Non-alcoholic Gin Lime Rickey with cilantro

This is my 1000th post so we are celebrating with a COCKTAIL!  Today is a Rickey. Rickey is a name for a cocktail served in a highball glass made from gin or bourbon, half of a lime squeezed and dropped in the glass, and carbonated water. Little or no sugar is added to the rickey. 

Originally created with bourbon in Washington, D.C. at Shoomaker's bar by bartender George A. This version uses the added flavor of cilantro and a fake gin (see below) and adds a bit of sugar, because gin is naturally bitter, sugar is often used with gin, but rarely with bourbon.

We make Mocktails like this in a demonstration lecture Crafting Mocktails, it is a popular program so if you are in the northern Illinois area and would like to see the program check out the UPCOMING PROGRAM page to see where we will be next.

To make the Fake Gin you follow these simple directions:

Using a quart glass canning jar place the following items in the bottom:

2 tsp juniper berries

Peel of one entire lemon (no pith)

Peel of one orange

1 star anise

1 tsp coriander seed

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp savory

Add 2 cups cold water


Place a cover on the jar and infuse in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours before using. Strain out the solids.  No need to strain out the citrus early, that bitterness from the peel is desired.

We make a kit for crafting this Faux Gin in water for a nonalcoholic version or vodka as an alcoholic version.

Once you have the Fake Gin, then you can make the Lime Rickey

Gin Lime Rickey with Cilantro
1 cup water
Juice of 3 limes
1 cup Fake Gin
3 tablespoons sugar
1 small bunch cilantro
2 limes, quartered
3 cups club soda

Directions:
Combine water, lime juice, fake gin, sugar, cilantro and lime in a pitcher. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To serve, add club soda. 

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole (C&CMay)

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes (VegJun)

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes (ZucJul)

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes (MustardAug)

September 2019 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals (CrockOct)

November 2019 - Pies (PieNov)

December 2019 - Mocktails (MockDec)

Anise Hyssop - Mini Herb of the Week

I have posted about this plant before, but since it is one of the plants we will have at the Plant Sale for the Garden Club of Villa Park, I thought I would focus on it once more.

This flowering plant has spikes of lavender florets that bloom all though summer.  It is a great nectar plant for bees and butterflies and a must for a native garden or pollinator garden.

The mint-like leaves have toothed edges that taste and smell like licorice with a bright almost minty edge to the overall flavor.

To Grow

Anise Hyssop grows very well from seed, but if you want a long flowering version the first year, you want to get a nursery plant.  It prefers full sun, but will tolerate partial shade.  It likes a moderately moist, well-drained soil that is high in fertility.  You will want o spread compost around the base of mature plants in spring to give them a nutritional boost.

The plant blooms beginning in June and will continue all the way into September.  The flowers stay fresh and lively on the plant for up to 4 weeks.  They are a medium purple, shaped like little ears of corn.  To grows quickly and can gain 2 feet of height in just two months, so plant it with some space to expand.  It is a perennial so it will come back year after year to spread it glory and attract those butterflies.

To Use

Make a wonderful chilled astringent by steeping a Tablespoon of crushed leaves and flowers in a half-cup of boiling water. Leave covered until cool, then add the strained liquid to 1/2 cup of witch hazel extract.  It will act as an astringent to tighten pores if splashed on your face after washing and before moisturizing.  You can make a batch and keep it in the refrigerator for a week.

Black Bean Salad with Anise Hyssop

Minced Anise hyssop leaves emphasize the nutty flavor of black beans.  You'll want to make this salad just before you serve it so the black beans do not discolor all the other ingredients.

2 cups cooked back beans, rinsed if canned
1/4 pound cooked green beans, cut into one inch pieces
1 medium red or yellow tomato, chopped fine
1 shallot, minced
1 Tbls fresh onion or garlic chives, minced
1 Tbls anise hyssop leaves, minced
1 tsp anise seed
1 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine both beans, tomato, shallot chives, anise hyssop and anise seed.

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar and oil.  pour over the bean mixture and toss well to combine.  Serve in a nest of lettuce leaves immediately.

