Honey Hive Mule

Today is July 24^th, and in Utah we know it as Pioneer Day. For many Utahn’s, Pioneer Day serves as a day to celebrate the arrival of the first settlers, who came to the Salt Lake Valley back in 1847.

 There will be rodeos, bands, food and fireworks along with the Days of ’47 Parade that first appeared in 1849. The parade brings the streets alive downtown with floats, horses, marching bands and many Utahn’s dressed as their pioneer ancestors with bonnets on the ladies and cowboy Wild West attire for the gentlemen. 

Some of the classic Utah dishes we are best known for are our Funeral Potatoes, Fry Sauce, Jello, (especially green), Bear Lake raspberries and of course, honey. It is the beehive state after all and we wear our title proudly. The beehive represents progress and hard work (busy as a bee) and the state motto is "Industry" and is displayed front and center on the state flag and seal.

While thinking of a way to incorporate our local products into a refreshing summer drink to beat the heat, I thought of honey, whiskey and produce from the farmer's market near my house.

Miller's Honey is family owned and has been bottling raw clover honey in Utah since 1894.

High West , Utah's first distillery was established in the 1870's. High West Distillery and Saloon offers a truly unique experience as the world's only ski-in distillery and gastro-saloon. They are located at exactly 7,000 feet in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in Old Town Park City. This is the area of Park City that holds the Sundance Film Festival every year and brings all the glitz and glam of Hollywood to our small mountain town.

The combination above inspired me to make a twist on one of my favorite cocktails, the Kentucky Mule. I named my version the Honey Hive Mule and think you will enjoy the added richness and sweetness the honey brings to this cocktail.

Ingredients:

2 parts High West Double Rye Whiskey

1 part fresh lime juice

1 part ginger honey simple syrup

4 mint leaves

3 parts ginger beer

Ginger Honey Simple Syrup:

Stir 1/2 cup of Miller's honey and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat until combined. Add an ounce of peeled, fresh ginger and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat and strain.

Store your simple syrup in a squeeze bottle in the fridge for about a month. I've heard you can add a tablespoon of strong liquor like vodka or whiskey before bottling to extend the shelf life to up to 3 months, but I have not tried this myself yet. Comment below and let me know your results if you try this. 

Method:

Mix whiskey, lime juice, simple syrup and mint leaves into a rocks glass or copper mug and muddle together. Pour the ginger beer over the top to fill and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge, mint sprig and serve.

I hope you enjoy this cocktail on a lazy summer day, relaxing and enjoying the beauty around you these last few summer days.

Xo,

Amelia

Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Thai Peanut Sauce

I don't know about you, but weeknights for me are hectic. Dinner can be a challenge to execute quickly and nutritiously. In a world of fast food and takeout, I try to cook a healthier version of the restaurant food I love at home, avoiding the ease and lure of convenience and stick to a healthier lifestyle. 

Lettuce wraps are one of my absolute favorite treats, but although they appear to be healthy, most restaurants load them with fat, carbs, calories and sodium. I decided to make a cleaned up version of lettuce wraps and am very happy to say, they taste amazing! I use extra lean ground turkey in my recipe, as it is one of the leanest options of protein available. Don't let this deceive you, the taste does not reflect a drab, flavorless "healthy" filler meal you shovel in to keep the pounds off. They are bursting with Asian flavor and a little spice. Even the pickiest of eaters will love them and be surprised at how tasty they are. In fact, I prefer them to the alternative of meat so fried in oil, that the takeout box becomes translucent and mushy. You will thank yourself for taking the time to cook them at home and know you are serving up something delicious.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Thai Peanut Sauce

Toppings:

Bibb lettuce
1/2 bunch of chopped Cilantro
Shredded carrots
La Choy Rice Noodles

Filling:

2 T. olive oil
1.25 Lbs. Jennie O Extra-Lean Ground Turkey Breast
4 T. Chopped fresh ginger root
2 T. Chopped garlic
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped

Cooking Sauce:

1 T. chili oil
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
2 T. Rice Wine Vinegar
3 T. Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce
3 T. low sodium Teriyaki sauce
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
Combine together in a small bowl while the meat is cooking and set aside.

