Perfect Lemonade

Image from Internet

This was the recipe that we used in class last fall when making fresh squeezed lemonade in my Restaurant Operations class at St Louis Community College - Forest Park.  The recipe was given to us by one of our Chef instructors and I adapted it to make a Sweet Basil Lemonade.

Perfect Lemonade

This will make 3-4 gallons of fresh made Lemonade

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup water 

5-6 cups of fresh basil
1 cup lemon juice
3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute)

Method

1. Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.(add your basil now)

2. While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 6 to 8 lemons, enough for one cup of juice. 

3. Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate. 

Chef's note: Remember my tricks.  I remove the zest from all the lemons first and use it to make a second batch of lemonade.  I will do the same thing with the pith.  The zest and pith batches may require extra sugar. 

Now for my addition of the basil flavor and to do this you chiffinade the basil and put into the simple syrup from the beginning.  Let it sit in the simple syrup for about 30 minutes and steep, strain off the solids and use the Basil Simple syrup that you just made to make your Lemonade.

When we made this, we zested and juiced the lemons before beginning the whole process.

Pan Roasted Cherry Tomato Marinara

This is a recipe, that I conceptualized with my buddy Jim while hanging out one evening a couple of years ago or so and had originally posted on my first blog, Skip's Recipe Box. He made it the other evening for a date and both he and her were thoroughly impressed! He says, when he wrote down exactly what he did, to serve with favorite pasta and to invite Skip over for dinner to thank him... So if you try it and like it, just let me know. LOL!

Pan Roasted Cherry Tomato Marinara


2 pints of Cherry Tomatoes washed and drained.


Blanch and peel if a less rustic sauce is desired.


3 cloves Garlic, peeled, crushed and finely minced


2-3 medium shallots, finely minced


1 pinch Sea Salt (more if desired)


2 tbsp Rustic Tuscan Seasoning mix. (see recipe for Tuscan Seasoning Mix)


Large pinch of sugar.


Small tomato sauce (12 oz or less)


2c Semi sweet red wine. (I prefer Sangiovese or Chianti)


Red pepper flake to taste


1/2 tsp of fresh Black Pepper, coarse ground





Sweat the shallots with the sea salt in olive oil until clear and tender.

Add minced garlic and heat until fragrant.

Do not brown or burn or the garlic will be bitter.

Add tomatoes and gently heat until they burst.

Stir to break up the tomatoes.Add Tuscan Seasoning, pepper and sugar.

Add wine to De-glaze pan, let reduce by half.

Add Tomato Sauce and continue over medium heat about 20 minutes, reducing until thickened.

If to thick, thin with a little more wine.

This recipe is vegan as written, may add thinly sliced mushrooms if desired.



Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy and garnish with a Fresh Basil and freshly shaved Parmesan Cheese. (optional or use a Vegan Alternative to Parmesan) 

May also add, Chicken, Shrimp, Bacon, or Italian Sausage for additional flavors. (this is for any meat eaters who read this)

I recently added this to my Master Cook program, here is the nutrition facts: (without meat)

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 180 Calories; 5g Fat (34.3% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 2746mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutrition Warnings:

shallots: MasterCook assumes an average 'whole' size of this ingredient.
Tuscan seasoning mix: MasterCook uses fluid weight to scale this item. Nutritional calculation will be off to the degree that it differs in density from water.

Mediterranean Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

Mediterranean Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

By Skip Graden in Central Illinois Vegans and Vegetarians 

Servings: 10

Picture by Amanda Coffin-Farr
(She was my test cook on this and used Rotini Pasta)

12 ounces whole wheat pasta, penne, prepared as directed

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more or less as needed

1 large Red Bell pepper, julienned

1 large Yellow Bell pepper, julienned

1 pound Asparagus, cut in 2-inch pieces red onion, Thinly sliced from root to stem

1 medium zucchini, julienned

1 whole yellow bell pepper, julienned

8 ounces baby Bellas, diced

1 can cannelini beans, canned and drained

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed, rough chop

2 garlic, minced Sea Salt , to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup chardonnay

2 lemon, whole, zested and juiced

2 teaspoons Tuscan Seasoning Mix

4 leaves basil, fresh, chiffonade, garnish

1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, or as needed, may use Vegan alternative

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables for marinade in oil. Reserving mushrooms, beans, onion and tomatos.

2. Prepare marinade by mixing oil, wine, 1 1/2 tsp of tuscan seasoning mix, 1 clove of garlic, juice and zest of one lemon, sea salt, and pepper.

3. Mix vegetables and oil/wine mixture and dust with Parmesan Cheese or Vegan Alternative. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Prepare pasta, cooking to al dente.

5. While pasta is cooking place marinated vegetables in oven to roast on a sheet pan in a single layer and lightly saute the mushrooms, beans, onion and tomatos with the remaining garlic clove in 2 tbs of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and tuscan seasoning mix to taste.

Sauteed Vegetables

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Pictures by Amanda Coffin-Farr

6. Drain pasta and reserve a 1/2 cup of the liquid.

7. Lightly toss the vegetables into the pasta, drizzling the remaining olive oil and water to get the consistancy you want.

8. Garnish by sqeezing the juice of the final lemon and zest onto the pasta in a large bowl. Dust with 1/2 tsp of tuscan seasoning mix, sea salt and black pepper to taste, and parmesan cheese or Vegan alternative.

9. Just before service, sprinkle the chiffonade of fresh basil on top of dish.

Suggestion: Toss a handful of sliced Black or Green Olives on top of the finished dish before service.