Herb of the Week - Herb Seeds

This is the time of year to think about seeds and I wanted to turn your attention to seeds as a product of your garden, not just for saving to grow next year’s crop but for the benefit of those seeds in your tea and cooking.  So here is a look at Five Herbs to grow for the seeds:

Dill (Antheum graveolens)

Dill has medicinal properties including being a carminative (something that reduced flatulence) and a general intestinal aid against cramps and discomfort.  The name comes from the Old Norse word dilla which means to Lull.  In the Language of flowers this meaning of To Lull meant calming and soothing thought.  Dill is most famous for being used to make pickles.  You can save the entire heads and place in jars of pickled or fermented cucumbers.  The seed heads are also decorative and make great winter time dried arrangements.  You can also use them as a flavoring in breads and soups. I posted some great recipes using dill back in 2010

Pumpkin and Dill Soup

3 cups pie pumpkin cubes
1/2 tsp dill seeds
2 Tbls finely chopped onions
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbls butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper powder to taste

For The Garnish
fresh cream
chopped spring onion greens

Directions: 

Heat the butter in a deep non-stick skillet or Dutch oven, add the onions and sauté on a medium heat for 1 minute. Add the dill seeds and sauté for another 1 minute. Add the pumpkin pieces, salt and 3 cups of water and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Allow it to cool completely.

Once cooled mash the pumpkin or blend with a hand or immersable blender until smooth.  Add the milk and cook for 2 more minutes.  Serve hot garnished with cream and spring onion greens.

Coriander – the seed of Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)  

Cilantro is the herb of the year in 2017 and one thing I learned early about cilantro is you must embrace its habit of going to seed.  Cilantro is a wonderful spicy-flavored leaf used in Asian cooking and salsa, however heat makes this wonderful plant bolt and go to seed very fast in the hot months of summer. By the time the tomatoes are ready, the cilantro is long past its prime.  To avoid this issue plant cilantro at two week intervals by spreading a layer of seed right next to a planted crop.  You will have a constant selection of crisp cilantro and can also enjoy the seeds of coriander when they bolt.  Coriander is a common cough remedy and is seen to be an aphrodisiac.  The seeds are used to flavor beans, onions, potatoes, sausage, stews, wine and even baked goods.  It is a regular ingredient in curry and chili powders. I love coriander in my Do-It-All seasoning.

Here are two recipes for Coriander the first is a meat rub and the second is a crescent cookie

Lemon Coriander Cookies 

The lemony flavor of coriander enhances the fresh lemon taste of these tender cookies.

3/4 cup Butter

1/3 cup Sifted powdered sugar

1 Tbls Lemon juice

1/4 tsp Lemon peel; grated fine

1 tsp Coriander, ground

2 cup Flour

1/3 cup Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions:

In a large mixer bowl, beat butter until softened. Add sifted powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Add lemon peel, lemon juice and coriander; beat well. Add flour; beat until well mixed. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Shape the dough into 1 1/2" long by 1/2" wide logs. Curve each log into a crescent shape, tapering the ends. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake 18-20 minutes or until done. Remove and cool. In a plastic bag, gently shake a few cookies at a time in 1/3 Cup powdered sugar.   These will keep for 1 week in an airtight container and up to 3 months in the freezer. 

Coriander Meat Rub

Homemade rubs are a quick way to transform roasted meat, poultry, and vegetables into something special. Use this one on both steak and potatoes. 

2 Tbls coriander seeds

2 Tbls whole peppercorns

1 Tbls dried thyme, chopped

1 Tbls dried rosemary

1 Tbls plus 1 tsp coarse kosher salt

Toast coriander seeds in a heavy small skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar or spice mill. Add peppercorns and crush until broken into coarse pieces. Mix crushed spices with herbs and salt. Store in an airtight container for up to 18 months.

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)  

These lovely summer edible flowers make great seed pods that you can turn into a substitute for capers.  You do this by pickling them.

Pickled Nasturtium Seeds

1 quart white vinegar

2 Tsp pickling salt

1 thinly sliced medium onion

2 cloves garlic

2 peppercorns

½ tsp each allspice, mace, and celery seed

Combine all ingredients in a glass quart wide mouth canning jar.  Pick the green seeds pods as the nasturtium blossoms fall.  Wash seeds and drop into pickling mixture.  Keep the jar in the refrigerator and continue to add washed seed pods though out the fall, being sure to stir well each time you add more.  You can begin using them once you have collected at least a cup.  Any place a recipe calls for capers you can substitute these pickled beauties.

Anise – Pimpinella anisum

Not to be confused with Anise Hyssop or Star Anise the spice, this herb, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor has similarities with some other plants, such as star anise, fennel, and licorice.  Because it is an annual plant you can grow it here in the Midwest and harvest the amazing seeds.

Sprinkle them where you want them to grow in sunny loose soil, as they dislike transplanting.  The seeds have been used since Biblical times.  Back then it was so precious it became a form of currency.  Today we prize it for the amazing scent and the ability to help with digestive issues as well as the sweet flavor for use in pickles, salads, cookies and candies.  I did an entire Herb of the Week post on Anise in February 2011 and another in March 2013 so it is well represented with numerous recipes. 

And finally I have Caraway (Carum carvi).  

