Sous Vide Eggs

6 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 t or less (depending on the saltiness of the cheese)
fresh cracked pepper
2 slices of bacon (cooked and broken into small pieces)

Sterilize 4 oz glass jelly jars and lids. Let the water cool down a bit and position the sous vide machine in the container. Set to 172 degrees. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl - whisking the eggs. Pour evenly into the glass jars. Place the bacon on top and gently push into the mixture. Place the flat lids on the jars and finger tighten the rings. Gently put them into the sous vide water and cook for 1 hour.

This recipe can be doubled, and the jars can be stacked.

Tangy Crock Pot Beef Stew

From Grapevine Cottage - Wine Review and Recipe Exchange

2 lb lean round steak, cut into 1” cubes
1 1/2 cup sliced carrots (or more if you really like carrots like we do)
1 large onion, quartered twice
1 1/3 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Hot cooked noodles

Put the meat and vegetables in a slow cooker sprayed with Pam. Mix the next 8 ingredients in bowl, and then pour over and mix with meat and vegetables. Cook on low for about 7 to 9 hours. Turn cooker to high, and mix cornstarch and water, and then blend into beef mixture. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve over hot noodles or, next time we are going to try mashed potatoes. Try this with a big Aussie Shiraz...

Smoked Pumpkin Cocktail

2 oz bourbon
1.5 T canned pumpkin
1/2 oz smoked simple syrup
1 large egg (see note about pasteurized eggs)
nutmeg


Add everything (except nutmeg) to a shaker and shake without ice. Add ice, then shake and strain into a chilled glass.

Garnish with grated nutmeg.

Note:
Set your Sous Vide cooker to 135.0ºF / 57.2ºC.
Gently drop the eggs, in their shells (not vacuum sealed), into the bath to cook for 1 hour 15 minutes. Refrigerate.

Oak n Smoke and instructions to making clear ice

2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz ginger liquor
1/2 oz smoked simple syrup

Combine ingredients, and pour into a smoked glass and add clear ice!

How to make clear ice:
Take a small hard-sided cooler (the kind that would hold a 6 pack) and remove the lid. Wash the interior and fill about 1/2 full with water. Place the cooler in the freezer (this needs to be very level) and freeze for 12-24 hours. The water will freeze from the top down. You do not want the water to freeze completely, just till the top 2-3 inches are frozen. You should be able to see the water move beneath the ice. Remove the container from the freezer and carefully remove the ice. You may need to slide a dull knife between the cooler and the ice to release some of the water. The ice should begin to slide out. Drain off the rest of the water and run under lightly warm water to even out the surface of the ice. Please on a towel and using a serrated bread knife, gently score across the ice and tap the knife with a small mallet (I use my small meat mallet.) It should break through the ice. Cut into desired shapes and sizes and freeze in a zip locked bag.

Roasted Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 c fresh or frozen cherries (do not defrost)
1/2 c sugar
4 oz. original cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. corn syrup
1 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream, divided
1/2 tsp. kosher sea salt
1 egg + 3 yolks
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place cherries in a single layer in a baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 c sugar. Bake at 425°F about 15 minutes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Place in a small bowl; cover.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the cream cheese, sugar, corn syrup, milk, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and salt. Heat until warm. (If the cream cheese does not blend, use an immersion blender to combine.

In a small mixing bowl whisk together the egg and yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Go really slow so you don’t scramble them! Gradually pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Constantly whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens and reaches a temperature of 165 degrees. Pour the mixture through a mesh sieve set over a medium size mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining heavy cream along with the vanilla and zest. (I generally set my bowl over an ice bath to cool the base down as quickly as possible). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Remove the ice cream base from the refrigerator and pour into a prepared ice cream machine or attachment bowl. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (about 25 minutes). When the ice cream is firm, pour half of it into a plastic container with a lid. Drop 1/2 of cherries on top of the ice cream and drizzle with some of the sauce from the bowl. Spread the remaining ice cream over top and repeat with the remaining cherries and sauce.

Freeze for 4-6 hours before serving.

Spring/Summer Cocktails

French Martini

1 oz Till Vodka
1 oz Chambord
2 oz Pineapple Juice
Raspberry or Rosemary for garnish

Fill a shaker with ice and add all ingredients (except garnish). Shake vigorously - I mean until you can't take it anymore. Strain completely - take your time with this so that you geet all of the pineapple foam.



Lemon Vodka Gimlet

1 oz Till Vodka
1 oz Lemon juice - fresh - preferably Meyer lemons
1 oz Rosemary Simple Syrup
Sprig of rosemary

Fill shaker with ice and all the ingredients. Shake well. Strain ans serve with lemon wheel and rosemary



Elderflower Martini


Homemade Sweet & Sour Mix
1 c lemon juice
1 c lime juice
1 3/4 c simple syrup

1 oz gin
1 oz Till vodka
1 oz St. Germain Elderflower
2 oz Sweet & Sour Mix
Lime wedge

Fill martini shaker with ice and all ingredients. Shake, strain and serve with a lime wedge.

Granola - 2 options

⅓ c (66 grams) light brown sugar
⅓ c maple syrup
4 t vanilla extract
½ t salt
½ c vegetable oil
5 c old-fashioned rolled oats
2 c (10 ounces) chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts
2 c raisins or other dried fruit, chopped if necessary

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

Whisk brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Stir in the oats and nuts.

Turn out the mixture to the baking sheet and spread across sheet into thin, even layer (about 3/8 inch thick). Press firmly until very compact. Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through baking. Remove granola from oven and cool thoroughly, about 1 hour. Break into pieces and stir in dried fruit.

OR

Here's one I haven't tried but sounds like it might be a good option

2 egg whites

6 c old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 c chopped almonds

1 1/2 c pecan pieces

1 c dried cranberries or raisins

1 c brown sugar

1 c dark corn syrup

1/2 cup oil

1 t salt

1 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

Whisk egg whites until frothy.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.  Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes.  Stir the hot mixture and bake for up to 8 more minutes.  Cool completely and store in an airtight container.  

Avocado, Corn, Tomato Salad

1 large or 2 small avocados (reserve a portion for dressing), diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 or 3 ears of corn, roasted and cut from the ear

Dressing:
Finely diced reserved avocado
1/4 c Olive oil
2 T Balsamic vinegar
2 T Lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t Italian herbs
1/8 t cumin

Smoked Baby Back Ribs

1 cup turbinado sugar, ground

1/4 cup kosher salt

6 tablespoons Spanish paprika

4 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons granulated garlic

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground

Ribs:
One 2.25-pound slab of baby back pork ribs (also known as loin-back ribs)

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Remove the membrane on 2 racks of ribs. Spread 1 T mustard on the back of each rack and sprinkle with 1 heaping tablespoon of rib rub. Spread the rub into the mustard. Flip over and repeat on the meat side.

Smoke ribs meat side up for 3 hours at 225. Increase the temperature to 250 for 2 not hours or until done. Meat should be starting to pull away from the bone.

TILL’s Meyer Lemon Vodka Gimlet

TILL’s Meyer Lemon Vodka Gimlet

1 oz. TILL Vodka
1 oz. Meyer lemon juice
1 oz. Rosemary simple syrup
1 Sprig of rosemary to garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Serve up. Garnish with lemon wheel and sprig of rosemary.

Ice Wine Smash

2 slices of tangerine or orange
1 oz Ice Wine
2 oz Bourbon
3 dashes bitters


Muddle the tangerine with Ice Wine and top with remaining ingredients.
Shake all ingredients and strain into a coupe. Garnish with an orange peel slice