Brunch has always been a favorite pastime of mine. It enables me to fend off my hangover and discuss what got into my girlfriends last night. Brunch is the last ditch effort to pretend like you don’t have to drag yourself into the rat race tomorrow and simultaneously try NOT to kill yourself. So drink it up ladies because this is the last chance before Monday morning shows its sorry behind. BOOOO MONDAYS BOOOOOOO!

I’ve got cocktails here to freshen up brunch because lets face it, if we had to consume one more Andre based mimosa we were going to rip off our Shellac nails without the help of acetone.

Wakey Wakey Eggs and Bakey

This one is for all my mixologists 

• 1½ oz. bacon infused gin
• 1 oz. egg whites
• ½ oz. fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz. honey syrup

I loved this drink because it reminded me of a Pisco sour, a personal favorite of mine.

To create bacon infused gin, simply place a few pieces of bacon in a bottle of gin and let it sit in the fridge over night. For honey syrup mix hot water, honey, and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved. To make the cocktail put everything into a shaker filled with ice and shake. Pour into a glass and serve with eggs any style.

Island Hydration (sort of)

To help with that impending hangover try this coconut water cocktail.

• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. coconut water
• 1 oz. white rum

This recipe is super easy. Just pour the ingredients into a glass filled with ice. Enjoy!

Shaker’s Remorse 

In college when you were caught doing the saunter of shame you were referred to as a shaker. Even though we have our BA’s some of us still commit this act over the weekend.

• 1 oz. Stolichnaya Blueberi Vodka
• 2 oz. prosecco
• 5 blackberries

First off all for those of you who don’t know what prosecco is it’s an Italian sparkling white wine. It’s the key ingredients in Bellinis. My girlfriend Sam introduced it to me and I’ve never looked back. It’s better than American sparkling white wine and still cheaper than champagne.

Muddle the berries, add the vodka, and shake. Then pour into a glass filled with shaved ice and add prosecco. Also try not to leave your jewelry at his place.

The Bitter Hottie

Did you spy your crush or ex with another girl last night? If so you may be in desperate need of the bitter hottie… only because it matches you so well. You’re sexy but you’re pissed. It’s ok girl, he was only a junior level associate anyways

• 2 oz. IPA
• 1 oz. Sriracha sauce
• 2 oz. limejuice lime
• 2 oz. bitters

Pour all ingredients into a glass filled with ice. Sip Away.

Happy Brunching, ladies and remember, no judging. No one can be blamed for her actions after 5 whiskey ginger ales. 

 

Photo Credit: Pixomar | freedigitalphotos.net 

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I have a mild obsession with cooking dishes that manage to taste even better the day after. Lunchtime, despite its potential to be a respite from a stress filled work day tends to be easily be lost to YouTube searches for cats doing funny things and lack-luster microwaveable calorie bombs.

I love cooking this recipe during early Spring, the colors and flavors are cheery and refreshing, but the warmth and stew like quality helps chase the chill out of those early Spring nights. 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or 2 table spoons of peanut oil for some extra depth)
• 2 large onions – diced
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 5 chopped garlic gloves
• 4 cups of cherry tomatoes – each cut in half
• 2 teaspoons of turmeric 
• 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika or chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of garam masala (sometimes labeled as red curry powder)
• 1 can of lower fat coconut milk
• 1 bag of frozen peas

Directions

• Find yourself a nice big pot with a lid. Over a medium heat, add your oil, chopped onions, and salt until the onion becomes a little transparent. 
• Throw in the chopped garlic, the halved cherry tomatoes, and the spices. Let the mixture cook for about five minutes then add in the can of coconut milk. 
• Turn the heat down to the medium end of “low” and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes add your frozen peas and let cook until the peas are bright green.
• Serve over brown rice or if you are really ambitious whip up some Thai style coconut rice – the combination is mind blowing. 

Photo Credit: Nigella

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by Adam Corl

It’s that time of year when the weather can’t seem to make up its mind, and that can make figuring out what to make for dinner a little tricky. One of the things I absolutely love about this recipe is that it combines fresh and zesty springtime flavors into a dish that we usually think of as a winter comfort food. The stew’s ingredient list might seem a little non-conventional (dare I say – earthy-crunchy) to some meat and potato loving readers, but I promise this unconventional mix of flavor and texture will leave you and the people you’re feeding wanting seconds. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup (or can) of yellow split pigeon peas 
• 1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and cut into bit size cubes
• 1 diced tomato 
• 1/4 cup of coconut (fresh, frozen, and dried are all fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin (go easy on this stuff it has a habit of over powering dishes)
• 1 carton of vegetable stock (organic is always a plus)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 can of low-fat coconut milk (not water, MILK)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 (generous) tablespoon of honey
• 1 lime 
• 1/2 cup of cilantro

What to do:

First rinse your split peas a few times, making sure they are good and clean. I find soaking them and straining them for a few cycles does the trick. 

In a large soup pot add the split peas, squash, tomato, coconut, turmeric and cumin to the full carton of vegetable stock. Let this boil for about 25 minutes then reduce the heat to “simmer/low.”

As that boils put the olive oil in a (separate) deep sauté pan over medium heat. When your oil is heated add your mustard seeds. Once the seeds have stopped popping add the garlic, red pepper, curry powder and salt. As the garlic starts to cook add the honey and continue to mix well - you want the garlic to brown not burn. 

Once the ingredients begin to brown add the can of coconut milk, and mix all together until it starts to boil. 

Then add the coconut and spice mixture to the main soup and let cook together for another 10 minutes.

Top each bowl you serve off with diced cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice to taste. If cilantro isn’t your thing, baby spinach is a good substitute and adds a gorgeous contrast to stew’s vibrant yellow hues. 

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by Adam Corl

Taking the age-old advice (from Popeye) to eat more spinach, I have recently been trying to come up with recipes that make it more fun to eat. Spinach is jam packed with the vitamins and minerals we need to make strong bones and healthy blood cells.

 

After realizing that just about everything tastes better with pesto, and trying my darndest to not eat pasta for like the 4th time that week, I came up with this:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of white quinoa (rinsed)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 carton of vegetable stock
• 2 cups of spinach 
• 1/3 cup of pesto (homemade or jarred)
• 2 1/2 cups of butternut squash or pumpkin (cubbed)
• Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste
• 4 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup) of low fat mozzarella cheese. 
• Red pepper flakes to garnish

Directions

Start off by preheating your oven to 395 degrees Fahrenheit. Then cut your squash into cubes. Sprinkle olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning over the squash and roast for 40 minutes or until it begins to brown at the edges.

Rinse quinoa under cool water and let dry for a few minutes. Put olive oil in a small saucepan and put over medium heat, then add the dry(ish) quinoa. Let this dry roast for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until you smell the faint nutty flavors of the quinoa, at which point add your carton of vegetable stock. 

Cook the quinoa in the broth over a medium-low heat until the almost all of the stock has been absorbed. Add the spinach and mix in until it wilts down. 

Then stir in your low-fat mozzarella, after the quinoa is good a cheesy add the pesto and mix all together. 

Serve in bowls and top each off with a helping of the roasted squash and sprinkle some red pepper flakes for some flavor and visual contrast. 

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