This dill-looking plant has seeds that are a popular spice, especially in central Europe.  They enhance pork, goulash, sauerkraut, cheese and pickles.  When added to cooking cabbage they reduce the smell. The seed can also be used to flavor bread and cakes.  Chewing on the fresh seed will settle the stomach and increase alertness, especially after a meal.  Chopped leaves are added to soups and salad, and the roots can be cooked as a vegetable.  The seeds are considered an antiseptic. This seed is used not only to flavor rye bread, but also in cakes, biscuits, cheese, carrot, potatoes cabbage dishes and sausage. Caraway is the main ingredient in my Savory Herb Bread. I shared a Cool Caraway Coleslaw recipe back in 2013. We did an entire herb of the week post on this herb too back in Feb 2011. I found an old reference that originated in colonial times, which used the seed tied into the corner of a handkerchief and chewed to help folks stay awake during long winded sermons.

Herbed Waffles - Weekend Recipe

I love waffles and my Hubby makes great malted ones (Belgian.)  This is a more traditional waffle recipe but the herbs give it a great unique flavor that will go well with both syrup and breakfast meats.

Herbed Waffles

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. lavender buds

1 tsp. dried mint

½ tsp. ground fennel or anise seed

1 egg, well beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 TB. shortening, melted and slightly cooled, or salad oil

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add herbs.  Mix egg, milk, vanilla and shortening. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir only enough to moisten. Do not beat or the waffles will be tough. Bake in waffle iron following waffle iron instructions.

Anise Seed - Herb of the Week

To go with our theme of growing from seed, this week’s                

            Herb of the Week is Anise (Pimpinella anisum)

Also called aniseed, this is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor has similarities with some other spices, such as star anise, fennel and licorice.

Anise plant sometimes called anise seed is an herbaceous annual plant that will to 3 ft tall. The leaves at the base of the plant are simple, 1/2 to 2 inches long and shallowly lobed, while leaves higher on the stems are feathery pinnate, divided into numerous leaves. The seeds of the Anise plant are what give Greek liqueur ouzo is oomph as well as create a flavoring for licorice candy.  Anise has two types of leaves.  A small round toothed leaf when it is young, somewhat like flat-leaf parsley, but mature plant leaves are almost fern-like.  In the middle of summer (when it starts to get hot) anise will produce umbels of tiny-off-white flowers which will mature into grayish brown seeds that have a wonderful licorice like flavor.

Anise originated from Greece, Crete and Egypt. The Ebers Papyrus, a famous Egyptian medical manuscript dating back to 1500 a. c., lists anise as a medicinal plant. The Greeks considered anise a medicine, and the Romans favored its use in many seasonings and sauces. The old herbals had nru.ch to say about anise. They claimed that anise was both a stimu1ant and a relaxant; that it was an aromatic, diaphoretic and tonic; and that it was helpful fur lung and stomach troubles. Today, anise is still used as a home remedy: Anethole, the oil of anise, is used in modem cough mixtures, to help stomach ailments and to help relieve asthma and bronchitis. According to Pliny the Elder, anise was used as a cure for sleeplessness, chewed with alexanders and a little honey in the morning to freshen the breath, and, when mixed with wine, as a remedy for asp bites. Anise is a food plant for the larvae of some butterflies and moths.

Growing Anise

This annual plant is best grown from seed.  In zones 5 to 7 you can sow seeds directly in the garden in spring once the soil and air are warm.  In colder climates you can start them indoors.  In the south sow the seed in fall.  In all cases plant them ¼ to ½ inch deep and thin the seedlings to 8 inches apart.  They do have a weak stem so closer together is okay too.  They prefer full sun in a light, fast-draining soil that is worked deep and soft.  Kind of a picky plant, in hot humid weather it will die back or bolt and it does not like windy conditions or weed competitors either.

The first leaves of anise are round and toothed, but later leaves are deeply lobed. The flowers, which appear later, are white, delicate and 1acy, like those of Queen Anne's lace. Outdoors, anise grows up to 2 feet. Indoors, it seldom reaches more than 1 foot. Anise is a herbaceous annual plant growing to 3 feet or more tall.

Start the seeds in peat pellets or make your own paper pots (see my blog on how to make them), sowing thickly. Anise seeds germinate in one week. The seedlings do not transplant well, so thin them out to one per pot when they are a few inches tall. After the seedlings have three sets of leaves, transplant them. Place each pot in a 4-inch pot and place in bright sun to grow indoors.  Anise plants grow best in light, fertile, well drained soil.  If sowing outdoors, the seeds should be planted as soon as the ground warms up in spring. Because the plants have a taproot, they do not transplant well after being established, so they should be started either in their final location or transplanted while the seedlings are still small.

