Grilled Cabbage with Spicy Lime Dressing

Ok, I know what you're thinking. Cabbage. Cabbage? But don't judge. Don't give up on this humble veggie without giving it another, newer (and tastier) try. I've always been a fan of raw cabbage, although I know that puts me in the minority. In fact, as a kid I remember we used to ask my mom for the cabbage core whenever she was making cole slaw. If you've never tried the core, please do. It's a little like a radish without the bite. Very tasty. But I digress. I saw this recipe for grilled cabbage on The Kitchn and knew that I wanted to try it immediately. I also knew that I would meet with some resistance from the Hubs, but I thought the spicy lime dressing might bring him around. Well, he admitted he had his doubts, but in the end said that he was "pleasantly surprised." Hey, I'll take it. This is a great, flavor-packed side dish that is surprisingly filling, considering it's pretty much just cabbage. The dressing is very citrusy, but pairs nicely with the mellow cabbage and the garlic and cilantro also stood out. If I had one complaint it would be that I didn't get spiciness from this at all, so next time I might add a jalapeno to the dressing. We used half a head of cabbage for two people, but I'm including the recipe for the whole head below. 

Ingredients
1/4 cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 head green cabbage
Grapeseed or canola oil

For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients except the cabbage together in a small bowl. The original recipe said to "whizz" them in a food processor, but to be honest, I didn't feel like dirtying up my whole Cuisinart just for this little bit of dressing. So I used my trusty garlic press and I feel like it turned out just fine. Set the dressing aside and prepare your cabbage. Get rid of the outer layers of tough leaves until you get to the tasty good cabbage inside. Cut it into 8 wedges and brush the edges with oil. To grill it, put the wedges on for about 5 minutes or so with the cover closed until the edges start to get some good color. Flip them on the other edge and cook for another 5-7 minutes with the cover closed. We kept the cabbage relatively crisp in the center, but if you want to soften it up even more just cook it for longer.  Then just pour the dressing over the wedge and serve with a knife. Give cabbage a chance! You might find yourself pleasantly surprised as well.

Lime Pie

This is a recipe my mom has made for years. I love limes and graham crackers so how could this possible go wrong? It doesn't. It is very limey and very good. This is a recipe my Mom got from my Grandma, and has been handed down to me. Or, maybe I stole it. Alas, this recipe has been around since I was a kid. When I went to visit my Grandma last summer in Illinois, I made this recipe from memory. Grandma thought the pie was too limey. Perhaps I overdid it on the lime zest. I thought the pie crust tasted funny. My Grandma is a big believer in keeping items in the freezer for a long, long time. So, I have a feeling the graham crackers were stale. So, lessons learned; don't over zest the lime filling and don't use stale graham crackers. Enjoy!

Pie Crust
1 2/3 cup Graham Cracker Crust
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp melted butter

Combine graham cracker and sugar in a bowl and mix. Then stir in melted butter. Place in a pie plate and press firmly into plate. Bake the pie crust at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Then remove from oven and let cool. Proceed with making the filling and the meringue.

Lime Filling
3 egg yolks (keep the egg white in separate bowl)
1 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes)

Combing the above ingredients and stir well. Pour into Pie Plate.

Meringue
Stir well the 3 egg whites and add a teaspoon of cream of tarter and mix until fluffy then add about 3 tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form. Pour on top of filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes until Meringue is a nice golden color.

After pie has cooled, place in refrigerator for about 3-6 hours until cold.

(Click here for printable recipe)

Mojito

The first time I tried a Mojito was in a bar in Las Vegas. Don't ask me which casino I was in, because I have no idea. It was my first time in Vegas and all my co-worker and I did was walk from one casino to the other stopping in each to have a cocktail (or two). My co-worker was very, um, knowledgeable, about alcoholic beverages. And, while sitting in this one bar I was trying to decide what to order. He suggested I try a Mojito. He was quite convinced that I would like it. He was wrong. I loved it! The Mojito was the perfect combination of rum, mint, soda, and sweetness. And, it had a real sugar cane in it. It was perfection.
Upon my return to Richmond, I've been seeking out the perfect Mojito. Havana 59 came a little close, Cha Cha's that much closer, and Cheesecake Factory (funny enough) hit the nail right on the head. But, I wanted to figure out how to make my own Mojito in the comfort of my own home. So, I went out and bought some peppermint, which to my surprise wasn't the proper herb. Mojitos actually calls for Mint, which I've since planted.

The following recipe is the perfect Mojito in comparison to that awesome one in Vegas. Enjoy on a nice hot day!

1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar

Bunch of Mint picked off the vine (maybe about 3/4 to a cup of mint leaves)

Slice of lime

Dash of Club Soda

2 oz Light Rum

Crushed Ice

First boil 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to make a simple syrup. Stir and then keep an eye on it, because the sugar melts really fast once the water boils. As soon as the sugar is dissolved turn off the burner. Set aside to cool.

Now, take out two glasses, and divide the mint leaves (about 1/4 cup), rum, and simple syrup (about 1/4 cup if you like your mojitos sweet) into each glass. Using a muddler; crush the mint leaves to release the mint flavor from the leaves. Then, add crushed ice to about 3/4 of the glass, top with the club soda , and the juice from a slice of lime into each glass. Stir really well. Serve!

(Click here for printable recipe)