The Perfect Paloma

Tags

adult, beverages, citrus, cocktails, grapefruit, mezal, paloma, sotol, tequila

One of my good friends, Jason, gave me a great Christmas gift – Sotol. What is sotol? An alcoholic beverage made from the Dasylirion wheeleri, an evergreen shrub native to the arid dessert of northern Mexico and the southern US. I must stress that Sotol is NOT tequila. I repeat, NOT TEQUILA. It is more like tequila’s cousin. It still has that smokey flavor without all the heaviness. And none of the cat cough inducing, nasty after taste at the end. Some people enjoy it enough to drink it straight. If that’s not you (it’s not me, for sure), try this paloma.

The Perfect Paloma (from Annie Eats)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup Sotol
1 tbsp simple syrup
1/4 cup club soda

Rim a cocktail glasses with juice from a grapefruit wedge and dip in coarse salt.  Fill glasses with crushed ice.  Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, tequila and simple syrup in a liquid measuring cup or cocktail shaker.  Mix well to blend. Pour the club soda into the glass. Top each serving off with half of the cocktail mixture.  Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

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Spring Ribbons Salad

Tags

asparagus, avocado, food, grapefruit, salad, spring

Thanks to Just a Smidgen for this lovely spring salad (the one below is a variation of the original). I love asparagus and am always looking for new ways to eat it. I had never had it raw before today. I really like the flavor and crisp texture. The citrus adds a nice pop and the avocado a smooth, buttery-ness. The dressing is simple and a nice change from my usual vinaigrettes.  I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I did.

Spring Ribbons Salad 

Dressing:

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt or low fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• Chives, as desired

Salad:

• 1/2 head butter lettuce (I used spinach since that is what I had on hand)
• 1 grapefruit, segmented
• 1 avocado, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced thinly
• 4 radishes, sliced thinly
• 1/2 bunch asparagus, shaved thin with a peeler

Combine the dressing ingredients, whisking smooth.

On a plate, place the lettuce. Top with segmented grapefruit, avocado, cucumber, radish slices, and asparagus shavings. Drizzle dressing over salad. Serves 3.

Grapefruit Vodkarita

Tags

citrus, cocktail, daffodils, drink, grapefruit, robins, spring, vodka

I had the most awesome surprise this afternoon… Hundreds of robins cheeping in my backyard. It is spring time! No matter what the calendar says. The tips of my daffodils and tulips are barely peaking through the dirt. I can’t wait till they show their happy little faces. The pure yellow of old fashioned daffodils is by the best part of spring to me. When I was a little girl, I would pick hundreds of them and fill quart Mason jars near to bursting.

Until spring arrives, I am going to have to console myself with alcohol. This is the best time of year for fresh citrus; combined with my mini palm tree, maybe sipping this will make me feel like it is warm outside and a tan is in my near future.

Grapefruit Vodkarita

• 1 ounce vodka
• 1/2 grapefruit, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 ounces citrus soda
• Ice

Mix vodka and juices in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a tall glass. Finish with soda.