#262 Refreshingly sweet Gingria

Who wants a drink? Ginger and sangria just like the name says made right at home with the right proportions of ginger that I like.  Sometimes when making  a mixed drink such as this,  the fresh ginger juice adds tons of flavor and makes your eyes fill-up with joy (or maybe it's the heat of the ginger)!!


Ingredients:
1 Tblspn Ginger juice. (crush ginger root and squeeze out the juice)
2 ounces Cherry Syrup from marachino cherries
2 marachino cherries
5-6 ounces club soda
1 ounce red wine
Ice cubes

Method:
1. Take a cocktail shaker and add all the ingredients except the club soda and red wine in it.
2. Shake well together and pour halfway into a tall glass or wine glass.
3. Pour Club soda to about 3/4th the glass and very gently pour red wine on the surface just
to make sure it does not go to the bottom and mix. Serve.

#256 It Isn't Christmas without a heavy shot of Egg Nog

All these years our favorites drinks at this time of the year without a doubt are Eggnog and hot chocolate. Recently we have been a bit hesitant to drink eggnog because of the high calorie content. It wasn't until my husband (R) and I stopped by the "Jack in the Box" Diner that the Eggnog Milkshake on the menu caught my attention.  I had to get some fresh eggnog from the supermarket and shake up something with it. This milkshake starts with EggNog, ice-cream slowly shaken up with a dash of seasonal nutmeg. The smell of freshly grated nutmeg and eggnog reminded me of many Christmas Seasons spent with family and of my children giggling, running around the X'mas tree in pajamas !!

Ingredients:
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 cup EggNog
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
Whipped topping.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my readers!! Cookies and Eggnog shake...a calorific Christmas to remember!!

Method:
Mix in the blender all the ingredients except the whipped topping.
Pout into a nice serving glass, top with whipped topping, sprinkle with
extra ground nutmeg and serve.

#239 Sunshine Screwdriver on the Deck

When I got up this morning at 7 am I could see the golden rays of sunlight filtering down through the curtains and over the rug in my bedroom. I didn't want to get up but I was happy looking forward to a bright day with lots of sunshine. It is getting much colder outside, the bright red and yellow leaves are falling, fading away from the trees leaving dark skeletons of branches swaying to and fro in the breeze. Now we'll see fresh green leaves come Spring  2013!!  Sometimes a sunny day like this can lift our spirit and make us smile in the late fall as we prepare for the coming months of winter and snow so let's make the best of it!! 

I'm smiling for another reason - last night we were invited for a 50th wedding anniversary with a couple and their friends. Isn't it amazing how two people live in harmony for 50 years and are celebrating half a century of wedded bliss?  With their children being long married and well settled,  they've been retired and vacationong for the past decade!! I would love to do that for a living but, since R and I are a long way from celebrating half a century of wedded bliss, we're celebrating with screwdrivers on the deck this sunny afternoon:)

Usually I make my screwdrivers with Absolut Vodka and orange juice.  It is refreshing on a hot day but easy to make when you don't feel like whipping up a fancy cocktail. Today I don't have Absolut Vodka so I went for the Citrus Smirnoff and shook up a couple of Grapefruit & Orange Screwdrivers right on the deck for my husband 'R' and I.  Squishing the fresh juicy grapefruit and orange sections with crushed ice and sugary syrup right inside the glass to bring out the essential oils from the clean skin and adding an extra level of the beautiful citrus flavor into the sunshine screwdriver.

Ingredients:
Citrus Smirnoff/ Vodka- 1 1/2 ounce
Freshly squeezed Orange Juice-2 ounces
Freshly squeezed Graprefruit juice-2 ounces
Sugar Syrup- 1 ounce
Crushed Ice
Club Soda- as desired

Shake it Up:
1. In a cocktail shaker, place freshly squeezed juices, ice and sugar syrup and shake well.
2. Mix the Vodka and shake. Pour into glasses. drop a slice of grapefruit and orange.
3. Using a cocktail glass rod crush the fresh fruit in each glass well to get the full flavors.
4. Top with club soda as desired and enjoy.

