I hope everyone has been enjoying their long weekend so far! I wanted to pop on here real quick to share a delicious and healthy drink to help counteract all the hotdogs and s’mores that were most likely consumed over the last couple days! This green drink is very easy because all the ingredients get thrown into a blender. If you’ve never had a green drink before, don’t be scared! They don’t taste like spinach… well this one doesn’t anyways. Instead, it tastes like pineapple. Yum!

My Aunt Dottie got me hooked on green drinks and Vitamix a couple summers ago. She whipped one up and had me try it; I couldn’t believe it actually tasted so good. Looking at it now I shouldn’t have been surprised because it is loaded with yummy fruit. This is a variation of one of my Aunt’s drinks and although Matt and I have tried many combinations this one remains our favorite.

I waited until there was a good deal on QVC before I splurged on our Vitamix and I’m so happy I did. It pulverizes drinks, sauces and soups in seconds and it gets so much use in our kitchen. Ninja also makes a great high-speed blender and my friend makes green drinks in hers without any issues. It is very reasonably priced and definitely a more affordable, although still high quality, option – shop here. Okay, back to this drink!

This green drink tastes very refreshing and I love how it makes me feel in the morning. I feel light and energized from all the vitamins I just consumed. One reason I like blender drinks over drinks made in a juicer is that all the fibers from the vegetables, which is where most of the nutrients are, get blended into the juice instead of being strained out. This recipe makes enough for two green drinks so Matt and I will split it in the morning.

If you want this ready for busy mornings, I usually prep half of it the night before. I wash the grapes and celery before putting them in the blender container with the spinach. The blender container gets covered and placed in the fridge. Then I set a banana and 1/2 cup measuring cup on the counter along with my to-go cup and straw so I’m not rushing around looking for things in the morning. Since there’s so much fruit in these drinks I usually try not eat too much more fruit during the day. Also, if you wanted to make it even healthier you could try adding Greek yogurt, protein powder or almonds for some added protein, although I prefer it without anything else added. Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy Memorial Day!

Best Green Drink

 

Print

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup water
• 1 cup green grapes
• 1 stalk celery, snapped into thirds
• 3 cups packed spinach
• 1 banana, broken into a couple pieces
• ½ cup frozen pineapple
• 4 ice cubes

Directions

1. Put everything in a high-speed blender in the order listed. Blend on high until smooth and no spinach flecks remain, about 1 minute. Pour into 2 glasses and serve.

Notes

If you want to prep this the night before, put the grapes, celery, and spinach in your blender then put the covered blender in the fridge. The next morning, add the water, banana, frozen pineapple and ice cubes.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Happy Friday! It’s the Friday before a long weekend, which means we really have to celebrate. I wanted to post a festive drink for Memorial Day weekend, but when I was searching Pinterest for ideas most of them involved some sort of layering. A glass filled up part-way with a red drink layer, followed by a white layer then a blue layer. Definitely festive, but way more complicated than I wanted. It’s a holiday weekend! You don’t want to be stuck inside making multiple components for a cocktail!

So I decided to stick with one color. The blue can be livened up with some red berries on top and it looks so refreshing. Oh, and it’s delicious. To get the blue color I used blue curacao. If you’ve never used blue curacao liquor before all you need to know is that it’s VERY blue and tastes like orange. Even though this drink is just blue and red (if you include the berry garnish) I still decided to call them Red, White and Blue Cocktails because they are perfect for both Memorial Day and 4th of July.

I’m a big fan of vodka lemonade drinks so I thought it would pair well with the citrus of the blue curacao. Throw it all in your blender with some ice cubes and you have a slushie vodka lemonade cocktail perfect for sitting out by the pool or playing lawn games in your backyard.

Now this is definitely a simple drink so feel free to jazz it up by using flavored lemonade or throwing frozen berries (make sure they’re blue!) into the blender.

If you want to make these without alcohol you could try using a blue sports drink, like Gatorade, instead of the vodka and blue curacao. This weekend I’ll be relaxing with friends and family – and having this festive vodka lemonade on repeat. What are you doing this Memorial Day Weekend?

4th of July Lemonade Slushie Cocktails

 

Print

Yield: 1 drink

Ingredients

• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce blue curacao
• 5 ounces lemonade
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 9 ice cubes
• Blackberries and raspberries, for garnish

Directions

1. Put the vodka, blue curacao, lemonade and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Garnish with the blackberries and raspberries.

Notes

To make these without alcohol, substitute the vodka and blue curacao for a blue sports drink, like Gatorade.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

You know those foods that remind you of your childhood? The ones that when you eat them they’re associated with such strong memories from being a kid that you can’t help but be transported back to those moments? Sometimes it’s something classic like spaghetti and meatballs. Other times it’s something generational like Dunkaroos.

I’ve always been obsessed with food so I’m not sure if my volume of food memories is normal or not, but one food that will always remind me of being a kid is cantaloupe. Yes, cantaloupe. I know it is a strange pick for a food memory, but my brother and I loved cantaloupe growing up. My dad and Babu wouldn’t melon-ball it; instead we would get thick wedges of the cantaloupe with the rind still on ready to be scooped out bite by bite.

