MEDICARE Mai Tai Punch

http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/hospitals-heighten-efforts-to-avoid-readmissions/

MEDICARE Mai Tai Punch
Makes 22 servings, 8 oz. each

After a few of these, even Lawrence Welk is entertaining!

1 bottle (1500 ml) dark rum (or 2 bottles, 750 ml each)
2 cans (46 oz. each) pineapple juice
1 can (16 oz.) frozen orange juice concentrate
¾ cup each freshly squeezed lime juice and lemon juice
8 oz. grenadine

Mix all ingredients in 3-gallon punch bowl; chill.

To serve, fill glasses with ice and add punch.

Tips:

Garnish punch bowl and drinks with orange slices and maraschino cherries.

Prepare ice cubes or a ring of ice from some of the punch mixture and float on top of punch bowl to keep cool without diluting.



FISCAL CLIFFHANGER Braised Chicken Thighs with Tomatillo Salsa

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/11/28/stephen-colbert-on-the-fiscal-cliff-video/

FISCAL CLIFFHANGER Braised Chicken Thighs with Tomatillo Salsa

Makes 8 servings

No suspense involved...this inexpensive dinner always turns out well.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

8 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Tomatillo Salsa (recipe below)
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or stock
2 bay leaves

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet.  Add thighs, skin-side down.  Brown both sides, 4 minutes on each side, adding carrots, celery, onion, and garlic halfway through.

Add salsa, cilantro, broth and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.  Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 30 minutes.

Serve over rice or other hot cooked grain.

 

Tomatillo Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

 

10 tomatillos, papery husks removed

Juice of 1 lime

3 cloves peeled garlic

2 serrano chilies, stemmed and seeded

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

 

Place tomatillos in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.

 

Place tomatillos, lime juice, garlic and chilies in a blender or food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.  Stir in onions and cilantro; season with salt.

 

Cool in refrigerator.

 

DON'T GET MAD, GET DRUNK

Whoever you're rooting for, there's a cocktail to carry you through the returns this evening.

BLUE Cosmos

1 bottle (750 ml) lemon vodka (e.g., Citron)
1 cup blue curaçao
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup white cranberry juice
Fresh orange slices, maraschino cherries and lime wedges

Add all ingredients to a 2 qt. pitcher.

Pour mixture into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into cocktail glasses. Garnish drinks with fresh orange slices, maraschino cherries and lime wedges.

RED Sangria

1-1/3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 bottle (1500 ml) dry red wine (merlot, cabernet, beaujoulais, zinfandel)
4 oz. brandy

Mix together juices and sugar in large pitcher 2 min. or until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in wine and brandy; chill.

To serve, fill glasses with cut-up fruit and ice and pour sangria over.

Candy Corn Jell-o Shots

I'm taking a break from the election today.  I am dedicating my blog to the swing states for the rest of the week.


Candy-Corn JELL-O Shots

 

24 clear plastic shot glasses

2-3/4 cups boiling water, divided

1 pkg. yellow gelatin

3/4 cup vodka

12 drops yellow food coloring

1 pkg. orange gelatin

3/4 cup Butterscotch schnapps

4 drops red food coloring

3/4 cup clear liquor (vodka or clear Creme de Cacao)

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Place shot glasses on flat tray.

 

Add 1 cup boiling water to yellow gelatin in 2 cup glass measure with spout; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in vodka and 8 drops yellow food coloring.  Pour evenly into shot glasses 1/3 full.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until set.  Clean measuring cup.

 

Add 1 cup boiling water to orange gelatin in measuring cup; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in schnapps, remaining yellow food coloring and red food coloring. When orange mixture is room temperature and yellow layer is set, pour orange gelatin mixture evenly over yellow layer.  Clean measuring cup. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set.

 

Pour clear liquor into measuring cup.  Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over the liquor; let stand 2 minutes. Add remaining 3/4 cup boiling water and stir 2 minutes or until gelatin is completely dissolved.  Stir in sweetened condensed milk.  Pour white mixture evenly over firm orange layer. 

