CAPRESE SALAD

This recipe is the perfect way to use those beautiful tomatoes growing in your garden! With only a few fresh ingredients, you have a light, healthy, and delicious salad. So don’t let the summer slip away without making this amazing Caprese salad!

Caprese salad is my favorite way to use our garden tomatoes in the summer. Not only is it easy to put together, but it’s also healthy and amazingly delicious!

A great Caprese salad starts with great ingredients. This recipe is meant for summertime when tomatoes are at their juiciest, sweetest, and most flavorful. Of course, you can make this any time of the year, but it is best with fresh summertime tomatoes! Don’t worry if you don’t grow your own tomatoes; just be selective in the tomatoes you buy from the store or farmer’s market. Avoid tomatoes with blemishes or dark spots. The tomato should have a good weight for its size. A heavy tomato indicates juiciness. And lastly, the tomato should be very aromatic when you smell it near where the stem was attached.

Ingredients:

Besides the freshest and tastiest tomatoes, you’ll need only four other ingredients. Because there are so few ingredients, the quality of each is that much more important.

Mozzarella: The mozzarella should be fresh, soft, and packed in water. When you cut the mozzarella, you want to use a very sharp knife. Because the mozzarella is soft, a dull knife will squish the mozzarella instead of cutting it.
Basil: Only fresh leaves will do! I like to use large, whole leaves. If the leaves are smaller, you can use more than one leaf for each tomato.
Sea Salt: I keep sea salt on hand, and it’s my preferred salt in many dishes. I like sea salt for its coarse and crunchy texture. It also has a stronger salt taste.
Fresh ground pepper: When pepper is freshly ground, it’s significantly more flavorful than pre-ground pepper. When you grind pepper immediately before eating, the ground pepper has significantly less time to react with the oxygen, which allows it to maintain the flavor components that make it peppery. So if you don’t own a pepper grinder, I strongly recommend that you get one; you won’t regret it!

Balsamic Glaze:

I’m giving the balsamic glaze its own heading because it’s that important! The glaze really brings this dish together and gives it that “WOW” factor. With the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, balsamic glaze adds a delicious, deep rich color and intense flavor to this dish.

You can certainly buy balsamic glazes at the grocery store; I have, and they’re not bad. But nothing beats homemade. And it only takes two ingredients and fifteen minutes to make.

Combine the balsamic vinegar and the brown sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a gentle boil. Then turn the heat down to medium or medium-low, maintaining a constant simmer. Stir the glaze occasionally and continue cooking until it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon (about 10 to 15 minutes). If the glaze is not thickening up, turn the heat up slightly. The finished glaze should have the consistency of warm honey. It will thicken some as it cools.

One word of warning…Turn on your stove’s exhaust fan! Cooking balsamic vinegar produces a very strong vinegar smell that will permeate your entire house. Turning on the fan will help some.

Caprese Salad

This recipe is the perfect way to use those beautiful tomatoes growing in your garden! With only a few fresh ingredients, you have a light, healthy, and delicious salad. So don't let the summer slip away without making this amazing Caprese salad!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Course Appetizer, Salad

Servings servings

Ingredients

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, about ¼-inch thick slices
2 medium tomatoes, about ¼-inch thick slices
basil leaves
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
balsamic glaze, **You can find balsamic glaze in the grocery store, or you can make it yourself. I've included instructions on how to make homemade balsamic glaze below.

Homemade Balsamic Glaze: (optional)

1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed

Instructions

Arrange the sliced mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and basil leaves in an alternating pattern on a plate (a slice of mozzarella, tomato, and basil leaf, repeat).
Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Drizzle everything with the balsamic glaze with back-and-forth motions.

Homemade balsamic glaze: (optional)

Heat balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small pot or saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low heat, and maintain a constant simmer. Stir occasionally until the vinegar thickens and is reduced by about half (about 10 to 15 minutes). It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. The glaze should have the consistency of warm honey. (Be sure to turn on the stove fan, the smell of the cooking vinegar is strong).
Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before serving (about 15 minutes). The glaze will thicken some as it cools.
Store leftover glaze in the refrigerator and use it within two months.

