Roasted Garlic Crostini with a Wicked Mocktail

Garlic is known to repel Vampires, so fend them off this Halloween with this simple crostini appetizer. Roasted garlic, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese and a baguette create a unique richness that's perfect for fall. To pair with this crostini I made a non-alcoholic blood red, wicked good mocktail. Impress your guests at your next party by adding a fun mocktail to your drink repertoire. Shaken not stirred, of course.

Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini

1 head garlic

8 ounces goat cheese

1 pound grape tomatoes

Olive oil (approximately 3 ounces)

Sea salt and ground pepper

Balsamic vinegar

French baguette

Fresh thyme sprigs

Slice baguette into 1/4 inch slices. Toast only the tops in the broiler, until lightly golden. Set aside. Once cooled place baguette slices in a gallon size Ziploc, and seal so they don't dry out while you roast the garlic and the tomatoes.

Preheat oven to 375. Slice 1/4 inch off the top of the head of garlic, so that all of the cloves are exposed. Place garlic head in the middle of a piece of aluminum foil, on a rimmed cookie sheet, and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over all of the cloves. Season with salt, cracked pepper and add some sprigs of fresh thyme. Wrap aluminum foil up into a sealed packet and roast garlic in a 375 degree oven for about 50 minutes. Open packet and let cool. 

At this point take the goat cheese out of the refrigerator so it can soften and get to room temperature. 

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the grape tomatoes with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and cracked pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes until the tomatoes are very soft and the skins have burst. Let cool.

Once the roasted garlic has cooled, squeeze it out of its skin into a bowl with the goat cheese and blend until smooth. 

Divide roasted garlic goat cheese among the crostini and top with roasted tomatoes. To serve, drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and cracked pepper.

Wicked Mocktail

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

2 ounces pomegranate juice

2 ounces cherry juice

2 ounces fresh orange juice

Splash of simple syrup

Muddle the pomegranate seeds in the bottom of a shaker. After muddling, add the pomegranate juice, cherry juice, orange juice, and a splash or two of simple syrup. Add ice and shake. Pour through a strainer into glasses. To complete this wicked mocktail, add a frozen spider ice cube. 

Cheers and happy Halloween! 

Mocktail Monday: Mock-Kahlua Float

Mocktail Monday for this week might fall into the dessert category...yes it's that decadent!  About 10 days ago I saw Heather Christo's Kahlua Float cocktail on Pinterest. I pinned it, of course, but I couldn't get the image out of my mind! Yes, it was that beautiful. 

My challenge was to make a drink equally delicious but without the alcohol. Ice cream, chocolate and coffee.... how could it not be delightful?

Mock-Kahlua Float: 

Serves 1

1 scoop espresso or coffee ice cream
1.5 ounce mock-kahlua (see below for recipe)
1/8 cup sparkling water
Melted dark chocolate for drizzling into glass (at least 60% cacao) 
A pinch Cacao or Cocoa powder for garnish

Mock-Kahlua:

1.5 ounce espresso or very strong coffee
1/8 teaspoon cacao or cocoa powder
3-4 drops kahlua flavor - I used LorAnn Oils "Keoke Coffee" Kahlua-type flavor 

Candy Rim:

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

2 tablespoons chocolate jimmies

Heather Christo does an amazing job of showing how to rim the glass and construct her drink.  I won't even try to replicate.  Check out her site for step by step instructions - Kahlua Float. 

Whenever possible I try to add anti-oxidant packed super foods to my recipes.  Small doses are better than nothing!  I use Dagoba Organic Chocolate for my cacao powder. 

Cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than any food tested 

To our health!

Mocktail Monday: Pomegranate Fizz

Cheers it's Monday!  I'm starting my own movement, it's called Mocktail Monday.  Have you heard of Meatless Monday? I'm a vegetarian, so every day is meatless Monday in my house.  Which is why I'm starting Mocktail Monday!  It's a positive way to start the week.

I had pomegranate juice and homemade grenadine in my refrigerator, that I made for a previous post.  The mocktail for this week is called Pomegranate Fizz.  I replaced the pomegranate liquor with grenadine and used Pellegrino in place of champagne.  My handsome boyfriend was kind enough to tend bar for me while I took photos.

Pomegranate Fizz Mocktail

Pomegranate seeds
2 shots chilled homemade grenadine syrup (see September 10, 2012 post)
2 ounces chilled pomegranate juice
1-2 ounces chilled pellegrino or sparkling water
Orange peel for garnish

Mix juice and grenadine in a glass, then add the sparkling water.  Twist some orange peel around a chopstick to make a fun garnish and rub orange peel along the rim of the glass for an added citrus essence.  Throw in pomegranate seeds and enjoy.

Huevos Rancheros Brunch

Huevos Rancheros and a mocktail makes a perfect Sunday morning brunch. This homemade Ranchero sauce is fresh, light, healthy and makes this dish one of my favorites. I use all natural "hand-made" white corn tortillas, that I grill on a cast iron griddle or an open flame to get a little char.  When served with my Sunrise Mocktail it makes me feel like I'm on vacation.

Huevos Rancheros

Prep time: 15

Cook time: 30

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped white onions

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon minced jalapeno

2 cloves minced garlic

1 cup chopped tomatoes and their juice

1 cup vegetable stock

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 white corn "hand made style" tortillas

1 can black beans drained

1 can pinto beans drained

4 large eggs

extra sharp yellow cheddar - shredded
extra sharp white cheddar - shredded

1 avocado for top

Directions:

To make the ranchero sauce, in a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cumin, salt, cayenne, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and cover to keep warm.

Heat a cast iron tortilla griddle or skillet over medium heat. Spray each side of tortilla with olive oil spray and heat one side until just starting to brown, about 30 seconds. Turn and cook on the second side. Remove, cover to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Mix black beans and pinto beans together and heat over medium heat. Mash half of the beans. Keep warm until ready to use.

In medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of olive oil, over medium-high heat. Break 4 eggs into skillet and fry until the yolk is cooked to your desired consistency. 

Place 2 warm tortillas on each of 4 plates and spread each with 3-4 tablespoons of warm beans. Place 1 egg on top of each and top with the warm ranchero sauce and cheeses. Serve immediately. DELICIOUS!

Sunrise Mocktail

I made a homemade grenadine and drizzled it in a glass filled with ice and fresh squeezed orange juice. Making your own grenadine is not only simple, but it is far superior to store bought brands. There are no preservatives, so I make a small amount. 

Grenadine Ingredients:

1 cup pomegranate juice (I used POM brand)

1/4 cup organic sugar

Directions:

Bring the pomegranate juice and sugar to a boil in saucepan. Reduce the heat and cover, simmering for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow mixture to cool, then pour into a container with a tight sealing lid.  

Sunrise Cocktail:

Fill a glass with ice and orange juice. Drizzle the grenadine over the top and let it sink to the bottom. Top with a orange wedge. 

Enjoy!