Foodies new home coming soon

Soon, Foodies will be redirected to a bright shiny new home at www.foodiesacrossborders.com full of juicy, mellony goodness.

Just like the move did for The Garage, we are hoping the move will excite our readers and spur us on to greater heights of posting. You can be sure that there will still be some mouth watering recipes, cooking gadgets and news. We'll also be bringing some special seasonal treats, camping food and maybe even something for kids in the kitchen.

Stay Tuned!

What....NO LIMES???

We headed to the Real Canadian Superstore yesterday evening and part of the trip wasn't so super. We were looking for limes to make One of Seven's Perfect Margarita and the had none!
Can you imagine...Saturday evening during the summer & they have no limes. This little bundle of citrus joy must be a leading last minute weekend emergency purchase and they don't have any.

Now we will have to do some hunting this morning.

BBQ Safety tips

I just came across these BBQ safety rules from the FDNY. Personally, I think most of them are common sense, but then again, common sense isn't that common.

While I'm sure that none of this is new to our readers, please pass these on to anyone you know who may be BBQ challenged.

Via Parent Hacks

The Perfect Margarita!

The truth is, I got this recipe several years ago from a Grand Marnier ad in a magazine!! It’s shaken, not stirred (yeah, baby!), not the frozen, slushy kind. It is the best margarita I’ve ever made or had, and everyone I know has said the same!!

I know it sounds like a product plug, but I guarantee that neither I nor anyone I know is an employee of or rep for Grand Marnier!

Grand Marnier Margarita
30 ml/1 oz Grand Marnier liqueur
30 ml/1 oz Tequila
30 ml/1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

Pour all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake to your liking and strain into a margarita glass rimmed with salt. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Notes:
I know that in California (and perhaps the rest of the USA), there are a myriad of options for tequilas. In Canada (and especially where I live), our options are fewer. I recommend Sauza Conmemorativo Imported Tequila Anejo (Aged) – super smooth and especially lovable in this drink.

These are freakin’ potent! And exceptionally quaffable, especially on a hot summer day!! Please drink responsibly and plan ahead for your guests if you aim to serve these delightful drinkies! Taxis are always one option; invest in knee and elbow pads if you think walking seems viable – trust me on this one!!

If you somehow miraculously don’t finish the bottle of Grand Marnier and are looking for other ideas on how to use it, the Grand Marnier web site offers lots of other delicious drink recipes (complete with tasting notes and pairing suggestions), plus a deck of decadent dessert offerings!

My own pairing suggestion: serve these babies with our own Grilled Citrus Jalapeno Shrimp!!

Enjoy!!

~ One of Seven

Simple Penne Alfredo with Beef Tenderloin

Like many things I cook, there was no recipe for this one. Coming home from work one Friday night, I wanted to make something elegant, but simple. A quick walk around Bruno's and an idea popped into my head.

Shopping List

1 box of penne noodles
500 ml carton of whipping cream
Grated Parmesan - you can use fresh grated if you have time, or store bought grated if not.
Garlic - again, you can cut up a few fresh cloves or use a spoonful from the jar in the fridge to save time.
Salt & Pepper
Asparagus - chopped into 1" pieces, I use about 10-12 stalks for 2 people
2 beef tenderloin steaks - seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch asparagus pieces. I find just under 3 minutes gives the best texture. Pour asparagus into a collander to drain and rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking more. Leave them in the collander for later.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil for your pasta.

Pour a bit of olive oil into a large skillet or sauce pan and brown garlic slightly to begin.

While garlic is heating, slink outside and throw the beef on the already hot BBQ. Set heat to med-low and close the lid.

Add pasta to the pot and set timer to the time specified on the package. The last pasta we used said 9 minutes, which was perfect. If you are using a fresh pasta, it will be much less time, so be sure to look.

Add about half of the cream to the garlic, along with a few tablespoons of parm. Keep stirring, while increasing the heat. You want it nearly boiling, but be careful not to let it boil over. As it thickens, add more cream and cheese in stages. You may also want to add some salt and pepper for flavour. When the alfredo sauce has the taste and creaminess you want, turn the heat off.

Sometime during the creamy goodness, run out and flip the steaks. You want them cooked to no more than medium rare.

Take the pasta pot and dump the whole thing in on top of the asparagus. This heats the asparagus up again, without cooking them. Now dump the whole thing back in the pot.

Run out and bring in the steaks. You want them to rest for a few minutes before you cut them.

Turn the heat back on under the Alfredo Sauce for a minute or so and stir in a bit more cream. This will freshen up the sauce a bit after it has been sitting. Pour the sauce in the pot with the penne and asparagus. Dish this out into a nice deep pasta bowl.

Slice the beef thinly and arrange it on top of your pasta.

You now have an elegant, yummy meal that took under half an hour to make. Perfect for a Friday evening.

We enjoyed a bottle of Maie's Merlot from Doghouse Wines and it was loverly!

15 (other) uses for vodka!

I can't take any credit whatsoever for this post, but it was so cool that I just had to pass it along.

1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. The Solvent dissolves adhesive.
2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a Trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set five Minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew.
3. To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs.
4. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting Your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfectsthe blade and prevents rusting.
5. Spray vodka on vomit stains, scrub with a brush, and then blot dry.
6 Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.
7. Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo. The alcohol cleanses the scalp, removes toxins from hair, and stimulates the growth of healthy hair.
8. Fill a sixteen-ounce trigger-spray bottle and spray bees or wasps to kill them.
9. Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, refreshable ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.
10. Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal t he lid tightly and set in the Sun for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.
11. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.
12. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.
13. Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.
14. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the Urushiol oil from your skin.
15. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.


Thanks to Drink of the Week for this one.

Recipe: Grilled Citrus Jalapeno Shrimp

Holy crap, I thought I had already posted this! That just goes to show you what the dog days of summer – oh, and getting a new (well, used) dog – will do to one’s computer time!

1 orange, juice only
1 lime, zest and juice, plus juice of 1 more
2 oz/60 ml gold tequila
3 tbsp/45 ml honey
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
2-4 jalapeno peppers (depending on your taste), sliced
½ medium red onion, coarsely chopped (optional)
454 g bag peeled and de-veined shrimp, thawed if frozen

Whisk together the first six ingredients. Add the next three and pour into a zip-lock bag.

Rinse and drain the shrimp and place in the zip-lock. Shake it up so that all the shrimp are in contact with the marinade and place in the fridge for 30 minutes, turning the bag over after 15.

Heat the barbeque to medium-high.

Meanwhile, skewer the shrimp (if using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak in water for 30 minutes ahead of time).

Cook the shrimp just until bright pink on both sides.

Notes

These shrimp rock as appetizers. Serve alone or with Mango Strawberry Salsa.

The only thing that goes better with these than the Salsa is a great Margarita! My favourite Margarita recipe comes soon!

If you’d rather try these out as a main, you could also serve them with a pasta – I’m torn between spicy tomato sauce or a white wine (Sauvignon Blanc) cream sauce. Pasta salad could also work, or a crazy little green salad with lots of fruit and nuts or seeds thrown in!

Enjoy!!

~ One of Seven