Homemade Ginger Ale!!

Homemade ginger ale!!  How great does that sound??  Okay, so I definitely did not come up with this recipe on my own.  I got this directly from my new favorite book “Make the Bread, Buy the Butter” by Jennifer Reese.  Seriously, I LOVE this book!  It’s more than just a cookbook or how-to book, it’s also full of great stories from the author’s life…like the good and the bad of raising chickens and goats in her family’s suburban backyard.  Including a highly entertaining attempt at raising their own Thanksgiving turkey(s).  The book is funny and witty, and SO informative.  Reese gives an overview of many common foods we buy all the time (Oreos, cream cheese, mustard...over 120 recipes!).  Reese breaks each item down by cost and hassle to determine whether you should buy it or make it (hence, the title of the book), and then gives a recipe or two or three.

Buy this book!!

Ginger ale seemed to call to me.  We don’t drink soda very often at our house, but when we do it’s almost always ginger ale.  The thought of making it myself with all-natural ingredients was extremely appealing, and this is a great recipe.  That being said, I didn’t quite follow the recipe, but I should have, and next time I will.  What did I do differently?  Well, I used active dry yeast instead of instant because that’s what I had in the house.  I didn’t have a lemon, but I did have lemon juice…so it’s very possible I didn’t even come close to adding the correct amount.  And I skimped a little on the ginger because I was being lazy and tired of grating it.  I definitely should have added more ginger, it’s such a great flavor!!  Oh, and by the way, Reese's verdict is “make it.”  She compares Canada Dry at about $1.79 for a 2-liter bottle and the homemade version at about $1.59.  DO NOT go and try to compare this to some cheap shit, generic ginger ale because that stuff sucks ass…it doesn’t even have ginger in it!  Now make some of this, mix it with a little dark rum and have yourself a fabulous dark 'n' stormy!

Ginger Ale

Props to Terrapin

Ingredients

1 lemon

2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger (~2” chunk)

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp instant yeast

cold tap water

Empty 2-liter plastic bottle with a screw-on cap to put it all in

Instructions

1) Place funnel in the mouth of 2-liter bottle.  Juice the lemon and strain the juice in the bottle.

2) Add the ginger, sugar and yeast.  It’s okay if some is stuck to the funnel, the water will flush it out.  Pour in enough water to fill the bottle and cap tightly.

3) Gently shake to mix up all the sediment (ginger, sugar, yeast).  Press on the bottle, you’ll notice there’s a little give.

4) Let the bottle sit at room temperature for about 24 hours.  You’ll know the soda is done when you press on the bottle again and there’s no give.  Put the bottle in the fridge, and as soon as it’s cold, it’s ready to drink!  If you don't want the ginger "pulp," strain it into a glass to drink.
*Open the bottle with care, it may be very bubbly.  Finish off within a few days, as it will lose its effervescence.

enjoy!

~ j

Balsamic Glazed Vegetables

I don’t remember where I found this recipe (somewhere on the interwebs), but the original recipe called for regular balsamic vinegar.  I’ve made these veggies a couple times now, with regular balsamic and white balsamic...I definitely preferred them with the white balsamic.  You can use all different veggies in it, so it’s a great recipe for using up random veggies in the fridge.  I also like it because I always make brussel sprouts exactly the same way, and they’re great, but it’s nice to have at least one other way to prepare them.  Alrighty…here we go…

Ingredients

1 ½  - 2 lbs of your choice of carrots, brussel sprouts, yellow squash, broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini (I used 1 lb brussel sprouts, 4 medium-large carrots, ½ head of cauliflower)

½ cup water

½ cup white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic vinegar)

1 tbsp butter

salt & pepper

Have I mentioned that I grew up under the rule of having
green, orange/yellow and white veggies with every meal?

Instructions

Place the veggies in a pan with the water and vinegar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Remove the lid and turn the heat back up.  Allow the water to boil away and the vinegar to reduce and glaze the veggies, about 5-7 minutes.  When the veggies are glazed, add the butter to the pan and turn veggies all around to coat.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

All ready to serve with venison cube steaks
(thanks to my "little" brother, the deer slayer).

enjoy!

 ~ j

Scallops with Kale and White Beans

*warning *** my photography skills are deteriorating*** but hey, I actually got a shot of this one* 

I got this recipe from Whole Foods – modified it slightly – and bam, it became one of my new favorite meals.  We planted kale for the first time this year and have decided that we like it.  It holds up its texture unlike other greens, so you don’t need as much as you would for spinach.  We like it, and are definitely planning on planting many more plants next year.  

Besides having few ingredients, it only dirtied one pan! SCORE!  I think the simple nature of this dish really allows the scallops to shine.   It's got a delicious earthy taste from the kale and the salty goodness of the sea from the scallops.  And, as a bonus, it’s good for you- low in fat and low in calories, high in fiber and vitamins!  Sometimes, the ‘good for you’ meals seem to be lacking in flavor or zing, this one does not disappoint. 

 

 What you need: Serves 4.

1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed

1 lb scallops

10 medium sized kale leaves, destalked and torn into quarter sized pieces

5 garlic cloves (I probably used more, you may want to use less)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon red pepper

½ lemon

dash of sea salt

What you do:

Heat a pan over medium heat, add half the olive oil and garlic, sautee for a minute or two then dump in kale, sautee for 2 more minutes, add beans and red pepper and let them warm up, stirring frequently.  When they are warmed - maybe about 5 minutes – transfer to a bowl (I used the bowl we served them in) and cover to keep warm.  Into the pan, add the other half of the olive oil, turn up the heat to medium-high, and sear the scallops on each side, about a minute depending on size, juice lemon over the top,  and place over the bed of the kale/bean combo. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve right away.  From start to finish, even with prep, this meal only takes about 15 minutes. Excellent, I say!  

Enjoy!

-h