The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Going out for happy hour can be lots of fun, but it also comes with the need to drink responsibly and the impact of high-priced cocktails (and maybe the occasional let-down of a watered-down drink). Try bringing your happy hour home with some refreshing drink recipes, and not only do you get more bang for your buck, but you get a drink mixed exactly the way you want it!

Red wine lemonade is a perfect summertime cocktail – a little sweet, a little bubbly, and not quite as involved as making sangria (translation: easy to throw together after a long day). I imagine this would go nicely with a variety of red wines, but I loved the first wine I chose for this recipe so much that I’ve never strayed from it.  Pick a wine you like and you can’t go wrong! Not a big red wine drinker? Seek out the one recommended below (perfect for people who aren’t really red wine fans) or check in with the folks at your local wine shop and ask for a recommendation.

Be sure to take a few minutes and make the simple syrup. Though you can use granulated sugar, it won’t dissolve as well in your drink. You could also try a little agave nectar in place of the syrup!

Cheers!

Red Wine Lemonade
8.5 ounces club soda
juice of 2 lemons (approx. 4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons simple syrup
1/2 cup sweet red wine (recommended: II Conte D’Alba NV Stella Rosa)

Combine all ingredients in a small pitcher and stir. Taste and adjust sweetness or lemon juice if necessary. Serve immediately over crushed ice and garnished with a lemon slice.

Yield: 2 drinks

Summertime has me on the lookout for meals that easily incorporate the beautiful, fresh produce hitting the markets so I can quickly resume enjoying these longer sunny days. Bonus points for any recipe that easily scales to work as well for two as it does for twelve. This recipe is a winner on both counts — midsummer is zucchini’s time to shine, and pasta dishes are convenient for both fast dinners for one and feeding a crowd on short notice.

Whole wheat pasta – which is becoming more readily accessible in supermarkets – can certainly be used in this recipe. In fact, pairing whole grains with zucchini’s nutritional bounty (manganese, vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin A and fiber) will only make this recipe better. And with a mere quarter of a tablespoon of olive oil per serving, this meal feels indulgent without the guilt.

Summertime Zucchini Pasta
1/2 pound dry, uncooked fettuccine or other pasta
1 large or 2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/8″ disks or half moons
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
10-12 basil leaves
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, saute the zucchini in a large, non-stick frying pan sprayed lightly with cooking spray until just tender, approximately 5 minutes. Turn down heat, remove zucchini to a bowl and set aside. Add olive oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until just beginning to soften. Turn off heat, add cooked pasta and zucchini and toss to combine. Plate and sprinkle each serving with a few basil leaves and one tablespoon cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Sometimes a powerful craving strikes, but we don’t want to give in to it completely. Recently, I had a serious craving for cake — German Chocolate Cake, to be exact. And though I tried to shake it for days, the yearning would not go away. Sadly, with just the two of us in our house, we certainly don’t need the ongoing temptation of a full cake. And yet, there was the craving, stubbornly hanging on. Finally, rather than spend the next three days being preoccupied by chocolate and pecans and gooey coconut frosting, I found the perfect compromise: German Chocolate Brownies.

All the fun and flavor of a cake packed into a 9″x9″ pan of decadent brownies? It’s not too good to be true. They keep nicely for a few days in an airtight container (perfect if you’re a snacker), but you can also layer them with a little wax paper and freeze them for longer-term enjoyment. Of course, your neighbors would probably love you if you dropped by with a plate of these, too. Enjoy!

German Chocolate Brownies
(recipe courtesy of Baking Bites)
1/2 cup butter
3-oz semisweet chocolate or German sweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 cup chopped, toasted and salted pecans
2 tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt together the butter and the chocolate. Stir until smooth and then allow to cool for several minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl with sugar. Beat in vanilla extract and then add the eggs one at a time.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and stir until everything is just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with very moist crumbs, not just batter, attached.

While the brownies bake, prepare the topping. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. When brownies are done, gently spread the topping over the brownies, adding it in dollops to cover the whole surface evenly. Place pan under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, until topping has lightly browned. Watch closely so that it does not burn.

Cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 16 brownies

A quick glance around the produce section or farm stand makes it pretty easy to tell that stone fruit season is in full swing. Peaches, plums, nectarines, pluots and cherries are abundantly available. We’ve been eating them fresh, in parfaits and with granola all week, and over the weekend I transformed my last few peaches into a beautiful Peach-Blueberry Cobbler.

Cobblers tend to run in the same circles as buckles, slumps and grunts (you’ve gotta love food with such creative names) while maintaining their independence from the crunchy-topped crisps and crumbles. Named because of their “cobblestone” appearance, there are usually differing opinions on what makes a cobbler: the traditionalists who prefer the biscuity-type topping spooned over fruit and baked, those who view cobbler as a sort of single crust pie (fruit on the bottom, pie crust on top), and those who prefer a cakier version like this one. Personally, I’m an equal-opportunity cobbler lover but I have a special place in my heart for this recipe because it’s so easy to throw together. The key to this one is simple: don’t stir! Layer everything on as the recipe directs, but fight the urge to stir it all together. The batter will combine with the butter in the oven and rise up around the fruit all on its own.

Take advantage of all of the beautiful fruit in season and give this cobbler a try. It’s perfect on its own and even better with a nice dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And don’t forget to come back and tell us which kind of cobbler is your favorite!

