BOURBON SLUSH COCKTAIL - These were a fun way to kick off the festivities and even non-bourbon drinkers enjoyed the cool, citrus-y drink. Having the tea along with the bourbon seems to make this a quintessential Southern drink. You might want to make these the day before or early enough to allow them 6 hours in the freezer. They were not "slushy" enough after the two hours recommended in the recipe. They shouldn't freeze solid because of the alcohol in the mixture. (Adapted from The All New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook)
4 regular size tea bags
2 cups boiling water
2 cups sugar
7 cups water
1 12-ounce can Frozen Lemonade Concentrate
1 12-ounce can Frozen Limeade Concentrate
1 12-ounce can Frozen Orange Concentrate
2 to 2 1/2 cups bourbon , to taste (it's OK if it is a little strong because of the added soda when serving)
Ginger Ale or Lemon Lime soft drink
Put tea bags into the boiling water and steep 10 minutes, discarding tea bags when done.
Combine tea, sugar, 7 cups water, and juice concentrates in a large pot and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, stir in bourbon and cool. Freeze in zip-top freezer bags or shallow plastic containers. If frozen solid, allow to sit at room temperature 30 minutes and scrape with a fork.
To serve, place 1/2 cup slush into cocktail glass and top with splash of ginger ale or lemon lime soda.
STEAK BITES APPETIZER - takes a while to prep and assemble, but worth it. The sweet of the caramelized onions were a good contrast to the blue cheese mixture. And with the tomato on top, they are attractive too. Although it kind of hurt my soul to pour out a cup of Kentucky bourbon after using it as marinade, it did give the meat an awesome flavor.( Adapted from The Woodford Reserve Culinary Cocktail Tour)
1 cup bourbon ( I used Woodford Reserve)
2 pounds fillet Mignon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large white onion, sliced
1 baguette French bread, cut in to 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup sour cream
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, trimmed
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
Pour the bourbon over the fillets in a shallow dish, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally. Drain, discarding the marinade, then season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof saute pan. Add the fillet to the hot oil and sear for 1 minute per side. Roast for 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 145 degrees for medium rare. Let rest for 15 minutes. Cut the fillet lengthwise into halves, and then cut each half into 18 thin slices.
Heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 30 minutes or until the onions are light brown and tender, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the broiler. Brush baguette slices lightly with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil until brown on both sides.
Mix cheese and sour cream in a bowl ( you can do this step earlier and refrigerate so the flavors can blend.
Assemble just before serving. Put one fillet on each toasted bread slice. Add a layer of onion and add a spoonful of the cheese mixture. Add a tomato half, and garnish with parsley.
WOODFORD STEAK SALAD - This dish was PERFECT for a supper on a hot summer night! It was such a pretty presentation, my girlfriends even took pictures! Serves 6, but you can easily add more meat and vegetables to serve more. I used fresh basil from my garden and the smell in the kitchen was awesome. To save time you can also use prepared balsamic vinaigrette and add the mustard and spices (Adapted from The Woodford Reserve Culinary Cocktail Tour)THE STEAK
2 Tablespoons Woodford Reserve Bourbon
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds flat-iron steak, flank steak, or top sirloin
Mix the bourbon, oil and other ingredients to create the marinade. Put the steak in a shallow dish and cover with marinade. Marinate in refrigerator at least 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Cook steak on grill or in broiler until medium-rare. Allow to cool before slicing, then cut into bite-size strips.
THE VEGETABLES
6-8 new potatoes or Redskin Potatoes
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 small zucchini, julienned
1/3 cup chopped scallions or green onions
1/3 cup thin red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup broccoli florets
Cook the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Drain, cool, and cut into quarters. Combine with tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, scallions, zucchini, carrots and any other vegetable you would like to add. Keep vegetables cold, then combine with the slightly warm potatoes just before adding the vinaigrette. You can cut the vegetables up ahead of time to speed preparation/assembly.
BASIL VINAIGRETTE
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
1/8 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Whisk the ingredients together. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes and vegetables and toss to coat. Serve on large platter and arrange steak slices on top.
The fabulous dessert, Bourbon Chocolate Cake with Bourbon Buttercream Icing, will be saved for the next post.
