Pomegranate French 75

Photo: The Cocktail Snob

Thanks to this week's Water Me Wednesday guest, the dynamic Camille Wilson, aka The Cocktail Snob, for this Tailgate Treat, a Pomegranate French 75.

Ingredients

• 1-ounce pomegranate juice

• ½ ounce lemon juice

• ½ ounce simple syrup

• 1-ounce gin

• Sparkling wine

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add pomegranate juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and gin to a cocktail shaker with ice

2. Shake until chilled

3. Strain into a glass

4. Top with sparkling wine

5. Enjoy!

NOTES

Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup white, granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan

2. Cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved*

3. Turn down the heat and let cool

4. Add to your next cocktail!

Store any unused portion in your fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Marinated Corn And Artichoke Dip

Photo: Unsplash

Thanks to our Water Me Wednesday guest, the brilliant and talented Cyndi Kane for this Tailgate Treat, straight from her cookbook, "Save It Forward Suppers."

Ingredients

• One 11-ounce can of shoepeg corn, drained

• One 12-ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped, but don’t drain!

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters

• 2/3 of a 4.25-ounce can of black olives, drained and chopped

• Small red or orange bell pepper, cut into small dice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon table salt

• Tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

1. In a serving bowl, combine the corn, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives, bell pepper, oil, vinegar, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt and toss well.

2. Refrigerate it if you make it ahead.

3. Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips. Forks are optional!

Game Night Crispy Potato Bruschetta

Photo: Oh She Glows

Oh She Glows is one of our favorites for healthy (but not too healthy you feel like a rabbit) plant-based recipes. This one too good to pass up.

Ingredients

FOR THE POTATOES:

• 2 large (500 g total) Russet potatoes (unpeeled)

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) grapeseed oil or virgin olive oil

• Fine sea salt

FOR THE AVOCADO-TOMATO TOPPING:

• 2 medium (7 g) garlic cloves

• 1/2 cup (15 g) lightly packed fresh basil leaves

• 2 cups (344 g/12-ounces) grape tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste

• 1 large (240 g) ripe avocado

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220ºC) and line an extra-large (or 2 medium) baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

2. With a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Make sure they’re not any thinner than that, or they might not be sturdy enough to pick up with your hands and the edges will burn more easily while cooking.

3. Place the rounds into the center of one baking sheet in a mound. Toss with the oil until all sides of the rounds are fully coated. Spread into a single layer, spacing them a 1/2-inch apart. Sprinkle liberally with salt.

4. Roast the potatoes for 25 to 35 minutes (I do 30), flipping once halfway through baking, until tender and golden brown in some spots. I prefer these slightly overcooked so they’ll crisp up a bit around the edges.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the topping. In a large food processor, mince the garlic and basil until finely chopped. Add the tomatoes and pulse—only 10 to 14 times—until the tomatoes are chopped into almond- and pea-sized pieces. Remove the bowl, take out the blade and set aside, and stir in the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Set aside to marinate.

6. Five minutes before the potatoes are ready, dice the avocado very small into almond-sized pieces. Fold the diced avocado into the tomato mixture. Taste and stir in more salt if desired. The mixture will look quite juicy/watery, but this is normal!

7. After removing the potatoes from the oven, add another generous sprinkle of salt on top. Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon avocado-tomato mixture onto a fork and strain out the juices by tapping the inside of the bowl. Place the strained mixture onto the center of a potato round and repeat this process for the rest of the rounds.

8. Serve immediately, directly from the baking sheet(s)—I find serving from the baking sheet keeps them warmer, but if you prefer you can transfer the rounds to a platter before adding the topping. If the potatoes sit they will soften and lose their crispness, so I don’t recommend letting them sit around for longer than 10 minutes (usually not a problem in this house!). If you have any avocado-tomato mixture leftover feel free to polish it off with some tortilla chips!

This recipe is courtesy of the talented Angela over at ohsheglows.com. Check out her site for more recipes and to buy one of her great cookbooks.

Mint Julep

Photo: Unsplash

Don your best Derby hat or seersucker suit and mix up a batch for the big race on Saturday, May 7.

PS: For more on the Derby and fun facts to impress your friends with, check out our “Why The Kentucky Derby Is Our Favorite Event Of The Year.”