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 C. House of Tsang Bangkok Peanut Sauce
4 T. Silk Unsweetened Coconut Milk (you may use water, but the coconut adds a lot of flavor)
Juice from 1/2 a lime ( Save 1/2 for serving)

Warm the pan over med-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl. Saute the ground turkey, ginger and garlic for 5-7 minutes until browned. Stir in the water chestnuts, scallions and cooking sauce. Bring to a simmer, cooking until liquid is absorbed into the meat. Remove pan from heat.

Assembly:

Serve family style, lining ingredients in a DIY fashion on a large platter.

Or for a more formal plating, plate each leaf with a large spoonful of meat, layer on the carrots, rice noodles and spoon peanut sauce over the top. Garnish with cilantro and a thin slice of lime. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds if you are feeling extra fancy. This makes for a beautiful presentation for an appetizer as well. Serve remaining sauce tableside.

This recipe is filling enough in itself for a quick, low carb, weeknight dinner. But for the nights you need a little more sustenance,  I serve a vegetable spring roll on the side, pot stickers or an Asian quinoa salad.

Note: Chopped cucumber, mushrooms and red bell pepper slices are also a great option to add and switch up for variety with this dish.

Enjoy!

Eggs á la Goldenrod

Growing up in my family, breakfast for dinner was common weeknight option and we loved it. It was easy for Mom to throw together after a busy day and even a great option for Dad, who's culinary repertoire didn't expand much further than French toast. One of our family traditions was a dish we fondly referred to as "Eggs on toast". My grandma Ruth made it for my Mom and Mom made it for us. 

Eggs on toast consists of a basic white sauce with chopped boiled eggs added and is served over freshly toasted bread. I've made this dish myself many times for friends as a breakfast option and haven't met anyone who hasn't fallen in love after their first bite. 

As this dish is uncommon today and few have ever heard of it, I started doing some research to find out it's origins. I discovered the proper name is Eggs à la Goldenrod, which dates back to a recipe from The Boston Cooking School Cookbook By Fannie Merritt Farmer published in 1896. I love reading about vintage recipes and seeing how they have transformed over the years. Click the links below to read more about Fannie and her recipes.

Fannie Farmer was known as "The Mother of Level Measurements" (read more here)

Eggs à la Goldenrod

This version is very close to how we prepared it growing up. We never had a written version, Mom just showed my sister and I over the years and it stuck to memory. My version consists of the following:

Eggs à la Goldenrod

Ingredients: 

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and separated in two bowls. Whites in one, yolks in the other. 

2 T. butter 

2 T. flour 

2 C Milk (I use 2%, feel free to use 1/2 & 1/2 for added richness) room temp or slightly warmed.

1 tsp. of salt

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Black pepper to taste 

Chopped fresh chives or parsley to garnish 

Instructions: 

Boil the eggs the night before to save time if making this for dinner the following day and store whole in the fridge overnight. This link to Fine Cooking how to boil eggs perfectly is helpful for those of you who struggle on getting the perfect boiled egg with yellow, creamy yolks without any green or grey discoloration.

Slice the egg whites with a pairing knife into uniform horizontal slices, or into cubes. Stir whites into the sauce once it's complete. 

You may use a fork to smash the egg yolks in their bowl, or press them through a ricer or mesh strainer. I prefer the fork method (less dishes), as they turn out almost as perfect as the added step of pressing through a ricer. 

Béchamel sauce: 

In a medium saucepan, make a blonde roux with the butter and flour. This adds great flavor to your Béchamel and adds the starch to thicken. 

