Strawberry-Basil Sangria

Photo by Katie Guymon

On March 13, 2012, I entered the wonderful world of motherhood, a realm in which baby boogers are extracted from baby noses with pinky nails and the color and consistency of poo is closely examined and sometimes even celebrated. It has been one heck of a ride so far, that's for sure. The lowest lows have involved torturous sleep deprivation, and the highest highs involve smiles, coos, and lots and lots of cuddle time. I know that I'm lucky to have my sweet gal Aves.

Last weekend, I was honored with my first Mother's Day, and really, it was perfect in every way.

On Friday night, Matt stayed home with the babe so I could hit up one of my favorite wine bars, Sasha's, with six of my girlfriends. The patio was open, and it was a gorgeous spring evening in Saint Louis.

On Saturday night, we hosted our parents for a Mother's Day Eve dinner. Matt grilled steaks and romaine lettuce, and I was thankful to spend some leisure time in the kitchen, making layered Greek dip, my version of Mexican street corn, and rhubarb cobbler. And oh yeah, this sangria.

Strawberry-Basil Sangria [adapted from Treehugger.com] 
I cut down on the sugar and the grape juice to make this sangria slightly less sweet, but feel free to up the ante if you like your adult beverages that way. My favorite part of this concoction is the basil. If you score the leaves, you can most definitely taste the flavor in the drink.

-1 pint of strawberries, thinly sliced
-1 apple, finely diced
-10-12 whole basil leaves, scored with a fork to release flavor
-1/2 cup white grape juice
-3/4 cup sugar 
-1 cup club soda
-1 bottle of Chardonnay (I used tree-free Yellow Tail)

1. Place the strawberries, apple, and basil in a pitcher. Cover with the sugar let it stand for ten minutes.

2. Add the remaining liquids and stir well. Serve cold.

After Aves went to bed, we all continued to sit outside with our wine and music. Given the recent pace of our lives, it felt so good to just...sit. I swear, parenthood is a race to see how fast you can do everything! Can you shave your legs in thirty seconds? Can you pee before she cries? Can you grocery shop before she wakes up? I sometimes feel like I'm on a game show. But, last Saturday night was the perfect chance to catch waaaay up with Matt, and we got a little mushy gushy about our girl.

Becoming a parent is a whirlwind ride, and you have no other option but to hop on and hold on tight. There are very few chances, at least early on, to step back and process your new life. The best part of my Mother's Day was the opportunity to reflect on just how in love I am...in the wee hours of the morning...sharing a beer with my husband.

Matt's Birthday Dinner

Last Saturday, I hosted what will probably be my last dinner party for quite awhile (I hear new babies require a lot of attention) in honor of Matt's birthday. The birthday boy requested scallops and risotto. Holy heavy! Holy delicious! Needless to say, I kept the rest of the of the menu light.

Enjoy all of the recipes from the night.

Roasted Tomato Bruschetta [adapted from Rachael Ray]
-2 pints grape tomatoes
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 loaf French bread
-4 scallions, finely chopped
-1/2 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

2. Coat the tomatoes in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes to concentrate the flavor and burst the tomatoes.

3. Cut the French baguette into 1/2 slices and broil until lightly toasted.

4. In a bowl, lightly mash the roasted tomatoes and combine with scallions and basil. Top the French bread slices with the mixture and serve.

Seed Salad
This is one of my family's favorite salads of all time! My mom has been making it for years and years. It doesn't keep very well in the fridge (the word "soggy" comes to mind), so make sure there are no leftovers.

-1 1/2 heads of iceberg lettuce
-1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
-1/4 cup chopped white onion
-2 tablespoons sesame seeds
-2 tablespoons poppy seeds
-4 tablespoons sugar
-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-1 teaspoon Accent
-1/8 cup olive oil

1. Cut up lettuce in large bowl. Add almonds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and onion.

2. Mix together remaining ingredients, adding the olive oil last. Shake or blend well.

3. Pour the dressing over the salad no more than one hour before serving. Toss well.

Roasted Asparagus
-2 bunches of asparagus
-olive oil
-kosher salt
-fresh cracked pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

2. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Roast the asparagus for 20-25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

Goat Cheese, Pancetta, and Mushroom Risotto
I posted this recipe as one of my favorites of 2011 after only making it one time. Two times in, I continue to stand firm in my endorsement of this risotto. Wow, wow, wow.

