Minty Raspberry Limoncello

It's starting to be a tad bit sweltering out, so it's time to make cooler and more refreshing recipes for this here blog! What's more refreshing than a liquored up citrus drink? A liquored up citrus drink with mint! I'm a genius. Also I've been wanting to use mint in more things, and this was the first thing that came to mind. I have future plans of turning this into a semifreddo. I can already taste it, and damn it's good.

There's no real story of how this drink came to be. Mostly just that I love Limoncello, I wanted to use it in a mixed drink with mint, and I happened to have a bottle of Raspberry Lemonade in the fridge. And so this delightful, lush drink of summertime refreshment was invented! 

You can easily substitute the Raspberry Lemonade with any other juice type drink you may have, for example I think a grapefruit juice would be an acceptable substitution.

The Limoncello, however, should not be substituted simply because I adore it. Go ahead, buy a bottle. You'll need it once you try this golden elixir. I use it mostly when I'm making fruit ice creams, and it's glorious. I usually simmer frozen berries in a little bit of Limoncello and sugar and then mix it into the custard to become the main flavor. I will be posting those recipes eventually, but on my main website and not the blog. No worries, I'll give you a link to it.

And yes, the bottle is almost empty. Time to get some more!

What is Limoncello? I'll just tell you how wiki describes it: 

Limoncello (or lemoncello) is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy.  Traditionally, it is made from the Sorrento lemon, though most lemons will produce satisfactory limoncello. Limoncello is traditionally served chilled as an after dinner digestivo. Along the Amalfi Coast, it is usually served in small ceramic glasses themselves often chilled, the Amalfi coast being a center of both ceramic and limoncello production. This tradition has been carried into other parts of Italy.

Sound good? Yeah it does. It's tasty all on it's own, but sometimes it's fun to have brightly colored mixed drinks in the afternoon and not get completely wasted.

The nice thing about Limoncello, besides the color and usefulness, is the flavor. When you drink it, it's very clearly alcoholic but much smoother than vodka. When I have vodka in a mixed drink, no matter how much or little, it's the overpowering flavor. In this drink, you can taste the lemony goodness, but it's a subtle note that pleases your taste buds without feeling like you were just punched in the mouth. 

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Spicy Mango Dip

I had a whole thing typed up about this recipe, and then somehow deleted the entire thing. I don't really feel like typing it all again, so I'll sum it up.


~Made it in Boston. Had a BBQ. Good times
~Made it again, some changes, still tasty. Good times.
~Made it for Memorial Day. More changes. Used fresh mint from my garden. Good times.


Perfect summer-time dip recipe. Spicy, sweet, and refreshing at once.

Play with ingredients, change, substitute, have fun. If you have a lame allergy to mango, like Karen does, use peaches or something instead.


 Done. Enjoy!

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Simple Mozzarella-Steak Pinwheel

Using pizza dough the way it's used in this recipe is a very simple, yet very impressive, technique. It's the most basic stuffed bread, but when your guests have a piece they'll think you spent forever making it because it is just that awesome.

Once again my parents had their friends over and I agreed to make a few snacks for them. These are good opportunities for me to practice cooking since I can pick whatever I want to make and then have them pay for the ingredients! I have made pinwheels before; I used a recipe out of one of Giada's cookbooks and have since altered it a little. Her recipe had the bread stuffed with mozzarella, spinach, and prosciutto. I made it that way, and it was fantastic. When I made it again this time, I took out the prosciutto since my mom's friend is a vegetarian. And it was still fantastic.

But then I was thinking, what about everyone else? Surely they would like a stuffed bread with meat in it too (mostly I was thinking of me). So I decided to make an entirely different recipe, using steak. And what goes with steak and bread better than pepper, onions, mushrooms, and cheese? That's right, nothing. And so this recipe was born. And then devoured.

Seriously, it was delicious. And so easy to make. Especially if you just buy the pizza dough like I do. You can make it from scratch, but the would negate the point of this recipe being quick and easy. It's also very versatile, so it's easy to substitute whatever you want. But you'll want to try this one, trust me.

Remember, the thinner the cut of steak you can buy, the better it will roll in the bread! So try your best, ok?
Also, props to Mark for seasoning the steak and helping me make this.

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Couscous Peperoncino

This is an Italian recipe that I learned about while I was in Japan. Most of their versions of Italian food I found to be incredibly hilarious, such as pasta with a ketchup ragu sauce topped with a raw egg. But this one was actually pleasant. I used to buy packets of the sauce mix while I was living there, but when I moved back I found them to be overly expensive. So I went to the store, found a packet, read the ingredients, and made my own version. Being cheap and poor has had the positive side-effect of forcing me to be a good cook.

This recipe is both spicy and fresh tasting. It would go well as a side dish with meat or fish, or is good as a lunch. The garlic is very subtle. You taste more of the spicy hotness from the peppers, which is slightly tamed by the parsley.

When I make this I used dried chili peppers from Asian markets, and I usually buy them pre-chopped into little rounds. You can always buy whole dried chili peppers and chop them yourself. Those are probably at regular stores, but I never really checked.

I also prefer whole wheat couscous because it's got an extra bit of flavor that is slightly nutty. This recipe can be made with pretty much any type of grain., I just like couscous the best for this. 

This recipe also only takes about a total of 10 minutes to prepare and cook. It's kind of awesome like that.

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Tabouli, Tabbouleh, Tabouleh

I have no idea how to actually spell tabouli, so I tend to stick with spelling it the simplest way for me. I use to love making this with the Near East box of it, which includes the spice pack and all I had to do was add tomato, cucumber, and feta. Then one day, I couldn't find it anymore! I checked multiple grocery stores across three states (I didn't travel specifically for the tabouli, I just happened to remember to look for it a lot) and I could not find a trace of it! The brand is still around, but not the box of tabouli! I use to make a batch every week, and put a little in a tortilla every day for my lunch, so how was I suppose to live without it?

About 6 months after my crazy tabouli panic began (and don't worry, I was still able to eat lunch, it just wasn't as fun), I found one lone box in a tiny convenience store near my college. I bought it, of course, and studied the ingredient list on the back and looked at the herb medley in the pouch. From there I created my own tabouli, which I found to be a thousand times more enjoyable because I had more freedom with the ingredients. I like it this way a lot more than the packaged kind at the store since it's drier and not mushy and weird. It may not be the official and correct way to make this dish, but it's certainly easy and satisfying, and that's all that really matters.

For an instructional video, watch the Food Ninja show you how it's done!

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Basil and Garlic Pesto

This recipe was taught to me many many years ago (like 3 or 4) by my friend Sarah. The only difference is that we never used a recipe, so here's my attempt at measuring! Don't worry, I did test it out and make changes, and I like these amounts best. Obviously you can adjust it to your own taste, but it never hurts to have a guide!

I really like super garlicky food, but I toned this one down for normal people. When I make it, I tend to double the recipe, seeing as how my family is insane and eats more than one would consider humanly possible. It doubles well, but you might have to adjust the amount of oil or garlic depending on your tastes.

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Quick Basil Marinara

This marinara is fantastic to use in lasagna, pizza, or even just as a dip for Italian bread. It's quick, simple, tasty, and easy to adjust to your own personal taste. You can always add some oregano for an extra pizza flavor, or add some spice, or meat. Play with it and you'll come out with amazing variations.

The sauce can be used immediately or stored in the fridge. When I'm using it the same day, I usually keep the heat on very low after it's done simmering, while preparing other ingredients, then store any extra sauce left behind.

This recipe is inspired by, and adapted from, Giada De Laurentiis's Quick Marinara recipe.

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