Ingredients

• 8 mint leaves

• 1/4 ounce simple syrup

• 2 ounces bourbon

• Garnish: mint sprig

• Garnish: Angostura bitters (optional)

Instructions

1. In a Julep cup or rocks glass, lightly muddle the mint leaves in the simple syrup.

2. Add the bourbon then pack the glass tightly with crushed ice.

3. Stir until the cup is frosted on the outside.

4. Top with more crushed ice to form an ice dome, and garnish with a mint sprig and a few drops of bitters (optional).

This recipe is courtesy of the fine folks over at liquor.com.

Did you know? The mint julep has been the official cocktail of the Derby since 1938. The drink is made with Woodford Reserve bourbon (the official sponsor of this year's event). Over 120,000 juleps are sold every year at the Derby on a typical year. This year, Woodford Reserve is selling special mint julep cups. Of the 148 cups, 18 are gold and retail for $2,500, and 130 are silver and retail for $1,000, with sales benefitting a non-profit for retired thoroughbred horses.

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Dinner

Photo: maggie hung on Unsplash

This easy recipe is one from Bon Appétit‘s series Cooking Without Recipes so you won’t find an exact recipe but it’s also hard to screw up.

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• 1 onion

• 1 Cubanelle pepper (can substitute with an Anaheim chile if you want the heat. Or a bell pepper if you’d rather do without the heat)

• 2 garlic cloves

• Salt and pepper

• 1 light beer (like Corona or Pacífico)

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 pound of large, peeled and deveined shrimp

• 1 lime

• White rice (if desired)

• Avocado slices

Instructions

1. Heat a glug of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high.

2. Cook half a chopped onion, a chopped Cubanelle pepper, and 2 grated garlic cloves until tender but not brown. Add cumin to taste and cook until fragrant; season with salt and pepper.

3. Add 1 cup of light beer and ½ cup chopped cilantro and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add 1 pound of large, peeled and deveined shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink on all sides, about 5 minutes. Stir in the juice of one lime.

   Serve over steamed white rice with lime wedges, cilantro leaves, and avocado slices.

Crispy Cauliflower Tacos

Photo: A Couple of Cooks

Make Mother Earth, and your stomach, happy.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Crispy Breaded Cauliflower

• 15-ounce can of vegetarian refried beans

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• 2 cups red cabbage, shredded

• 2 limes (1 for the cabbage & 1 to serve)

• 3 tablespoons Yum Yum Sauce (use vegan mayo or substitute Spicy Chipotle Sauce)

• 8 corn tortillas

• Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the Crispy Breaded Cauliflower (about 40 minutes total; use the remaining time to complete the steps below.)

2. If using purchased refried beans, taste and if needed, mix with ½ teaspoon cumin and/or a pinch or two kosher salt.

3. Thinly slice the cabbage, enough for 2 cups. Mix it with 2 tablespoons lime juice and a pinch or two of salt. Allow it to stand at room temperature until serving.

4. Make the Yum Yum Sauce.

5. Warm the tortillas, or char them by placing them on grates above an open gas flame on medium heat for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until they are slightly blackened and warm.

6. Chop the cilantro for a garnish.

7. To serve, place refried beans in a tortilla, top with cabbage, breaded cauliflower, Yum Yum sauce and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges to spritz prior to serving. (If you have leftover cauliflower, you can reheat them in a 350F oven for 10 minutes, flipping once.)

This delicious dish is from none other than A Couple of Cooks. They're one of our go-to’s for all things food.

Waffle Fry Nachos

Photo: Taste of Home

A ballpark favorite that you don't have to wait in line for.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 package (22 ounces) frozen waffle fries

• 10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

• 3 green onions, sliced

• 1 can (6 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained

• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

• 2/3 cup salsa

• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• 1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• Sour cream

Instructions

1. Bake fries according to package directions.

2. Transfer to a 10-in. cast-iron or another ovenproof skillet.

3. Top with the bacon, onions, olives, tomatoes, salsa and cheeses.

4. Return to the oven until cheese is melted, 5 minutes.

5. Serve with sour cream.

This gem of a recipe is from Taste of Home, where they love food as much as we do.

Magic Cookie Bars

This was my mom’s secret recipe, which, come to find out wasn’t so secret. Whether you call them magic cookie bars or seven-layer bars, they’re so darn good.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Brown sugar, lightly packed

• 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup Coconut, sweetened

• 3/4 cup Chopped pecans or walnuts

• 2 cups Graham cracker crumbs (use gluten-free Graham crackers to make this gluten-free)

• 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted

• 1 - Can of sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan.

3. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumb mixture.

4. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.

5. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

6. Cut into bars or triangles. Store covered at room temperature.