In A Nutshell

This is adapted from Chrissy Teigen's book  Cravings ; my daughter got me this book for my birthday last year and I really really wanted to hate it!  A Sports Illustrated swimsuit model??? Really??? But I have to admit I love the recipes and she is just a damn hoot! This is delicious- low carb but you don't miss the carbs, I promise! For the Sauce : 3 T Thai sweet chili sauce 3 T hoisin sauce 3 T soy sauce 1-2 T Sriracha (depending how hot you want it) 2 T veg oil 1 t sesame oil 1 1/2 T unseasoned rice vinegar 2 T minced garlic 1 T minced ginger (I used the paste in a tube from Trader Joe's- awesome invention BTW) Combine ingredients. For the Filling : 2 lbs ground chicken 3 T veg oil 1 bunch scallions, white and green separated 1 T minced garlic 1 T minced ginger (again, I used the paste) 1/2 cup finely diced water chestnuts 1 sweet red pepper, finely diced Heat the oil in a skillet; add the white part of the green onion, the garlic and red peppe

This recipe is adapted from an awesome little cookbook my kids got me called  The Sriracha Cookbook ; I love the stuff! It was amazingly fragrant and flavorful and paired perfectly with beer. As a side dish, I sauteed spinach in some olive oil and lots of garlic- it was the perfect complement to the chicken. 2 lbs chicken breast or thigh, cut into cubes Marinade : 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 1/8 cup Sriracha 1/8 cup lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed 1/2 T cumin 1 t allspice 1 t cinnamon 1/2 T kosher salt freshly ground pepper Mix all the marinade ingredients and add the chicken cubes; refrigerate overnight. Sauce : 1 T butter 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed 1/2 T cumin 1/2 T coriander 1/2 T garam masala 1/2 T sweet paprika 8 oz. canned tomato sauce 1-2 T Sriracha (to taste) 1 cup heavy cream salt and pepper chopped cilantro Melt the butter and add the garlic- cook until fragrant and add spices for about 30 seconds. Stir in the

This is an adaptation and simplification of a recipe from Rachel Ray. It is perfectly divine- I highly recommend a cold frosty beer with this burger. The leftover pimento cheese can be served with veggie slices, pretzel thins, pretzel bites-- the list goes on and on. bacon strips, cooked sourdough bread softened butter ground beef: form as many patties as you would like to serve (the original recipe has you add fresh parsley, Worcestershire sauce and onion to the meat but I've made it that way and also with plain meat and don't think that there is enough added flavor to merit the added work) For the pimento cheese spread: 8 oz. sharp cheddar, grated 4 oz. roasted red peppers, drained 2 t hot sauce (such as Frank's) 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 t sweet paprika 1/4- 1 t cayenne pepper (to taste) 2 garlic cloves 1/4 cup mayo 1/2 t salt Put all ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. Grill the burgers to your liking; meanwhile butter

This is a lovely and refreshing cocktail adapted from Bon Appétit magazine. It is made up of a grapefruit base and topped off with sparkling wine; you can determine what ratio of each you like-- I did about 1/4 base to 3/4 sparkling wine. 2 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice (I don't typically like to make extra work for myself, but it is worth using fresh grapefruits- trust me on this) 1/2 cup St. Germain liqueur 1/4 cup Campari sparkling wine Combine the juice, St. Germain and Campari and chill until cold. Pour a bit into a pretty glass and top off with sparkling wine. Enjoy!