Thursday Foodday

So yeah, it's not Friday. But tomorrow I'm hoping you'll be enjoying BBQ and not reading this blog. So now we have some great holiday recipes.

American Beauty
c/o Drink of the Week

Ingredients

2 oz Bluecoat gin

1 oz fresh-lemon juice

¾ oz simple syrup

3 fresh raspberry and 3 fresh blueberries

4–6 mint leaves

Directions

Add lemon juice, mint and berries into mixing glass and lightly muddle. Add the remaining ingredients into mixing glass along with ice and shake vigorously. Fine-strain over the rocks into a double old-fashioned glass and top with a splash of soda. Garnish with lemon wheel and one raspberry.

Cajun Andouille Hot Dog

c/o Country Cleaver

Ingredients

4 Hot Dog Buns
4 Andouille Sausages
1 cup Celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup Green Bell Peppers, Chopped
1/2 cup Roasted Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Red Onion, chopped
1 jar Pickled Jalapeno Slices
1 cup White Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Preheat grill. Cook andouille sausages until heated through. Remove from grill, cover and let rest.
Toast hot dog buns until golden brown. Top bun with Andouille sausage. Divide celery, green bell peppers, roasted red bell pepper, red onion, red onion and jalapenos amongst the four sausages. Top with shredded white cheddar cheese. Devour immediately.

Strawberry Pie with Whipped Cream

c/o Epiciurious

Ingredients

For crust:

• 1 (5-ounce) package shortbread cookies
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For filling:

• 2 pounds (1 1/2-inch) strawberries, hulled (see cooks' note, below)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 teaspoons)

Accompaniment:

• lightly sweetened whipped cream

Directions

Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Pulse cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs, then pulse in sugar and butter until combined. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Prepare filling and assemble pie:
Select 20 large strawberries as close to same size as possible and set aside. Cut remaining berries into 1/4-inch dice and toss with sugar and lemon juice. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Drain berries in a sieve set into a large glass measuring cup. Add enough water to measure 2 cups. Transfer liquid to a medium saucepan and reserve berries.

Sprinkle gelatin over strawberry liquid and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Add diced berries, then transfer to a metal bowl set into an ice bath and stir frequently until mixture begins to mound, 20 to 30 minutes.

Spoon 1/2 cup filling into pie crust and arrange reserved whole berries, stem ends down, on filling. Spoon remaining filling over and between berries. Chill pie until filling is set, at least 4 hours.