Champagne Papi Avocado Toast

This morning we're combining two of our favorite things- avocado and champagne. While most recipes may rank on the bottom of the list, this avocado toast recipe will definitely make you feel like you're making half a million for a show. If you want to eat like Champagne Papi give this avocado toast recipe a go. 

Ingredients: 

2 Shallots (Chopped)

3 Avocados 

3 Eggs 

3 Slices of Toast

1 Lime

1 oz. of Champagne

2 Teaspoons of Hot Sauce

Butter (or Mayonnaise)

Pepper 

Directions:

Sauté shallots in butter. Add champagne and reduce until the shallots absorb the champagne.

Halve the avocados and scoop them into a bowl. 

Add hot sauce and lime juice and pepper to taste. Mix in shallots. 

Spread butter or mayonnaise on the slices of bread and place in a skillet over medium heat. Toast until brown. 

Spread avocado mixture onto toasted bread. 

Crack egg directly into skillet. Fry until the edges turn brown. Feel free to flip the egg if you do not want it sunny side up.

Place egg over avocado toast. Add additional hot sauce to taste. Enjoy.

Floral- Citrus Bitters

Ingredients:

Dried Lemon Peel from One Lemon

1/2 Cup of Dried Roses (petals are fine)

1 Cup of Grain Alcohol (Bacardi 151, Everclear etc.)

2 Glass Jars with Screw Lid

Directions:

Add one cup of grain alcohol to each jar. Bacardi makes a slightly sweeter bitters than Everclear. 

Add dried lemon peel to one jar. Add dried roses to the other jar. The more lemon peel and roses you add the faster they infuse with the alcohol. You want to use separate jars because the lemon peel and roses may infuse at different rates.

Shake jars daily. Taste test the bitters after about a week by dropping a drop on the back of your hand and tasting it. Each should taste strong, but floral or lemony.  The process should take 2 to 3 weeks for each.

Once the bitters are to taste, which may be at different times, strain the lemon peels and roses from the alcohol. 

Combine the lemon bitters with the rose bitters to taste- we recommend a ratio of 2 parts rose bitters to 1 part lemon bitters. 

Add a few drops to gin drinks.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup of flour

3/4 cup of milk

1 cup of ricotta

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

2 1/2 tablespoons of light brown sugar (1/2 tablespoon for sauce)

2 large eggs (separated)

2 tablespoons of lemon zest

2 tablespoons of lemon juice (1/2  tablespoon for sauce)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of blueberries (for sauce)

Butter (for cooking)

Directions:

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice to milk. Stir and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. 

Separate eggs and place egg yolks into a small bowl. Mix egg whites and 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar using an electric mixer until fluffy. If you do not have an electric mixer you can add the mixture to a martini shaker and do a dry shake. The egg whites will not be as fluffy, but will be frothier than if mixed with a whisk.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until there are no lumps. 

Mix egg yolks, lemon zest, and remaining tablespoon of light brown sugar with a whisk. Add mixture to milk mixture and whisk together. 

Add wet mixture to dry mixture in the large bowl. Whisk to blend together. 

Add half of the egg white mixture to the mixture in the large bowl. Fold egg whites in. Do not mix or the pancakes will not be as fluffy. Fold in the ricotta cheese, then fold in the other half of the egg white mixture. 

Add butter to a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Scoop pancake batter onto surface. You will know it is time to flip the pancakes when small bubbles form on the uncooked side of the pancake. Flip and cook until golden brown.

Add blueberries, 1/2 tablespoon of light brown sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice to bowl and mix with electric mixer. If you do not have an electric mixer you can mash the blueberries until they create a sauce. 

Pour sauce over golden brown pancakes. 

Summer Spritz

Tiësto and John Legend have teamed up again to bring us the summer anthem of 2016. “Summer Nights” is a sexy EDM slow-jam that is the perfect complement to a beach sunset. And what better way to enjoy “Summer Nights” than with our “Summer Spritz.” Aperol, the Italian aperitif made from oranges and herbs is the less bitter and lighter cousin of Campari.  The zesty flavor of Aperol combined with the delicate sweetness of Liqueur de Pamplemousse Rose and some bubbly will have you serenading the sun as it sets.  

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. of Aperol 

1 oz. of Liqueur de Pamplemousse Rose (or other grapefruit liqueur)

2 oz. of Champagne

Flavored Sparkling Water (We recommend Grapefruit or Orange)

Slice of Grapefruit (Garnish)

Directions:

Pour Aperol and Liqueur de Pamplemousse Rose over ice.

Add champagne and top with sparkling water. 

Garnish with grapefruit slice.

Sip and sing. 

PIMM'S Fit For Florence

The PIMM'S cup is a traditional English summer drink made with lemonade and a gin-based liqueur that was created by James Pimm in the early 19th century. The liqueur tastes of bittered spices and citrus and the cup has become a staple at Wimbledon and the Henley Royal Regatta. But like Florence Welch herself, we like twists on tradition and would prefer something electric to "make us throw our hands up in the air." We have included the traditional recipe below, but why not try a new take on the recipe that is fit for the English rose herself.

