Red, White and Blue Sangria

Crisp dry white wine, mixed with a little lemon vodka and Grand Marnier, then topped up with lemon-lime soda and lots of pretty fruit, makes a refreshing libation for summertime. 

This week Sunday Supper is remembering all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in our armed forces, just ahead of Memorial Day tomorrow, by showing off our red, white and/or blue recipes. Even as you feast and enjoy the extra day’s holiday – if you are living in the US, that is – we hope you will be inspired to honor military personnel from every country who died to preserve our freedoms, including those who put themselves in harm’s way to bring aid to the needy and try to ensure safety and peace in troubled regions worldwide. (Did you know that there are more than 30 countries whose flags are red, white and blue?) Unlike Veteran's Day, which honors the service of all soldiers, Memorial Day is especially to recognize those who gave their lives.

Many thanks to this week’s host, the great DB from Crazy Foodie Stunts. Make sure you scroll on down to the bottom of my post to see all the colorful recipes we are sharing today.

Let me introduce this sangria ingredient list with a disclaimer. When I told my husband that I was making sangria and, did he want some, he said, “Nah, thanks. I’ll just have a cold beer.” Well, I’m all for taking one for the team, particularly my Sunday Supper group, but drinking an entire one-wine-bottle batch of sangria seemed ill-advised, so the amounts you see here photographed are for half of the recipe I share below. And, yes, I did drink the whole darn half pitcher over the course of a hot afternoon! It was refreshing and delicious.

Ingredients
1 bottle dry white wine (My favorite white is Sauvignon Blanc, both for sangria and drinking in general.)
1/3 cup or 80ml Grand Marnier
1/4 cup or 60ml lemon vodka
3 cups or 710ml lemon-lime soda (Two of the 12 oz or 355ml cans.)
6 oz or 170g raspberries
4.4oz or 125g blueberries
1 dragon fruit

Method
Starting at least a day ahead, wash some of the blueberries and raspberries and put three blueberries and one raspberry in several of the holes of a muffin pan. For a more decorative look, I used the Nordic Ware one known online as the Bundt Brownie pan. <affiliate link Add a little water, until you see the blueberries just barely start to float.

Put the pan in the freezer and leave until the water freezes enough to hold the fruit in place.

Top up with more water and freeze until solid.

When the fruity ice is frozen, release by running some water over the back of the pan and store in a airtight container in the freezer. If you want to skip all these steps and get straight to the sangria, just use normal ice cubes.

When you are ready to serve, peel and slice your dragon fruit and cut it into pieces about the size of your raspberries and blueberries. Wash the berries and drain well.

In a pitcher, combine your wine, vodka and Grand Marnier.

Add your fruity ice (or just some normal ice) and then top up with the lemon-lime soda.

Add in more raspberries, blueberries and some of the cut dragon fruit. Put some berries and dragon fruit and ice in each glass and fill up with sangria.

Enjoy!

And make sure to check out all the other great red, white and/or blue recipes we have for you today.

Food Using One Color

Red Food

• Baby Back Ribs with Roasted Strawberry Barbecue Sauce by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Baked Tomato Breakfast Cups by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Red Velvet Milk Shake by Nosh My Way
• Strawberry Meringue Tartlets by What Smells So Good?
• Strawberry Oat Crumble by The Wimpy Vegetarian

White Food

• Alabama BBQ Sauce by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Blue Food

• Blueberry Breakfast Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Blue Velvet Cupcakes by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Food Using Two Colors

Red and White Food

• Pickled Shrimp with Pico de Gallo by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Sausage Rougail (Rougail Saucisse) by The Petit Gourmet

Blue and White Food

• Blueberry Feta Cucumber Salad by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Blueberry Pierogi by Curious Cuisiniere

