T is for Tomato and Tea

Today I wanted to bring you something southern,

 and what is more southern than an Alabama tomato?

This recipe was given to me by my friend Lyndsey. If you haven't met Lyndsey, you are missing out. She is totally awesome: she is always so fun to talk to; she cuts my hair; she makes soap; she has a fun blog (Misch Masch); she does it all. Thanks for sharing Lyndsey!

 Tomato Tart

For topping:

• 2T butter
• 1 1/2t sugar
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1T apple cider vinegar
• Salt and Pepper

For Pastry: 

• 3/4 cup of all purpose flour
• 1t dried oregano
• 1t dried basil
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 4T cold water

Melt the butter in skillet on medium high heat and add sugar. Turn the stove off and stir in the tomato, garlic, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Spoon into four 4" ramekins. 
In a medium bowl combine flour, oregano, basil, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry mixer or fork until the mixture looks like wet saw dust. Stir in water to make the dough. Roll out the dough to 1/4" thick and cut out four 4" circles. Top the ramekins with dough and poke vent holes with a fork.

 

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until the crust is golden brown. Run a knife around the edges of the tart and flip it over on a plate. 

Southern Godfather

For some time now my drink of choice has been a godfather, whiskey and amaretto. I first had it when me and the Mrs. went out for sushi and decided to order for each other the whole night. (Mrs ordered me a Godfather, edamame, and a Candy Cane Roll (avocado, cucumber, with salmon and tuna) in case you were wondering) I had this take on the Godfather at a birthday party and my tastebuds tingled. It was everything I loved about the original with a southern twist, y'all!

•  6 cups black tea
• 2 cups of whiskey
• 3/4 cup of amaretto
• 1/2 cup of mint simple syrup**
• 2T fresh lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together in a large pitcher. Serve in a highball glass on ice and garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon slice.**To make ahead, mix 1/4 cup of water and sugar in a cup. Microwave for 2 minutes and stir until sugar is dissolved. Put about 8 mint leaves in hot simple syrup and let steep for ten minutes. Let cool before adding it to the Southern Godfather.

-J

S is for Sweet Potato

Sometimes you just get a crazy idea that you just have to try.

This was one of those ideas for me. It came after I was reading an old cookbook I found the Mrs. got for me a long time ago. With work being insane, and me getting home late, there really hasn't been any time for me to just cook for the two of us. And honestly I didn't have any real inspiration to cook. Recently I have been trying to make an effort to go back to doing things I love again. Work has been consuming my entire energy, focus, and time. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my job at the cupcakery but there are other things I love too. Just like the portions this recipe makes, there should be plenty of me to go around.

Sweet Porky Pie

• 4 long sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 russet baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 apple, cored and cubed
• 1 lb. left over barbequed pork**
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 2T butter
• 1t paprika
• 1t salt
• 2t black pepper
• 1T brown sugar

Place peeled and sliced sweet potatoes in a bowl of cold water. Boil russet potatoes until soft. Saute onions and apples in skillet until brown. Drain  boiled potatoes and place them in electric mixer with butter and milk, and whip on medium speed, add the egg and continue to whip until it is combined. Add the onions, apples, pork, paprika, salt, and pepper. Incorporate on low speed.
Line the bottom and sides of a pie pan with sweet potato slices. Pour in the whipped potato mixture. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar, and arrange the remaining sweet potato slices around the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

**If you do not have any left over barbeque, here's what to do.
Take 1 lb. of pork chops and rub paprika, salt, pepper and brown sugar all over the sides. Line a baking dish with tin foil and place the meet in the pan. Pour 2T of apple cider vinegar and bake for one and a half hours at 280 degrees. When you bring it out of the oven cover the meet with a sheet of tin foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Chop the meet into small pieces and add the liquid in the pan to the mix.

It is always good when you have good help with you in the kitchen. This was my ever-ready-to-clean-up-the-floor kitchen help. She did a great job!

The Mrs. said that this meal tasted like fall, and we could not be more ready for that season here. It means football games, family coming to town, and of course plenty of food

See you next time!
-J

R is for Rice and Rhubarb

Remember me?

So a lot has happened since last I blogged. First, The Mrs. and I have moved. We recently bought a house and are really happy being homeowners and having a mortgage. Next, Mrs. ALPHAbiteICAL got accepted to graduate school! She'll take her first class in the fall for Higher Education Administration. And lastly, the cupcakery I manage has opened a second location. There have been several challenges to work out with the new store but it is going pretty well. Cupcakes have been selling like... well cupcakes and that's all I can ask for.

Recently I had a chance to play in my new kitchen and here are the results.

Rice Balls

-1 cup uncooked rice

-3T cilantro, chopped

-3t paprika

-1t oregano

-1/2cup chopped onion

-2 cloves of minced garlic

-2 eggs

-2T mayonnaise

-2t salt

-1t pepper

-1 cup Panko bread crumbs

-Oil for frying

Cook rice and drain water. Stir in cilantro, paprika, oregano, eggs, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll the rice mixture into balls and roll in bread crumbs. Heat the oil and when it is hot fry the rice balls for about 4 minutes.

Rhubarb Pie

-2 stalks of rhubarb, chopped (about 2 cups)

-6 strawberries, chopped (about 1 cup)

-1/4 cup brown sugar

-1/4 cup sugar

-2T flour

-1t lemon juice

-1t lemon zest

-1T instant tapioca pudding

-2 sheets of puff pastry

Spread the puff pastry sheets on a floured surface and roll out the pastry 1 inch. Press the pastry into 4 ramekins. Roll out the remaining dough and cut out 4 circles to top your pie.

Mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl and fill the ramekins with the mixture. Bake for 40 minutes in a 360 degree oven.

Remind me to blog if you don't hear from me soon. Enjoy the food!
-J

Q is for Quinoa

Quitters never win...

So it has been a while since I blogged, so long that you may have even forgotten about me.
Hey!
I still exist.
I wish that I had a Quick Quotes Quill to dictate to fill you in on everything that has happened since my last post. I don't so here goes: Halloween, Thanksgiving, a tree fell on our house and we moved in with the in-laws, went on a cruise, the bosses opened another cupcakery, Christmas, and New Years.

With all of that there was a part of me that thought that I should quit the blog and just leave it where it was. I questioned if I could even get through the ALPHAbite. With the letters that are on the horizon it is even more daunting than when I started. But it is a new year, a new day, and my first day off since...I have no idea, I really haven't been keeping track, so who cares. I'm back to tackle the ALPHAbite one letter at a time.

Enjoy.

Again.

Hopefully.

(sorry.)

Quinoa Stuffed Squash

• 1 quarter of a quart (cup) quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 3 squashes
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup of crab meat
• 1T drained capers
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt 
• pepper
• olive oil

Cook the quinoa by boiling 2 cups water and adding 1cup of quinoa. Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Saute onions in olive oil. Stir in crab meat and add in the wine (quick before you drink it) Add the onions, crab, cilantro, capers, lime juice, and almonds to the cooked quinoa and stir.
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Lay the squash in a baking dish and fill them with the stuffing. Put the rest of the stuffing around the squash and top each stuffed squash with a little bit of Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 325 for about 30 minutes.






...and winners never quit.