I’m currently working with a group of ladies who all came up with recipes inspired by Oscar nominated movies in anticipation for the 2016 Oscars. You can make these recipes for an Oscar party that your hosting or attending or just if you are looking for some new recipes to add to your food and drink repertoire.
The movie I was using for inspiration was Mad Max: Fury Road. The trailer reminded me a bit of one of my favorite movies ever, Tank Girl. What can I say?? I have an affinity for chicks with shaved heads who get crazy and blow shit up in deserts.
Unfortunately for the super hot Charlize Theron and her rescue wives, this movie just wasn’t as appealing as I thought it would be, but I don’t think I was the target market of this movie. Maybe it’s because I’m older now and the thought of all that sand getting in my mouth and hair really did not sit well. How much dirt, grime and soot did they actually eat by just breathing? Blech. With all of the dust and explosions, all I wanted to do after the movie was brush my teeth and take a shower. Visually, the movie was shot really well and I loved the artistic side of it from a photographer point of view.
My recipe is a palate cleanser of sorts, because gritty sand in my mouth makes me gag. My most favorite flavor to get a yucky taste out of my mouth is citrus, more specifically, I have been OBSESSED with ruby red grapefruit for the past few months. I am a HUGE fan of making liqueur at home and have a soft spot in my heart for all types of homemade ‘cellos.
Typically, limoncello is an after dinner drink in Italy, and my Ruby Red Grapefruitcello is perfect liqueur to sip after spending the day trying to blow up crusty, filthy warlords with creepy skeleton denture masks in the wasteland.
Ruby Red Grapefruitcello
2 1/2 cups high quality vodka (this time I used Prairie Organic Vodka)
4 large ruby red grapefruits peeled, then juiced
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
optional: add 1/2 of a cut and scraped vanilla bean to the grapefruit peel/vodka mixture. YUM.
It’s supposed to snow in Minnesota today. I love snow, but so far this year, whenever it’s predicted to be a big storm, it ends up being a measly 2 inch snowfall. Meh.
This is Minnesota, dammit. I want piles and piles of snow outside my door. I want to spend hours outside shoveling my driveway, have the plow drive by and spend another 40 minutes re-shoveling the end of my driveway. I want my dogs to grow snowballs in their fur after jumping through snowdrifts. I want to lose my kids in the backyard for a bit while they make an epic fort.
Here’s hoping that today’s rumored storm actually delivers. Until that happens, let’s channel a Minnesota summer filled with pasta salad. This is a very easy dish that you can make year round and in no time at all. I load up on the veggies so the boys get their required vegetable intake in 1 bowl and I don’t have to make anything else, this 1 bowl covers everything. All you need to do is cook the noodles, cut up a couple of veggies and stir it up. Simple. And because sometimes the laziest of meals are the yummiest.
What you’ll need:
1 box of rotini noodles, cooked
8-10 oz of Italian dressing
1 cup baby carrots, chopped
1 large head of broccoli, chopped
10.5 oz container of baby tomatoes, I used Golden Sunburst
1- 6 oz package of pepperoni
Cook the box of pasta according to the directions on the box. Make sure you salt the water, unsalted noodles are less flavorful. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water until no longer hot. Add noodles to a large bowl. Chop up carrots until you have 1 cup, add to bowl. Chop up 1 head of broccoli, make sure the pieces are small enough to stab with a fork and eat, add to bowl. Add entire container of tomatoes and pepperoni. Pour in 8-10 oz of Italian dressing and stir to evenly coat the noodles and vegetables. Chill before serving.
Poof, you’re done. We eat this year round and the boys really like it. The pepperoni adds a little spice while the veggies keep it fresh. And whether is snows 3 feet or not, Pepperoni & Veggie Pasta Salad is a yummy dinner that takes little effort and is what it’s like to win at life. Boom.
