Cantaloupe Summer Berry Fizz

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serving Size: 1 Cocktail

This is a wonderfully simple, refreshing summer cocktail. You can make it in advance for a large group, or individually, if you prefer. Add the vodka or make it virgin, it’s excellent either way.

Special Equipment

High Powered Blender or Food Processor

Fine Mesh Strainer

Cocktail Shaker

Ingredients

• 2 oz Cantaloupe Juice

• ½ oz Berry Simple Syrup

• 1 Lime Wedge

• 1 oz Vodka (Optional)

• Plain Sparkling Water

• Ice

• Sugar

How To

1. Prepare the cantaloupe by removing the skin entirely and scooping out the seeds with a spoon. Roughly chop and put into the blender. Puree until smooth.

2. Strain the mixture into a bowl to separate the juice from the pulp. Use a spatula to press the pulp into the strainer to get as much juice out as possible.

3. If you don’t have simple syrup on hand, heat equal parts water and sugar in a pan until the sugar is dissolved. Cool before mixing with the other ingredients. To make a berry simple syrup, add jam or fresh berries to the simple syrup and cook until the fruit breaks down. Strain before using.

4. Put some sugar onto a plate or into a shallow bowl. Run the lime wedge along the rim of a glass and press into sugar to get a sugar rim.

5. I the shaker add ice, the cantaloupe juice, simple syrup, vodka (optional), and a squeeze of the lime. Shake until the mixture is cold.

6. Pour over ice and top off the glass with sparkling water.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish with a lime and you’re ready to go!

Spicy Crab Noodles

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 20 min

Serving Size: 4 Entrée Portions

This is a super quick and flavorful dinner that you can whip up in a pinch with just a few ingredients.

The Crab

Food only tastes as good as the ingredients you use. This can be no truer than when it comes to seafood. I would not recommend using canned crab for this recipe. Instead, look to lump crab in your store’s refrigerated seafood section. The larger the lumps of crab, the better.

Shrimp would also be a good substitute if crab is not available in your area.

The Noodles

I used instant ramen noodles, without the soup base packet, for this recipe. You can use any type of light pasta that you have in the pantry.

Special Equipment

Microplane/Zester

Wok – an all-purpose pan or sauté pan would also work well

Ingredients

• 4 – 3.5 oz Packages of Instant Ramen

• 1 Cup Canola Oil

• 6 Cloves Garlic

• 1/4 Cup Ginger

• 2 Tbsp Thai Red Chili Paste

• 1 Lb Shitake or Cremini Mushrooms

• 1 Cup Chicken Stock

• 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

• 12 Oz Lump Crab – Fresh, Not Frozen

• 1 Lime

• ½ Cup Peanuts

How To

1. Put 4 cups of salted water into a pot and heat on high until boiling. Remove the ramen noodles from their bag and cook per the package instructions, about 3 minutes typically. Drain and run cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking process.

2. In the wok, heat ½ cup of oil on medium high until hot. The oil is ready when a drop of water sizzles in the oil. While the oil is warming up, prepare the garlic and ginger.

3. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, chili paste, and mushrooms. Make sure to turn the mixture often as garlic can burn quickly, leaving an unpleasant bitter taste.

4. Add the cooked ramen to the pan and toss to coat. Spread the noodles out evenly in the pan and pour ¼ cup of the oil over the top of the noodles. Let the noodles sit 3-4 minutes until they
   begin to become crispy at the edges. Mix everything together and let it sit for another 3 minutes. Mix it one more time, add the last ¼ cup of oil, and let it sit for another 3 minutes. Toss one more time, and let it sit for 3 minutes one more time.

5. Zest and then juice the lime into the noodles. Add the chicken broth and soy sauce, toss to coat.

6. Add the crab and mix everything together, continue cooking for 2 minutes.

7. Serve warm, topped with chopped peanuts. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from Food & Wine’s Spicy Wok-Fried Crab Ramen.