Happy Birthday America

 

Keep cool with a refreshing drink from the NY Times recipe collection Hugo Spritz

Cook's Notes: A spritz drink created in 2005 by Roland Gruber, a bartender based in the Alpine region of Northern Italy. The original recipe was flavored with lemon balm syrup, but with the popularization of St-Germain, elderflower liqueur became the standard. The drink is traditionally garnished with a slice of lime and a few leafy sprigs of mint.

The following recipe serves 1 

Ingredients: 

• Ice
• 3 ounces chilled Prosecco
• 2 ounces elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)
• Soda water, to finish or Fever Tree tonic 
• Mint sprigs and lime slices, for garnish

Directions:

• Fill a large wine glass or spritz glass with ice. Add the Prosecco and elderflower liqueur to the glass. 
• Top up with soda and garnish with a few sprigs of mint and a slice or two of lime.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta Salad

Cook's Notes: 
 LOL, we had just finished dinner when I remembered I forgot to take a photo of the salad. 😞Lucky for me, there was just enough salad left to get a picture. The salad was well-received and made with tender pasta, fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and sunflower seeds. A creamy homemade dressing brings it all together for a flavorful recipe perfect for summer dining, picnics, and family gatherings. It's a salad with a lot of crunch and textures pleasing to the palate. Since I was cooking for two vegetarians, I had to omit the bacon. The recipe serves 4-5. Top with seasoned croutons. 

Yogurt Dressing with Poppy Seeds

Ingredients: 

•  3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup  light mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
• 1/4 cup honey 
• 2 tablespoons good-quality white balsamic 
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Whisking ingredients to mix well. 
• Refrigerate in a screw-type jar while assembling the rest of the salad.  

 Pasta Salad Ingredients: 

• 1-1/2 cups dry rotini pasta
• 8 slices of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
• 2  cups each of broccoli and cauliflower  florets 
• 1-1/2 cups Colby Jack cheese, cubed 

Directions: 

• Cook pasta in boiling salted water al dente (7 minutes) drain and rinse. Let the drained pasta sit in a colander. 
• In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and toss with dressing. There's plenty of it so only use enough to moisten salad ingredients. 
• Chill in refrigerator 2-4 hours. Any extra salad save it in a covered container. 

Elote, or Mexican Street Corn

Cook's Notes: Elote is corn on the cob slathered in mayo sauce. It’s one of those snacks that feels like summer in Mexico, and it’s super easy to make at home! The recipe is from Isabel Eats.

Directions: 

• Cook 4 ears of corn. You can do this on the grill or the stove. To grill it, cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through and charred in some spots. To boil it, add the ears of corn to a large pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or until tender and bright yellow, then transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
• Make the mayo sauce by whisking all ingredients until smooth 

1/4 cup mayonnaise 
1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1/4 cup Cotija cheese, freshly grated, or queso fresco*
1/2 teaspoon chili powder 
1 squeeze of lime 
Sprinkle of Tajin spice  


• Generously coat all sides of the corn with melted butter, then slather each one with the mayo sauce.
• Sprinkle each ear with more cotija cheese and a dash of cayenne pepper, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.