-5 cups low sodium chicken broth
-10 ounces cremini mushrooms
-3 tablespoons butter
-1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup pancetta, diced (4 ounces)
-1.5 cups Arborio rice
-1/2 cup dry white wine
-1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
-3/4 cup goat cheese (3-4 ounces)
-1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon. kosher salt
-1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat and keep warm over low heat.

2. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms and pancetta and cook until the onions are tender but not brown, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.

4. Add ½ cup of warm stock and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.

5. Continue with remaining stock, adding ½ cup at a time, and allowing each addition to be absorbed, until the rice is tender to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the parmesan, goat cheese, chives, salt and pepper. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.

Seared Sea Scallops [recipe courtesy of Alton Brown]
-1 to 1 1/4 pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16
-2 teaspoons unsalted butter
-2 teaspoons olive oil
-kosher salt
-freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.

2. Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other.

3. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.

A Southern Dinner Party

Photo by Katie Guymon

Two nights ago, I hosted a southern dinner party for five of my girlfriends. This was an item on my summer vacation to-do list, so I am so thankful that we were all able to get together. The only thing missing was a bell to call them all to dinner. Not to toot my own horn, but toot! toot! The food was delicious, and if my leftover intake is any indication, you will probably like it, too.

Here is the menu (with recipes!) for a southern dinner party.

Hard Lemonade [recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson]
What's more southern than a frosty glass of lemonade spiked with vodka? I doubled the batch and used some Minute Maid lemonade to supplement the freshly squeezed juice. A girl can only juice so many lemons, y'all.

Crab Dip [recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman]
Catherine was kind enough to bring over this delicious crab dip for an appetizer on Wednesday night. And, she kept with the southern theme! But, I'm not surprised. Girl knows how to work a theme.

Barbequed Shrimp [recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse]
The first time I ever tasted these shrimp was at a Viking Cooking School class. Let me tell you, this recipe is not good for you, but it is heavenly. I went to Bob's Seafood for the first time to buy the biggest shrimp I could find. Although I'm not a huge fan of peeling and deveining, it is so worth it to get the 20 count shrimp versus the little guys at your local grocery store.

Goat Cheese Grits
Okay, this recipe isn't really good for you either, but hey, special occasions are always diet-defiant. If you are a grit girl (or boy) like I am, this is dedicated to you. 

-3 cups whole milk
-3/4 cup stone-ground grits
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-1 4-5 ounce log fresh chervre
-1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
-salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Heat milk in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat; bring to bil. Whisk in the grits and reduce the heat to a low simmer.

2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the grits are soft and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.

3. Stir in cream, goat cheese, thyme, salt and pepper. Add more milk if grits are too thick. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  

Fresh Corn Salad [recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa]
I've written about this Barefoot Contessa recipe before. It is seriously the stuff that corny dreams are made of. Now that basil is in abundance, it's the perfect time to make this salad.

Marinated Asparagus [recipe courtesy of Paula Deen]
My mom and I discovered this recipe when we were in a "We heart asparagus, but what else can do with it?" phase. This preparation is perfect. It's easy. It's served cold. It's made the night before. And it's really very tasty.

Honey Cornbread Muffins [recipe courtesy of The Neelys]
Cornbread from scratch. Yum, yum, gimme some. And that's all I have to say about that. 

Rhubarb Cobbler [recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman]
I had never made this exact recipe before, but since I've been on such a rhubarb kick this summer, I wanted to try it. The only step I did differently was to swap out the lemon and add freshly squeezed orange juice. As my friend Courtney described it, "It's the perfect combination of sweet and tart." I completely agree. Top it with some homemade whip cream, and it's perfect.