Tag: Lemonade

Weekend Finds 7:1:16: 4th of July Edition

Let’s be honest. The 4th of July has become an occasion for day drinking, barbecues, water balloons, and fireworks. But I’m not complaining. For the past few years we have spent the day in our friends Dylan and Caitlyn’s back yard, lounging, snacking, drinking good Portland brews, and eventually having a summery BBQ feast. And Monday will be no different. Here are the recipes I’m looking to cook this 4th of July.

Green Rice Salad with Nectarines

Green Rice Salad with Nectarines from Not Without Salt

This salad has been a summer gathering go-to for years now, and it never fails. People always love it, it’s summery and colorful with a little bit of spice and plenty of bold flavors.

Tomato-Peach Salad with Tofu Cream

Tomato-Peach Salad with Tofu Cream

Don’t let the tofu cream weird you out and keep you from making this refreshing salad. I promise, it’s delicious.

Barbecue Chicken (Rub and Sauce)

Smitten Kitchen's Barbecue Chicken

If my memory doesn’t fail me – and it’s been a year so it might – Dylan and Caitlyn make this amazing dry rubbed chicken every year, throw it on the grill, and coat it in this homemade barbecue sauce. It is always the hit of the party, no matter how much I up my game.

Strawberry Pistachio Crumble Pie

Strawberry Pistachio Crumble Pie from Bon Appetit

I haven’t made this pie (YET!) but it has been haunting my dreams. The layer of cream cheese at the bottom? The mountain of strawberries? The crumble of pistachio and poppy seeds and cardamom? I mean, come on.

Zero Proof Beverages

The thing about spending all day in the sun eating and drinking is you have to be smart. It’s always good to have a NA drink option around, and I’m having trouble deciding which of these two I should make; saffron and cardamom lemonade or tea thyme soda.

Ottolenghi’s Basic Hummus

Ottolenghi and Tamimi's Hummus

This is my extremely reliable hummus recipe that I starting making regularly after returning from Israel last summer. With a few tweaks, it is rich and healthy and makes a perfect all day snack when paired with pita, carrots, bell peppers, and whatever other crunchy vegetables you like. (What tweaks, you ask? I do 1 cup tahini, 6T lemon juice, 6 cloves of garlic, and 4T ice water.)

Weekend Finds 6:15:14

My summer craziness has begun! How about yours? Hopefully these weekend finds can help us slow down a bit and remember to enjoy the summer season.

1. Romesco Sauce

Romesco Sauce // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Romesco is made with roasted bell peppers, toasted almonds, tomato paste, garlic, oil, and spices.

I’ve had romesco sauce plenty of times, but it was really last summer when my dad put it over some roasted cauliflower that it won my heart. I think grilling season is a perfect time of year to keep a batch of the stuff in your fridge, as it makes a really flavor packed topping for those lightly charred vegetables.

2. PedalPalooza 2014

PedalPalooza 2014, PDX // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Get your pedal on!

So Portland, being the bike-centric city we are, has this month-long event called Pedalpalooza, with all these themed bike rides around the city. Jonah’s co-worker even led a Beyoncé themed ride last week! But there are a few rides for foodies: today there’s a homebrews and community gardens ride, tomorrow there’s a food cart ride, on Wednesday there’s a bees vs. Monsanto ride (yes, you dress up as bees and farmers and stop at the offices of food influencers in the city), and on Friday there’s both a coffee and carousing ride as well as breakfast on bridges (a stand set up with coffee and donuts where you can stop on your way to work). And of course, Friday night, there’s a champagne ride. So what else do you need? Get riding!

3. Warm-weather Whiskey Drinks

Warm Weather Whiskey Drinks // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Whiskey in the morning, whiskey in the evening, whiskey at bath too! (Ok, maybe not in the morning or at bath time.)

I’ll be honest, when I think of whiskey, I often think of being in a cozy bar on a cold night. But that shouldn’t really be the case. You can drink whiskey year round, and Saveur is going to give you a little help. Check out these refreshing whiskey cocktails, perfect for a hot day.

4. Time Magazine says “Eat Butter.”

Time: Eat Butter // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Let’s learn about fats!

Have you seen the new Time Magazine cover? I’m glad my roommate subscribes, because I’ll admit I’m looking forward to reading this article about how fat isn’t really the bad guy everyone thinks it is.

5. Jamaica

Jamaica // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
I love the ruby hue of this cold refreshing hibiscus tea!

I gotta say, if you’ve never had jamaica, you’re missing out. It’s a refreshing, tart, fruity drink, a la lemonade, and is perfect for summer time. I love hibiscus tea, and this is really just a cold version of that. I found bulk hibiscus at my grocery store, but you can usually find bags of the petals in the latin foods section. In case you needed another reason to make this beverage, it’s also a great mixer for cocktails.