Summer on my Mind (Beer Margaritas)

Summer is ready to roll, it seems, as indicated by a very nasty hail storm this a couple weekends ago.  In Montana it is pretty much par for the course that extreme weather marks the beginning of our seasons, which doesn't always fall into the same seasons that are displayed on a standard calendar.  We may still get one more snow storm before the end of May, it's just that loco up in here, and maybe even a little tornado warning at or around Father's Day.  It's like a barometric adventure every day!

When summer begins there are several ways to beat the heat.  One of my favorites: COCKTAILS!  From a cold glass *ahem bottle ahem* of chilled Moscato to a nice tall aluminum bottle of Coors Light (here's lookin at you, LG), cocktails make the summer season slightly more fuzzy and 100% more hydrating.  It's science.  Let me introduce you to one of my favorite summer treats.

Behold, the glory that is the Beer Margarita!  This was another Pinterest discovery (recipe HERE) that rocked my proverbial socks off, and they are ridiculously easy to make.  All you need is a frozen can of concentrated lime-aid (thawed), a bottle of beer (I go with Corona), water (just fill the empty Corona bottle and voila!), tequila (about a half a cup, or more, whatever blows your hair back), combine all of the above and serve over ice with lime slices!  You really can't detect the beer at all, they just taste like a lovely, tart margarita.  

I particularly love doing a salt rim on a chilled glass, and a dash of fresh chopped cilantro (along with the obligatory slice of lime) is the perfect garnish for this concoction.  If you love margaritas I thoroughly recommend you try this version rather than the pre-made stuff.  And don't forget the cilantro and salt!!!!

Obscenely Good (Barefoot Contessa Roasted Chicken with Compound Butter)

Have you ever made something delicious, but almost felt embarrassed sharing it because it looked a little pornographic?  No?  Oh, ok then, I guess it is just me.  I made the most delicious roast chicken a while back, and the resulting picture looked a little like a chicken in a highly provocative "come hither" pose, but that could just have been my imagination.  You be the judge:

This chicken was stuffed with fresh herbs and slathered with a delicious compound butter.  The recipe (located HERE) was one I found on Pinterest (titled Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken).  At the time I made this I didn't have any lemons, and if you know me you know that I avoid trips to the store at nearly all costs, so I used an orange I had on hand instead.  The flavor was just terrific, a little sweet but still citrusy, and it played very well alongside all the thyme and parsley.  I just wish that the final result didn't look so.... slutty.

My Triumphant Return to Swans Eat Everything (Vietnamese Breakfast Banh Mi)

It's been months... MONTHS... since I posted, and today I happen to be home with a sick little girl so I thought "What better time than now, on an unexpected day off, to write some blog posts about some of the lovely things I've eaten lately".  There hasn't been a huge amount of nothing going on in Casa de la Swan, just living the dream while getting ready for a summer of camping and fun.  We have a new tent (a Kelty Air Pitch) which I anticipate will make our camping experience 500% faster and less stressful *fingers crossed*  Our first trip happens to be Elora's last day of school, so we are going to hit the camping season hard and fast, with some good friends by our side.

So back to the food!  A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of hosting my good friend Matt for brunch, and since I knew he would appreciate something a little out of the ordinary so I decided to take a culinary trip to Vietnam.  Another good friend of mine (Adriennit, holla!) introduced me to banh mi sandwiches a couple years ago, and they are so fantastically good it's difficult to believe, but they do require a little work (and a good crusty baguette) so I don't make them very often.  But this is what a real banh mi should look like:

The breakfast banh mi is very similar, but with less pate and more eggs and bacon.  I used this Serious Eats recipe and used some jalapeno bacon we got out at Project Meats in Huntley Project, MT (buy local, folks).  I nixed extra jalapenos, as the bacon was spicy enough for all our palates.  The finished project looked like this little slice of fried gold:

We ate the shit out of this sandwich, it was very filling and exotic on a Sunday morning, especially with a spicy Absolut Peppar Bloody Mary as accompaniment.  If you are looking for something new to try I would definitely recommend doing some research into banh mi and trying one out for yourself.  Or just have Adrienne make you one!