Babu used to tell me that her father would halve a cantaloupe, scoop out the seeds, then use it as a cereal bowl. He would pour in his cereal and milk then scrape pieces of cantaloupe up with each bite. My brother and I always thought this would make a super weird breakfast and I still don’t know if I can wrap my head around the combination. This, on the other hand, is a perfect cantaloupe combination.

These Melon Prosciutto Mozzarella Skewers have quickly become my favorite easy party appetizer for spring and summer. Each skewer has a sweet cantaloupe ball, a delicate piece of prosciutto, a fresh basil leaf and a soft ball of mozzarella. You can eat them in one bite and they don’t even need a sauce or dressing. These skewers are also incredibly simple and can be made ahead so it’s one less thing to worry about when you’re entertaining. I place them right on the serving platter when I’m skewering them and then cover with plastic wrap so they’re all ready to go.

The recipe below makes 15 skewers. I usually plan on 3-4 pieces per person, but it depends on how many other appetizers you plan on having. Since Matt and I love eating the leftovers I typically make more and put them in a plastic container so if I need to put out more during the party I can. Fresh and light, these Melon Prosciutto Mozzarella Skewers are a refreshing summer bite!

Melon Prosciutto Mozzarella Skewers

 

Print

Yield: 15 skewers

Ingredients

• ½ large ripe cantaloupe
• 2 slices prosciutto
• Basil leaves, washed and dried (about 6-8 leaves, depending on how big they are)
• 15 mini mozzarella balls (ciliegine size)
• Toothpicks

Directions

1. Wash the outside of the cantaloupe. Using a large sharp knife, cut the cantaloupe in half. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Use a melon baller to scoop balls of cantaloupe out of the melon flesh. Set aside.
2. To make the skewers: place a melon ball on a cutting board or platter. Tear off a small piece of prosciutto and place on top of the melon ball. If the basil leaf is small place it on top of the prosciutto. If the leaf is bigger you can gently tear it in quarters then place a quarter piece of it on the prosciutto. Place the mini mozzarella ball on top and while holding it in place, skewer the whole thing from mozz ball right down through the cantaloupe with a toothpick. Repeat until you have your desired amount. I usually plan on 3-4 pieces per person, but it depends on how many other appetizers you are planning on having.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Memorial Day weekend always feels like the official start of summer. I’m sure I would feel differently if I was a teacher or if Matt and I had kids in school, but for us, come Memorial Day we are in full summer mode! Up here in Boston it usually means we will have warm weather from here on out without any random 50 degree “spring” days – not that I want to jinx it. It also means summer barbecues and outdoor eating are sticking around for the next few months. I love the casualness of a barbecue and it goes well with my new-found love for easy entertaining.

If you know me, and especially if you’ve been to dinner at my house, you know I tend to… over-do it when it comes to food. Everything from scratch, multiple courses, me barely sitting because I’m making sure the fresh ravioli will be ready the same time as Matt is done searing the sous vide steak. Sound familiar? I love cooking, and I especially love cooking for other people, so when I have a chance to go all “chefy” and put my pent-up absorption of Top Chef season viewings to good use I go to town.

However, in the last six months or so I have realized how amazing it is when you have people over and keep things simple. The food is still delicious, everyone still has a great time and best of all I (and my sous chef, Matt), get to fully enjoy the company. I have completely embraced grocery store shortcuts and I don’t plan to go back anytime soon. I still love to have at least one thing I get a little “chefy” with, whether it’s some homemade bread or a crazy dessert, but it doesn’t need to be the whole meal.

That’s where this Flag Fruit & Dessert Platter comes in. This is the perfect easy entertaining dish to serve at Memorial Day barbecues, Fourth of July parties or anytime you’re feeling patriotic. As I’ve mentioned in the past posts, Babu and I used to make a flag cake every July 4th so I’m always looking for new ways to reinvent the iconic red, white and blue dessert. I thought it would be fun to do a snack board that’s easy to put together and make ahead of time, whether you’re hosting or bringing it to someone’s house. I went with a sweet and salty theme, although feel free to get creative if there are other treats you would prefer to include!

For the red stripes I used cherries, strawberries and watermelon. For the white stripes I used store-bought yogurt covered pretzels and Chex Mix Muddy Buddies. I wasn’t able to find these in the Market Basket by me, but I might not have been looking in the right spot. Does anyone else get overwhelmed in there? I found both things at 7-11, although I know Trader Joe’s carries yogurt covered pretzels and the Flipz brand also has some. You can certainly make your own Muddy Buddies as they are just Chex cereal covered in chocolate, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar, but I was trying to keep it simple. A word of warning if you buy the Muddy Buddies – do not buy the cookies and cream flavor. Actually, let me re-phrase – buy the cookies and cream flavor to eat because it’s delicious, but do not buy it for this platter because it has speckles of Oreo that would throw off your white stripe.

