Poblano Jalapeño Steak

PHP4E40066266685We discovered the Elote Cafe in Sedona on an impromptu trip up there two years ago. We were visiting family just outside of Phoenix and we all decided to load up and head to Sedona- why you might ask? Because it’s amazing! What a lovely place- being in Sedona is the same feeling you get when you look at the stars in the middle of no where. There is a free, peaceful, liberated yet aware feeling that you get when looking at the wide open galaxy and that’s the same feeling you get when visiting the lovely town of Sedona.

We got there, settled in, swam in the pool (unlike Seattle, it was GORGEOUS weather in April!!) and then realized that we were starving. Thanks to a quick Yelp consultation, we found out that there was a highly rated restaurant up the street from our hotel and we decided to give it a try. Not only did they have amazing sangria and a patio to sip it on while we waited for our table (how is a restaurant PACKED in Sedona!?) but we discovered Elote which is the namesake dish of the restaurant. It’s made of fire roasted corn and spicy mayo and garnished with lime and Cotija cheese and it was absolutely stunning! We’ve made it at least 4-5 times each summer since we discovered it. You can find the recipe HERE.

eloteThe Arizona and subsequent Elote trip celebrated the birthday trip for both myself and the mister and believe it or not, we got a table visit from the  wonderful Chef, Jeff Smedstad, who also signed my personal copy of the cookbook and took a picture with us at the table! Talk about an amazing birthday! Whenever I get a chance, I  like to challenge myself and make a recipe and the mister asked me to make a recipe from the Elote cookbook so I told him to pick a few recipes and I would decide which one to cook. Thus, tonight’s Poblano Jalapeño Steak recipe came to life and let me tell you, it’s EPICLY good!!! Especially since I know that it will be a crock pot recipe next time and much less work!  

Poblano Jalapeño Steak 

2 tablespoons oil
2 cups diced onion
4 lb Stew Beef
1 tablespoons Mexican oregano
1 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 cups chopped jalapeños (12-15 large jalapeños)
3 cups chopped raw poblano (9 large poblano peppers)
2 cups water
1 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoons Maseca
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Chop the poblano,onion and jalapeños. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large heavy heated skillet and add two cups of the chopped poblano and the onion. Add the beef chunks and brown on all sides. Scrape browned beef and onions into an ovenproof casserole dish.

Add the remaining ingredients into a food processor and puree for 5-7 seconds. Pour over the steak and bake uncovered in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve with fresh cilantro garnish!

Notes for next time:

Next time this is going in the crock pot for SURE! I made  double batch of the sauce so I have it in the freezer ready for next time!

Original recipe called for a 5 lb pork shoulder, cut 1-to-2 inch chunks but I had fresh, organic, grain fed free range beef in the freezer that I needed to use up and it was UH MAZING!!!!

Blended Birdie: The Jungle Bird Remix

photoThis little treat was discovered at one of our favorite local bars, Damn the Weather. They have a drink called Jungle Bird, but could also operate under the name ‘Vacation in a Glass’ without a second thought. This simple mix of half alcohol and half citrus is the perfect compliment to the beachiest of vacations or the dreariest of Seattle winter days. One sip of this magical little birdie and your vacation self will start to emerge. It’s a great reminder of of the amazing summer days we all look forward to when all we see is cold, wet grey streets for days on end. The only thing better than ordering this delightful little libation when out on date night is drinking it in the cozy comfort of your own home! The mister was tasted up for trying one of these at home so he grabbed the alcohol and I grabbed the citrus. He originally asked me to wait on blogging this until we had it dialed in, but the first time was the charm so we’re a little short on pictures for this post. All you have to know is that this is the most delicious smoothie you might ever consume.  The original drink didn’t include banana and wasn’t blended, but we were ready for a one night stay-cation so blending was a necessity! 

 

Blended Birdie: The Jungle Bird Remix
Adapted from the Jungle Bird at Damn the Weather

5 large chunks pineapple (retain the pineapple leaves for garnish)
Lazy squeeze of 1/2 a lime
1 small banana (pick one the’s more on the green side)
2 ice cubes
1 shot dark rum (we swear by Plantation Dark Rum)
1/2 shot Campari

Put all ingredients in a ninja blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with a pineapple chunk and a washed pineapple leaf. If you happen to have mini drink umbrellas, those are fun too!!

Enjoy!

