HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Chef Patrick Evans Hylton helps us cut down on food waste and make some delicious eats and drinks.
WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS VODKA
With lots of leftovers and an economic downturn, there’s no room for waste. Making an infused vodka is a good way to use ingredients
We will look at making infused spirits in a new segment called Inspired Infusions.
The first uses lemon or other citrus peels to make lemon-infused vodka. You can enjoy the vodka in a number of ways, including making a light citrusy vodka spritz with it
Here’s how to make it:
As you use lemons, wash, pat dry, and zest the rind and store in a ziptop bag in the freezer; you can do this with other citrus fruit as well. You will get about 1 tablespoon of zest per lemon.
A microplane is best to zest, but you can use a citrus zester or vegetable peeler; you can even cut the skin into thin strip with a paring knife. Be sure to not get any of the white pith, which is bitter.
Use 1 or 2 heaping tablespoons of zest per 750ml of your favorite vodka; we love the vodka from Reverend Spirits by RD Wilhelm Distillery in Norfolk. You can optionally add 2-3 tablespoons superfine sugar. We prefer to transfer the vodka to a separate, wider mouth bottle. Shake the bottle and sit aside for a minimum of 3-5 days to infuse. As you drink the bottle down, you can add additional vodka and zest; you can also mix citrus zest for fusions, such as lemon-orange, or lemon-lime.
Make our Vodka Spritzer by pouring 2 ounces of lemon vodka into a glass, adding ice, and topping off with soda water then garnishing with a lemon slice. You can also add a shot of lemon vodka to other cocktails, or boost ice tea or lemonade.
Vodka comes from Reverend Spirits by RD Wilhelm Distillery, www.facebook.com/RDWilhelmDistillery
Some ingredients come from The Fresh Market, www.TheFreshMarket.com
SECOND HELPINGS | ROTISSERIE CHICKEN
We are going to start a new segment called Second Helpings. This will show an economical way to reuse some leftovers of common foods
The first dish is the always popular rotisserie chicken. Find a rotisserie chicken on sale and grab two; in addition to carving and enjoying the chicken as-is, here are five of our favorite ways of enjoying it:
+ Waldorf Chicken Salad Wrap
+ Chicken Parm Stuffed Peppers
+ Chicken Quesadillas
+ Chicken a la King
+ Chicken Noodle Soup
If you’d like my recipe for Waldorf Chicken Salad, email me at Patrick@VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com with “Waldorf Chicken Salad” as the subject.
Some ingredients comes from The Fresh Market, www.TheFreshMarket.com
HOW LONG TO KEEP THAT FOOD
Virginia Eats + Drinks has a comprehensive COVID-19 website . It features many eats and drinks tips and tricks during the outbreak. These include how long to keep food.
We all are ordering more groceries and have more leftovers. Knowing how long to safely keep food can be an uncertainty. There are some basic rules to follow. We will have more guidelines on our blog
CHEESE - HARD, LIKE CHEDDAR
Fridge - up to 4 weeks
Freezer - up to 12 months
Freezer - up to 12 months
CHEESE - SOFT, LIKE COTTAGE, FETA
Fridge - up to 1 week
Freezer - up to 8 months
CHICKEN DISHES
Fridge - up to 4 days
Freezer - up to 8 months
DELI MEATS
Fridge - up to 5 days
Freezer - up to 12 months
MEAT DISHES
Fridge - up to 4 days
Freezer - up to 8 months
CHINESE
Fridge - up to 5 days
Freezer - up to 12 months
FISH/SHELLFISH (COOKED)
Fridge - up to 4 days
Freezer - up to 8 months
MEXICAN
Fridge - up to 5 days
Freezer - up to 12 months
PASTA
Fridge - up to 5 days
Freezer - up to 12 months
PIZZA
Fridge - up to 5 days
Freezer - up to 12 months
SOUP
Fridge - up to 5 days
Freezer - up to 8 months
Some things to keep in mind:
+ Some foods will last up to 7 days refrigerated, but the quality greatly diminishes which is why we recommend up to 5
+ Refrigerate or freeze as soon as possible
+ Store food in smaller portions
+ How you store the food keeps them fresher longer, such as using air tight containers
+ Always look for signs of mold, and smell for signs of spoil before use
+ Always remember - when in doubt, throw it out.
And remember - use leftovers in creative ways
For information visit www.VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com/covid19
COVID 19: VIRGINIA EATS + DRINKS RESPONSE
Tune in to our new website Virginia Eats + Drinks has a comprehensive COVID-19 website with features on restaurant offerings such as deliveries and pick ups.
Also look for recipes and expert cooking tips, check out valuable tips for dealing with virus prep and quarantine, and follow along for a virtual dinner party
For information visit www.VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com/covid19
MORE VIRGINIA EATS + DRINKS
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