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I made an exciting discovery last week, although I didn’t have enough time to share it with you guys quite yet in this space.

I am helping my dad clean out his house as he gets ready to downsize and move to a smaller house, and we were going through the kitchen and found my Grandma Lorinser’s recipe box. It’s a worn old box with recipes handwritten on index cards and frankly a bit hard to read (her cursive was beautiful, but she wrote very fast!)

It has a lot of basic recipes, but there are some good ones in there that I think I will type out and share with you guys at some point, I just didn’t have enough time to get it all together for this week!

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Espresso martinis are all the rage lately (my wife and I had plenty of them on vacation in February!) but they aren’t the greatest to make in the summer... until they are frozen!

FROZEN ESPRESSO MARTINIS

1 1/2 cups espresso, cold brew concentrate, or strong-brewed coffee

4 oz. vanilla vodka

2 oz. coffee liqueur 

Espresso beans or chocolate-covered espresso beans

For the Simple Syrup:

1 cup sugar-to-water

For the Coffee Whipped topping

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp. coffee liqueur  

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. cocoa powder

Pinch kosher salt

For the martini: Pour the espresso into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid, about 6 hours.

For the simple syrup: In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar and 1 cup water over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved (the syrup should be clear, not cloudy), 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof container with a lid. Let cool completely, about 1 hour at room temperature or 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

For the coffee whipped cream: In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream, coffee liqueur, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Whip with a whisk until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to serve, combine the frozen espresso cubes, vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, and 2 ounces (¼ cup) of the simple syrup in a blender. (Reserve the remaining simple syrup for another use.) Blend at high speed until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour into 2 or 3 chilled coup glasses, dollop with the coffee whipped cream, and garnish with espresso beans. 

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ROOT BEER 

FLOAT PIE

12 whole graham cracker sheets

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

6 Tbsp. salted butter, melted

Filling

2 cups cold heavy cream

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup root beer, chilled

1/4 cup cold whole milk

1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 tsp. root beer extract

8 maraschino cherries with stems, for garnish

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a food processor, combine the graham crackers and granulated sugar. Pulse until fine crumbs form. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are well coated and stick together when pinched. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate (not deep-dish) using the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. 

Bake until just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool, about 1 hour.

For the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the root beer, milk, pudding mix, and root beer extract until thick, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 2 cups of the whipped cream into the root beer mixture until almost completely blended. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth out with a rubber spatula. Top the pie with the remaining whipped cream.

Garnish with the maraschino cherries and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours before serving.

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KING RANCH CHICKEN

1 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil, plus more for the baking dish

1 large white or yellow onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (such as Rotel)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 whole roasted chicken (such as rotisserie chicken), cooled and torn into chunks (about 4 cups) 

16 corn tortillas, torn into pieces

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (about 6 ounces) 

1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese (about 6 ounces) 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with oil.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender and lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, diced tomatoes with green chilies, and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce. Remove from the heat and fold in the chicken.

Spread the reserved 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place half of the torn tortillas on top of the sauce. Spoon in half of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle on half the cheddar and half the monterey jack cheese. Repeat the layers of tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheeses once.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until bubbling and golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Allow to sit 5 minutes before serving.  

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RANCH WATER

Crushed ice

1 Tbsp. lime juice, fresh or bottled, more if desired

2 oz. tequila blanco

6 oz. sparkling mineral water

Lime wheels

Fill a glass one-half full with crushed ice. Top with fresh lime juice, tequila, then the sparkling water. Garnish the glass with a lime wheel and drink with a straw, if you like!

TFD: The worst thing you can do in any given situation is nothing.

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