Fresh Strawberry Limeade

Here's one of my favorite summertime recipes. Give it a try this weekend, and let me know what you think.

Fresh Strawberry Limeade

1/2 C. fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)
1 t. fresh lime peel, grated (from those same limes)
1 C. fresh strawberries
1 C. water
1 C. sugar
Ice
Club soda (optional)

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of water, the sugar, and the lime peel. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.

Puree the lime juice, syrup, and strawberries in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a chilled glass pitcher, and add water (or club soda) to make 2 quarts. Stir well, then adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar or lime juice to taste. Serve over ice.

VARIATIONS
Try it with frozen strawberries instead of ice cubes.
Try it with lemons instead of limes.
Try it with raspberries instead of strawberries.
Try it with a splash of light rum.

Simple Cornbread Recipe

Whenever I am making a pot of chili, or cooking up a batch of pintos or blackeyed peas, I like to have some piping-hot cornbread to set next to it. I don't want anything funky or fancy, I don't want it sugared-down or spiced-up; I just want some damn cornbread.

This recipe is is exactly that: a simple, delicious cornbread that will go perfectly with your favorite stew, chili, or steak.

Trav's Homemade Cornbread

1 T. corn oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
3 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/4 c melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
Milk

Preaheat oven to 425 degrees. Add the corn oil to a cast iron skillet, and put the skillet into the oven to warm while you mix the batter.

Sift all the dry ingredients together, then stir in the eggs, butter, and milk, using enough milk to make a thin batter (it should be slightly thicker than cake batter...think "cold gravy.")

Remove the skillet from the oven, and immediately pour in the batter. Return to the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is dark brown and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Slice and serve.

-----

Not that there is anything wrong with funky cornbread, mind you.

For sweet cornbread and corn muffins, increase the sugar to about 1/2 cup...more or less to taste.

For spicy cornbread, add a teaspoon of chili powder and a small can of chopped green chilis. Use mild chilis for mild bread, hot for hot bread, etc.

For cheesy cornbread, add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. As delicious as it is, be advised: it will stick to the skillet like crazy when it cools...so it is best to slice and serve it while warm, right out of the pan.

Brats and Cabbage II

This is the "grill version" of my first recipe. Not only does the smoky, woody taste make this recipe a thousand times more delicious, but this recipe also uses a lot less beer...which lets you save those delicious longnecks for drinking.

This recipe assumes you are using a real, honest-to-God charcoal grill. If you use a clean-burning propane grill instead, you will just have to improvise.

Trav's Brats and Cabbage (No. 2)

1 lb. fresh bratwurst
1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green cabbage, shredded
1 clove of garlic, minced
6 whole peppercorns, crushed
3 whole juniper berries, crushed
about 1/4 cup dark beer

Light the grill. When the charcoals are ashed over, move them all to one side of the grill (to create a "hot side" and a "cool side.") Add a few well-soaked chunks of wood if desired; I recommend apple or hickory.

Grill the bratwurst on the hot side of the grill, turning frequently, until evenly browned and cooked through. Move the bratwurst to the cool side of the grill.

Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet, on the hot side of the grill. Add the onions, garlic, peppercorns, and juniper berries. Cook until the onions are lightly browned and the spices are fragrant. Add the cabbage and continue to cook, stirring constantly with a metal spatula, until the cabbage is limp.

Add the bratwurst to the skillet, and add a generous splash of beer. Mix well, cover tightly, and cook until the cabbage is tender. Serve with some spicy mustard, a fresh potato salad, and plenty of cold beer.

Snickerdoodles

On my list of favorite cookies, the humble snickerdoodle is in the top three (just under oatmeal-rasin and peanut butter). They are so bad for you...infused with butter and encrusted with sugar...but I figure that if you are eating cookies in the first place, you arent' too terribly worried about nutrition.

Go on, you know you love them. You know you want them. Why not whip up a batch this weekend?

Trav's Snickerdoodles

• 1 stick of butter (not margarine)
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 t. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and blend until smooth.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Add to the butter/egg mixture. Stir until completely blended (dough will be very stiff).

Mix the remaining 2 T. of sugar with the 1 t. of ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls and roll gently in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 13 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Makes 2 dozen.

TIPS:

Do not use margarine or shortening. This recipe needs (repeat, needs) real, creamery butter.

Do not use artificial vanilla, either. It will work, I suppose, but you won't get that wonderful fragrence while they are cooking.

Trav's Shrimp Etouffee

My mom sent me a brand-new rice cooker for my birthday. If you don't already have one of these wonderful little devices, you are missing out on some easy (and cheap) grub. It's treat for keeping a ready supply of hot steamed rice, sure, but it makes short work of Rice-A-Roni boxed dinners as well.

Rice is one of the staple side-dishes for most Cajun dishes. If you've got a batch of rice ready, and if you are in the mood for something spicy, give this recipe a shot.

-----

Trav's Shrimp Etouffee
(lower-cholesterol version)

1/4 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 medium onions, slivered
6 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 C. vegetable stock (maybe more, see below)
2 t. cayenne pepper*
1 T. Tabasco sauce*
1 T. salt
2 lbs. peeled and veined shrimp
Steamed rice

First, make the roux: cook the oil and flour together in a heavy stock pot, over medium-low heat and stirring constantly, until it turns reddish-brown in color. (Be careful...it will burn easily, and you will have to start all over.)

When the roux is the desired color, immediately add the peppers, onions, garlic, and celery. Cook over medium heat until the onions are transparent (about 15 minutes).

Add all remaining ingredients, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the shrimp is cooked. The mixture may thicken while cooking; add more stock if necessary to give it the desired consistency. Taste the gravy and adjust the seasonings.

Serve immediately over steamed rice, with lots of hot bread on the side and a good, cold beer.

*Use this amount for a "medium" level of spiciness. If you like it hot, use double this amount...and if you want it mild, use half. And there is nothing wrong with skipping the spice altogether, and putting the Tabasco and cayenne out on the table as condiments.

-----

Variations
(because everyone is different)

1. This recipe isn't just for shrimp...it is equally good with crawfish, scallops, oysters, crab, and clams, too. If you are allergic to shellfish, you can use pre-cooked chicken, ham, smoked sausage, chopped pork, or any combination thereof.

2. If you are vegetarian, you can make a wonderful mushroom etouffee by using 2 or 3 pounds of your favorite fresh mushrooms. Sautee those 'shrooms in a little bit of olive oil until they are shriveled (to concentrate their flavor), then add them to the recipe in place of the shrimp. Even the carnivores will love it.