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Summertime Punch
Serves 8
Nothing beats a chilled glass of punch on a hot summer day. The tartness of our punch is slightly mellowed by a bit of orange juice. Add some fresh fruit, a bit of ginger ale or even some white rum to make it your own.
2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cups orange juice with pulp
2 cups pure pomegranate juice
6 cups water
2 cups sugar
First you'll want to make simple syrup. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the 2 cups of sugar and mix well until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
In a large pitcher, mix together lime, orange, pomegranate juice and water. Add the simple syrup and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator and serve over ice.
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Velvety White Bean and Red Pepper Dip
Makes 5 cups
This creamy dip is delicious while still being healthier than many dips prepared with cream cheese or mayonnaise. Bring it to a picnic, a potluck, or serve the red pepper-flecked dip at a backyard party this summer. Serve with our Parmesan Pita Crisps and a veggie tray, and you'll have a crowd around that part of the table. The dip also makes a great sandwich spread.
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled
5 large sprigs of rosemary, stems removed
Juice of three lemons
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup roasted red peppers (jarred or roasted on your grill, skins removed)
4 cups cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon and red peppers. Add the cannellini beans and blend until the dip reaches a smooth consistency. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Parmesan Pita Crisps
Once you make these pita crisps once, we bet they will become a summer staple. Packed with flavor, you're sure to enjoy each zesty bite. Serve with your favorite dip.
6 pieces of pita bread, cut into 8 triangles and then separated (96 pieces)
1/8 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons melted butter
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix together the butter and olive oil. Lay the pita triangles out on a work surface and brush with the oil and butter mixture. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and parmesan cheese. Bake for 10 minutes until golden and crispy. Cool and store in airtight containers.
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Dear Friends,
Welcome summer and everything we love about it -- farm fresh foods, gardens, cooking outdoors and entertaining with friends. As the weather gets warmer, we tend to look for cooler ways to cook together. Kitchen blenders, choppers and outdoor grills take center stage over ovens. The whirring and grinding noises combine well with our window fans, a soothing environment for friends to chop and blend while keeping each other company. So, get those blenders going and create delicious dips and drinks with friends to enjoy together and savor summer.
Alison and Shannon
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Delicious Dips and Drinks
If you have a well-stocked pantry (canned beans, chick peas, roasted red peppers) and some garden herbs, it's fairly simple to create delicious dips. Make a quick phone call to a friend before an impromptu cooking date, and you can easily combine what you each have on hand. If she's got the thriving herb garden and you have some cans of beans, there you go!
We've provided you with a Velvety White Bean and Red Pepper Dip (see recipe to left), but urge you and a friend to get creative. Just get out the food processor, follow these simple flavor combinations for guidance and you'll soon be creating your own recipes.
If you are using black beans, think cilantro, cumin, lime and jalapeno peppers. White beans combine wonderfully with rosemary, basil and oregano, and chick peas taste great with lemon and cumin. Try roasted red peppers with various cheeses (such as cream cheese and cheddar) and edamame with garlic, cilantro, parsley and lemon juice. All these combinations can benefit from some onions or shallots and a touch of olive oil and kosher salt. |
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There's no need to buy a bag of expensive pita or bagel chips. While you and a friend are together making dips, bake your own. Homemade bread dippers are a cinch to make, and are a great way to use up stale bread. We've provided you with a simple recipe for Parmesan Pita Crisps (see recipe to left), but if you have an old baguette, or bagels lying around, slice those up. Get creative with your chips by playing with spices - Cajun seasoning, OldBay or Chili Powder give a spicy kick.
Why not chop some vegetables and create a crudités platter? Chopping up vegetables alone is a bit of a drag, but when you have a friend chopping with you, you may actually even enjoy it! Just have your friend fill a bag with whatever veggies she has in her fridge that need to be used up and bring them over. You do the same and by sharing, you'll end up with a wide variety. Go beyond the traditional mini-carrots with your veggies -- jicama and quickly blanched asparagus jazz up any veggie plate. Dry them well and then store them in freezer bags, sealing out excess air. They will last in your fridge for a week. |
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Who doesn't enjoy a chilled beverage on a balmy summer afternoon or evening while socializing with friends? Be prepared for neighbors when they drop by for a casual get together and create luxurious libations to have on hand. You and a friend can squeeze lemons and limes together, make some simple syrup and have fun concocting some delightful drinks. Serve these thirst-quenching treats to the kids "virgin" in frosty mugs, or spike them for grown-ups with a bit of white rum for a summer cocktail. We've created our own Summertime Punch (See recipe to left), but encourage you and a friend to develop your own house drink.One of our neighbors combines lime juice, blood orange juice, sugar and water for a tangy sweet summer punch. Let's see what you can create!
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Spend an afternoon or evening with your friends and taste various drink concoctions. It's a great way to accumulate a repertoire of summer drinks and the perfect excuse for a party. Make it a girls' night, or invite your significant others. First, select a hostess and set a date for the party. Then gather a group of ten women, or 5 couples and send everyone an e-vite. Pair up and create your special drinks together in advance, bring a half gallon to the party (don't forget your recipe) and get tasting! Have fun naming your drinks and let your friends vote for their favorite. We like to use shot glasses to serve our punch and can usually find them at discount stores for bargain prices.
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MixMyGranola.com -- Win a $20 Gift Certificate and Make Your Own Granola |
The first person to forward our June newsletter to five friends will receive a FREE $20 gift certificate from MixMyGranola.com. Simply press the "forward to a friend" button on the newsletter and be the first person to e-mail us to info@cookingwithfriendsclub.com.
This great new online company enables customers to create their own healthy and delicious granola with a few simple clicks. | |
Tool of the Month: Silicone Basting Brush
This month's time saving tool is the Chef's Silicone Basting Brush made by Pampered Chef. This compact basting brush is the perfect tool to spread light amounts of butter, oil or sauce onto foods. It sells for $8.50 and is dishwasher safe.
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Alison Bermack and Shannon Henry
Visit our web site at www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com.
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