Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Truthfully, I'm not the biggest fan of red sauce *my Italian grandmother rolls over in her grave... AGAIN* but I will say it's growing on me and I want to incorporate it into as many dishes as possible. I couldn't tell you why I have been weirdly obsessing over this recipe but for whatever reason I thought that this hybrid would be life changing, and while I don't want to toot my own horn- they are life changing. I decided to make the classic chicken parm in the fan favorite ~meatball~ and if that isn't good enough for you, I stuffed the meatballs with gooey mozzarella (wipe the drool off your chin before you start making them). I promise you that this recipe is extra dlyssious- my mom even gave me the Italian stamp of approval! 

- Ground Chicken

- White Onion

- Basil

- Grated Parmesan 

- Italian Seasoning

- Original Breadcrumbs

- Mozzarella Balls

- Classic Marinara Sauce
- Shredded Mozzarella 

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl mix together ground chicken, white onion, fresh chopped basil, and Italian seasoning (I eyeballed everything srrrrry) until evenly incorporated.

2. Roll ground chicken mixture up into even, medium sized balls.

3. Smoosh the ball into little patties and add a mozzarella ball to the middle. Cover the mozzarella bring the ground chicken mixture back into a ball- this time just surrounding the cheese.

4. After all balls have been made, softly coat them in a breadcrumb and Parmesan mixture. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to set up.

5. In a medium size pan, heat onions until golden brown and add in meatballs. Cook the balls on all sides until browned. Add in enough marinara sauce to cover all balls. 

6. To make sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked, heat the oven to 400 degrees and place the skillet inside the oven and bake for 15-17 minuets.

7. Take the skillet out of the oven and sprinkle your desired amount of mozzarella on top. Place in the oven for about 5 minutes.

8. Remove meatballs from the oven and garnish with fresh basil and Italian seasoning!

Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers

If you know me AT ALL you would know that Mexican food is one of my absolute favorites. For me I like to take a lot of classics and put a little Latin spin on them. Growing up, you couldn't get me to touch my mom's stuffed peppers, and while the thought of soggy ground beef still haunts me, I've found my own recipe that has made me a LOVER of stuffed peppers. In the southwest stuffed poblano pepper I have incorporated more traditional Mexican elements (ex. salsa, beans, rice) and replaced the god awful ground beef (public enemy number 1 for me) with chicken instead! Personally, I gave up red meat five years ago so that's why I have replaced ground beef with chicken, but if that's what you prefer go ahead and use it (I've also tried it with ground turkey and meatless crumbles, I just preferred chicken). This whole recipe is completely customizable though! I enjoy using poblano peppers because I like the length and the extra bit of spice that comes with it. Whatever variation you make, this is a super dlyssious and simple meal!

- Chicken

- Poblano Pepper

- Red Onion

- Jalapenos

- Corn

- Black Beans

- Salsa
- Mozzarella 

- Taco Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and pop your poblano pepper in the oven (keep and eye on it and cook it until your desired softness).
2. Dice up chicken into small cubes and start cooking in a pan with diced onions and jalapenos. Sprinkles a generous amount of taco seasoning on top. 
3. When the chicken has fully cooked, add in your corn and black beans.
4. Cut your pepper in half and stuff each halve with the chicken mixture.
5. Top the chicken stuffed peppers with fresh tomato salsa and sprinkle mozzarella on top.
6. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
7. Let cool and add whatever desired toppings you choose, I like sour cream and avocado :) Enjoy!

Raspberry BOMB

When I was bartending this was easily one of my favorite drinks. I absolutely love raspberries, so this cocktail is nothing short of sweet and refreshing. If the raspberries are too tart for your liking, add a little more simple syrup to counteract it! Use bombay to accurately make it a raspberry BOMb :)

- Bombay Gin 

- Fresh Raspberries
- Lime Juice
- Simple Syrup
- Tonic Water

Instructions:

1. This recipe is for all my bartenders in training- NO shaker necessary! start by muddling raspberries at the bottom of your glass. 

2. Fill the glass up with ice and pour 1.5oz of Bombay Gin over top.
3. Add in .5oz of fresh lime juice, and .5oz of simple syrup (to reduce the sourness).
4. Mix all of it thoroughly in the glass, and top with tonic water!

5. Garnish with edible flowers!

Basil Chiller

My apologizes in advance before I flood this page with Gin cocktails. SOOOO often when I tell people about my love for Gin, I get very similar, disgusted responses. Gin may not be the best spirit for throwing back shots, but it is great for mixing! The trick to using Gin, is pairing it with different flavors that can balance out the bite. Whether you want to make the drink sweet, earthy or even spicy, Gin is one of the most versatile liquors you can test out.

- Gin 

- Pineapple Juice
- Lime Juice
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- Ginger Ale

Instructions:

1. Pour 1.5oz of gin into a shaker with 2oz of pineapple Juice and .5oz of lime juice, tear up fresh basil leaves and add into shaker as well.

2. Shake the mixture and pour over ice.
3. Top the mixture with ginger ale. 
4. Garnish with a cluster of fresh basil leave!

Grapefruit Rosemary Refresher

I think at this point it's nearly considered a sin that I haven't posted any cocktails- seeing as I'm a former bartender. While bartending I grew an understandable love for citrus. The acidity balances out drinks, especially when using earthy spirits like Gin. However I really liked using more uncommon fruits, like grapefruit for instance. The only issue I ran into when it came to using grapefruit, was the strong bitterness. Naturally I would always add simple syrup to counteract the bite. But still, something always seemed to just be missing. I've also always loved floral flavors, so this is where I started crafting floral syrups. After many different variations, I found that the rosemary complimented the grapefruit best. Now this recipe can be made with gin or vodka, but in my opinion- gin is ALWAYS the way to go.

- Gin or Vodka (I prefer Gin)

- Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
- Sugar
- Soda Water
- Grapefruit (for garnish) 

Instructions:

1. First things first, you're going to want to make the rosemary simple syrup. For this its equal parts sugar and water (I usually do one cup of sugar and water). Bring this to a boil in a small saucepan, and make sure the sugar is completely dissolved in the water. Then add 4-5 rosemary sprigs and simmer for 3 minutes. Afterwards let the mixture completely cool, and store for up to two weeks!

2. Now that you have your syrup you can craft the cocktail. In a mixer pour, 1.5oz of gin or vodka, .5oz of the rosemary syrup, and 3 oz of grapefruit juice over ice and shake. 
3. Pour the mix into a glass of ice, and top the rest with sparkling water. 
4. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and a grapefruit slice, and relax!