Peach Mango Sangrias

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A good summer drink is something that can make or break a perfect summer day. 

     At least to me it can feel that way.

The right flavors, the perfect lightness.  Just the right amount of sweet or the perfect amount of tang.

Its what makes a summer drink, a SUMMER  drink. 

And what better combination then peach and mango.  It's something I love to blend together for a smoothie, so I thought why can't I put a spin on it and make it something to enjoy poolside or at the next summer cookout you host.

And so the Peach Mango Sangria was born.  Top it off with some lemons and limes to bring some acidity to your drink and this makes the perfect little (or big if your like me) drink to impress your guests or just indulge in at home.

I have to plug this part in...when I originally made this, I bought all of the ingredients and a bottle of Moscoto. 

Well...the wine didn't last before I made the Sangrias, because I had the bottle that night (OOPS)

So like any good parent my mom came to the rescue with a bottle of Riesling she got in Keuka Lake from Bully Hills Vineyard.

This is not an ad, I don't do promos (yet) but I had to sample first (duh!) to make sure it was the right wine for the drink.

Mind blown, I don't usually like Riesling and this would convert me, just sweet enough but not too dry (if your a sweet wine gal like my momma) but it was just perfect and I didn't even miss not having Moscoto.

Sign me up, I can't wait to blog about the vineyard when I'm there in July...which means stay tuned :)

Enjoy :)

Peach Mango Sangria

Makes 5-6 quarts

Ingredients:

750 ml bottle white wine, Moscoto or Riesling

4 cups mango juice or nectar

I 1/2 liter Sprite (lemon - lime soda)

2 cups white rum

2 cups Peach schnapps

2 1/2 cups orange juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup lime juice

4 peaches, cut into thin wedges

3 lemons, sliced thinly

3 limes, sliced thinly

3 mangos, diced

Directions:

1.  Place all on the liquid ingredients into a large pitcher abs stir to combine.

2.  Add in all of your cut fruit. 

Variation:

Instead of dicing mango, blend mango with 2 cups water and place in ice cube trays and freeze.  Complete steps 1 and 2 and add mango ice cubes when read to serve.

Spicy Corn Salad

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Summer weather is right around the corner and with Memorial Day weekend starts for many the unofficial kick off to summer!  

Which in turn means lots of cookouts, and this weekend is usually the first of many.  

Whether your throwing the party or loading up your cooler and making the trek to a friends, cookouts are an American right of passage that most every adult can look back on with fond childhood memories (and adult ones too).

And of course, you can't have a cookout without the food.  That's the best part...Besides some of the tasty beverages. 

There are just endless possibilities of things you can do and so many different little traditions that people have.  Growing up, a go-to was always corn on the cob, cooked with a little salt and pepper and smothered in butter.

I figured, now's the time to jazz that side dish up and take the spice up a notch!!!

This is corn salad with a twist...

          Yummy charred corn, spicy fresh jalapeños, bright cilantro and salty addicting feta cheese brings life to this new corn salad and drool worthy flavors and aromas.

Enjoy :)

Spicy Corn Salad
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups corn (about 4 ears), cut from the cob

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 glove garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 handful cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juice

1 tbsp. chili powder

1/2 cup feta, crumbled, plus extra for serving

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1.  Melt the butter in a heavy skillet oven medium-high heat.

2.  Add the corn, toss and let it sit cooking until charred, mix it up a bit and let it char again, the whole process takes about 6-10 minutes.

3.  Add the jalapenos, garlic and shallots, and sauce for a minute or two until soft and then remove from heat.

4.  Mix everything together in a large bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature, with extra feta sprinkled on top.  

***Alternative version for grilling.  Using 4-5 ears of corn, grill corn until the kernels are slightly charred and corn is cook.  When cool enough to handle, cut corn kernels off and set aside.  Using the butter called for, lightly saute jalapeno, garlic and shallot until aromatic and softened over medium-high heat, about 2-3 minutes.  Add in the grilled corn kernels and toss together with the jalapeno-shallot mixture and heat through, 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and resume with step 4 above.

Chili Roasted Chickpeas

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I am a big person for finding inspiration where ever I can, whether it's Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter or right here at Google Plus. 

As it was I found a Roasted Chickpeas recipes on Pinterest that looked great for a healthy little snack or tasty little appetizer to have at a party that I used for inspiration for this recipe.

However, 

                     after deciding to try out this recipe, Joy Stewart from The Joyous Kitchen posted this yummy looking picture of Crunchy Fried Chickpeas with Garlic.

This is Joy's Crunchy Fried Chickpeas with Garlic from her website The Joyous Kitchen

....So I decided to try both recipes out in the same night.  And from that a wondrous thing was born, I mixed the too together.  It sounds so simple, but it truly was just so tasty.  The combination of textures from the two different recipes and the flavors just perfectly complemented one another.  

In closing...this evening of chickpea experiments just reminded me why it is I love find inspiration everywhere, at any time.  Because you just never know what things will call to you and what ideas others are going to give you...so keep on creating!

Below is the Chili Roasted Chickpea recipe I adapted, it's perfect for a snack or little appetizer.  For a side dish, I did the Crunchy Fried Chickpeas with Garlic and tossed it with my Chili Roasted Chickpeas! 

Enjoy :)

Chili Roasted Chickpeas
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
15.5 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ancho chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  Place chickpeas and all other ingredients in a bowl and combine well, coating the chickpeas completely.
3.  Spread them evenly on a sheet tray and bake for about 40-45 minutes, be sure to check the chickpeas every 15 minutes and give them a toss.

Tomato Salsa

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We're celebrating Cinco de Mayo today!

Little behind the eight ball, as I am posting this the day of.  But I lost my iPhone to the water on Saturday so I have been out of the digital world since then (STILL NO NEW PHONE...EKK!) and am trying to play catch up on my phone.

This is my tomato salsa recipe, pretty straight forward but full of amazing flavor.  I don't use salsa a lot, but I made this dish for Salsa Burgers I made last August for my Garden Fiesta Mexican inspired cooking class and it has been my go to salsa dish ever since.

Enjoy :)

Tomato Salsa
Ingredients:
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 jalapenos, roasted, skinned and chopped
1 poblano pepper, roasted, skinned and chopped
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1 red onion, small dice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lime, juiced plus zest
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped
Scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:
1.  In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the cilantro, parsley and scallions.  Toss together and taste, adjusting salt and pepper to taste.
2.  Add in cilantro, parsley and scallions to your preference.  Place in refrigerator up to 12 hours before serving to optimize flavor.