Chocolate-Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

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I’ve had my ice cream machine sitting around in the basement since we got married. I’ve used it a couple of times, but most certainly not “on the regular”. After enjoying this ice cream last night, I’ve vowed to make homemade ice cream at least once a week – especially in these warmer months. With the new-fangeled machines they have now, it couldn’t be easier. I remember our vacations at Chincoteague (which, I’m now proud to call home), and the big wooden ice cream maker with the hand crank. It was just something about churning those common ingredients into a frosty delight, right before my very eyes, that was so magical. My four year old, Andrew, apparently feels the same.

So, the ice cream. The cherries are roasted with a little bit of sugar and bourbon, then soaked overnight in their own juices before churning into the ice cream the next day. The roasting process allows the cherries to remain soft even after freezing, not to mention intensifying their flavor. I was hesitant about the chocolate swirl, wanting to maintain simplicity for such a classic flavor – but, I couldn’t resist. Melting the chocolate, then pouring it into the machine during the last few moments of churning left beautiful, crackly ribbons all-throughout the ice cream. It really is pure heaven! Now that summer is officially here, I’m looking forward to giving my machine a workout. Stay tuned, more to come!

Chocolate Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

30-40 fresh sweet cherries, whole and de-stemmed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
1 cup milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean
6 large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces semisweet (60%) dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 450° F. Place whole, de-stemmed cherries in an oven safe roasting pan or dish (I used a glass pie pan). Sprinkle with sugar and bourbon. Toss to coat. Roast at 450° for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping a close eye to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn. Once fruit is soft, remove from oven and cool. Pit the cherries and slice into quarters. Refrigerate in juices overnight.

In a medium saucepan, heat milk, sugar, 1 cup of cream and salt over medium heat. Split vanilla bean in half, scrape seeds into the warm milk mixture and add used bean too. When milk is warm, remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into a large bowl. Set a fine mesh strainer on top and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Pour the warmed egg mixture into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan and whisk to combine. Return the saucepan to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and pour through the mesh strainer into remaining cream. Add vanilla extract and stir over a bowl of ice water until cooled to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

After ice cream mixture and cherries have cooled overnight, churn in your ice cream maker according to the instructions. While the ice cream is churning, heat chocolate in 15 second intervals at 50% power in the microwave, stirring between intervals, until melted smooth. With 5-7 minutes left to churn, start drizzling the chocolate very slowly into the ice cream mixture. Once all of the chocolate is incorporated, add cherries, juice and all. Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Source: Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by Dave Lebovitz, via The Craving Chronicles

Cantaloupe Margaritas

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Since these margaritas have entered my life, I’ve gone through a considerable amount more of tequila every week. My homegirl Shawnda had mentioned them to me in passing about a month ago, and I couldn’t wait to try them. Literally couldn’t wait either, I hounded her to give up the recipe early. Thankfully, she obliged and gave up the goods. Made a batch of them up that night, and voila! My new favorite summer drink.

I love a small sprinkling of salt on my chunks of cantaloupe anyways, and let me tell you – the salt rim is everything I’d hoped it would be. Even now, at 9 AM on a Monday, it’s making my mouth water. The color is just gorgeous too, a lovely sherbert colored orange. This recipe makes about 4 or 5 drinks, so it’s perfect for poolside or at a backyard BBQ…or, drinking all to yourself on a Friday night. These are so good, they had my homebrewing husband drinking them! And, he doesn’t do tequila. They’re that good, folks. I know it’s only Monday, but I’m already looking forward to next weekend and making up another batch of these perfect summer cocktails.

Cantaloupe Margaritas

For the homemade margarita mix:
4 oz lime juice
4 oz water
1/4 cup sugar

For the margarita:
1 lb cantaloupe wedges (1/2 a 3lb cantaloupe, seeds and skin removed)
4 oz orange liqueur
6 oz silver tequila
Salt, for rimming (optional)
Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Add the lime juice to a pitcher.Over medium heat in a small sauce pan, heat sugar and water, stirring until clear. Remove from heat and add to the lime juice.

