Memorial Day Recipes
Molly’s Spicy Paloma
Inspired by Molly Yeh
Photo courtesy of Victoria Kondysenko
Level: Easy
Total: 10 min
Active: 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Himalayan pink salt (or corse Sea salt)
3 teaspoons superfine sugar
12-14 ounces of Grapefruit juice
1 Jalapeno seeded and sliced into rings **
7 1/2 ounces your fav Tequila (I prefer Reposado) **
1 Ruby Red Grapefruit
Garnishes
Use as many as you like:
Sliced Jalepeno
Sliced Grapefruit
Sliced Lime
Fresh Rosemary sprigs
Fresh Basil leaves
Directions
Combine the pink salt and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl, then place in a shallow dish to rim the glasses.
Add cold Grapefruit juice to a small pitcher.
Put the jalapeno slices in a cocktail shaker ** along with the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and muddle to break the peppers down into a rough mash. Add the tequila and a scoop of ice and shake to infuse; then pour through a strainer into the grapefruit juice and stir to combine.
Slice the grapefruit into 1/4 inch wheels. Make a slice midway through the wheels to use as garnish. Use one grapefruit slice to run along the rim of each glass. Dip rim of each glass into salt mixture. Pour Paloma into glasses and garnish as you wish.
Bartender's Tip:
Hey, the fun of making drinks is making the recipe your own. So, don't be shy if you prefer a smokey & scorching drink:
Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the pink rim salt
Don't seed the jalepeno
Substitute Mezcal for the tequila if you prefer a smokey taste
If you don't have a cocktail shaker, you can still make this drink. Just muddle the jalepenos and sugar into the bottom of a pitcher. Add Grapefruit juice. The jalepenos will sink to the bottom of the pitcher. Serve over ice.
Appetizer Tomato-Avocado Salad with Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
Inspired by Rebecca Mankiller
I like to use this easy salad for Memorial Day. It doesn't take too long to make and it tastes sensational! Thanks, Rebecca!!
Photo courtesy of Don Bendickson
Level: Easy
Total: 20 min
Prep: 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 large ripe Haas avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into 1-inch chunks
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup canola/olive oil blend
Directions
Vinaigrette:
Combine lime juice, vinegar, honey, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil. Whisk until well-combined. Re-season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Combine tomatoes, onion, and dressing, to taste, and toss to combine. Add avocado and gently mix, being careful not to break up the avocado too much. Garnish with cilantro leavess
Flank Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Sauce
This dish is all about the marinade. The longer the meat is marinated, the juicier it becomes. I like making this recipe again because it's easy and a crowd pleaser.
Photo courtesy of hlphoto
Level: Easy
Total: Up to 24 hours
Prep: 20 min
Marinade: 4 hours to Overnight
Cook: 20 min
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
Marinade
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup light or dark Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon ground Ginger
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves Garlic, smashed or minced
1 large white Onion cut in four wedges
Steak
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
Cherry tomatoes, for garnish
Sweet Peppers
1 Yellow Onion
2 Limes
Greens, for garnish, such as arugula, spinach or watercress
Chimichurri sauce
This bright sauce, filled with herbs, has some jalapeno in it for an added punch.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons packed fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup ice cubes
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions for Marinade:
Combine the vinegar, garlic and a generous pinch of salt in a blender and blend on low until smooth. Add the parsley, cilantro, oregano, ice and jalapeno and blend on medium speed. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and puree until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. Season the chimichurri with more salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Directions for Steak:
Marinade: Combine in a zip-top bag, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, ground ginger, onions, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Close the bag and shake ingredients to mix the marinade. Makes about 1¼ cups. (Marinade will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 1 month in the freezer.)
Steak: Place steak into the bag with the marinade. Press out as much air as possible, seal the bag, and distribute the marinade around the meat. Let marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight in the refrigerator. at room temperature or, optimally, up to 8 hours to overnight in the refrigerator. (Note: If grilling after 4 hours of marinating, reserve the marinade to baste the steak during grilling.)
Bring marinated steak to room temperature before grilling, about 1 hour. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. When grill is smoking hot, remove steak from marinade and lay it flat on the grill. Let cook for 4–5 minutes, largely undisturbed, pressing down on the meat to enhance grill marks if you wish. After 4–5 minutes, the steak should be lightly charred and no longer adhere to the grill. Flip meat and repeat the above process on the other side, 4-5 minutes. Flip meat again and let grill another 2-4 minutes.
Steak should be medium-rare. Meat should feel firm to the touch at the thickest part (alternatively, a meat thermometer should register 125 F at the thickest part of the steak). Transfer steak to a wire rack fitted over a rimmed baking sheet. Let rest to allow the juices to redistribute in the steak, 5-8 minutes.
Grill the onion slices and peppers, turning, until charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Splash with a squeeze of lime.
After the steak has rested, transfer to a cutting board. Find the grain of the meat, then thinly slice against the grain on a bias. Add meat to the onion/sweet pepper platter and garnish with cherry tomatoes, limes and greens. Serve immediately.
Directions for Chimichuri Sauce:
1. Combine all ingredients into a food processor until blended.
2. Add more olive oil if sauce is too thick.