot. Saute rice until and slightly puffy, about 10 minutes. Add onion, cumin, jalapeño, and garlic and sautee until onion is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, cumin, and tomato paste and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook and cover until rice is done, about 15 minutes.


Booze Pairings













Cocktail: Margaritas of course!
Many people like to use sweet and sour but we like to keep it simple and fresh with:

Tequila
Grand Marnier
Fresh lime juice

Use a 3:2:1 ratio and mix with ice
Use Kosher salt for glass rims

WARNING: This drink has the potential to totally knock you on your ass. Whenever we make these I have the nasty habit of passing out not too soon afterward. Take it easy!

Beer
Keep it light and fresh with Pacifico with a lime wedge in the bottle. This light beer is considered to be the heftiest (and therefore best) of Mexico's light lagers. It is a beer with a slight bitterness that adds some complexity to the palate. It is the perfect fun beer for a taco bar.


Wine: White
Benzinger Sauvignon Blanc $15

This Old World-style California wine will be a hit at the taco bar. Its crisp acidity and aromas of grapefruit and lime will be a fantastic complement the citrus juice and the tomatoes in your tacos. It also has a richer body than other Sauvignon Blancs, which ensures that whatever taco meat you choose to serve will not overpower the wine. And it is grown in organic and biodynamic vineyards so drink up because you are helping save the world!


Wine: Red
Kaiken Malbec $10

This fruit forward spicy Malbec is the perfect match to all the fun options at a taco bar. The luscious raspberry and blackberry that hits you right away on the palate will be a great partner to ground meat, carne asada, pastore, or any other meat options you have at the bar. Then the minerality and herbaciousness that follows will compliment perfectly the acidity of the salsa and guacamole you pile on top of your tacos.


About Emily
Emily is a tax accounting associate at a small firm in Boston.
While she's not crunching numbers, she's busy staying active and learning to cook healthier, scratch -made meals with fresh ingredients. While enjoying good food with friends is one of her favorite activities, her first love will always be craft beer. Emily hopes to break into the beer industry in some capacity one day, and until then will continue to discover new beers in new places, attend all the local brew festivals and tastings and try to live life to the fullest!



Cheers!
Christa, Rachel, Phoebe & Emily