#216 New Flavors---- Pink or Peach Lassi

Almost everyone is familiar with the common Indian drink "Lassi". Some version of it is served at almost all Indian, many Middle Eastern Restaurants and some health food stores too. So what is Lassi? This refreshing drink is a yogurt or buttermilk-based smoothie, not as thick as a smoothie but more like buttermilk in consistency and yet it can be served sweet or savory. The most common flavors are mango, rose and plain sweetened lassi. South Indians love the savory version made with a touch of green chili, ginger, lime, curry leaves and salt (Sambharam in Kerala). Shake yourself one today because it is best enjoyed on those hot, humid and muggy summer days when a cool drink is most welcome!! The twist here is that I have replaced mango with strawberries and mint. If you're in a savory mood see my carrot one below................... go ahead and use beets instead for a twist!!

Ingredients:

Plain Non-fat yogurt- 1 cup

Coconut milk-1/4 cup

Mint leaves- 5

Ice cubes – ½ cup

Fresh Ripe Strawberries- 1 cup sliced

Sugar- ¼ cup

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in the glass container of the blender and blend until smooth. Add water to suite your most favored consistency.

2. You can use a hand-blender too and garnish with mint sprigs and strawberry

This is not complete without a savory version of lassi....the colors may look similar but the tastes are so varied and simply refreshing...

     CARROT LASSI(Sambharam)
     Ingredients:
    Carrots- 1 small cubed
    Buttermilk- 2 cups
    Ginger paste- 1/4 tspn
    lime juice- 1 tspn
    Salt  to taste and a pinch each of sugar and pepper
   Curry leaves - 4-5
   if you prefer you can use mint leaves instead of curry leaves

  Method:
   1. Cook the carrots in 1/2 cup water adding ginger paste, salt and a pinch of pepper.
   2. When the carrots are soft, remove and cool.
   3. Add the lime juice, sugar and curry leaves
   4. Using a hand blender or food processor whip the carrot into a smooth puree.
   5. Add the buttermilk and whip until smooth. Serve cold.

#122 Virgin Watermelon Serrano Cooler

I must admit when I read about Guy Fieri's Grilled Watermelon Jalapeno Bowla, I was tempted to create this with Jalapeno and Tequila.. but the weather being so darn hot I decided to omit the alcohol this time. You could add a bit of vodka or maple syrup liquer if you wish. I couln't find a Jalapeno so I had to do with Serrano peppers since I was determined to shake up this drink. With fresh Watermelon and serrano peppers it was really quite a twist!!

Ingredients:
Watermelon Slices- 2-3 quarter sections skin removed.
Water-1/2 cup
2 Serrano peppers sliced, & 1 for decoration.
Lime juice- 1 Tspn
Sugar- 1/2 cup

Method:
1. Take a blender and add the chopped fresh watermelon.  Add Lime juice and coarsely blend into a slush.
2. Place a pan on the fire with the water and sugar and serrano halves.
3. When the syrup is formed, strain out the chillis.
4. When the syrup is cooled well, pour enough into the blender and mix once. Taste and add more syrup if needed. At this time add Vodka as desired and shake well
5. Serve in a tall glass garnished with a sliced serrano pepper.

#70 Pomegranate Cosmopolitans

My infatuation for home made cocktails and mixed drinks has been growing by the day. It makes me feel better that I know what ingredients go into each drink and what could be better than shaking up your own cocktail?.. Cosmopolitans are usually made with triple sec, lime and cranberry juice and vodka. Did I mention that I love Pom Wonderful(Pomegranate Juice) ? This is a fresh and artfully smooth mixed drink where I have combined the fruitiness of Pom with Vodka and lemon juice. I created this recipe being inspired by Ina Garten’s Pomegranate Cosmopolitans. During the making, it got so twisted it became my own. I ended up changing it to my liking so much so that it became a new idea, adding mint and twice the Pom, a splash of orange juice, more sugar to sweeten the bitterness, and Voila!!