Uses of Anise

The seeds are the most commonly used part of anise plant.  They are easy to store and are great in the winter steamed with root vegetables like turnips, parsnips and carrots.  They are also a great companion to cabbage.  The natural sweetness makes them a good accompaniment to fruits, in muffins and cookies.  The fresh leaves lend a nice flavor to salads, sauces and soups.  It is used as a breath freshener after meals, which means you can use it well in desserts or after dinner teas.  It is purported to help with bloating, wind and the restoration of equilibrium when taken as tea.

The seeds, which have a distinctive licorice flavor, are used in bread, pastries, candies and liqueurs, such as anisette, Pemod and ouzo. In India, they are used in some curries and also chewed after meals to sweeten the breath and cure indigestion. The French enjoy the leaves with cooked carrots. You can also add them to salads and stews.

Anise is sweet and very aromatic, distinguished by its characteristic flavor.  The seeds, whole or powdered, are used in a wide variety of regional and ethnic confectioneries, including the black jelly bean, British aniseed balls, Australian humbugs, New Zealand aniseed wheels, Italian pizzelle, German Pfeffernusse and Springerle, Austrian Anisbogen, Netherland muisjes, Norwegian knotts, New Mexican Bizcochitos, and Peruvian picarones. It is a key ingredient in Mexican atole de anis or champurrado, which is similar to hot chocolate, and it is taken as a digestive after meals in India. Anise is also used in the Vietnamese noodle soup Pho.

The medicinal uses include the phytoestrogen anethole, which is also found in fennel.  This makes it a good treatment for menstrual cramps.  John Gerard in “The Great Herball,” one of the early herbals, suggested its use as a way to prevent gas.  There were some reports of using the essential oil has reportedly been used as an insecticide against head-lice and mites. Anise seed infusion made by pouring 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tablespoon anise seed and sweeten with honey has been used to treat smoker's cough. In the Middle East, water is boiled with about a tablespoon of aniseed per teacup to make a special hot tea called yansoon. This tea is given to mothers in Egypt when they are nursing.

Recipes

Anise Seed Marinated Seafood

1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon anise seed
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound large scallops

Mix orange juice, oil, anise seed, garlic salt, ginger and pepper in small bowl.
Place seafood in large resealable plastic bag and add marinade; turn to coat seafood.

Refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove seafood from bag and discard marinade.
Thread shrimp and scallops onto skewers.

Grill over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and scallops are
cooked through. Serve with Honey Ginger Dipping Sauce (recipe follows).

Honey Ginger Dipping Sauce:
Mix 3/4 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons each honey, soy sauce and
sliced green onions, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.

Mexican Sugar Cookies

By: Bea Ramirez (on allrecipes.com)

2 1/2 cups shortening

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon anise seed, ground

2 eggs

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Beat shortening until light and fluffy. Add one cup sugar, and anise seed. Mix until creamy. Add eggs and mix well. Add flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt and orange juice. Mix well.  Knead dough until smooth. On lightly floured surface, roll to 1/2 inch thick. Cut using cookie cutter into different shapes. Bake until light brown, 5 - 8 minutes. Roll cookies in mixture of 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons of cinnamon while still warm.

Beef Pho (Vietnamese Soup)

5 pounds beef knuckle, with meat

2 pounds beef oxtail

1 white (daikon) radish, sliced

2 onions, chopped

2 Tbls. aniseseed

1/2 cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 slice fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 1/2 pounds dried flat rice noodles

1/2 pound frozen beef sirloin

TOPPINGS:

sriracha hot pepper sauce

hoisin sauce

thinly sliced onion

chopped fresh cilantro

bean sprouts (mung beans)

sweet Thai basil

thinly sliced green onion

limes, quartered

Place the beef knuckle in a very large (9 quart or more) pot. Season with salt, and fill pot with 2 gallons of water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 hours Skim fat from the surface of the soup, and add the oxtail, radish and onions. Tie the anise pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns and ginger in a cheesecloth or place in a spice bag; add to the soup. Stir in sugar, salt and fish sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 4 more hours (the longer, the better). At the end of cooking, taste, and add salt as needed. Strain broth, and return to the pot to keep at a simmer. Discard spices and bones. Reserve meat from the beef knuckle for other uses if desired. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Soak the rice noodles in water for about 20 minutes, then cook in boiling water until soft, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Slice the frozen beef paper thin. The meat must be thin enough to cook instantly. Place some noodles into each bowl, and top with a few raw beef slices. Ladle boiling broth over the beef and noodles in the bowl. Serve with hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce on the side. Set onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, basil, green onions, and lime out at the table for individuals to add toppings to their liking.