Watermelon-basil sorbet

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 4 hours 20 minutes; Yield: 1 quart

Watermelon, ripe, diced in 1-inch cubes	7 cups (3 to 4 pounds)
Sugar, granulated	¾ cup
Basil, fresh, torn + minced	1 cup packed + 2 tablespoons
Lime juice, freshly squeezed	3 tablespoons
Chambord	1 tablespoon
Vodka	1 tablespoon
Salt	Pinch

1. Puree the watermelon in a food processor or blender. 
2. Place a fine mesh sieve over a mixing bowl, and transfer the watermelon to the strain off the juice; discard the pulp. 
3. Reserve ¾-cup of the juice, and place in a small saucepan with the sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 
4. Add 1-cup of torn basil leaves, cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes. 
5. Strain the simple syrup into the bowl with the rest of the watermelon juice; whisk to incorporate. 
6.  Whisk in the lime juice, Chambord, vodka, and salt. 
7. Cover, and chill for 4 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. 
8. Prior to churning, stir in 2-tablespoons minced basil. 
9. Churn in your ice cream maker for 15 to 20 minutes; it will look slushy but will get firmer in the freezer. 
10. Freeze for 24 to 48 hours to cure the sorbet before serving, if possible to wait that long. 

Recipe from Sense & Edibility by Marta Rivera.

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.

Braum's cherry limeade

Active: 5 minutes; Total: 5 minutes; Yield: 1 drink/2 gallons

	Single serving	2-gallon batch
Lime, rinsed, rolled on counter, cut in half	1 + Garnish slice	30
Sweet cherry juice concentrate or maraschino cherry juice	2 tablespoons	24 ounces
Simple syrup	2 tablespoons	24 ounces
Ice
Club soda	½ cup	4 liters
Maraschino cherry	Garnish

1. Squeeze the lime halves into a glass, and drop in the limes. 
2. Add simple syrup and cherry juice; shake to combine. 
3. Add ice, and top with soda. 
4. Garnish with cherry and lime slice.

Note: For larger batches using the beverage dispenser, wash and freeze limes and cherries use as ice cubes.

Blackberry-sage margarita

Active: 5 minutes; Total: 5 minutes; Serves: 1

Lime	½
Blackberries	6
Sage	2 leaves
Tequila	2 ounces
Triple sec	1 ounce
Simple syrup	½ ounce

1. Add 6 blackberries and 2 sage leaves to a cocktail shaker, and muddle. 
2. Squeeze in the lime juice, then add the tequila, triple sec, and simple syrup. 
3. Add ice, cover the shaker, and shake for 15 seconds. 
4. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. 
5. Garnish with sage and blackberries. 

Recipe from tastingtable.com.

Chicken tikka meatballs with ginger rice

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 1 hour 25 minutes; Serves: 8

Ginger root, peeled, chunk cut	5-inch piece
Garlic, halved	8 cloves
Oil, canola	1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon
Rice, long grain, uncooked	1 ½ cup
Water	3 cups
Green onions, sliced	3 + 3
Garam masala, divided	1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons
Tomatoes, crushed	28 ounces
Cream, heavy whipping	½ cup
Salt, dividied	½ teaspoon + 1 teaspoon
Cilantro leaves, fresh, chopped	1/3 cup + 1/3 cup
Pepper, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Chicken, ground	2 pounds
Sour cream	½ cup
Lime juice, fresh	1 tablespoon
Cumin, ground	¼ teaspoon

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
2. In a food processor, process the ginger until a paste forms; remove and set aside. 
3. Repeat with the garlic; remove and set aside. 
4. In a small saucepan, heat 1-teaspoon oil over medium heat. 
5. Add the rice and 1-teaspoon ginger paste; cook and stir until the rice is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. 
6. Stir in the water; bring to a boil. 
7. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. 
8. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat 1-tablespoon oil over medium heat. 
9. Add half of the garlic paste and half of the remaining ginger paste; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
10. Add half of the green onions and 1-tablespoon garam masala; cook and stir 1 minute longer. 
11. Stir in the tomatoes, cream, and ½-teaspoon salt; heat through (do not allow to boil). 
12. In a large bowl, combine 1/3-cup cilantro, pepper, and the remaining green onions, ginger and garlic pastes, 1 ½-teaspoons garam masala, and 1-teaspoon salt. 
13. Add the chicken; mix lightly but thoroughly. 
14. Shape mixture into 1 ½-inch balls; place meatballs on a greased rack in a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet. 
15. Bake until browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. 
16. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce; cook until heated through. 
17. Stir in remaining cilantro. 
18. Combine the sour cream, lime juice, cumin, and pinch of salt. 
19. Fluff the rice with a fork; serve with the meatballs and sauce. 
20. Drizzle with the sour cream mixture; top with additional cilantro and green onions. 

Recipe from Taste of Home.