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PANANG CURRY

Rich, thick, and creamy…just as a good curry should be! And to make something good even better, this recipe is loaded with chicken and lots of vegetables to make for a complete meal in one bowl! So grab a spoon and dig in!!

I love a good curry! But not just any curry; I like my curry thick, creamy, and full of meat and vegetables. So I made a lot of adjustments to this recipe until it was just the way I liked it. And I think you will too!

Let’s talk about the ingredients…

Panang curry paste: You certainly can make this from scratch. *Confession* – I have not even attempted to. I love the Panang curry paste that I use so much that I have not even thought about trying something else…Maybe someday I’ll try to make it from scratch, but for now, I use canned Panang curry paste.

Panang curry is usually less spicy than traditional red curry because it uses fewer red chilies, but there’s still a distinct kick of spiciness to it. Panang curry pastes vary somewhat from brand to brand. Still, they typically include dried chili peppers, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime zest, kaffir lime leaves, coriander root, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds.

Coconut milk: I’ve tried many different coconut milk brands; I’ve used organic and lite or low-fat coconut milk. I have sat on the grocery store floor and compared ingredients labels until my head hurt (seriously, I have). I have learned that there is a big difference between the various cans of coconut milk. So it’s worth choosing carefully. My first goal in choosing canned coconut milk is to avoid all the unnecessary added ingredients. The only canned coconut milk I will buy has three ingredients; coconut, purified water, and guar gum. Guar gum is a thickener and a food binder and is a common food additive. Some brands add color retainers, stabilizers, additional thickeners, and preservatives. To avoid all the other added ingredients, you may have to buy organic.

When buying canned coconut milk, the other choice you have to make is deciding between regular and lite (sometimes called low fat). I have tried using lite or low-fat coconut milk in my curries, and I have never liked the results. The curry is less flavorful and watery, not at all thick and creamy. I have also discovered that the lite coconut milk always has more additives to make up for the less fat, essentially creating a “false” creaminess using artificial ingredients…yuk! So if you want a full-flavored, creamy curry, you must buy regular coconut milk! You won’t regret it!

Fish sauce: For those not familiar with fish sauce, it is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that has been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine. It has a strong, pungent smell that can be off-putting, but fish sauce is essential in creating authentic Asian flavored dishes. When used correctly, it enhances and complements the dish’s flavors and does not overpower or stand out. Sugar is often used, as it is in this recipe, to balance the strong salty taste of the fish sauce.

Bamboo: I discovered edible bamboo only a few years ago and thought it would go great in curry. Bamboo shoots have a texture similar to water chestnuts with a mild flavor. And not only are they delicious, but they are also good for you as well as a healthy source of fiber.

Thai Basil: Thai basil has purple stems, and its leaves are narrower and perkier than its Italian cousin. Bury your nose in a bunch of Thai basil, and you’ll smell anise, not pesto. Flavor-wise, it’s spicier and bolder, too. If you can’t get your hands on Thai basil, you can use Italian, but it will give you a slightly different taste. We usually have a bush of Thai basil growing in our garden, so it’s easy to go to our garden and pick a handful.

You certainly are not limited to the ingredients listed here. You can get creative with this curry and make it your own. There are so many things you could add to this curry. I have used long beans, green beans (only fresh, not canned), potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. You could even change the meat and use pork, beef, or fish.

Panang Curry

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Course Main Course

Servings serving

Ingredients

5 tablespoons Panang curry paste
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cans coconut milk, full fat
2 pounds chicken, cut into 2-inch strips
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 or 2 large red peppers, cut into strips
1 or 2 large green peppers, cut into strips
1 small can of bamboo, (optional)
10-15 Thai basil leaves, torn

For Thickening (see notes):

4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

In a wok or deep skillet, fry the curry paste in the oil over medium-high heat until sizzling and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir the coconut milk into the curry paste and bring to a boil.
Add the chicken and cook in the coconut milk for 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the sugar, fish sauce, onions, peppers, and bamboo. Simmer for 10 minutes.
**If you want your curry thicker, at this point, you can combine the cornstarch and water and mix well until the cornstarch is completely incorporated into the water. Then stir it into the curry quickly and continue stirring as it thickens (see notes).
Add the Thai basil leaves and serve over rice.