Ingredients:

2 oz. of PIMM'S

3 oz. of Sparkling Orange-Lime Water (or other flavor)

1 oz. of St. Germain 

1 oz. Pomegranate Juice

4 Mint Leaves

2 Strawberries (sliced)

2 Thin Slices of Orange

2 Slices of Cucumber

Directions:

Combine pomegranate juice, St. Germain, mint leaves, strawberries, oranges and cucumbers in a shaker. Press on the ingredients to release their juices, but do not muddle them. 

Add ice and PIMM'S to the shaker and lightly shake.

Pour into a high ball glass and top with sparkling water.

"PIMM'S ORIGINAL" Recipe

from the official PIMM'S website (http://www.anyoneforpimms.com/recipes/pimms-original/) 

Pile all the ingredients in a tall glass, mix and sip. Best make a jugful, you never know who’ll turn up at the sound of the ice tray leaving your freezer.

Ingredients:

• Highball glass
• 50ml PIMM’S No.1
• 150ml of Lemonade
• Mint, orange, strawberries
• Cucumber to garnish and ice

Summertime Granola

When I think of summer I think of the bare feet, surfing, BBQs with friends and Janis Joplin's 1968 rendition of the hit "Summertime." Her raspy voice belting "One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing/ and you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky" is the sound of summer. We can't claim to start your summer morning better than Janis, but this Summertime Granola recipe comes pretty close to making you spread your wings. 

Ingredients:

4 Cups of Oats

2 Cups of Dried Coconut Flakes (I use unsweetened)

1 Cup of Blanched Almonds

1 1/2 Cups of Dried Cherries (finely chopped)

1/2 Cup of Coconut Oil

1/2 Cup of Honey

1/4 Cup of Flax Seeds

1/4 Cup of Chia Seeds

2 Teaspoons of Orange Zest (1 Large Orange)

1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Almond Extract

Directions: 

Set oven to 300 degrees.

Zest one orange.

Combine oats, coconut flakes, almonds, flax seeds, chia seeds, and cinnamon in large bowl. Mix thoroughly. 

In a small bowl mix coconut oil, almond extract, orange zest and honey. Mix thoroughly and then pour the mixture into the large bowl.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together with so the oats are covered with the wet mixture. 

Pour mixture (using a rubber spatula is helpful) onto a large baking tray that is covered in foil. Do not pack the tray because only the top layer of the oats will bake. 

Cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring the mixture every 10-15 minutes until the oats are a golden brown. 

Remove mixture from oven and allow it to cool. Once cool, add the mixture to a large bowl and stir in dried cherries. 

And just in case you need a little extra help in the morning...

Lemonade Almond Muffins

Before you go all destructive on the boy-toy smashing car windows for suggesting you guys make muffins for breakfast, take a stab at this lemonade muffin recipe worthy of the Queen Bey herself.  The freshness of the lemon and lightness of the almond flour will have you fast-forwarding through denial and anger to hope and redemption.  Even better- this recipe won’t make you feel like you’re cheating on your staple Greek yoghurt and berries breakfast. 

Bake at 400°   |   10-12 minutes   |   Yield: 20 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 Cups of Flour                                                  
• 1 Cup of Almond Flour                                            
• 1/2 Cup of Sugar                                                     
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/3 Cup of Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 Cup of Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 1/2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda
• 2 Heaping Teaspoons of Lemon Zest
• 1 Teaspoon of Almond Extract
• 2 Tablespoons of Powdered Sugar (Optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Combine the dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl until there are no lumps.

Next, combine the heavy whipping cream, vegetable oil, fresh lemon juice, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs.

Add a third of the dry mixture to the wet mixture and take a fork or whisk to lightly blend the mixture. Repeat until the dry mixture has been completely combined. Be careful not to over mix and do not use a mixer. 

Fill the muffin tins three-quarters of the way full. Bake the muffins for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

After cooling for about 10 minutes, dust the muffins with powdered sugar.

Bourbon French Toast

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 Cup of Half and Half
• 1/3 Cup of Bourbon
• 1 Vanilla Bean (scraped)
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• ½ Teaspoon of Almond Extract
• Brioche bread, sliced into 8 pieces
• ¼ Cup of Butter (cut into thin slices for each piece of brioche bread)
• ¼ Cup of Powdered Sugar for garnish
• ½ Cup of Berries for garnish

Directions:

Bring water on stove to a boil. Add vanilla bean to the water until the bean softens.

Slice the brioche bread into one-inch slices.

Combine half and half, bourbon, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large bowl.

Slice vanilla bean down the middle and scrape the bean over the batter. Whisk the mixture together.

Add slice of butter to the skillet over medium heat.

Dip the slices in the batter. Add the dipped slices to the skillet and cook until golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side.  Repeat for each slice.

Add to plate and garnish with fresh berries and powdered sugar.