Thursday, July 26, 2012

Thirsty Thursday: Saguaro Hotel's Summer Cocktail


Our friends at the Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale have us all figured out -- it is just way too hot to go outside. The only reason to go out would be to head to the Saguaro to hang out by one of their cool pools, or move inside to have John the Bartender take care of you.  Here's an excerpt from their e-newsletter sent out this week:

If the vampire lifestyle is your MO then head in to Old Town Whiskey for a craft cocktail in a sexy, dark bar. Ask John (our incredible bartender) to whip you up a De Riguer, my favorite summer cocktail. Or you can make it at home with this recipe that I managed to coerce out of him (and all I had to do was threaten to shave his sideburns off)!

• 1 ½ oz Bulliet Rye
• ½ oz lemon juice
• ¾ oz Aperol
• ½ oz honey syrup
• ¾ oz grapefruit juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake and double strain into a martini or coupe glass, garnish with a mint leaf, enjoy.


Friday, July 20, 2012

Viva Mexico! Easy and Tasty Mexican Dinner

Last week, we headed south of the border to Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point to the Gringos) with friends for three days of fun in the sun. After a bit of a delay due to a flooded bridge, we enjoyed several days of cool breezes, cold drinks and great food. These are two of our standard recipes we create and take with us each time we go down there, so that the first night's meal is a snap. They may not be authentic, but they're pretty tasty.


Black Bean Salsa
6 servings

1 15 oz can black beans (low sodium if you can find), drained and rinsed
1 11 oz can Green Giant super sweet or white shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed
Juice of ½ lime
1 t. ground cumin
½ t. ground coriander
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. onion powder
¼ t. salt

Mix. Let sit for 30 minutes and serve with “scoop” tortilla chips

Options:
1/4 c. diced red onion
½ diced jalapeƱo
½ diced mango

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

3 chicken breasts
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. salt
Pepper

1 jar Salsa Verde (Safeway brand is great)
1 lb. container cottage cheese
24 oz. sour cream (low fat is fine)
1 large bag Monterey Jack shredded cheese
10 flour tortillas
½ container cherry tomatoes, cut in half

In pot of water, add chicken and spices. Let chicken poach in simmering water for 20 minutes. Remove from water, let cool and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces.

Heat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray.

In large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, ¾ of the sour cream (save rest for garnish) and ¼ of the cheese. Add shredded chicken and mix well.

Pour a light layer of the salsa over the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread the filling evenly among the 10 tortillas and roll them up, placing them side by side in the dish. It’s okay to pack them in. Cover with rest of salsa, then cheese, then tomatoes.

Spray a large piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray, and place over the casserole. Place in oven and cook 20 minutes until bubbly. Remove foil and allow to brown for 10 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.


Thursday, July 5, 2012

Thirsty Thursday: Getting Busy Drinking With IZZE


One of my favorite "sodas" these days is IZZE sparkling juice.  It's natural.  It's fizzy.  It's refreshing.  So, as this Thirsty Thursday rolled around, I got to thinking that IZZE would make a great base for summer cocktails.  I did some surfing on the net and found The Bachelor Guy, which features some great options, shown below. I tried the “Get B’IZZE” because I’m a particular fan of IZZE Sparkling Grapefruit. I didn’t have any Silver Rum on hand, so I used Pusser’s Rum (a story for another day) and the result was delicious!  Can’t wait to try the rest of these concoctions!  Already thinking about creating some new ones of my own, too.  Cheers!


Get B’IZZE

Courtesy of Rhumba Cafe Caribbean - Boulder, CO
1 (12 oz) bottle IZZE® Sparkling Grapefruit
1.5 oz Silver Rum
Pineapple juice
Combine the IZZE Sparkling Grapefruit and silver rum with a splash of pineapple juice. Stir and serve in a tall glass with ice.



Orange Crush
 
Courtesy of Jax Fish House - Boulder, CO
1 (12 oz) bottle IZZE® Sparkling Clementine
1.5 oz Mandarin-flavored vodka
Mix mandarin-flavored vodka with IZZE Clementine and serve over ice in a chilled glass and enjoy.


The Rize 
Courtesy of W Bar, W Hotel - Seattle, WA
1 1⁄2 oz white rum
1⁄2 oz orange-flavored triple sec
2 1⁄2 oz IZZE® Sparkling Pomegranate
Splash of lime juice
Mix all ingredients in a tall, ice-filled glass. Stir gently.