Ingredients

• 11/2 cups Finlandia vodka
• 1 cup  orange liqueur (recommended Cointreau)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 cups pomegranate juice (recommended: Pom Wonderful)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup orange or cranberry juice
• Lime/lemon sections, to garnish

Method:

1. Combine the vodka, orange liqueur, pomegranate juice, orange juice, and lemon juice in a pitcher and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Pour the mixture into glasses rimmed with colored sugar adding sliced lemon/lime sections.

#65 Gin and Tonic

There is very little that goes into this British iconic drink, gin, tonic water, ice and a bit of lime. What really matters is the use of good ingredients, but is a very simple drink like the martini and very easy to get wrong.  The tonic water is slightly bitter given off by its quinine content and this has to be carefully added to prevent a potential devastating blow to a perfect Gin and Tonic. Even when done right, this may not be your favorite drink but I enjoy a perfect gin and tonic. It is rare to find a good Gin/Tonic in the bars in USA because they use the soda out of a gun instead of the actual tonic water. I am partial to Schweppes tonic water and here is my version where I add lemon juice.

Ingredients:

4 cubes ice

2 ounces gin

4 ounces Schweppes tonic water

1 Tblspn fresh lemon juice

1/2 tspn sugar

1 Lime/lemon wedge

Method:

1. Dip the rim of a glass in lemon juice and then in sugar.
2. Place the ice cubes in the glass pour gin, sugar, tonic and lemon juice over the ice
3. Stir with a long spoon, garnish and serve immediately.

#36 Mango Ginger Splash

November seems to have flipped by so quickly and before I knew it Thanksgiving is over and December is here. But there is a bright New Year dawning upon us very soon. So, as we draw near Christmas and get close to New Years it is time to talk about cocktails and drinks.  From classic martinis to unusual libations mixed with bitters and exotic liqueurs all the downtown bars will soon be serving up the most popular drinks. With the Holidays approaching, I can only hope that everyone uses alcohol moderately and avoid it when driving.

Ingredients:
Ginger-1 large piece sliced up
Sugar-1 cup
Water-1/2 cup
Mango juice- 1/4 cup
Triple Sec(ornage Liqueur)-1 ounce
Rum- 2 ounces
Ice cubes
Ginger Ale- 1 cup

Method:
1. In a saucepan add the sugar and water, sliced ginger and cook until a syrup is formed.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add the Mango juice, Triple sec, rum and 1/4 cup of ginger syrup along with ginger slices.
3. Add ice cubes and shake it up thoroughly.
4. Pour into serving glass and add ginger ale as needed. Serve garnished with slices of ginger.

#31 Mojito

Sometimes, I am not motivated enough to go out on Friday evenings after a long day at work, and an even more stressful commute. R and I tend to stay home maybe kick back with a pizza and movie....To enliven the spirit of the holidays and some lazy Friday evenings right here at home, I shook up a nice little beverage recipe that goes well on days like these....

Ingredients:

Lime Wedges-2-3

Mint Sprigs- 2

Confectioner's Sugar- 2-3 tspn

3/4 cup ice cubes

Light Rum - 2 ounces

Chilled Club Soda- 1/2 cup

Mint Sprig and Lime Wedge for garnish

Method:
1. In a cocktail shaker, squeeze the lemon wedges and drop the wedges into it. Add mint leaves from the sprigs cutting them up with fingers.
2. Add the sugar and muddle all this together with a wooden spoon.
3. Add ice cubes. Pour the Rum and cover with the top and shake the Cocktail Shaker well.
4. Pour into a glass and add the club soda. Garnish and serve immediately for one person.