Thai salmon bake

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 45 minutes; Serves: 4

Garlic, crushed	2 cloves
Ginger, peeled, finely chopped	¾-inch piece
Coconut milk,	14 ounces
Sugar, coconut	1 tablespoon
Thai 7 Spice seasoning	1 ½ teaspoon
Fish sauce	2 tablespoons
Lime juice, freshly squeezed	1 tablespoon
Shallots, finely chopped	3 large
Cilantro, finely chopped	2 tablespoons
Salmon fillets, skin on	20 ounces
Asparagus, cut into ¾-inch piece	9 ounces
Rice, basmati, cooked

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 
2. Place the garlic, ginger, coconut milk, sugar, seasoning, fish sauce, and lime juice in a medium-sized bowl, and mix together; then add the shallots and cilantro. 
3. Place the salmon, skin side down, and the asparagus on a sheet pan; pour the sauce over the top. 
4. Cover with foil, and bake for 35 minutes; serve with rice. 

Recipe from Sheet Pan Dinners by Jenny Tschiesche & Liz Franklin.

Doctor Funk

Active: 5 minutes; Serves: 1

Rum, dark (Pusser’s preferred)	2 ½ ounces
Absinthe (La Fée Parisienne preferred)	1/6 ounce
Lemon juice, fresh	½ ounce
Lime juice, fresh	¼ ounce
Simple syrup	¼ ounce
Grenadine (Giffard preferred)	¼ ounce
Lime wedge	Garnish

1. Shake all ingredients with ice. 
2. Strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. 
3. Garnish with lime wedge.

Devil's ginger

Active: 5 minutes; Serves: 1

Vodka (Hanger One, per the restaurant, but I’m using Skyy)	2 ounces
St. Germaine	¾ ounce
Ginger, grated with microplane	1 tablespoon
Lime juice, fresh	½ ounce
Simple syrup	¼ ounce
Cayenne	Dusting
Ginger, candied	Garnish

1. Muddle fresh ginger in a cocktail mixer, and add ice. 
2. Add vodka, St. Germaine, juice, and simple syrup; shake for a minute to combine and chill. 
3. Strain into a chilled glass, lightly dust with cayenne, and garnish with a chunk of candied ginger on the rim. 

Based on a favorite cocktail served at Cafe Cruz in Capitola, CA.

Baked sweet potatoes with maple dressing

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 55 minutes; Serves: 4

Sweet potatoes, preferably yellow	4 medium
Butter, unsalted; room temperature	2 tablespoons
Salt, fine sea
Crème fraîche	½ cup
Maple syrup	1 tablespoon
Lime juice, freshly squeezed	1 tablespoon
Fish sauce	2 teaspoons
Black pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Scallions, thinly sliced, both green and white parts	2 tablespoons
Pinenuts, roasted	2 tablespoons
Red chile flakes	1 teaspoon
Lime zest	½ teaspoon

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. 
2. Rinse and scrub the potatoes under running tap water. 
3. Slice them lengthwise, and place them in a roasting pan, cut side facing up. 
4. Brush or smear with butter, and season with salt. 
5. Cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil and press around the edges to seal snugly. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil, flip the potatoes, and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes more, until the potatoes are cooked thoroughly and are tender. 
7. Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. 
8. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, maple syrup, lime juice, fish sauce, and pepper; season to taste with salt.
9. In another small bowl, combine the scallions, pine nuts, chile flakes, and lime zest.
10. To serve, top the warm roasted potatoes with a few tablespoons of the dressing, and sprinkle with the scallion-nut mixture. 

Recipe adapted from Food52.

Cape Malay chicken curry

Active: 40 minutes; Total: 1 hour; Serves: 6

Cinnamon sticks	2 sticks
Fennel seeds	2 teaspoons
Chicken, whole, cut into 10 bone-in pieces	3 ½ to 4 ½ pounds
Salt, kosher	1 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon +
Oil, grapeseed	2 tablespoons
Onions, yellow, cut into ½-inch-thick slices	2 medium
Jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeded, thinly sliced	2 medium
Ginger, peeled, grated	2 tablespoons
Curry powder	2 tablespoons
Garlic, finely chopped	3 cloves
Tomatoes, diced, undrained	15 ounces
Water	1 cup
Mango chutney	¼ cup
Bay leaves, fresh or dried	2 leaves
Lime juice, fresh	1 ½ tablespoons
Mielie pap
Cilantro	Garnish

1. Heat the cinnamon sticks and fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. 
2. Transfer to a spice grinder; process until very finely ground, about 45 seconds; set aside. 
3. Sprinkle chicken pieces all over with 1-tablespoon salt. 
4. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 
5. Working in two batches, cooking the chicken until browned on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate. 
6. Reduce heat to medium. 
7. Add onions and ½-teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to loosen any browned bits, until onions are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. 
8. Stir in the jalapeños, ginger, curry powder, garlic, and ground cinnamon mixture. 
9. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
10. Stir undrained tomatoes into curry mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces and forms a thick paste, 3 to 4 minutes. 
11. Stir in water, chutney, bay leaves, and 2-teaspoons salt. 
12. Nestle chicken pieces into the mixture. 
13. Bring to a boil over medium heat. 
14. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken thighs registered 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes. 
15. Stir the lime juice into the curry mixture; season with salt to taste. 
16. Ladle curry over mielie pap; garnish with cilantro. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, October 2020