baked bananas

Banana cake (bread)

Basics

4 plain yogurts

1/2 lemon

1 tbsp. of 4 spice mix

1 tbsp paprika

10 chicken fillets

1 large red onion

7 tomatoes​

1 kg of frozen fries

12 pitas

salad

parsley

salt

various sauces

]]> 1374 https://lifestylestip.com/summer-berry-cocktail-with-light-beer/ https://lifestylestip.com/summer-berry-cocktail-with-light-beer/#respond Sat, 01 Feb 2025 13:03:11 +0000 https://lifestylestip.com/?p=767 In the summer heat, sometimes all thoughts are only about something refreshing. This cocktail will give you back your energy and help you cope with the heat, although it is quite easy to just brighten up the party, especially outdoors.

I will talk about the ingredients that I love. But here, of course, there is no limit to fantasy, replace the berries with your own – it will still be delicious.

The cocktail is unusual and very refreshing. The basis is the famous and deservedly beloved Mojito. But light light beer (such as Miller, Redds, Corona) acts as the basis, you can use ciders, or soda (for children).

Berries with beer, it sounds unusual, but it actually turns out delicious!

For convenience, I prepare such cocktails in portions in the container that you will use. Mason jars are great . Tear the mint leaves at the bottom. 

Top with any fresh berry. The good thing about blueberries here is that they are quite “meaty” and feel good in a cocktail, as opposed to soft berries that provide almost no texture. 

A pinch of cane sugar. It is more caramel in taste, try to take it.

Pour in 3 tbsp. favorite berry syrup. Please, do not use chemical syrups, respect and appreciate yourself, use natural products. 

With a fork or mortar, mash the resulting mixture so that the berries burst and give juice. 

Sprinkle generous amounts of ice cubes on top. 

Pour in the base (beer, cider, soda), close the lid and shake well. 

Garnish with mint and thick straws. By the way, you can prepare the mixture in advance and close the jars. And already in place to add the base. Very convenient and saves time, let’s say in nature.

After all these holidays and beautiful dishes, I really wanted something familiar and proven – hamburgers. And although many will now say that it’s time to take on the figure, introduce fruits and low-fat yogurts into the diet, I’ll tell you this – a good hamburger has never prevented anyone from becoming better, and sometimes it helped)

Everything here is like in that song about sesame buns. But I want to tell you the recipe for an amazingly hot sauce, remember the films about Mexicans who eat holopenos on a dare and roar like children, so our sauce can be brought to such a state and to a more democratic one.

I will also tell you how I always cook chicken, breast, so that it is tender and not at all dry. The technology is simple and everyone knows it, but for some reason few people use it, and in the end they complain that the chicken breast is dry and who invented it at all.

Well, and quite a bonus for the lazy, I’ll tell you the philosophy of assembling a hamburger, what I always put in, what I add on occasion, what ingredients are good as a substitute, and so on. In general, the course of a young fighter for those who decide to cook a hamburger. Go!

Let’s start with the sauce: peel 2-3 cloves of garlic and cut into halves. 

Next up is hot peppers. One of the references is jalopeno, a Mexican pepper that is known for its wild spiciness, which is difficult to escape from. You can just take chili, red or green (60-70 gr.). If you are afraid of a too spicy result, you can replace part of the hot pepper with regular bell pepper. I usually do this: I cut half the peppers, separate from the seeds and puree in a blender. I try and understand – will I stand it, or should I dilute it with bell pepper.

Throw the garlic and peppers into the blender bowl and turn into crumbs.

Add the juice of one lime. You can, of course, replace the lemon. But the taste will be very different. Despite the fact that lime and lemon seem to be both citrus fruits – lime has a bitter taste, which is ideal, I repeat, ideal for spicy dishes. It is not for nothing that lime is put in spicy soups like tom yum.

Once the juice has been added, puree again. The mass will become more liquid and homogeneous. Yes, the sauce is ready.

Now heat a dry frying pan, preferably a grill frying pan. Warmed up, put the halves of the buns cut into the pan. Here’s secret number one. Why are we doing this? So that the bun in the assembled hamburger does not absorb sauces and toppings, soaking at the same time. As a result, we have a dry, fluffy bun, and a crispy crust will add texture to the dish, because it’s boring when all the ingredients are soft and kind.

