Summer Time Food and Cocktail Favorites
It's the perfect time of year to fire up the grill and mix yourself a refreshing boozy beverage. Here are a few of our favorite food and drink recipes to beat the long summer day heat. Summer Cocktail: Moscow Mule (Claire)You can never go wrong with a little ginger and lime, and mules are as easy as it gets. You don’t even need a shaker! Simply add all ingredients to your cup and enjoy. If you are feeling extra zesty, juice some fresh ginger to really amp up the flavor. Ingredients
- Ginger Beer (I use Fever Tree)
- 2 limes
- Vodka about 3 ounces
- Copper mug: For best results store in freezer
- Fresh ginger juice, about ½ ounce (Optional)
To make an Irish mule, replace the vodka with your favorite Irish whiskey! Mango Salsa (Claire)This versatile salsa is great for the summer! You can add it to tacos, chicken, and more. Or you can just eat it by itself! Ingredients
- Mangoes 1-2
- ½ of a large red onion
- 1-2 jalapenos
- Lots of cilantro
- Juice from one lime
This recipe is as easy as it gets! Just dice everything finely and squeeze the lime over top and you’ll have a light and refreshing summer treat. Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Summer Salad (Jake)This colorful and tasty combination is the perfect accompaniment to summertime grilled meats. Ingredients:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 cans black beans
- 1 ½ cup corn (frozen or canned)
- 1 green pepper
- 1 red onion
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup cilantro
Add ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together. Season generously with salt and pepper. Chill and serve.Garnish with avocado and cilantro. Fresh Jalapeno Watermelon Margarita (Hyleh)This margarita is what summer dreams are made of. Sweet, refreshing, and a little spicy. Ingredients:
- ½ cup favorite tequila
- 1 thinly sliced jalapeno
- 5 cups fresh watermelon
- ½ cup lime juice
- 1 cup ice
- Salt for the rim
Combine tequila and jalapenos to infuse for 30 minutes (if you like it extra spicy, allow the combination to infuse for longer.) Next, blend the watermelon, lime juice, and a cup of ice together until smooth. Salt the rims of 4 margarita glasses (or red solo cups, no judgment here,) and fill with ice. Pour the blended watermelon and lime juice into each cup and top off with 1 shot of jalapeno infused tequila. Stir, sip, enjoy! 15 Minute Ice Cream in a Bag (Hyleh)Maybe it’s not the best ice cream you’ve ever had, but it’s so fun. This recipe was my all time favorite growing up, and is a hit for the kiddos! Ingredients:
- 1 small resealable bag
- 1 large resealable bag
- 1 cup half & half
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups ice
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- Any toppings you want!
In your small resealable bag, combine half & half, sugar, and vanilla and tightly seal the bag. Fill your large resealable bag with ice and salt. Place the small bag inside of the large bag and shake vigorously for 10 minutes, or until the ice cream has thickened. Remove from the bag, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy! Tom Collins (Chuck)There are few cocktails more refreshing to beat the heat than the classic Tom Collins. It's like a boozy lemonade... In fact, f you don't add gin, it's literally just lemonade.Ingredients:
- 2 oz Gin
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water)
- seltzer or soda water
Quick shake (or stir) your gin, lemon and simple syrup to a tall glass.Add around 2 oz of cold seltzer (to keep from going flat refrain from stirring)Add ice and enjoy.