In a food processor or blender, process the cantaloupe for ~60 seconds until completely obliterated into a fine pulp (you might need to add a few pieces at a time if using a blender).

Pour pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup or small bowl and strain, lightly pressing the solids until you get 1 cup of liquid.

Add cantaloupe juice to the pitcher, along with tequila and orange liqueur.

Serve in salt-rimmed glasses, over crushed ice.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

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I love stir-fry. Great for those nights when you’re not quite sure what’s on the dinner docket, stir-fries are quick and easy. My neighbor Janie gave me a printout of an article that was in Food Network magazine a few years ago, in which they broke down stir fry – listing meats, veggies, and sauces that then you could mix-n-match and do your own thing.

I treasure that printout, because a few months later we lost Janie to a brain tumor. The best neighbor anyone could ask for – I always enjoyed chit-chatting about vegetable or flower gardening with her in the backyard, or asking her advice on a certain variety of hydrangea. Needless to say, I think of her often this time of year, and of course when I pull out my trusty stir-fry sheet. I know she’d really take delight in all the tasty things I’ve been whipping up in my kitchen these past few years!

One of my favorite things to order from Chinese takeout is chicken and broccoli. But, as most take-out would have it – something that is seemingly healthy is laden with calories and fat. That’s why we do it at home, kids! Pieces of tender chicken, and plenty of broccoli that still has a bite to it. I also had some carrots to use up, so I threw that in too. We all devoured it, especially the boys! William will choose a green veggie over a piece of meat any day of the week. If you’re looking for a way to try to get your little ones to eat more veggies, stir-fries are a great place to start!

Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced onion
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, chopped

For the sauce:
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Combine soy sauce, veggie oil, garlic, and scallions in a Ziploc bag. Add chicken to bag and toss to coat. Let marinade 30 minutes while you prep the rest of the veggies and sauce.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of ice and 2 cups of water. Toss broccoli florets into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove, and place in the ice bath to set the color and stop the cooking process. Drain, and place florets on a clean kitchen towel to dry.

Drain the excess marinade from the protein. Place your sauce, vegetables and protein near the stove.

Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the protein; stir slowly until almost opaque; about 1 minute. Transfer to plate; discard the oil and wipe out the pan.

Heat the pan over high heat; 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons oil and add the vegetables, starting with the carrots – then the broccoli and onions. Stir-fry until crisp-tender.

Add the protein and sauce and stir until the sauce is thick and the vegetables and protein are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Think with chicken broth, if needed. Garnish with sliced scallions, peanuts, sesame seeds, or cilantro.

DIY Strawberry Vodka

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A few weeks ago we went strawberry picking, only to get home to find that I didn’t have an operational cooktop. Not wanting any of those glorious berries to go to waste, I made an interesting strawberry jam, a delicious strawberry pie and cake, and with what I had leftover – I steeped the berries in vodka for a week and made this beautiful strawberry infused vodka!

Isn’t the color just glorious? And the flavor? The flavor is all juicy, ripe berries. When I strained the berries out they were pure white. Alcohol is funny like that. You can extract flavor from anything with it! Last year my husband made a really different hot pepper IPA by soaking a few habeneros in vodka, then adding that pepper extract to the final product. We’re looking forward to another batch of that already! But I digress, that’s another post.

This strawberry vodka is mellow enough to be sipped over ice, or to-die-for mixed into an icy glass of lemonade. I’m hoping that the bottle makes it through to the winter. To enjoy the freshness and flavor of these berries in the cold winter months would be a treat for sure! Next year I’ll probably make 2 bottles. Good stuff, folks!

DIY Strawberry Vodka

One bottle (750ml) vodka, decent quality
2 pints (about 1 1 /4 pounds) strawberries

Rinse, hull, and quarter the strawberries and place them in a glass container with lid. Add vodka, cover, and agitate the jar.

Store in cool, dark place for 7 days, swirling around once a day to promote extraction.

After 3 to 7 days, strain with a coffee filter. Store in a bottle – such as the original vodka bottle – and use at your discretion.

Source: Dave Lebovitz, as seen on Punk Domestics