Spiced Kombucha Rum Punch

This post is a collaboration with Health-Ade Kombucha, a brand I LOVE and am excited to share with you.

Thanksgiving week is here and I’m not really sure how that happened so quickly but I am ready for all the festiveness! There are snowflakes falling softly from the sky here at my parents’ house in Minnesota. It’s cold cold cold outside and I’m in my sweatpants. Visions of homemade cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and stuffing are dancing around my head and I am excited to get to work in the kitchen. I haven’t been to Minnesota for Thanksgiving in eleven years and I’m happy to break that streak this year.

We aren’t big on appetizers before Thanksgiving dinner because, let’s be honest, we need to save all the room for dinner! I do, however, love a festive cocktail. This Spiced Kombucha Rum Punch is the perfect way to prep for Thanksgiving dinner because a) it is so very pretty, b) it is made with kombucha, which means it is great for your gut, c) it can be made as a cocktail OR a mocktail. I mean, hello, this is a must-make for the holidays so you might as well get started this week!

I am obsessed with Health-Ade kombucha, so obviously that was what I reached for at the grocery store when the thought of this gut friendly cocktail came to mind. Pomegranate seemed like the most festive choice, but Pink Lady would also be lovely! A little splash of apple cider and some spiced rum go perfectly with the pretty pink pomegranate. Sprinkle a little cinnamon over it all and you’ve got a special, but super simple, signature cocktail to sip while you wait for that turkey.

Also, if you don’t know much about kombucha or Health-Ade, here are some excellent little tidbits of information for you:

1. Health-Ade is brewed in ALL glass- no plastic or metal

2. Health-Ade is always flavored with organic cold pressed juice and superfoods (YES!)

3. Non- GMO, Organic, Vegam Raw, Gluten Free and Kosher

4. Health-Ade makes their kombucha the natural way. We never force carbonate!

5. Health-Ade is FULL of probiotics and healthy acid (Helloooo, happy gut!)

Now, Follow Your Gut and make on of these pretty probiotic cocktails for you and your friends! Go!

Spiced Kombucha Rum Punch

Makes 8 cocktails

• 1 bottle Health-Ade Pomegranate Kombucha

• 1/2 cup spiced rum

• 1/2 cup apple cider (not the alcoholic, carbonated kind)

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• fresh cranberries for garnish

• fresh mint for garnish

1. In a pitcher with ice, stir together the rum, apple cider and ground cinnamon. (You can do this part in advance, just leave the ice out of the pitcher, stir together the rum, cider and cinnamon, cover and refrigerate until ready to finish).

2. Pour the kombucha into the pitcher and gently stir to combine.

3. Strain the cocktail into cocktail glasses and garnish with the fresh cranberries and mint. Cheers!

Rosemary Apple Butter Waffle Bites

This fall, on one of our last camping trips of the season, I brought the most recent Food & Wine that had appeared in my mailbox before we left for the weekend. I paged through the recipes and photos as we drove into the mountains, not entirely paying attention to what I saw. I tend to do that the first time I look through a magazine. But then I saw a page with these beautiful and adorable canapés made with waffles! Each little square of the waffle was filled with something different, creating this beautiful piece of art on a platter. I haven’t been able to get those out of my head, so I knew they had to make an appearance sometime this holiday season. I also knew I needed to make something much simpler than what was in the magazine, because #momlife. So, I took my rosemary apple butter and put a tiny spoonful in the tiny square of a brown butter waffle (the exact same recipe I posted the other day, minus the vanilla) and all was well with the world.

Honestly, these are so simple to make and they would be the perfect bit sized treat to pass out with a glass of champagne at the start of your Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) gathering. The finishing touches of orange zest and black pepper give this appetizer a sweet and savory flavor that works perfectly with the rosemary in the apple butter. To make your platter look extra fancy, garnish it with fresh rosemary sprigs!

Rosemary Apple Butter Waffle Bites

Makes about 30-40 bite sized appetizers

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional but a nice addition!)

• 2 eggs, beaten well

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1 3/4 cups milk

• zest of 1 orange

• rosemary apple butter (click for the recipe) *you can also use store-bought apple butter to make this even easier!

1. Begin by browning the butter. Add it to a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will melt, then start to sputter and foam, then it will all settle down and the milk particles will start to turn golden brown and a nutty aroma will fill your kitchen. Keep an eye on the butter through this process so it doesn’t burn! Stir occasionally, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Transfer to a heatproof liquid measuring cup and set aside.

2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Pour in the browned butter and stir until incorporated.

4. Preheat a waffle iron. They’re all different. I set mine to a medium temperature, but you do you Boo Boo!

5. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter in the center of the waffle iron. When the waffles are done cooking, cut each one into little Tetris-looking shapes. I like to do them in 2 square sections (see photos above) but you can do them in 3 if you’d like to add something like a crumble of gorgonzola cheese or bacon or BOTH. Be creative!

6. Take a 1/2 teaspoon scoop of apple butter and drop it into one of the squares. Arrange each little bite on a platter before sprinkling with the orange zest and extra black pepper. Enjoy!
   

Rosemary Apple Butter

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One of the things I love most about this time of year is that I get to cook things that make my home smell delicious. Pumpkin bread, apple pie, homemade bread…all of the baking, basically. Summers in Denver can be SO hot, so when the temperature finally drops, I start using my oven as often as possible. As much as I love turning on my oven, it is also a gift to be able to turn to my slow cooker for things like this apple butter. The house still smells amazing, but I don’t have to babysit anything.

This is an updated version of my original slow-cooker apple butter. It is sweeter slightly with dates, just like before, but I added a hefty amount of rosemary to give it a more sophisticated flavor that works beautifully for Thanksgiving or Christmas appetizers! My favorite thing to do with this apple butter…well, you’ll find that out on Friday…my SECOND favorite thing to do with this apple butter is to spread it on a cracker and top it with a little blue cheese. Ermagerd it is amazing.

Bonus: this recipe makes enough for you to gift to a friend! Tis the season, after all!

Rosemary Apple Butter

• 8-12 small/medium apples, cored, cut into wedges, peel left on

• 6 pitted dates

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 3 large sprigs rosemary, left whole

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

• 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes until the apples and dates are softened. Remove from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Place the lid slightly ajar on the pan, return to low heat and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apple butter has thickened, about 30-45 minutes. Add more liquid as needed so the apple butter doesn't burn or become too paste-like.

Remove the apple butter from the heat and cool completely before putting in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. The apple butter will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks and tastes fantastic spread on toast, muffins, or as a fun seasonal addition to a cheese tray.

*To make this in a slow cooker, add all ingredients and set on low for 8 hours. Purée the ingredients, set the lid slightly ajar, and continue cooking for another hour on low heat.

Loaded Belizean Fry Jacks

Note: This recipe is based on my experience with the flavors of Belize and a fry jack I watched someone make and then was able to enjoy during our time in Placencia. To be clear, this is NOT the same as a quesadilla and if it is made with regular tortillas, it is not a fry jack. Fry jack refers to the fried dough and must be made the traditional Belizean way to be called a Belizean Fry Jack. To see how to do this, please check out this video for an excellent tutorial!

One of the greatest joys I get from traveling is learning about the local food. It’s amazing to experience the simple dishes adored by people around the world. In Japan, I was immediately smitten with onigiri, specifically yaki onigiri, which is a simple ball of rice that is grilled and brushed with soy sauce. Simple, comforting, and surprisingly flavorful. In Argentina, empanadas stole my heart with their hand-held, hearty goodness. Whoever decided ground beef, green olives, and raisins work together was a genius. And in Belize, I was crazy over Fry Jacks. My favorite had refried beans, scrambled eggs, and lots of cheese. Like a breakfast quesadilla on a fluffy, bread-y tortilla. 

One of the things that makes Fry Jacks so wonderful is how they can be personalized and enjoyed with various toppings. My first Fry Jack in Placencia was filled with cheese, beans, and eggs. These Loaded Belizean Fry Jacks are filled with seasoned ground beef, refried black beans, fried plantains, and allllll the giant shreds of Tillamook Farmstyle Cut Mexican 4 Shredded Cheese!

I used a Belizean BBQ Seasoning Mix, but that can be hard to find so feel free to use taco seasoning. I also made my own tortillas so I could get the nice, slightly fluffy texture of Belizean tortillas. But I have found Trader Joe’s large flour tortillas are an excellent substitute! They are soft and slightly chewy, which works so well for this cheesy treat. 

Whether you’re having friends over for bookclub or to watch “the game”, these Loaded Belizean Fry Jacks are sure to please! 

Loaded Belizean Fry Jacks

Makes 6-8 servings

• 1 batch Belizean Fry Jacks or very soft four tortillas to make quesadilla version

• 1/2 cup refried black beans

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Belizean BBQ seasoning or taco seasoning 

• 1/2 lb ground beef

• 1 plantain, cut into 1/4 inch slices

• 1 1/2 cups Tillamook Farmstyle Cut Mexican 4 Shredded Cheese  

• Coconut or Vegetable oil 

• Fresh cilantro

• Lime wedges

• Marie Sharp’s Hot Sauce (or other favorite hot sauce)

1. Begin by heating a skillet with 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sprinkle with seasoning. Brown the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. When fully cooked, transfer the meat to a plate with a slotted spoon. Set aside. 

2. Next, heat a cast iron skillet with 1/4 inch of oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the plantain slices and fry for 1-2 minute per side, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

3. Meanwhile, season the refried beans with salt and a squeeze of lime juice to taste. Spread refried beans over 4 of the tortillas, followed by the ground beef. Layer the plantain slices over the beef, then sprinkle with the cheese and a few cilantro leaves. Top with the remaining 4 tortillas. 

4. In the same cast iron skillet you used to fry the plantains, reheat the oil, adding more to reach 1/4 inch of oil in the skillet. Using a large spatula, ease the first fry jack into the hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer the fry jack to a sheet pan and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Continue with the remaining fry jacks. 

5. Cut each fry jack into 4 wedges, sprinkled with additional cilantro, fresh lime juice, and hot sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy the cheesy goodness!