While the buns are blushing, which is a minute and a half, let’s take care of the chicken. Everyone knows that a good housewife uses a bag to make chops. So the tools will remain clean and pieces of meat will not fly all over the kitchen. So, we take the breast, put it in a bag and beat it with a rolling pin so that the chop is a little thinner than a centimeter.

And here’s secret two and three. Clean kitchen and hands, thanks to the package. And juicy meat, which usually turns out dry, but not in our case. Everyone knows and loves meat chops, with chicken the same system, breaking the fibers, we make the meat more tender and juicy. This is the only way I always cook breast, whether for a hamburger or as a side dish. Salt and pepper the finished chop on both sides.

And fry in a pan on both sides. I don’t add oil because the pan is on the grill. See for yourself here, you may need to add some oil to keep the chicken from sticking.

And now the assembly. What is a hamburger? This is a bun, this is meat and these are vegetables with sauce. I always use two types of sauces – white (most often neutral yogurt) and the second (tomato, pepper, bbq, etc.). The first is needed simply so that the dish is not dryish, plus it fastens the bottom of the bun with a lettuce well. The leaf is the second important thing, it crunches, gives juiciness and almost does not affect satiety, for this we have meat. Sometimes I take cabbage. 

Next comes the meat. If you make cutlets, make them plump, one and a half to two centimeters, the only way the hamburger will be tasty and juicy. We have chicken, it will be juicy anyway, so we made it thinner. From one fillet you can get two or three “cutlets” for hamburgers. But first the tomato rings. This is a very important point – tomatoes give juice and a pleasant taste, which is great for vegetables and meat.

Sauce on top. We add our hellishly spicy. Therefore, nothing more is needed. If you take tomato or something similar, I advise you to add pickled cucumbers. Why? Their vinegary flavor will give you the flavor notes that a good burger needs. Otherwise, it will appear bland or flat.

Everything was collected, covered with the second part of the bun and served immediately with potato wedges, your favorite soda and a good mood.

No one will argue that there are such magical things that can please and give a piece of happiness and cheerfulness at any time of the day. Perhaps this is a good cup of strong coffee / chocolate / cocoa with marshmallow cubes, beautifully served to the morning table.

But I will not just tell you the recipe for such a magical cup, but I will teach you how to cook it in a matter of minutes every morning – that’s a bonus!)

Read the recipe to the very end, and you will understand why we use such ingredients and in such a ratio. First you need to mix the cream (33% the most) and milk in a saucepan. Here you can take only slightly less fat cream (instead of milk + cream), but when several ingredients are involved in the recipe, the taste usually becomes richer (each gives its own taste and aromatic shades).

Now about aromatization – now get a good master class on this topic. In any recipe that uses milk, cream – you can flavor them with anything. It can be citrus zest, any spices, herbs, and so on. Whatever you love and whatever comes to your mind. I suggest mint because I love it on its own and in combination with chocolate.

So, mix milk and cream, add mint (or your flavoring) and put it all over medium heat. 

We need to wait until the creamy mixture just starts to boil. Turn off the heat and stir well again. 

While the mixture cools slightly, break the chocolate (I take dark, it is more saturated; if you take milk, increase its amount by 10-15%) into a deep bowl in which it will be convenient to mix all this. 

Now, through a sieve (after all, we have mint / zest / spices), pour the creamy mixture directly onto the chocolate. 

Now mix the mixture well, ideally with a silicone spatula. At first, it may seem that everything has stratified, the chocolate has gone in flakes and everything is spoiled. Don’t be afraid, keep stirring. I will specifically show a lot of photos of the process. As a result, you will get a homogeneous chocolate mass of rich color. 

The resulting mixture, and this is a real ganache, is poured into a jar, cooled and put in the refrigerator. At first it will be quite liquid, but in the morning it will be quite thick. Everything is as it should be!)

After 2-3 hours, and preferably the next day, you will get a thick chocolate ganache. It will easily keep in a closed jar for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. And here’s the best part – making morning hot chocolate will be as easy as shelling pears. Pour milk into a mug and heat in the microwave for a minute and a half. Add the required amount of ganache (2 to 4 tablespoons) and mix well. 

