Dessert Comfort

A simple dessert made well is sometimes overlooked when considering dessert options. This is a good recipe to have in your dessert repertoire as it's a crowd favorite.

Tips: Knowing your grains is important, as each type of rice will provide different results. Here are your options; long or short-grain white rice, brown, basmati, or jasmine. Cooking times and consistencies will vary wildly, ok, maybe widely. Long grain rice makes a pudding that is slightly drier and chewier than one made with short-grain rice. In comparison, brown rice will be nuttier. Arborio rice is starchier and therefore can set up without the addition of eggs. Cooking times will also depend on the type of rice, along with the amount of milk used. 

Other important tips: Do not combine any sugar with rice until the rice kernels are completely tender, or the starch will begin to set and harden and will not become additionally tender. Do not use converted rice as it contains pre-gelatinized starch, which will not thicken rice properly. To keep a skin from forming over rice pudding, sprinkle a small amount of granulated sugar over the top as soon as you pour the pudding out of the pot.

George’s Rice Pudding 

Makes 2 cups, about 4-6 servings

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3/4 cup uncooked short-grain rice

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar, or if using Turbino slightly less

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup raisins, plumped with dark rum or water 

1 Tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, add rice and water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. 

In a separate bowl, mix 1 1/2 cup milk, salt, sugar, and salt. Add to cooked rice and return to heat and gently simmer and stir for 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup milk to the beaten egg, plumped raisins, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Stir egg mixture into milk and rice and simmer 2 additional minutes, stirring constantly. Serve warm or chill in small cups. Sprinkle a small amount of granulated sugar on top to keep a skin from forming.

Serve with fresh chopped fruit, toasted chopped nuts, whip cream, or meringue.

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Take Along Snack

Today there are so many prepackaged cereal snack bars available on the market, so it can make you dizzy trying to decide which one to pick. Yes, there are some good ones, but why not make your own? 

Let’s begin by understanding this recipe I've created. Oats are the main body of the recipe, so that ingredient is the constant. Other than that, you can be creative with several substitutions based on your personal preference and ingredients you have on hand. If you don’t have dried blueberries but have dried apricots - fee free to substitute! Have sliced almonds, but no walnuts, no problem. OK, you get the idea.

My Oat Bars are perfect for take-along snack for traveling. You can also share your own snack bars at the office, bake sales, church socials, or your next tailgate. 

Oat Bars

Makes 2 dozen bars

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2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup desiccated coconut (shredded & dried)

1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or mixed

1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, or mixed; chopped

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons, maple syrup

2 Tablespoons butter or canola oil, plus enough to grease parchment

1/2 cup mixed dried fruit, raisins, blueberries and cranberries

2 large ripe bananas, mashed 

1/4 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon cinnamon  

pinch fresh grated nutmeg

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Line a 9-inch-baking sheet pan with parchment paper allowing two inches to over lap sides of pan. Brush parchment paper with melted butter.

Spread oats, coconut, nuts and seeds on another baking pan and toast in oven just until very light brown, about 5 minutes, stirring once. Use caution not to over brown. 

In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, and maple syrup. Stir over low heat until warmed. In a separate large bowl, mix together toasted oats, coconut, seeds, dried fruit, mashed banana, applesauce, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour butter mixture over and stir until well combined. 

While mixture is warm, spread into lined parchment baking pan with a spatula. Bake until brown, 25 to 30 minutes, remove and allow to cool. 

Lift parchment by grabbing the sides of paper and place on a cutting board. Cut into bars, about 1 1/2 inches by 3 inches.

For extra crisp bars, toast bars in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Lay cut bars out on a clean baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a 300 degree oven until bars crisp, about 15-20 minutes.

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Holiday Sgroppino

Here's a Christmas toast for you. Cheers!

All Champagne, by definition, must come from vineyards in the Champagne region of France. This is a small region comprising three districts which include the towns of Reims, Troyes, Charleville-Mezier and Chalons. Prosecco, produced in the Veneto region of Italy is considered an everyday drink or sparkling wine. Unlike most Champagne it does not improve with age and should really be consumed within six months of the time it’s purchased, or within a year of bottling. It tends to be dryer than many Champagnes. ideal to serve with my Brie Calzone. A good Prosecco, is inexpensive and very drinkable; right for any occasion even a Christmas breakfast, Santa would approve!

For George's Sweet Holiday Snack Recipe

Sgroppino Italian Cocktail

Chill 4-6 Champagne flutes

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2 cups chilled Prosecco (Italian sparkling white wine) 

2 Tablespoons chilled vodka

1 cup frozen lemon sorbet 

2 Tablespoons half & half 

4 fresh strawberries, split for garnish 

4 fresh mint leaves 

Mix Prosecco, vodka, sorbet and half & half in blender for 1 minute. Pour mixture immediately into chilled champagne flutes. Top with berries and mint. 

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Liquid Salad

A refreshing and one of my favorites, Gazpacho is also known as "liquid salad" — for obvious reasons. Its origin and roots go back to ancient times in Andalusia Spain; with a version of the recipe believed to be concocted as a re-energizing dish for Roman workers building roads in early 2nd century Spain.

Traditionally, gazpacho recipes include stale bread, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, and a touch of vinegar. This time of year is perfect to think about taking those fresh garden or from-the-market veggies and make this refreshing cold soup. 

My recipe will give your knife skills a work out. Feel free to use a blender. But keep in mind the manual chopping of the vegetables will preserve the flavor. Be aware, using a food processor or blender actually cooks the veggies with the friction, in turn, changing the natural uncooked flavor, which is the true essence of this dish.

There are many versions of gazpacho, but I prefer this one without any meat broth, keeping it true to its veggie roots, and finishing it off with a good balsamic.

Gazpacho  

Makes four servings 

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1/4 cup onion, chopped very fine

4 cups tomato juice

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup sweet red pepper, chopped very fine

1/4 cup sweet green pepper, chopped very fine

1/4 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, fine chop

1/4 cup scallion, fine chop

1/2 cup cucumber; peeled and seeded, chopped very fine

1 Tablespoon cilantro

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

fresh ground black pepper 

1/2 cup stale bread, toasted and chopped fine

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar  

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients and chill for two hours before serving. 

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Summer Mixology

Here's one way to beat the summer heat. Mix-up my Watermelon Berry Fiz - it's sure to be summer's new mojito. It's very refreshing and fun to make. Serve at your next outdoor party or simply poolside avec or sans the vodka. The kids can enjoy it too, the non-alcohol version of course. Enjoy!

Tip for poolside serving: use only unbreakable drinkware!

Watermelon Berry Fiz

Recipe by George Hirsch | Makes 3-4 servings

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

2 cups cold seedless watermelon

1 cup fresh sliced strawberries (in a pinch-use frozen)

2 Tablespoons sugar, variable depending on how sweet the berries are & how tart/ sweet you like it

1/2 cup ice, crushed or cubes 

1/4 cup seltzer per glass 

In a blender, blend the lime juice, watermelon, strawberries, sugar, and ice until slushy. Serve in a tall pre-chilled glass filled with ice; fill glasses 3/4  full with blended watermelon & berry juice. Top off each glass with seltzer.

*To Spike: You can add 1/2 ounce of vodka, or rum, or tequila to each glass over the ice before adding watermelon-berry juice.