Good Morning, all! Jennifer and I did an impromptu CS meal on Friday night since both the men were out doing their own thing... after all, when the cat's away, the mice will play, right? Anyways - we decided to forgo the big, heavy meal and go for a lighter "small plates" type affair - and it turned out perfectly! Enjoy!
Cocktail - Watermelon Cucumber Margaritas
Watermelon is in one of our small plates, so we figured we would put that juicer to use and engage in some fresh margaritas... it was delicious! We simply juiced cucumber and watermelon - then mixed it with tequila until it tasted up to par. (We also muddled a little mint, too.) Light, refreshing - goes down too easy.
Plate 1 - Watermelon Mozzarella Salad
Oh. My. Goodness. Yes. Why haven't we done this before? Follow the recipe exactly and you will not go wrong! Juicy crisp watermelon with creamy mozzarella - more, please!
Plate 2 - Baked Fig Crostini
If I had to pick one dish to eat for the rest of my life - this may be it! Gooey, sweet, tart - I can't even begin to explain it. You want to make something to impress? Here you go - look no further. BUT - let's modify a couple things. First off - you don't need the crostini. If you were doing crostini - I would recommend spreading the goat cheese and then a fig jam. The way we built it - it was too cumbersome to eat. Just serve the figs themselves - bite sized pieces of heaven. Also - we used cooked sliced pancetta that we then chopped - it has a nice pepper to it and is a little easier to eat than chopped bacon. Finally, a little drizzle of honey never hurt anyone.
Plate 3 - Asian Braised Pork Belly
I give up on pork belly. It was good, don't get me wrong - but honestly, not worth the time it took to make it. I'm just going to have to rely on good restaurants to serve the pork belly I'm craving. Still - if you're up for a challenge - go for it! Let me know how to improve!
Plate 4 - Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
See picture above. Delicious! Great side dish and a wonderful way to use up potatoes!
Wine 1 - 2011 Daglia Cannon Cabernet
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Great with the pork, this oaky and dry red wine has strong berry notes in the background and a leathery type of finish. Strong tannins but they are very refined and help with the flavor.
Wine 2 - 2007 Aspaldi Rioja Reserva
Good with everything, this Spanish red was a hit! Black cherry with a little smokiness and a sense of Asian flavors coming out! Delicious!
Dessert - Boozy Watermelon Cupcakes
http://cookingwithcurls.com/2013/05/15/watermelon-margarita-cocktail-cakes-spiked-recipe-challenge-tequila/
Cupcakes made with alcohol? You can never go wrong! These sweet little babies packed a punch but were so good!
So there you go - a small plates meal that was delicious and very much enjoyed on our ladies night. Next post is special - it's Jennifer's birthday dinner... which means themed ingredients and a big challenge!
Next Post - Jennifer's Birthday
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