And that’s what we get: an incredibly rich hot chocolate with a stylish mint flavor, which is prepared in 2.5 minutes in the morning. This despite the fact that you can heat one or three cups of milk at once, add to each ganache (quantity – to taste) and get an excellent morning invigorating drink. Although why in the morning, in the evening with a couple of cookies – also great! Serve with marshmallows and, for special aesthetes, grated chocolate. 

Meat

tomatoes

Fragrances

Pasta

So, I urge you – get ready. At least two, and preferably 6-8 eggs for the whole family. Such a taste is simply mind blowing and this is not an exaggeration. See for yourself – crispy double breading on the outside, then a layer of fragrant minced meat with your and only your favorite spices and herbs, in the center an egg with a juicy yolk. If you serve them hot, you will get more pleasant heat of minced meat and a small amount of juice. Oh how delicious it is!! First of all boil the eggs. If you make them specifically for this recipe, be sure to crush them, it will be much tastier. But “Easter” ones are also suitable. 

Next, in a large bowl, mix the minced chicken (in the original, minced meat is used for meat sausages, but I like a softer chicken taste, and it’s somehow more symbolic for an egg), spices and herbs. I use hot chili, dill, salt and freshly ground pepper. But everything is up to you.

Now prepare three cups: with flour, breadcrumbs and eggs, well beaten. Take half of the minced meat in your hand and flatten it in the palm of your hand. It is very convenient if the hands are a little wet, then the stuffing will not stick to the hands.  Roll the egg in flour, so it will hold the minced meat well. Put it in the center of the prepared tortillas and carefully wrap the egg with minced meat. 

All that remains is to roll the resulting ball first in breadcrumbs, then in the egg mixture and again crackers, egg mixture and crackers again. 

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry each egg until golden brown. Place on a paper towel to soak up the oil and fry the next egg. If you doubt that the minced meat had time to fry inside – put the eggs in the oven for 5 minutes, but I’m sure this is not at all necessary. Once again – by all means do it, it is very tasty, then remember my words !!

So we will prepare a very tasty and quick hot dog. If possible, cooking, of course, is better on an open grill (fire), you can use a grill pan or a simple pan, if there are absolutely no options.

The recipe is universal, that is, you can use any sausages to your liking, you can use pieces of meat or chicken, barbecue. Buns are also suitable for those that you like – special for hot dogs, baguettes and so on. I used whole wheat buns, they are excellent on their own, and even more so in this recipe.

Thanks to the branded filling, hot dogs are not at all dry, moreover, you don’t even want to drink them down. Although they ask for kvass or beer.

Dry the cumin seeds (2 tbsp) in a dry hot frying pan, literally for a minute, you will feel a pleasant aroma. 

Grind the seeds with sugar (3 tablespoons) in a mortar or mill.

Finely chop the cabbage (500 gr.). For this, I use the Kitchen Aid mixer vegetable cutter module – it’s very convenient, by hand I would chop half a kilogram of cabbage for a very long time.

Pour olive oil (40 gr.), Apple cider vinegar (30 gr.) on top. 

Top with a mixture of sugar and cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

And one sweet apple (also grate finely). 

Mix everything well in a bowl and squeeze a little so that the cabbage starts up the juice. While everything is marinating, let’s take care of the buns and sausages. Cut the buns along not completely, carefully open and heat on the grill with the cut side to the fire. 

Then fry sausages (meat, chicken). 

Grease the fried buns with a thin layer of mustard, ketchup, sauce to taste. Place the sausages in the center, fold the buns in half, and generously top with the squeezed cabbage.  

Let’s start with the chicken marinade. I take a tablespoon of ground garlic (dry powder) and hot pepper flakes with salt. The photo shows that the flakes come with seeds, which give the main sharpness. You can combine black pepper, white pepper, chili and any seasonings you like. You should end up with 2 tablespoons of spice powder.

Take chicken fillet (500 g) and cut into small pieces 2 by 1 cm. Too large pieces will fry for a long time, and we are preparing popcorn, not nuggets, so we make smaller ones here.

Mix the spices and chicken well in a bowl so that it is completely evenly covered with fragrant marinade. We put it in the refrigerator for half an hour. You can overnight, then cover the cup with a film.

