Summer time is here!  That means get your hula skirts and coconut shells out cause it's time for a.....

at the home of Ryan & MJ!!!

Imagine yourself lounging under a cabana, the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, a buff tan gentleman (or sexy coconut shelled woman if you're into that) walking up to you with a tray of tropical cocktails.... that's the effect Ann & Jason were hoping their Sexy Monkey and Mai Tai concoctions would have on you when you closed your eyes and sipped the  fruity deliciousness!

And, if tropical cocktails are not your thing, there's always Kona beer brewed in the tropical paradise that is Hawaii! 













2nd Place Winner:  Culinary Couples Year One - Best Drink!







Recipes:

Sexy Monkey:
Makes 2 cocktails

2 cups crushed ice
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons cream of coconut
2 ounces pineapple juice
4 ounces banana rum plus 1 or 2 ounces regular rum (to taste)

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until no ice chunks remain.  Garnish with fruit of choice.

http://www.tasty-trials.com/2011/11/news-and-cocktail.html

Mai Tai:
2 ounces light rum
orange juice
pineapple juice
float of dark rum
splash of amaretto

Pour the light rum into a glass over ice.  Fill it with half orange juice and half pineapple juice.  Add a float of dark rum and a splash of amaretto on top.  Garnish with fruit of choice.

http://www.birthdaypartybabble.com/LuauDrinkRecipes.html

Island Spring Rolls:  Katie & Denis

The fresh island taste was brought to the desert with Katie & Denis's crab, mango & avacado spring rolls!  These were amazing and took us straight to a tropical paradise!

Recipe:
Medium rice paper spring roll wrappers

Cooked crab meat, about 4 oz shredded apart

1-2 large mangos, peeled and cut into long thin strips

2-3 avocados, peeled and cut into long thin strips

2 cups glass or rice noodles (see note below)

Cilantro leaves – a few handfuls

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons orange juice

Chili pepper to taste

Note: if making these again I would replace the noodles with cabbage – it would give it a crunch and make it even lighters.  With the noodles I thought there was too much rice.

Soak spring roll wrapper in warm water for about 10-15 seconds until it softens.  When pliable, remove from water and place on a flat surface.  Pile a small amount of noodles (or cabbage), crab, mango, avocado and cilantro into center of wrapper.  The wrap tightly by folding edges over the ends and then rolling around the filling, then seal shut.  Repeat for remaining wraps.  Do not place wraps on top of each other or too close together, they will stick.

For dipping sauce, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, orange juice, honey and chili pepper.  Serve on the side with spring rolls.

Pineapple Chicken with Sesame Cabbage Salad:  Ryan & MJ

Last but not least in our first round of Culinary Couples, Ryan & MJ did not disappoint!  They finished out strong with yet another delicious slow cooker creation. In fact, it was so delicious that we were half way through our meals before we realized we hadn't taken any pictures... so .... here you go ... half eaten dinner photography at it's best :)

And we couldn't forget Eric's mountain of rice!







Recipes:

Pineapple Chicken:
http://freerecipenetwork.com/crockpot-hawaiian-chicken-2/

Sesame Cabbage Salad:
http://www.food.com/recipe/sesame-cabbage-salad-304258

Pineapple Upside Down Cake:  Heather & Eric

We have to give Eric props on this one as Heather entrusted with him the incredibly important task of making the dessert as she had to work today.  It turned out amazing!

A great evening on an island adventure!

Who was making those drinks again?!? 

A big shout out to Katie & Jason for bearing with us this evening!

Recipe:
*Make sure the bottom of the cakes are flat when you stack them.  Otherwise the cakes will fall apart.

Cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups cake flour, plus more for pan
1 cup butter, softened, plus 1/2 cup, melted
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups whole buttermilk
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple slices in juice, drained well (reserve 2 tbs juice for frosting)
1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained well

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and coat with flour.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy.  Add the eggs, 1 at a tiem, beating well after each addition.  Stir in the vanilla and set aside.

In a small bowl, add the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir to combine.  Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the brown sugar evenly into each pan.  Pour the melted butter equally over the brown sugar.  Arrange the pineapple slides and cherries over the brown sugar.  Reserve the remaining pineapple slices and cherries for another use.

Pour equal amounts of batter over the fruit and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.  Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes.  Invert the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

To assemble the cake, carefully arrange 1 cake layer, pineapple side up, on a cake plate.  Carefully stake the remaining cake layer, pineapple side up, over the first layer.  Frost the sides of the cake with Pineapple Buttercream Frosting.  Press chopped pecans into side of cake, if desired.

Pineapple Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 pound butter, softened
2 tbs reserved pineapple juice
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

Beat all ingredients in large bowl until well combined, makes 2 cups.