Mango Margarita

My kids and I go through cases of mangoes- fighting for the last piece. Margaritas are my favorite cocktail. You see why this is the perfect recipe, right? 🙂 Perfect for Mother’s Day! Perfect for Fiesta Friday #16 at The Novice Gardener too! I didn’t join the party last week and have to make up for it this week with two contributions. (My fabulous Mother’s Day dinner will be next….)

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by David Yan of Casa Noble Estate. We added a little bit of granulated sugar to the chile powder coating on the rim of the glass. My kids enjoyed a non-alcoholic version as well. Super tasty!

Yield: Makes 2 drinks

• 1 cup ice
• 1 lime wedge
• 3 ounces tequila
• 1 small mango—peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped (3 ounces)
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 ounces Cointreau
• 1 1/2 ounces agave nectar
• 3 ounces Italian grapefruit soda

1. Spread the chile powder and granulated sugar in a dish. Moisten the rim of a margarita glass with the lime wedge; dip the rim in the chile powder to coat.
2. In a blender, puree the mango. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into the glass and serve.

One Year Ago:

• Tres Leche Rice Pudding

Frozen Blackberry Margarita

We have been having fun this summer branching out from our usual cocktails. I am not usually partial to a frozen margarita, but this slushy one was tasty and had such amazing color! Perfect for a summer night.

This recipe was adapted from the New York Times. We made them a little sweeter by using agave nectar instead of simple syrup, and slightly less potent. Fabulous.

Yield: Makes 1 large or 2 small drinks

• 6 large blackberries, plus 1 (or more) to garnish each drink
• 1 1/2 ounces tequila
• 1 ounce Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• 2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 2 T agave nectar or simple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups ice
• mixture of coarse salt and coarse sugar for glass rims
• lime wheels, optional

1. Blend all of the ingredients (except garnish: salt, sugar, lime wheels) until smooth and frosty. (I used a Vitamix.)
2. Run a lime wedge along rims of margarita glasses and dip into salt-sugar mixture.
3. Pour the blended drink, garnish with blackberries and lime wheels, if desired.

Watermelon Mojito

We have TONS of mint in our herb garden and I really only use it in iced tea. A mojito is another wonderful use! This is a terrific summer cocktail- refreshing and sweet. The more the watermelon and mint are muddled into the sweetener the better- so much more flavor! This recipe was adapted from Fiesta at Rick’s: Fabulous Food for Great Times with Friends by Rick Bayless.

Yield: 1 drink

• 1 sprig of fresh mint (about 10 leaves)
• 1/2 cup cubed watermelon
• 1 T (1/2 oz) simple syrup or agave nectar
• 4 T (2 oz) white rum
• 1 T (1/2 oz) lime juice
• ice cubes
• sparkling water

1. Place mint leaves and watermelon cubes in a cocktail glass or a tall water glass. Top with agave nectar or simple syrup.
2. Use a muddler or a handle of a wooden spoon to crush the mint and watermelon, releasing their flavor into the sweetener.
3. Fill the glass with ice.
4. Add rum and lime juice. Use a long-handled spoon to mix everything together.
5. Top off each glass with sparkling water. Serve.

Raspberry Cocktail

This cocktail caught my eye- I love raspberries and it was suggested to try it for an afternoon cocktail poolside. (nice image!) 🙂 We had family visiting and it was the perfect time to try a new cocktail too. This recipe was adapted from The Book of Great Breakfasts and Brunches by Terence Janericco, via CHOW.com. While the raspberries were macerating there was some concern that the drink was going to be too potent- we shouldn’t have worried. It has a nice balance between the fresh fruit and gin. I used agave nectar instead of simple syrup and Cointreau instead of Kirsch. It’s such a special summer cocktail! A treat.

Total Time: 15 mins, plus 2 hrs macerating time
Makes: 4 to 6 drinks

• 1 cup fresh raspberries, plus additional raspberries for garnish
• 6 ounces gin
• 8 ounces dry white wine
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 ounce agave nectar or simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau or Kirsch
• 8 ice cubes

1. Lightly mash 1 cup of the raspberries in a bowl. Pour in the gin and let macerate at room temperature for 2 hours. Place the raspberries and gin in a blender and blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and strain the mixture. Discard the solids.
2. Rinse the blender and add the raspberry mixture, wine, lime juice, agave nectar, Cointreau, and ice cubes. Blend until the ice is crushed, about 10 seconds. Pour into 6 cocktail glasses and add a fresh raspberry to each glass.

The Perfect Margarita

When I was pregnant with my son, I was craving a margarita– of course I didn’t want one in January after he was born!! 🙂 A margarita is the perfect warm weather cocktail– especially with guacamole. Although I am usually pleased with any margarita, this is our favorite recipe– a blend of many. We have simplified it recently to use agave nectar in place of simple syrup– so much easier when making just one or two cocktails.

• 1 1/2 oz tequila
• 3/4 oz cointreau or triple sec
• 1 1/2 T lime juice
• 1/2 T simple syrup or agave nectar
• coarse salt
• ice

1. Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Serve on the rocks in lime juice and salt rimmed glasses.
3. Enjoy!