Thyme cocktails

Made 3 different thyme cocktails last weekend using Thyme simple syrup.  Made for a pretty bad hangover the next morning, so need to try using monkfruit simple syrup next time.  Made 1:1 cup ratio in the morning and had plenty of leftover, so next time can use like 3/4 cup. Garnish with sprigs of thyme and lemon or lime peel.

Thyme gives it a nice smokey taste.

Double recipe for 2 people.

JIGGER RULES:

Small side = 0.75 oz / filling to the brim = 1 oz

Large side = 1.5 oz

1 OZ = 2 TBSP

THYME SIMPLE SYRUP

-1 cup of sugar

-1 cup of water

-Handful of thyme

Directions:

1. Boil water and sugar

2. Pour into mason jar

3. Add in thyme

4. Let cool in fridge

#1. Meyer Lemon and Thyme Whiskey Sour - from footnetwork.com (Eric's favorite!)

-1.5 oz bourbon

-1 oz Meyer lemon juice = 1 lemon + 1 mandarin orange

-1.5 oz thyme simple syrup

FOR 4 DRINKS:

Barely fits in the shaker - don't add a lot of ice because you add ice to the drinks anyways

I added too much ice in shaker and it overflowed

#2. The French Gimlet - from freutcake.com (maybe too sour and needed more simple syrup?)

-2 oz gin

-1.5 oz St. Germain

-1.5 oz lime juice

-1/2 oz thyme simple syrup (maybe do 0.75 oz?)

#3. Lemon Thyme Cocktail - from bettycrocker.com (it was ok, but #1 better)

-2.5 oz vodka

-3 oz cranberry juice

-1 oz thyme simple syrup

-1/2 oz orange-flavored liqueur

-1/2 lemon juice- orig recipe called for lemon-thyme simple syrup with 2 T grated lemon peel added to the simple syrup when making, but I had already made

*drinks

Key Lime Pie

Taken from Once Upon a Chef.

It's funny how when I bake things like desserts, I usually don't modify.  Anyways, this was a hit.  Eric really liked it. I thought the filling wasn't lime-y enough, but on subsequent days, it tasted pretty good.  Also, I definitely need to take a lactaid beforehand.

Ingredients for the crust:

-12 graham crackers

-1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (I only had dark, so used dark)

-4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients for the filling:

-two 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk

-1 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or whole, but I only had fat free on hand)

-1 Tbsp grated lime zest (used heaping)

-3/4 cup fresh lime juice (could use slightly more) - almost a whole 2 lb bag

Ingredients for the topping:

-1 cup cold heavy cream

-2 Tbsp powdered sugar

-1 tsp grated lime zest (used a LOT more to cover whole pie)

-Thin lime slices (only did 1 in the middle for a good picture)

Directions for crust:

1. Zest and juice limes until you get about 3/4 cup of lime juice

2. Cuisinart graham crackers into fine crumbs

3. Preheat oven to 375 and set oven rack in middle position

4. In medium bowl, combined graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter.  Stir with fork first, and then hands if needed.

5. Use fingers, press crumbs firmly into bottom and sides of a pie pan.  Crust should be about 1/4 inch thick.  (Tip: do sides first)

6. Bake for 10 min, until just slightly browned (do 8-9 min as it was a little burnt).  Let cool.

Directions for filling:

7. Lower oven temperature to 350

8. In large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, yogurt, lime zest, and lime juice. 

9.  Pour the thick mixture into the warm graham cracker crust

10.  Bake for 15 min, until filling is almost set; it should wobble a bit.

11.  Let cool at room temperature for 30 min

12.  Chill in fridge for about 3 hrs

Directions for topping:

13. Using mixer, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form

14. Add sugar and beat until medium peaks form

15.  Top the pie with the whipped cream

16.  Decorate with lime zest and lime slices

Notes:

As mentioned before, can do with more lime juice.

Divided the pie into 8 slices and had for 4 nights - lasted until then.

Times in oven need to be a little less to not burn it.

*Dessert

Mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot

Recipe taken from Dinner at the Zoo and maybe some others.
Original recipe called for 2 lbs of Russet potatoes, but I could only buy a 5 pound bag and didn't want it to go to waste.  I used it for 3 nights of dinner + 5 lunches - I was mashed potato-ed out by the end of the week.

Ingredients:
-5 lbs of Russet potatoes

-2 cups of water

-2 tsp salt

-1/2 cup of milk/heavy cream/half n half - I used heavy cream and probably used less

-1 stick of butter

-black pepper

-garlic powder

Directions

1. Peel potatoes and cut into similar sized cubes

2. Place potatoes, water, salt in Instant Pot

3. Set on on manual for 10 min

4. When timer goes off, release valve to vent

5. Drain potatoes into colander

6. Add milk, butter, pepper, and garlic powder to Instant Pot

7. Use mixer to mix in the Instant Pot

Notes:

Don't forget to add water when reheating in the microwave.

Could try adding roasted garlic to the mix, but that would be more work.

*American

*Sides

 

Lemon and Thyme Chicken Tenders

 Modified from NY Times, although it wasn't grilled as in the original recipe.  Wanted to use the thyme from the garden.

Ingredients:
-Chicken tenders (about 1.5-2 lbs)
-2 Tbsp chopped thyme leaves (it's more than you think!)
-4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled (use more!)
-1 lemon + zest
-salt
-pepper
-olive oil

Directions:
1. Marinate chicken, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil for 2 hrs+

2. Bake in oven - 375 for 20 min or less

Notes: again, would use more crushed garlic as it tasted nice when having a baked garlic to eat with your chicken.

Served with asparagus (bought 2 bunches for 3 nights) and mashed potatoes

*American