So, mint… yeah, I’m still obsessed with it. I devoured every single one of the mojito bites I made last week and desperately needed another minty treat to munch on. I’m also loving on pineapple right now and had the idea to toss it in mint in an effort to get more of both of those things into my face. I added lime juice, zest, and sugar to make a bit of a sweet syrup and the results are fantastic!

I totally made this for myself with no intention of putting it on the blog, but it was so tasty that I just had to share it. I had some of it alongside a quesadilla for lunch yesterday and it was a perfect match. It’s so refreshing and summery, fantastic served cold to beat the heat.

And it only took a few minutes to put together.

Do you know how to break down a pineapple? I know it looks intimidating but it really only takes a minute to do. Just take a large sharp knife and slice off the top and bottom, then stand it on one of the ends and slice down the sides to remove the last of the scaly exterior, making sure to remove all of the brown parts. You’ll be tempted to not cut in too deep in an effort to get more pineapple, but don’t – you really need to remove all of the brown pitted parts, they’re not pleasant to eat. Then just cut the fruit off the core. I slice down one side of the core, then rotate and slice down again, leaving 4 large pieces. Again, don’t cut too close to the core, it’s too fibrous to eat! You can then chop the fruit into whatever size pieces you want. Sounds like a lot of work, but it really only takes a minute.

Pineapple with lime and mint

A simple snack of fresh pineapple with herbs and citrus.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 small pineapple
• 2 tsp. sugar
• the zest and juice of 1 lime
• a handful of fresh mint leaves (chopped fine)

Cooking Directions

1. With a large sharp knife, slice the top and bottom off of the pineapple. Stand the pineapple up on one of the cut ends and slice the sides off, making sure to remove all of the brown bits.
2. Cut the pineapple off of the core in 4 large pieces and chop into bite-size pieces.
3. In a large bowl, combine cubed pineapple with sugar, zest, juice, and mint. Stir to combine and allow to sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.
4. Store any remaining in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

I managed to eat an entire pineapple by myself last week, so I don’t see this lasting very long in my house. That’s ok though, I still have half a bag of fresh mint to use up, so I’ll just have to buy another one and make more!

I asked you guys on my Facebook blog page yesterday what foods you’re craving lately, too. Looks like basil is a theme for many of us. I’m personally hooked on Thai basil at the moment, but I do use sweet Italian basil quite a lot too. In fact, I have some plans in the works for using both types of basil in a few different recipes that should appear on the blog in a few weeks. I think I feel a new obsession coming on…

What is your current favorite fruit?

What do you like to pair basil with?

May 17, 2013 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 1 comment

I seem to develop a new food obsession every couple of months. I went through a period of intense and insatiable grapefruit lust a few months ago – there was nothing more delicious in the world to me than a ripe grapefruit at that time, and I ate one almost every day. Right now I’m in a berry bubble. If you haven’t noticed, berries have appeared on my blog a lot recently, and it’s because I’m absolutely obsessed with them nearly to the point of dependency.

My craving for berries is nowhere near over, but I’m starting to feel the intensity ease up a little now that the initial excitement from all this newly seasonal fruit has settled some. And right on cue, a new craving has emerged: Mint. Guys, I’m losing my mind over this stuff right now.

The beautiful spring weather we’re having right now in Georgia (on the days it isn’t pouring down rain, at least) has me wistfully dreaming of sipping cocktails on patios in the sunshine. It won’t be long now before the bully that is summer in Georgia comes to scare away this brief moment of fair weather, replacing it with a beatdown of searing sun rays and suffocating chokehold of humidity. Of course I’m exaggerating, but only a little.

Anyway, we’ve been too busy for cocktails on patios lately, so I’ve been entertaining myself by recreating the flavor of one of my favorites at home, one that just so happens to feature my food obsession of the moment. Mmmmmmmojitos!

The mojito is a mixture of rum and club soda, flavored with the refreshing additions of lime and mint that have been muddled with sugar. The flavor is so clean and crisp with the herbal aromas of lime zest and mint leaves scented throughout. The sugar never fully dissolves, and instead soaks up the other flavors, making for a sweet and flavorful sip with lots of texture.

These mojito bites are made with nothing more than nuts, dates, lime, mint, and agave to sweeten. I’ve rolled them in sugar to recreate that gritty undissolved sugar you get in the bottom of the glass – my favorite part. And guys, they really do taste like mojitos! It’s a perfect replica! Sans booze, of course.