 Remove from heat and slowly pour in the milk, whisking vigorously until incorporated. Add back to medium heat, continue stirring until sauce thickens and bubbles on a rolling boil. About 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the salt and nutmeg. You may stir in white pepper instead of black at this point if you prefer the look of keeping the sauce white, but I prefer the flavor of black and sprinkle some over the dish just before serving. 

Assembly:

Toast the bread you will be using and slice on an angle, creating toast points for presentation. If you are serving a group, toast multiple pieces under the broiler on a cookie sheet lined with foil and flip to get both sides. I have tried a variety of breads and found that sourdough is my favorite. When I am sticking to healthier options, I use an organic wheat and grain blend which still tastes delicious. 

Line 4 toast points in the center of each plate. Use the 1 C. measuring cup you used to measure the milk, to pour the Béchamel sauce over the center of the toast points. Sprinkle a few teaspoons of yolk over the top. Garnish with fresh herbs and pepper. 

I like to serve with turkey sausage or when adding extra decadence, bacon crumbled over the top. 

This dish is a great option for a budget friendly Meatless Monday, or a beautifully presented brunch to share with family and friends. it's also a great option for Easter morning to put your colored eggs to use after the hunt!

 I hope Eggs à la Goldenrod can become one of your family favorites as well and be passed on for generations to come! 

Bon Appétit!

Patriotic Flag Luminaries

While looking on Pinterest for a project as I often do, I ran across this article from Country Living featuring mason jar lanterns from Addicted to D.I.Y.

I decided to recreate my own version and make these patriotic mason jars luminaries last minute for decor at our 4th of July BBQ. I love the idea of using the jars as a vase for flowers or as a silverware holder during the day, and adding tea lights at night to enjoy while lighting fireworks with the family.

Supplies Needed:

3 quart size mason jars

2 packs of varying sized star stickers. The pack I found had 3 sizes. The small and medium are shown above. I used the large stars on the blue jar to create the white stars as shown below. 

1 can of white spray paint primer. Make sure the brand you choose is meant for glass.

1 can of cherry red spray paint (satin for a modern look, matte or chalk paint for rustic)

1 can of navy blue spray paint (ditto)

1" thick painter's tape, medium hold. Do not use maximum hold as it will rip off the primer.

fine grit sandpaper

1 fine tipped paintbrush for retouching

I started out using 3 quart size mason jars. Be sure to wipe them down well before starting, making sure to clean off any dust or residue on the glass. Add the smallest stickers randomly all over one jar. Make sure to leave space for the large stars, but this doesn't need to be an exact science. Use the medium sized stars to cover the two remaining jars as shown in the photo above.

In a well ventilated area, spray the jars evenly all over with the white primer. Allow the primer to dry for 30 minutes and apply a second coat. Be careful to spray evenly an not too close, to avoid runs or drips.

Add the masking tape to make the stripes and the large stars. I measured by holding the roll of tape next to the top of the lid, and striping from the bottom of where the tape hit the jar, spacing the same way.

Spray the striped jars red and the starred jar blue. Wait an hour or until well dried to spray a second coat. Once the paint has dried for at least 4 hours, remove the stripes very carefully and slowly. I used tweezers to help lift off the stars, This step is very tedious, but the slower you go, the less paint will lift and need to be touched up.

Touch up any spots a color at a time by spraying extra paint on a paper plate and using the fine tipped paintbrush.

You may distress the jars with sandpaper if you would like the jars to appear rustic or aged. As I am a modern fan, I wanted my jars bright and vibrant. I touched up spots and drips with sandpaper, but overall left the paint as is.

During the day you may display flowers as shown, or use as a holder for plastic silverware at your BBQ or colored streamers. Be creative! They are so adorable and deserve daytime glory as well.

Once the sun goes down, add a tealight to each jar in the center to illuminate. Be careful to center the light so the heat does not warp the paint. Light with a long grill lighter and enjoy!

I hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends. Happy 4th of July!

Xoxo,

Amelia.