How-my-child-learned-to-like-shrimp Alfredo

by Jessy Turner, One of our Owners

Directions

In a tall heavy-bottomed pan slowly melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cream and turn up to a medium-high heat to slowly bring to a boil. Stir often with a wire whisk.

While the butter and cream come up to temp, add the garlic and nutmeg - usually a few grates of the nutmeg should do it. If you don’t have whole nutmeg, 1/8 tsp of ground nutmeg is a fine replacement.

Once the cream and butter come to a simmer, whisk in the Parmesan. Let that simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Add the snap peas and shrimp and cook until the shrimp are pink and firm; 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcook or th shrimp will become rubbery.

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and combine. Serve topped with more grated Parmesan.

Ingredients

1 pound Shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 pound Pasta, cooked, your favorite shape

1 pint Heavy Cream

1 stick Salted Butter

8 oz Parmesan, shredded

8 ounces Snap Peas, cooked

3 Garlic Cloves, minced Fresh Nutmeg, to taste

Mama’s Meatloaf

by Jessy Turner, One of our Owners

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, onion, most of the ketchup, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce until well blended. Add bread crumbs and mix again to combine.

Add both meats. Use a spoon to break up the big lumps and start mixing all the ingredients together. Then use your hands to mix and turn the meat, combining the two meat varieties and incorporating the onions and peppers.

In a 9x13” baking dish or tray, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape. Use a butter knife to cover the top of the loaf with the remaining ketchup.

Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 11/4 hours or until it is cooked through.

Best served with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Ingredients

1 pound Turkey, ground

1 pound Lean Beef, ground

3 Eggs

1 White Onion, diced

1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1 cup Bread Crumbs

1/2 cup Ketchup

Worcestershire Sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Tuscan Spaghetti Squash

by Hayley Ranolde, Customer Service Manager

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Rub all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake until the spaghetti squash is tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool until cool enough to handle, then use two forks to pull apart spaghetti squash into fine noodle-like strings.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium skillet until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Pour off half the bacon fat and add garlic, tomatoes and spinach to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Add heavy cream and Parmesan and let simmer until slightly thickened. Add spaghetti squash and toss until fully coated. Crumble bacon over the squash and stir to combine. Garnish with basil.

Ingredients

1 large Spaghetti Squash

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper, freshly ground

4 slices Bacon

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

11/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

2 cup Baby Spinach

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/3 cup Parmesan, grated Basil, for garnish

Creamy Lemon Orzo with Winter Greens

by Anna Sawyer, Café Asst. Manager

Directions

Cook kale in olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. Add vegetable broth and heavy cream; bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo and cook 9 minutes. Stir in baby spinach. Turn off the heat; stir in Parmesan and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

Ingredients

2 cups Tuscan Kale, sliced Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, sliced

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 cups Vegetable Broth

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 cup Orzo

2 cups Baby Spinach

3/4 cup Parmesan, grated

1 tbsp Lemon zest

1 tbsp Lemon juice

Bitters for Every Course

by Anna Monaco - Founder, TNT Bitters Co.

Most people are most familiar with bitters in one of two ways: for the innumerable health benefits they provide - like helping with digestion, heartburn, headaches, and more - or in cocktails. Though these two ways to be familiar with bitters are excellent options, the third option can be even more exciting: in food!

Bitters are not just the seasoning of the cocktail world or an additive to a glass of seltzer to settle your stomach. Bitters can be added to a number of dishes to make the taste more complex and balanced. Below are recipes for every course (drinks, hors d’oeuvres, salad, entree, and dessert) that all have a little bump of bitter flavor.

So the next time you are looking to try something new in the kitchen, go to your home bar and grab your bitters! 

Cheers!

TNT Bitters’ Fancy hors d’oeuvres

1 baguette, thinly sliced

Olive oil (lots, it’s always more than you think you need for this!)

6-8 oz beef tenderloin

8 oz creme fraiche

6-8 oz prepared horseradish, strained in a dish cloth to remove excess liquid

1/2 teaspoon (or 5-6 shakes) of TNT A Better Name Than Kamikaze Horseradish + Ginger Bitters

Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle the olive oil over the sliced baguette until all pieces are evenly coated. Sprinkle the bread with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 until golden brown and crunchy. You have now made crostini, one of the most versatile items you can have in your culinary repertoire! 

Get a pan VERY hot on the stove. You can add a drizzle of olive oil if you want but it is not needed. Season the tenderloin with salt and sear on all sides, rotating until all sides are dark brown and have developed a crust. Depending on the doneness you prefer, you can put the seared tenderloin on a pan in the oven for a few minutes to cook through. This dish is best served with the rarest meat you can tolerate!

While the tenderloin is cooling, mix creme fraiche, strained horseradish, and bitters in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. If creme fraiche is not available, you can use sour cream

Slice the beef and place a piece on each crostini. Dollop some of the horseradish cream on top and serve.

TNT Bitters’ Citrus Salad

1 bulb fresh fennel, fronds saved - the part that looks like dill

2 large grapefruit

2 oranges

1 pomelo (or a third grapefruit if unavailable)

1/4 cup TNT Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Using a paring knife, slice the top and bottom off of all of the citrus so that the flesh is exposed. Place on one cut end and using the paring knife, peel the skin and white pith away to expose all of the flesh of the fruits.

Turn the fruit on its side and slice 1/4-1/2” thick slices. Set aside.

Cut off the fronds from the fennel bulb. Remove the outer layer or clean thoroughly. Carefully slice thin shavings starting from the frond end. You can use a mandolin if you have one to get even, thin shavings.

Roughly chop the fronds and mix with the sliced citrus

Toss the shaved fennel in the vinaigrette and let sit for 30 minutes. When ready to serve, mix in the citrus/frond mixture.

