Recipe of the Month: Frozen Hot Chocolate

July 29, 2017 Outdoor Cooking

To keep in the spirit of our Project of the Month (Christmas in July) … we decided we would cool things down with a sweet twist on a traditional holiday treat.  July (and really the next few months to come) are too hot to drink anything other than something ice cold.  Enjoy this month’s recipe poolside, and before you know it the holidays will be here to enjoy the real deal.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

  • 6 fluid ounces milk
  • 1/2 cup hot cocoa mix (or two packets)
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups crushed iced cubes
  • Whipped cream

Directions

Pour milk into blender.  Add hot cocoa mix and ice.   Blend first at low speed and then high speed until ice is finely crushed and slushy. Pour into a tall glass and top with whipped cream and a dusting of hot cocoa mix.  Serve with a straw and enjoy!  Happy hot holidays! ;)

Recipe of the Month: Grilled Cheese Sliders and Tomato Bisque Shooters

January 25, 2016 Outdoor Cooking
REcipe of the Month- Grilled Cheese Sliders &Shot of Tomato Bisque (1)

Ingredients:

Tomato Bisque
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
2/3 cup cooking sherry
1/3 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly snipped chives for garnish

 

 

Grilled Cheese
8 slices bread
Softened brown butter for spreading
8 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
6 ounces gruyere cheese, freshly grated
2 ounces parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

Tomato Bisque

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and add the butter. Add in the shallots and garlic, cooking until soft and slightly golden and stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, sherry, chicken stock, brown sugar, basil, salt and pepper, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a high-powered blender and carefully blend until pureed. Transfer back to the pot over low heat. Right before serving, stir in the heavy cream. Taste and season additionally with salt and pepper if needed – it might, depending on your tomatoes. To serve, drizzle the soup with the extra cream and garnish with chives.

Grilled Cheese
Spread the outsides of the bread with the softened butter. Heat grill to medium-low heat. Toss the fontina and gruyere and parm together, then fill the sandwiches with the cheese, topping the bread with a slice buttered-side up. Cook the sandwiches until golden on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, and the cheese is melted (and you get those cool grill marks). Let them cool slightly, then slice into sticks or squares with a serrated knife. Serve with the soup shooters.

We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

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