The blue stars are where I went a little “chefy”, but it’s not even really that fancy because it’s still so simple. Matt loves gummies so I wanted to include them in this dessert platter somehow. I tossed them in with the blueberries for the blue star portion of the flag board. These are lemon-lime gummy bears that I dyed blue. If you would rather another flavor you could substitute with a different fruit juice, such as orange or grape, but don’t use pineapple because the enzymes do something to the gelatin that makes them not turn out right. Making homemade gummy bears is something I’ve been wanting to try for a while and I finally went for it after reading the reviews on these cute animal silicone molds. The gelatin, juice and honey mixture gets heated in a saucepan then piped into the molds using a big dropper that comes with the molds.

After 20 minutes in the fridge to set they pop right out of the molds, cute smiles, paws and all! I highly recommend these molds if you want to try homemade gummies, otherwise feel free to go full simple and buy them at the store! I have another easy entertaining recipe to share on Wednesday so stay tuned! In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite recipes on Lemon & Mocha that each include some sort of grocery store shortcut:

Cheesy Pesto Bread with Crispy Prosciutto

Crab Dip Puffs

Best Slow Cooker Cocktail Meatballs

Chicken Cacciatore with Mushrooms & Artichokes

Babu’s Coffee Cake

Summer Berry Trifle

Chocolate Drizzled Peanut Butter Crunch Chocolate Brownies

Triple Berry Naked Angel Food Cake

Flag Fruit & Dessert Platter

 

Print

Ingredients

for the platter

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Watermelon, diced
• Cherries
• White yogurt covered pretzels
• Chex Muddy Buddies

for the gummies

• 3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
• ⅓ cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Blue food coloring

Directions

for the platter

1. Wash and dry the berries and cherries. Place your bowl in the top-left corner and fill with blueberries and blue gummy bears. Lay the cherries horizontally on the top of your platter for the first stripe. Follow with a horizontal stripe of the yogurt covered pretzels. Then a stripe of the strawberries (you can hull and cut this if you prefer) followed by a stripe of the Chex Mix Muddy Buddies. Finish with a horizontal stripe of the diced watermelon at the bottom of the platter.

for the gummies

1. Place the silicone gummy molds on a baking sheet that will fit in your fridge. I use two toaster oven sized pans. This will fill up one and a half of the silicone gummy molds in this post.
2. Combine the gelatin, lime juice, honey and lemon zest in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until the mixture has melted and combined. Add a few drops of blue food coloring and stir to blend. Use the dropper to fill the silicone gummy molds. Place in the fridge and let set for 20 minutes. Pop them out of the molds then serve or place in the fridge in an airtight container.

Notes

I didn’t put amounts for the platter ingredients because it will depend on the size of your platter. The platter pictured here is roughly 11-inches by 17-inches. I used roughly 7 ounces of yogurt covered pretzels, 5 ounces of Muddy Buddies, 3 cups of cherries, 3 cups of whole strawberries, 3 cups diced watermelon, and ½ pint of blueberries.

To prep ahead of time place all the fruit in their spots except for the watermelon. Place the gummy bears in their spot as well. Cover and put in the fridge. When ready to serve, add the yogurt covered pretzels, Muddy Buddies and watermelon (their juices will run on the platter).

3.2.2802

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for my referral. This does not affect the retail cost of the item. Thank you for supporting Lemon & Mocha!

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

These are the grilled asparagus from the Grilled Steak with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce dish, but they have been kicked up a notch. The chimichurri sauce is olive oil, parsley, garlic, lime juice, oregano, salt and pepper pureed together in a blender. Super simple and nicely concentrated with fresh flavors.

It’s also delicious over grilled steaks and breakfast tacos, but today we are drizzling it over grilled asparagus. Maybe even doing a little dunking and swiping action, too, because it’s so good you will want every last drop.

Matt and I love asparagus so I’m always brainstorming for ideas to jazz it up while still keeping it healthy and quick to make.

I highly recommend making all three dishes from this week together – the Hawaiian BBQ Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, the Asian Pineapple Slaw, and this Grilled Asparagus with Chimichurri. When the Hawaiian sauce mixes with the slaw and the chimichurri it is the definition of complete magic! Enjoy and happy Friday!

Grilled Asparagus with Chimichurri

 

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

for the chimichurri

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper

for the asparagus

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

for the chimichurri

1. Combine all the ingredients except the asparagus in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.

for the grilled asparagus

1. Remove and discard the woody ends of the asparagus. If you lightly bend the asparagus stalk it will snap at a natural spot where the thick stem ends. Drizzle the asparagus with the olive oil then toss to coat. Season with the salt and pepper. I usually do about 5-6 grinds each of our salt and pepper grinders (they are small).
2. Heat your grill or grill pan so it’s at medium-high heat. Grill the asparagus for 5 minutes, tossing/turning once while grilling. If your asparagus stalks are very thin you may only need 3 minutes, if the stalks are thick you may need longer than the 5 minutes. If you are using a grill not a grill pan I would suggest using a grill grid or basket so the asparagus doesn’t slip through the grill grates and adding about 5 minutes of grilling time. Top with the chimichurri.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments