Bloody Ginger

• 2 parts Gin
• 1 part Domaine De Canton
• 1 part dry Vermouth
• blood orange wedge for garnish

Stir liquid ingredients over ice, serve in a coupe glass with the wedge.

Fancy-Ass Chicken

• 1 whole roasting Chicken
• 1 can of champagne (or sparkling wine)
• Rub (All-Purpose BBQ Rub, Herbes de Provence mix, or another poultry blend)

Pour half the champagne into a glass to enjoy.  Trim the bird and dry with paper towels, insert half-full can into the cavity, keeping the can vertical and supporting with legs.  Apply dry rub to the outside of the bird and let it sit while starting the smoker.

Smoke for 2-3 hours at 250-275, using apple wood added immediately after chicken.

Cook until breast meat is 160 in the middle, and allow to rest 10  minutes before carving.

Old Maid

• 2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Fresh lime juice
• 3/4 oz Simple syrup (1:1)
• 3 Cucumber wheels (cut 1/4-inch thick)
• 6-7 Mint leaves

Tools: shaker, muddler, strainer
Glass: lowball
Garnish: sprig of mint threaded through a cucumber wheel

Combine all ingredients into a shaker. Muddled cucumber and mint slightly (avoid bruising the mint) and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish.

H/t: Imbibe Magazine

Cucumber-Rosemary Gimlet

• 2 oz Gin 
• 5 oz Soda water 
• 3 Cucumber slices 
• 1 sprig of Rosemary 
• 1 wedge Lime

Fill highball glass halfway with ice, add gin, cucumber, and rosemary.  Squeeze juice from lemon wedge into the glass.  Top off with soda.

Patio Sipper

• 3 oz Dry vermouth
• Orange wedge
• Soda
• Ice

Fill highball glass halfway with ice, add vermouth and orange wedge, and top off with soda water.

Ginger Mojito

• 1 ounce Ginger-Lime Simple Syrup*
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
• the juice of 1/2 a lime
• ice, enough to fill the glass 
• 1 ounce white rum 
• 6 ounces club soda
• 1 sprig of mint and 
• 1 wedge of lime (to garnish)

Combine the syrup, mint leaves, and lime juice in the bottom of a tall glass.  Muddle the ingredients together by grinding the leaves with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon.  Fill the glass with ice.  Add the rum, followed by the club soda.  Garnish with a wedge of lime and a sprig of mint.

Ginger Lime Simple Syrup

• 2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 cup turbinado (raw) sugar
• 1 cup water
• the juice and zest of 4 key limes (or two regular limes)

h/t: marymakesdinner.typepad.com

Souvlaki

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. dried mint
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp dried onion powder
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced finely
• 2 lb. pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 ¼ inch cubes (or substitute leg of lamb)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon (for serving)

Mix all ingredients except pork, salt, and pepper into marinade and stir well. Marinade pork for three hours. Remove the marinade from the refrigerator one hour before grilling to allow the meat to come up to room temp. Skewer pork onto 4-6 skewers and sear on high heat until well browned on all sides, then move to indirect heat until cooked through. Dribble with lemon juice before removing from grill. Serve hot.

Butterflied Grilled Chicken

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp ground pepper (try a mix of white and black)
• 1-2 Tbsp smoked paprika (or just sweet paprika if you can’t find the smoked variety)
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder or dried minced garlic
• 1 tsp turmeric

Get the grill started first, so it comes up to at least 325 degrees Fahrenheit before you put the bird on.

Mix the dry ingredients together and set the rub aside.

Set the chicken breast-side down and remove anything that’s inside the cavity. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut down each side of the backbone to remove it.

The backbone runs right down the middle of the chicken. When the backbone is removed, the chicken will fold open.

Rub the bird with olive oil then rub the spice mix generously all over the bird.

Cook the chicken with the grill lid on, checking and turning the bird every 15 minutes. Watch out for flare-ups and try to avoid letting the chicken comes in direct contact with flames. Cook until an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit is reached.

h/t www.marksdailyapple.com/