 

Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.  Serve with toothpicks.  

LAST DEBATE Dark & Stormy

http://www.debatedrinking.com/

In Florida, the drink is RUM!


LAST DEBATE Dark & Stormy
Makes 1 potent cocktail

If the past two debates have taught us anything, it's that things can get pretty ugly, pretty fast.

1 lime, cut in half
3 oz. dark spiced rum
8 oz. ginger beer
ice

Squeeze juice from half of lime into tall cocktail glass.  Fill glass with ice.

Pour rum over ice.  Fill with ginger beer.

Squeeze remaining lime over top of cocktail and place spent lime half, cut side down, on top.  Drizzle a bit more rum over lime.  Serve with a straw.

Tip:
Substitute ginger ale for ginger beer.

Brand recommendations:
Goslings Dark Spiced Rum and Goslings Ginger Beer

"SLOW" TO UNDERSTAND Short Ribs with Garlic Polenta

http://voice4america.com/articles/2012/10/17/bill-maher-mitt-romney-has-to-start-understanding-why-people-dont-like-him.html#axzz29wVj8fBG

"SLOW" TO UNDERSTAND Short Ribs with Garlic Polenta
Makes 10 to 12 servings

Slow, because they are slow-cooked while you're at work.  

12 (about 5 lb. total) boneless beef short ribs, excess fat removed
Kosher salt, black pepper

1 Tbsp. oil

6 shallots, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1-1/2 cups red wine

1 can (14 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth or stock

2 Tbsp. Minute brand tapioca

2 bay leaves

12 (about 5 lb. total) boneless beef short ribs, excess fat removed

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Garlic Polenta (recipe below)

In 2 batches, cook ribs (seasoned with salt and pepper) in oil in large skillet on medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until browned.  Add to slow cooker.

In same skillet cook shallots, carrot, and celery over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste and thyme and cook about 1 minute.  Stir in wine; bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half.  Add broth, tapioca and bay leaves; bring to a boil, then pour mixture over meat in slow cooker.

Cover and cook until the meat is very tender, on LOW 8 to 10 hours (HIGH 5 to 6 hours).  With a slotted spoon, transfer the ribs to serving bowls with a generous dollop of garlic polenta. Spoon sauce over polenta and ribs and sprinkle with parsley.  

GARLIC POLENTA

Prepare 1/2 (1 lb.) package of instant polenta as directed, substituting reduced sodium chicken broth for the water.  Bring the broth to a boil in a sauce pot containing 3 cloves minced garlic sauteed in 1 Tbsp. olive oil and continue as directed.  

VP DEBATE GAME Apple Cider Sangria

http://www.debatedrinking.com/

Select a candidate to drink to:

It doesn't have to be the VP Candidate you plan to vote for - in fact it's often more fun if it isn't. If you are at a party, try assigning candidates randomly to the guests.

Take a drink* every time your candidate says anything on his list
 

Joe Biden:

Millionaires
Voucher
Inherited
General Motors
Middle Class
Literally
Bin Laden
Teachers
Syria
Obama

Paul Ryan:
ObamaCare
Reform
Small Business
Libya
Crisis
Freedom
You Know
Generation
Government
Reagan

Additional drinking opportunities

Start the night off with a gimme – Take a drink for each person or organization that your candidate thanks in his opening remarks.

If your candidate has any type of numbered or multi-step plan – Take one drink for each number.

Each time you see your candidate force an awkward grin or laugh while his opponent is insulting him or disparaging his policies – Take a drink.Here is a perfect fall beverage for the game:

Apple Cider Sangria
Makes 12 servings

1 bottle (1500 ml) pinot grigio
1 qt. good quality apple cider
1 cup ginger brandy
1/2 cup sugar
2 honey crisp apples, chopped
2 Bosc pears, chopped

Mix wine, cider, brandy and sugar.

Stir in fruit.

*Because this may be a high scoring game, a drink is defined as a sip of sangria. Know your limits and please drink responsibly.
Drinking starts October 11, at 9:00pm Eastern Time