Notes

Before I even start to make this curry, I know that I will want it thickened. So instead of waiting until the end, I add the cornstarch mixture at the beginning to the heated coconut milk, but before it boils. It makes it easier to stir without the meat and vegetables getting in the way. But if you are uncertain whether or not you want to thicken the curry, it is OK to wait until the end.

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GRAPEFRUIT AND BASIL COCKTAIL

The unique blend of grapefruit and basil works together to create a perfectly refreshing cocktail.

I’m always looking for unique and creatives cocktails. But when I heard of using basil in drinks, my first thought was, “I’ll pass, thanks.” But the idea grew on me. So I figured I would give it a try. Let me tell you, this cocktail is amazing! I love it! And pairing it with grapefruit makes for a perfect combination.

What makes cocktails fun to make, for me at least, are the tools. One year for Christmas, I got my husband a bartender’s set of cocktail tools. He still questions if that gift was really for him… But, hey, he gets to reap the reward of great cocktails, so either way, he is a winner! Not only are the tools fun to use, but they also make it easier to put together amazing and unique cocktails. However, if you don’t have these tools, you can improvise and still produce delicious cocktails.

Here is a great cocktail set with all the basic tools you’ll need!

Cocktail Tools:

I’ll go over a few of the tools l like to use and ways to improvise if you don’t have them. But, if you do like cocktails, a bartending set makes for a great gift.

Jigger: Vital for precise measuring. Usually, it has a cone shape on each end, like the one above. Mine measures an ounce on one end and 1/2 ounce on the other. When making cocktails, the ounce measurement is often used, so having a jigger makes measuring accurately easy.

If you don’t have a jigger, one fluid ounce equals two tablespoons.

Shaker: A typical shaker consists of three parts; a cap, a top with a built-in strainer, and the cup base. You add all the drink ingredients, add ice and shake. You then take the cap off, and the built-in strainer strains out leaves and ice.

If you don’t have a shaker, any tall bottle with a lid will work. Just add your ingredients, shake and pour. Be sure to strain out any leaves.

Muddler: Used for crushing fruit or leaves (mint or basil typically). To use the muddler, firmly press down on the leaves or fruit and give a half-turn of the muddler. Then, lift and continue this motion until the ingredients are sufficiently muddled. This will generally take about four to six turns.

In place of a muddle, you could use the end of a wooden spoon or another blunt object and use it in the same way you would use a muddler.

For this Recipe:

Gin or white rum works well. You could also use vodka. Whatever alcohol you use, make sure it’s clear and neutral in flavor.

You will need to make the simple syrup ahead of time to give it enough time to chill. To make, add 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the torn basil leaves and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and chill for 2 to 3 hours. If you need to chill the simple syrup quicker, put it in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes or until chilled. You are then ready to make a refreshing grapefruit and basil cocktail.

Grapefruit and Basil Cocktail

The unique blend of grapefruit and basil works together to create a perfectly refreshing cocktail.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 3

Course Drinks

Servings cocktail

Ingredients

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
6 fresh basil leaves, torn

Cocktail:

3 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
1½ ounces basil simple syrup
1½ ounces gin or white rum
2-3 fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Basil Simple Syrup: (Make ahead of time)

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil.
Tear basil leaves a few times, add them to the sugar mixture, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool completely; strain the simple syrup before bottling. Put in the refrigerator to chill for 2 to 3 hours.

Cocktail:

Add 2 to 3 basil leaves to a cocktail shaker, and using a muddler, crush the leaves.
Fill the cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Add the grapefruit juice, basil simple syrup, and alcohol. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass filled with crushed ice or ice cubes. Garnish with grapefruit (optional).

Notes

The simple syrup will make about 8 cocktails. Store any unused simple syrup in an airtight container and use it within two weeks.

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