Now the crust itself. In one bowl we mix flour (250-300 g) and again a tablespoon of garlic and pepper. Or take your favorite herbs and peppers, do not forget about salt, see here to taste.

Pour neutral yogurt (2-5%, not very fatty sour cream) into a wider bowl. Other dairy analogues will not work, because they will give their taste. We don’t need it. And also prepare a baking sheet with a wire rack. This is secret number one.

Place a heavy bottomed saucepan on the stove. On medium fire. Pour in about 2.5-3 cm of oil. I use the oils that are on hand: olive, sunflower, grape seed. The main thing is to take one that is suitable for frying. 

Now the most interesting. The secret to good popcorn number two is double breading. First, we throw a piece of chicken into the flour.

We roll it well on all sides.

Shake a little, getting rid of excess flour, and dip in yogurt. Turn the pieces so that they are completely covered with yogurt.

And the second time we send it to the flour. It is a double layer of flour that will give a pleasant crust, and leave the chicken itself juicy. I made a special experiment. I just fried chicken pieces, chicken in one layer of breading and in two. The latter was the tastiest and the longest tasting.

Arrange the finished pieces on a rack. This is our first secret. If the pieces are dried in this way for at least 10-15 minutes, the crust will be drier and denser, and this is in our favor, the popcorn will be tastier and crunch a little.

The readiness of the oil is determined by dropping water into it. If it starts bubbling, it’s ready. Be careful here. Start with a medium heat, or even a small one. If it is too strong, the chicken will burn quickly and the oil will smell bad. If there is a thermometer, we need 165-175 degrees.

Lower the pieces in batches so that they do not take up the entire space of the pan. If you poured a little oil, then stir the chicken during the frying process. We are waiting for the ruddy color of the breading, somewhere around 3-5 minutes.

We spread the finished popcorn on a paper towel and send the next batch.

The process will go quickly, because the workpieces are on the grate, and the oil is at the right temperature.

Serve them better with ketchup or other thick sauces, I always take crunchy gherkins in a couple.

They keep well in an airtight container (let the popcorn cool completely) in the refrigerator for a day.

In the summer you always look for some simple dishes, so as not to cook them for hours. And if the finished salad is also wildly refreshing with its crunchy ingredients, sweet sauce and spiciness of some ingredients – I can tell you for sure, you will not calm down until you eat the whole cup!

Interesting: Beijing cabbage is one of the most popular ingredients in China, it is added to salads, soups, dishes are served in its leaves and even deep-fried.

Combine sugar (1 tbsp), soy sauce (3 tbsp), vinegar (1 tbsp) and sesame oil (1 tsp) in a bowl, mix well. Now questions about replacing vinegar and oil will fall. Look, you can take any vinegar (5-7%), but it will be tastiest with white wine, followed by apple, and then it’s better to refuse altogether if these are not available. I recommend finding good vinegar, it will always come in handy in the kitchen, especially since summer is the time for salads. With sesame oil, the same story, if not, skip this ingredient. But if you buy and try, you will never forget this taste.

Cut Chinese cabbage (150 g) into thin strips. Interestingly, in Beijing it is simply called cabbage, and in many countries simply Chinese. If not at hand, take an iceberg or something similar, but not ordinary cabbage.

Chicken fillet (60 g) cut into thin slices 2-3 mm thick. You can take ready-made shrimp and anything (meat, other poultry, even tuna). If so, you can take nothing. Of course, the fillet should be ready, I usually take “from yesterday”.

Chili (4 pcs) finely chopped with seeds. The question of sharpness is very piquant (sorry for the pun), so everyone decides for himself what he is capable of. Again, you can skip this step, but the spiciness just gives you that refreshing effect that you’re looking forward to in the summer.

Carrots (60 g) cut into thin strips (or grate).

Cut the onion diagonally into 3 cm pieces.

Ginger (2 cm) grate on a coarse grater. Dried will not work here, they have completely different flavors and properties. If there is no ginger, grate a couple of cloves of garlic, it will also be fine.

Combine all the vegetables in a cup and pour over the prepared dressing.

Once mixed, serve immediately in serving bowls. Don’t over tighten because the sauce will sink down and the vegetables will begin to soak. We need crunchy tasty ingredients and an even dressing. Therefore, we combine everything already before serving.