Banana split board with cherry limeade

If I could have one Oklahoman business open a branch in California, it would be the Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Store. They set the standard for my tastebuds when it comes to ice cream sundaes and cherry limeades.

For an upcoming gathering, guests are tasked with providing a themed board. I, of course, am probably overdoing the assignment but I love a fun challenge. The following is what it takes to create a banana split board with cherry limeades. In some instances, I elevated the ingredient, such as roasted strawberry-buttermilk sherbet and double Dutch dark chocolate ice cream instead of their basic blends. Going for extra wow factor by making my own maraschino cherries, then using the juice as the "cherry" in the limeades.

Banana splits:

• Bananas
• Randy Mill Farms homemade ice cream
• Roasted strawberry-buttermilk sherbet
• Double Dutch dark chocolate ice cream
• Hot fudge sauce
• Strawberry sauce
• Pineapple sauce (bonus!)
• Marshmallow sauce
• Caramel sauce (another bonus!)
• Toasted almonds
• Whipped cream
• Maraschino cherries

Cherry limeades served with an assortment of vodkas.

Preparation order:

• Maraschino cherries: store up to 3 months
• Marshmallow sauce: store up to 2 months
• Caramel sauce: store up to 3 weeks
• Strawberry sauce: store up to 3 weeks
• Hot fudge sauce: store up to 2 weeks
• Pineapple sauce: store up to 2 weeks
• Randy Mill Farms homemade ice cream: store up to 3 days
• Roasted strawberry-buttermilk sherbet: store up to 3 days
• Double Dutch dark chocolate ice cream: store up to 3 days

Note: This is a progression of my previous Building a better banana split post.

Chicken korma

Active: 30 minutes; Total: 45 minutes + marinade; Serves: 2 to 4

Chicken, bone-in, skinless	1.2 pounds
Yogurt, plain	3 tablespoons + ¼ cup
Garlic, grate with microplane	2 cloves
Ginger, grate with microplane	1-inch piece
Turmeric, ground	¼ teaspoon
Paprika	1 teaspoon
Garam masala	1 teaspoon + ½ teaspoon
Salt	½ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Oil	1 ½ tablespoons + 1 tablespoon
Cardamom, green, whole	5 pods + 1 pod
Onions, red, sliced	2 medium
Almonds, whole	4
Cashews, whole	6
Water	½ cup
Bayleaf	1 leaf
Cloves	3
Cinnamon	2-inch stick
Serrano chili, slit	1
Coriander powder	1 ½ teaspoon
Cilantro	Garnish
Rice, cooked

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, 3-tablespoons yogurt, garlic, and ginger. 
2. Add the turmeric, paprika, 1-teaspoon garam masala, and ½-teaspoon salt. 
3. Mix together; set aside in the refrigerator up to overnight. 
4. Heat 1 ½-tablespoons oil in a pan, then add 3 to 5 cardamom pods. 
5. Add the onions; sauté, stirring often, until golden brown and caramelized. 
6. Turn off the stove, and add the almonds and cashews; cool completely. 
7. Blend the onion mixture with ¼-cup yogurt until smooth; set aside. 
8. In the same pan, heat 1-tablespoon oil, then add the bayleaf, cloves, cardamom pod, and cinnamon; sauté for a minute. 
9. Add the chicken and chili. 
10. Sauté on medium heat until the smell of raw garlic and ginger goes away; about 5 to 7 minutes. 
11. Add the onion paste and water, then ¼-teaspoon salt. 
12. Add ½-teaspoon garam masala and coriander powder, mix well.
13. Cover and cook on medium heat until the chicken turns tender and is soft cooked; adjust salt as needed, and add more water if it is too thick.
14. Sprinkle with cilantro, serve with rice. 

Recipe from Swasthi’s Recipes, June 2020.

Natascha's dates

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Remove the seeds from the dates.
3. Hide an almond inside a glob of blue cheese.
4. Wrap with a basil and a mint leaf.
5. Bind with a stripe of prosciutto, and stuff gently inside the date.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Let cool 10 minutes before devouring.

Almond-poached chicken salad

Chicken breast, boneless, skinless	1 ½ pounds
Almond “milk”*, unsweetened	3 cups
Salt, kosher	1 tablespoon +
Pepper, freshly ground
Oil, extra-virgin olive	¼ cup
Vinegar, apple cider	3 tablespoons
Cauliflower, cored, cut into florets, thinly sliced	1 small head
Radishes, thinly sliced	4
Arugula	2 cups
Dill fronds, chopped	2/3 cup
Basil leaves, torn	½ cup
Almonds, roasted, salted, chopped	½ cup +

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the chicken with the almond “milk”* product. 
2. Add the salt, and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. 
3. Flip the chicken, and gently simmer until cooked through, about 7 minutes. 
4. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid, and transfer to a plate; discard the poaching liquid. 
5. Let rest 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool. 
6. Shred the meat. 
7. In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. 
8. Add the chicken, cauliflower, and radishes; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. 
9. Gently fold in the arugula, dill, basil, and ½-cup almonds. 
10. Transfer the salad to plates, garnish with more chopped almonds, and serve. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Food&Wine Magazine, August 2017. 

*Almonds are not milked. As a former dairy farmer, with more than 20 years of pulling bovine teats to my credit, I feel calling an extraction of almond juice “milk” to be annoyingly inaccurate and misleading to an already bewildered customer.

Butter almond cookies

Butter, unsalted, room temperature	½ cup
Egg, well beaten	1
Almonds, blanched, finely chopped	1/3 cup
Sugar, granulated	½ cup
Cinnamon, ground	½ tablespoon
Cloves, ground	½ tablespoon
Nutmeg, ground	½ tablespoon
Lemon zest	½ tablespoon
Brandy	2 tablespoons
Flour, all-purpose	2 cups

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. 
2. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. 
3. Add the egg, almonds, sugar, brandy, and spices, and then gradually add the flour until well combined. 
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a ¼-inch thickness, and cut with a round cookie cutter dipped in flour; place the cookies on a lined baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.