Red, White and Blue Food

• Berry Berry Celebrations by Momma's Meals
• Berry Filled Firecracker Cupcakes by The Crumby Cupcake
• Berry Patriotic Chia Seed Pudding by Tasting Page
• Easy Chocolate Covered Marshmallows by Palatable Pastime
• Eton Mess by Caroline's Cooking
• Greek Yogurt Parfait Bar by Family Foodie
• Grilled Shrimp, Tomato and Bleu Cheese Flatbread by Our Good Life
• Individual Loaded Red, White, and Blue Salads by The Weekend Gourmet
• Patriotic Cocktail by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Patriotic Panna Cotta by The Freshman Cook
• Red White And Blue Coleslaw by Nik Snacks
• Red, White, and Blue Parfaits by Life Tastes Good
• Red, White and Blue Cherry Pie by Savory Experiments
• Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Red, White and Blue Sangria by Food Lust People Love
• Red White and Blue Sundae by Desserts Required
• St. Honore Cake by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Strawberry, Blueberry & Raspberry Cheesecake Crumble by Food Done Light
• Tomato Blue Cheese Crostini by Magnolia Days
• Triple Berry Coconut Chia Pudding Parfaits by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Vanilla Pound Cake with Fresh Berries by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Watermelon, Feta & Beet Appetizer by Take A Bite Out of Boca
  

Sangria outside on our new-to-us outdoor sofa set.  Doesn't it look refreshing!

Meyer Lemon Butter Sauce Prawns with Linguine

Meyer lemons, thought to be a cross between Eureka or Lisbon lemons and mandarin oranges, are only available for a few months at the beginning of the year. They work well in both sweet and savory dishes, especially seafood.

If you’ve been reading this space for a while, you know that last year, for the very first time, I found myself living somewhere I can buy Meyer lemons.  I brought a bag of six home and spent a great deal of time creating recipes that would let them play an important role. After all, they were not cheap. And, to reiterate, I only had six. This dish was one of our favorites and it’s just perfect for today’s Sunday Supper Valentine Recipes for Two theme.

Ingredients
1 lb or about 450g prawns or shrimp, cleaned and peeled
Sea salt
1 Meyer lemon
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic
2 shallots
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Olive oil
2/3 cup or 155ml dry white wine
1//2 cup or 120ml cream
7 oz or 200g linguine
Generous handful arugula (rocket) or fresh spinach

Method
Thinly slice half of your Meyer lemon.  Juice the other half and set the juice aside.

Split each prawn in two down the middle with a sharp knife and give them a light sprinkle with sea salt.

Mince the shallots and garlic.

In a large non-stick skillet, pan-fry the lemon slices over a medium heat in a drizzle of olive oil.

When the slices are nicely browned, removed them from the pan and set aside. Add in two tablespoons of the butter and let it melt and sizzle.

Now toss in the prawn halves and cook them until they are all curly and just pink through.

Remove them from the pan and set them on the browned Meyer lemon slices.

Add in the last two tablespoons of butter, then the minced shallots and garlic. Turn the fire down and sauté them until they are soft and translucent.

Meanwhile put water on to boil for the linguine.

Add the wine and lemon juice to the shallots and garlic, along with the cherry tomatoes.  Stir well.

 Cook until all of the liquid has almost evaporated, keeping an eye on it and stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile put your linguine in the boiling water with a teaspoon or two of salt. Cook according to package instructions but set your timer for about one minute less than the prescribed time. When the linguine is almost done, toss in the greens, allow them to wilt.

Drain the whole pot through a colander.  Set aside.

When the shallot/garlic pan is almost dry, add the prawns and Meyer lemon slices back into the pan. Give it a good stir.

Pour in your cream and stir again.

Season with some extra salt and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

Divide your pasta into two bowls and then share the creamy, lemony butter sauce with prawns over the top.

Enjoy!

If you are looking for special Valentine’s Day inspiration, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got dishes for two galore today!  Many thanks to our host this week, Susan from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen, who just happens to have the perfect red Valentine kitchen.