I’ve been keeping these in the refrigerator so I can enjoy them cold, just like a cocktail. Every bite is a burst of fresh mint and lime, and I especially love getting to lick the minty sugar off my fingers afterwards.

For a clutch of poppable minty snacks to curb your own cocktail cravings, follow these easy steps…

Raw vegan mojito bites

All the flavor of the classic summertime cocktail with none of the hangover.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: Makes 22 to 24 bites

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw unsalted macadamia nuts
• 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
• 3/4 cup chopped dates
• 3/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 4 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
• the zest of 2 limes
• 1 tsp. raw agave nectar
• pinch salt
• white sugar for rolling

Cooking Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse together nuts until small. Add dates and pulse to combine.
2. Add in mint, juice, zest, agave, and salt. Process until a paste is formed.
3. Pinch off small bits of the paste and roll into balls. Roll balls in sugar.
4. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Best part: No hangover!  Second best part: No straw clogged with mint leaves! Third best part: No giving yourself a headache trying to suck the mint leaves up through the straw! Fourth best part: No deciding it might work better to blow the mint back down the straw and having half the drink explode out of your glass as the mint shoots out of the straw like a cannon!

Just me? Ok.

Oh, and they’re completely raw and vegan too. Nifty!

What flavors are you craving right now?

What cocktail would you like to have in a bite-sized treat?

May 13, 2013 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 17 comments

Last week, Jeff and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary on May 1st. I said it last year around this time and I’ll say it again – it feels like we’ve been together much, much longer than that, but I mean that in the sweetest way possible. My memories of the time before “us” are hazy and dull. The happiness I’ve experienced since we met has been bewildering. I didn’t think this kind of love existed for ordinary people like us, and it just keeps growing and getting better and better.

Enough with the mush.

We’ve had 2 bottles of champagne left over from our wedding that have been taking up space in our fridge for 3 frickin’ years now, and though we would love to have the space back, we just can’t ever find a good enough reason to pop such a special bottle. If we’re splitting hairs, then I should mention that they’re actually cava, a Spanish wine made in the style of champagne (it’s not technically champagne unless it’s made in the Champagne region of France.) I’m not a wine person, so I have no problem erroneously referring to them as champagne. Tastes like champagne to me.

I had the idea for this recipe a few weeks ago and asked Jeff over dinner one night if he would be comfortable with letting me use one of our special bottles to make it. I could just see him debating it heavily in his head, and it was actually several days before I was given the blessing to use it. I figured there would be a lot of it left that we could sample later that night and reminisce together over, but somehow I ended up using the whole dang bottle! Whoops.

It turned out fantastic though. It’s not really boozy at all, but there’s a heavy white grape flavor with a bit of tingly something there, kind of like the enzyme-y tingle you get from honey. It’s a bit on the thin side too but I thought it was fine that way, good for dipping a croissant in. It would be absolutely incredible as a topping for vanilla bean ice cream or paired with some really nice cheese.

Strawberry champagne jam

The classic marriage of strawberries and champagne in a luscious jam.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 6 cups strawberries (leaves removed and cut in half)
• 1 cup white sugar
• zest of 3 lemons
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 750mL bottle of champagne (about 3 and 1/2 cups)

Cooking Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together strawberries, sugar, zest, and juice then allow to sit for 1 hour covered with a kitchen towel.
2. Transfer contents to a large, heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot and pour over the champagne. Stir until foaming has stopped.
3. Turn on the heat to just above medium and allow to come up to a low boil. Stir frequently with a spatula and reduce heat if you feel anything starting to stick to the bottom or it could burn.
4. After 1 hour, test doneness by adding a small dime-sized dollop onto a frozen plate. Wait 20 seconds, then tilt the plate. If it runs freely, it needs more time; if it barely runs, it's done. Continue boiling jam until it passes the run test.
5. Finished jam can be canned or the majority frozen while a small amount is kept in the refrigerator for immediate use.

Obviously, a jam recipe that uses an entire bottle of champagne is not made inexpensively. This is certainly not something you’re going to make on a whim unless you’re just rolling in cash. It would, however, make for a very thoughtful and personal anniversary gift to give to a special couple in your life. I know Jeff and I will get much more enjoyment out of this jam than we were getting from that bottle taking up room in our fridge that we never had the heart to open.

Just don’t wait 3 years like we did.

Do you have a sentimental food item you can’t bring yourself to indulge in?

May 7, 2013 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 19 comments