Note: the fennel can be shaved up to 2 days in advance and stored in an ice bath in the fridge. When serving, remove from the ice bath and let drain on a towel to remove the excess water before tossing with the vinaigrette. The citrus can be sliced up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

TNT Bitters’ Citrus Vinaigrette

Zest & juice of 1 large orange

Zest & juice of 1 grapefruit

Zest & juice of 1 lime

6-10 Tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon (or 10 shakes) of TNT Pink Mist Smoked Grapefruit Bitters

Splash apple cider vinegar (optional)

Combine all of the zest and half of the juice from each fruit to start. Taste for balance, making sure it’s not too sweet or too acidic for you. Adjust with the remaining half of the juices. Add the bitters. This can be combined in the bowl of a food processor or in a bowl set on a towel. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly at first, then faster once it has emulsified, whisking or blending constantly. Taste and season with salt. If the dressing needs more acid, add the splash of apple cider vinegar. Store in the fridge for up to a week. When using later in the week, remove from the fridge 1 hr before use.

TNT Shredded Chicken Tacos

1 lb boneless chicken (dark works best for this recipe)

1/4 cup taco seasoning (you can make your own if you want with a blend of salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, ground cumin, and ground coriander but you can definitely use a store bought blend too)

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon TNT Fire In The Hole Poblano Bitters

1/4 teaspoon TNT Sucker Punch Lime Bitters

2 limes, one juiced, and one cut into wedges

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheese you prefer

2 cups shredded lettuce

1 cup diced tomatoes

Tortilla shells (corn or flour, warmed or grilled if you desire)

Fresh cilantro for garnish

Diced jalapenos (optional)

Combine the taco seasoning, tomato paste, and bitters in a bowl. Rub over the chicken and let it sit for at least an hour or up to 8 hours covered in the refrigerator. Remove from fridge and sear on all sides until cooked through. As soon as it is cooked, place it in a tupperware or a bowl and cover to keep the juice in. Once cool, shred the chicken and mix with the juices that dripped out as it cooled. The mixture should be wet but not drippy.

While the chicken is cooling, mix the juice of one lime and the sour cream together in a bowl.

Now it’s time for the assembly! Set it all out as a DIY taco bar or plate each taco, adding a little bit of each of the other ingredients in any order you desire. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.

Note: this can be made gluten free and dairy free by using corn tortillas and omitting the dairy products. 

TNT Bitters’ Shortbread Cookies

Basic shortbread cookie dough:

2 sticks salted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl until fluffy. Add vanilla and combine. Slowly add the flour to the butter/sugar mixture until a ball of dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to firm up, about half an hour. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months at this point.

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 and remove the dough from the fridge. Roll out to desired thickness (around 1/4” is standard). Cut with knife or cookie cutters and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

While the cookies are cooling, make the icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon TNT Napalm In The Morning Espresso Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. If too thin, add more sugar and if too thick, add more milk. Spread icing on cooled cookies. Before the icing is dry, this is the time to decorate using any sprinkles or edible decorations you desire! Allow the icing to fully dry before packing. Cookies can be stored for up to a week at room temperature.

TNT Bitters’ Mulled Wine or Cider

750ml wine or 1/2 gallon apple cider

2 cinnamon sticks

1 star anise pod

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

1 teaspoon (about 10 dashes) TNT Alibi Aromatic + Citrus Bitters

1 large mug (optional but recommended)

1 fireplace (optional but recommended)

Or, in place of the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and peppercorns, you can use about a 1/4 cup of store bought mulling spices instead.

Combine all ingredients (except the mug and fireplace) in a saucepan over high heat. If using wine, add 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Once boiling, remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain, garnish with an orange slice, and serve in your excessively large mug by the fireplace!

Hot Soup For Cool Dudes

by Todd Ranolde

Here’s how to make a cabbage & bean soup that will knock your socks off. It’s super easy, okay? Okay. Let’s get to it!

Get yourself a pot. Not that kind, funny guy. A big saucepan. 

Grab a carrot. Dice it. Throw it in.

Grab an onion. Dice it. Throw it in. 

Grab a half head of cabbage. You can chop it, shred it, however you want. It’s your soup. How do you like it bro? Then throw that in the pot too. 

Add 4 quarts of water, bring it to a boil. Then simmer. 

Add 2 tbsp of Better than Bouillon Roasted Vegetable Base, 

A little bit of salt and pepper. You don’t need much bro. Just taste it. 

A can of white beans. Let simmer for 2 hours. 

Grab a bunch of kale. Chop it. Throw it in. The soup is hot enough to cook the kale perfectly.

Enough time for a race on Saturday night at Lime Rock bro. 

Bam done.

Herb Roasted Salmon

Try this salmon recipe for your New Year!

This simple fish dish is best made with wild salmon, but it works equally well with the farmed sort. It's astonishingly easy. In a hot oven, melt butter in a skillet until it sizzles, add the salmon, flip, remove the skin, then allow to roast a few minutes more. You'll have an elegant fish dinner in about 15 minutes. Don't be afraid to play with herb and fat combinations: parsley, chervil or dill work well with butter; thyme, basil or marjoram with olive oil; or peanut oil with cilantro or mint.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

• 4 tablespoons minced chervil, parsley or dill

• 1 salmon fillet, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Lemon wedges

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the butter and half the herb in a roasting pan just large enough to fit the salmon and place it in the oven. Heat about 5 minutes, until the butter melts and the herb begins to sizzle.

2. Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up. Roast 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, then peel the skin off. (If the skin does not lift right off, cook 2 minutes longer.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the fillet over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper again.

3. Roast 3 to 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the degree of doneness you prefer. Cut into serving portions, spoon a little of the butter over each and garnish with the remaining herb. Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe from NY Times Cooking