Alluring Appetizers:

• Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Ricotta from Casa de Crews
• Kumquat Vanilla Marmalade from Shockingly Delicious
• Southwestern Meatballs wrapped in Bacon from Momma’s Meals

Exquisite Entrees:

• Almond-Crusted Sole with Mushroom Pilaf for Two from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Bacon Crusted Beer Mac and Cheese from Melanie Makes
• Baked Crab Cakes with Lemongrass-Ginger Mayo from The Weekend Gourmet
• Baked Pasta with Sausage and Fontina from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Baked Tilapia En Papillote from It’s Yummi!
• Chicken and Mushroom Alfredo from Cookin’ Mimi
• Drunken Snow Crabs from Family Foodie
• Eggs in Purgatory from Noshing with the Nolands
• Flambéed Veal Chops from MealDiva
• Homemade Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli from In The Kitchen With KP
• Meyer Lemon Butter Sauce Prawns with Linguine from Food Lust People Love
• Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon-Basil Beurre Blanc, Pancetta, Apples and Fennel from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Pan-Seared Scallops with Linguine and Tomato-Cream Sauce from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Roasted Vegetable Lasagna for Two from Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
• Salmon Pakoras from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Swiss Fondue for Two from Curious Cuisiniere
• White Queso Mac and Cheese for Two from Daily Dish Recipes 

Decadent Desserts and Drinks:

• Baked Custard from Magnolia Days
• Cherry Spritzer Ice Cream Float from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Chocolate Budino with Strawberry Hearts from Manu’s Menu
• Chocolate Malt Bread Pudding from Alida’s Kitchen
• Chocolate Marshmallow Duets from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chocolate Pots de Crème from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Fresh Berry Parfait with Crème Anglaise from Hip Foodie Mom
• Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Sauce from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Funfetti Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle from Take a Bite Out of Boca
• German Rose Water Sugar Cookies For Two from Killer Bunnies, Inc.
• Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles from Gluten Free Crumbley
• Gluten-Free Deep Dish Hot Fudge Brownies for Two from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Ice Cream Stuffed Crepes with Nutella and Fresh Berries from Neighborfood
• Malawian Mbatata Cookies with Coconut Cream from Happy Baking Days
• Orange-scented Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce for Two from girlichef
• Pecan-Crusted Coconut Custards with Brandied Banana Sauce from The Texan New Yorker
• Pistachio Pudding For Two (From Scratch) from Chocolate Moosey
• 3 Japanese-Style Treats for Your Sweet from Ninja Baking
• Valentine’s Cupcakes with a Surprise from From the Bookshelf
• White Hot Chocolate from Pies and Plots

Tilapia with Mushrooms, Artichokes, White Wine, Lemon and a Completely Unreasonable Amount of Cream

Calling all heathens.  You know who you are.   We are about to have a biblical lesson.  Not a Bible lesson exactly but I want to talk about fish.  And listening to your mother, because she is probably right.

Who remembers when we didn’t know what tilapia was?  Never heard of it and then, seemingly, it was ubiquitous.  On every fishy crushed ice spread in every grocery store.  And bags and bags of frozen filets in the freezer section as well.  When tilapia first came to my attention, my mother and I were discussing it and she told me that tilapia was most likely the fish that the apostles were catching in Sea of Galilee.  How does she know these things?  She goes to church, people.  And apparently pays attention during the sermon.  After just a little research, I discovered she was so right!  In fact, in many regions, they call tilapia St. Peter’s fish.  I think that is kind of cool.

This dish is one of my summer favorites because my sister, Marta, always makes it when we are home for the long school break.  Upon finding lovely fresh tilapia filets in my local Carrefour supermarket, I wrote and asked her for the recipe.  Her instructions included the method and the ingredients but no amounts so I will try to quantify it for you.  But I imagine if you put a little more of this, or a little less of that, this will still be just as delicious.   I am pretty sure I put way more mushrooms than she would but they looked lovely and fresh that day.

Ingredients
1lb 10oz or 750g button mushrooms
6 filets of tilapia
Sea salt
Black pepper
3/4 cup or 170g butter
Drizzle of olive oil
1/2 cup or 120ml lemon juice
2 cans or jars of artichoke hearts (not marinated) - drained weight about 5 3/4 oz or 165g each
1 cup or 240ml dry white wine
2 cups or 480ml heavy cream
Optional:  flat egg noodles to serve this over.

Method
Rinse the tilapia to make sure all the scales are gone.  I also tidy up the margins with a sharp knife because I am like that about fish.  You don’t have to.   Give the filets a good sprinkling of sea salt and a couple of good grinds of fresh black pepper.

Clean and slice your mushrooms and squeeze your lemons, if you are using fresh juice, which I highly recommend.