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler
For the batter:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup room temperature milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 room temperature egg
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the filling:
24 ounces sliced peaches (about 6 whole, peeled or unpeeled, fresh or frozen)
8 ounces blueberries (about 2-3 handfuls, fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Melt the butter and pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Stir in milk, vanilla & egg. Pour evenly over melted butter. (Do not stir.)

Gently combine peaches, blueberries, sugar and spices and spread evenly over the batter. (Do not stir.)

Bake 35-45 minutes at 350°F until batter comes to the top and is golden brown. Serve warm.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

Potato salad is one of my favorite things to take to the barbecues and picnics that are now dotting my social calendar. However, the dreaded Mayonnaise Factor is a common concern for outdoor events: How long can you leave mayo-based salads out in the heat before they’re unsafe to eat? Will people shy away from your potato salad because they’re not sure how long it’s been sitting out? And, of course, what about the folks who either don’t like mayo or steer clear due to health concerns?

So what’s the alternative? Though I will always have a soft spot for classic, mayonnaise-based potato salad, I’ve also recently discovered a lighter, and more outdoor-friendly, version that fellow food blogger Susan not only created but published in Cooking Light! Having made this recipe three times since first seeing it, I can tell you it is totally deserving of publication and every rave review that goes with it.

Rather than potatoes, eggs and pickles, this ‘Farmers Market’ version takes advantage of all of the great, fresh produce that’s available at this time of year. Roasting the potatoes and corn brings robust warmth to the flavors of this dish, but best of all, you’ll have no worries about mayo sitting out in the summer heat. Serve it room temperature or serve it cold–it’s great either way.

This is a great dish to bring to all of your summer get-togethers — make a double batch!

Farmers’ Market Potato Salad
(adapted from Food Blogga & Cooking Light)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
3/4 cup vertically sliced red onion
1 cup zucchini, sliced into half moons
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place corn and potatoes on a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle vegetables with 1 tablespoon oil; toss to coat. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Place mixture in a large bowl. Combine tarragon and next 5 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle potato mixture with dressing; toss gently to coat.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and zucchini to pan; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini mixture and tomatoes to potato mixture; toss gently to combine.

Yield: 6 1-cup servings

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

Ever need a boost after an exhausting or exasperating day? Looking for something a little more inventive than a handful of almonds or a piece of fruit? How about a shake? I know what you’re thinking: definitely indulgent, but not worth the sugar crash later. Thankfully, with a little creativity, a shake blended with the right ingredients can can actually do a body good.

Many of us throw our slightly-too-ripe bananas into the freezer to use in banana bread or banana muffins. But you can also use them to make a thick, indulgent shake without the guilt of a regular ice cream-based shake. Just throw a peeled, quartered frozen banana into the blender with a little milk, a touch of vanilla and a tablespoon of peanut butter, and you’ve got a refreshing – and healthy – frosty beverage packed with potassium, protein, calcium, fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin B-6. Want to have this shake for dessert? Add a few dark chocolate chips to elevate the yum factor.

You can thank Tee for this find; she hooked me up with this link a few months ago. We enjoy this treat so much that we buy entire bunches of bananas to freeze so that we can make this shake anytime the mood strikes.

Frozen Banana-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Milkshake
(recipe adapted from the kitchn)
1 frozen bananas (peel them before you freeze them!), cut into chunks
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter (natural PB works great)
1/2 cup skim milk (experiment with soy, almond or rice milk if you’re sensitive or allergic to dairy)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Blend banana, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla in a blender until smooth. If desired, add the chocolate chips at the end and pulse or blend briefly until they are chopped and incorporated.

Yield: 1 shake

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

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Wandering around my local farmer’s market, arms laden with treasures bound for my kitchen, I spotted them: plump, fresh blueberries. I hastily rearranged everything I was carrying to make room for a couple of pints, knowing there were scones in my immediate future.

Scones are one of those things that look a lot more complicated and fussy than they really are. They come together in just a few minutes and with a minimum amount of effort — all the better for impressing everyone the next time you have to whip something up for a bake sale, quick brunch, or afternoon tea. Just barely sweet, they’re perfect with a little butter or clotted cream and jam or – my preference with these monster blueberry scones – a dollop of lemon or lime curd. You can shape them into triangles as you see pictured here, cut them out like biscuits or even just drop them onto your cookie sheet in approximately quarter-cup dollops – no matter which option you choose, you’ll have a wonderfully light and fluffy baked treat in no time.

Many scone recipes call for a full cup of heavy cream, but I like to lighten mine a bit by using half heavy cream and half milk. I also like to use half whole wheat flour (for the added nutritional benefits) and half all-purpose flour (to achieve the expected texture). However, if all you’ve got is heavy cream and regular all-purpose flour, feel free to indulge.

We love to hear from you! Do you have a favorite type of scone? And what’s your favorite way to top them?

Monster Blueberry Scones
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk (skim works fine)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
coarse sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400°F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor or in a medium mixing bowl and pulse or stir until well blended. Add the butter and and pulse or stir with a wire whisk or fork until crumbly. If using a food processor, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Add the milk, cream and blueberries. Stir gently just until the dough is combined, taking care not to break the berries.

For monster scones, pat the dough into a circle that is about 1” thick and 8”-9” in diameter on the prepared cookie sheet. For daintier scones, divide the dough into two parts and form two 4″-5″ circles.

Brush the scones with a little milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut the circle(s) into 8 wedges with a knife and separate them on the sheet so that they are at least two inches apart.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet.

Yield: 8 monster scones or 16 smaller scones
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