Drain your artichokes.  I had jars of the tiny ones so I didn’t cut them but you can half or quarter larger ones if you’d like.

Melt your butter in a large saucepan, preferably non-stick and add a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from burning.

Gently cook the fish in the butter, for a few minutes on each side.

No one said this was a diet dish. 

Remove the filets to a plate when just cooked through and cover them.

Tip your mushrooms and artichokes into the saucepan and sauté until the mushrooms have given up most of their moisture, stirring occasionally.  I put the lid on and turned the fire down because I wasn’t in any hurry but this shouldn’t take more than about 5-7 minutes.

Add in the lemon juice, white wine and whipping cream.  Give it a good stir and lower the flame to a simmer.  Cook until it thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.

(If you are serving this over egg noodles, this would be a good time to cook them according to package instructions.  If they are ready a little before the fish, drain them and put them back in the pot with a good glug of olive oil to keep them from sticking together.)

Slide the fish back into the sauce, making sure to add back all the juices that have accumulated on the plate as well, and carefully redistribute the filets around the pan.

Heat gently until the fish is warmed through and then serve.

I was serving this for a dinner guest so I put the noodles in a dish, added the tilapia and ladled the sauce over the whole thing.  It occurred to me afterwards that a light sprinkling of chopped parsley would have looked pretty but never mind.  The dish tasted delicious.  Kind of a stroganoff of tilapia, if that makes any sense to you.

Give each person a healthy serving of noodles, topped with mushrooms and artichokes and one filet.

Enjoy!

I’m on a touring holiday right now with my mom so if I don’t answer comments right away, please know that I am still delighted when you leave them and will respond as soon as I have internet access again. 

Beef Stroganoff

If you’ve been around and reading this blog since Individual Beef Wellingtons then you know the provenance of the beef for this stroganoff.  I had half of a filet mignon or tenderloin and used the thick side to make two generous steaks.  The skinny end of the tenderloin, I sliced up into pieces suitable for stir-fry or stroganoff and threw them, bagged carefully, into the freezer.  In fact, I labeled the bag: stroganoff meat.  It wasn’t a lot of meat, but I knew it could be bulked out with onions and mushrooms and, served over linguine, make another generous meal for two or three.  And so it did.

Ingredients

1 cup sour cream (or 1 cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, plus 1 pinch of salt)

320g or 11.25 oz beef, cut into thin pieces

2 medium onions

200g or 7 oz Swiss brown or other mushroom of your choice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 beef stock cube

300g or 10.5 oz linguine or other dried pasta of your choice

15g butter

Olive oil

Sea salt

Black pepper

Method

First, I make my sour cream.  Obviously skip this step if you have store-bought.  Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to your measuring cup.  Fill to the 1-cup line with heavy whipping cream.  Stir thoroughly.  Add a pinch of sea salt.  Stir again and set aside.  This will continue to thicken and will be just like store-bought sour cream by the time you need to use it.  (This can be used anytime sour cream is called for in a recipe, sweet or savory.)

Over a low fire, melt the butter, adding a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. The oil will raise the burning temperature of the butter so it doesn’t burn by accident. While the butter is melting, chop your onions.

Add the onions to the pan and sauté gently until they are soft and translucent.   This could take as many as 10 or 15 minutes over a low flame.

Meanwhile, slice your mushrooms.

Add the 1/2 cup white wine to the pan and cook till it’s hot again. 

Add the beef cube and keep cooking over a low heat until the wine is almost completely reduced.  Once again, this could take 10 minutes or more.  You want the onions dissolving almost to a mush.

Put water on to boil and cook your pasta according to package instructions.

When the onions are pretty dry again, move them to a small bowl off the heat.

Turn the fire up high and get your pan really hot.  Add the beef all at once and continue to cook over a high fire so it browns.  You can add another couple of glugs of olive oil at this point. 

When the meat is mostly cooked, add the onions back in and then add the sliced mushrooms.  Your heat is still on high at this point.  Let this cook for several more minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and then turn the fire right back down to simmer.

Add in the sour cream, stirring gently.  Let it bubble along for a few more minutes until it thickens slightly.  Serve over the cooked pasta. 

Enjoy!