Mango Margaritas + Cilantro Lime Tacos

photo I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase, “When life gives you lemons…” which is followed by some wise phrase like “make lemonade” or “add vodka”. Personally I prefer the second option, or making the first option then adding the second. All of this is supposed to remind us that we can either look at life as a sour lot that’s been handed to us, or we can add a little goodness and make a delightful treat out of it. Well, lemons are quite an option-filled food. You can add them to all kinds of things, but you can’t eat them straight. At least I don’t, gross! On Thursday, I discovered something in the fridge that I never thought I’d find. Forgotten mangos! I LOVE mangos, they might just be my favorite fruit! Well, immediately that phrase “when life gives you lemons” came to mind so I turned to the mister and suggested that we  take our life given mangos and add tequila, and a few delicious cilantro lime chicken tacos! And that’s exactly what we did. Friday night was dubbed celebration taco margarita night. Coming back to the whole life giving you lemons thing seemed quite fitting since mangos are delicious and we were simply adding another layer of delicious AND we were celebrating not only the weekend, but my job transition. Friday was my last day at my old job which I loved, and Monday is my first day of a new job, which I’m THRILLED about. It felt like live was not giving me sour lemons, but delicious mangos and it only seemed fitting that we add a little tequila and some good friends to celebrate! Let’s end this long-winded intro and get to the good stuff, MANGO MARGARITAS! For the tacos, I used my Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe and served with my Grilled Cabbage Slaw.

Pre-tequila arrival... margarita bar set up and ready to rock!
Pre-tequila arrival… margarita bar set up and ready to rock!

Mango Margaritas Fresh mango, cubed or pruréed (You may also want to retain a few slices for a garnish) Ice Tequila Cointreau or Triple-Sec Sugar Limes, juiced and zested (You may also want to retain a few slices for a garnish) 1/2 of one lime, un-juiced to wet the rim for the salt Sea Salt Cayenne Pepper (if you like a spicy margarita like me) Shaker and Mudler, and zester First, wash the mangos, peel, cut and cube them. You can either keep them in chunks or throw it in the blender and make puree. If you do the puree route, you can add a little cayenne on this step if you all prefer spicy margaritas. We just cut ours into chunks so everyone could personalize their drink. Then, get your shaker and add  2 shots of tequila, a “dink” of Cointreau or triple sec, fresh lime juice, 2 spoonfuls of sugar, and 2-3 ice cubes. You can also add orange juice if you prefer a more smooth margarita. Shake well. Take the half lime and rub it over the rim of your glass then dip in the salt. Pour your margarita into the glass and garnish with a lime or mango wedge if you like! There you go! Fresh Margaritas!

Carne Asada Steak Tacos

photo 3Taco Tuesday is a long-standing tradition in our house. As we start to get the pockets of good weather in Seattle I get more and more excited about one of my favorite things, roof top grilling. Now, we are not just your casual  everyday grill people. We’re Californian, which means we’re dedicated grillers;  we grill in all-weather! Neither rain, nor sleet nor wind or snow shall keep us from the grill! True story, my dad’s been known to put on his boots and grill in the SNOW! Luckily Taco Tuesday was somewhat sunny so the grilling experience was more leisurely than it is when you’re all out fighting wind or snow.

As you may have seen from this weeks Mango Salsa post, I had some Carne Asada tacos at our local Farmers Market and that started the obsession fever. They were amazing tacos and I had to try my hand at replicating that amazing experience. I’m happy to report, this little recipe made it in the top 5 BEST MEALS EVER list from the mister! Even I was speechless after my first bite…and realized that my biggest problem in life at the moment was that I didn’t have a bigger stomach!

Carne Asada Steak Tacos with Pico De Gallo, Grilled Cabbage Slaw
(Various parts of recipe adapted from Food Network)

Flank Steak: 

2 pounds flank or skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat
1 large baking dish, to prepare
1 large ziplock bag, to marinate
1 recipe Mojo, recipe follows
Olive oil, for coating the grill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mojo:
5 garlic cloves, minced*
1/2 jalapeno, minced
2 large handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

For Serving:
Tortillas (We ” Home-Style” flour tortillas)
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Cheese
Pico de Gallo, recipe here
Grilled Cabbage Slaw, recipe here
Mango Salsa, recipe here

*Conversions for garlic if you don’t have the fresh stuff: 1 clove = 1 teaspoon chopped garlic = 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder = 1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes = 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic = 1/2 teaspoon garlic juice

Directions
If you are using the Pico de Gallo, Cabbage Slaw, or Mango Salsa prepare all of the herbs and veggies at the same time before you prepare the meat. Getting all the chopping done at once makes the job easier and all of these dishes and side dishes are better when they’re left to marinate for a while!

To make the mojo, wash and chop all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Lay steak out in a large baking dish and lightly coat with black pepper then pour the mojo over the steak making sure to spread out the clumps of cilantro and garlic. Fold the top of your plastic bag over itself twice, to keep any juices from interfering with the zip lock seal. Fold the meat over itself in quarters, with the mojo on the inside, and place in the plastic bag. Pour remaining mojo juices over the meat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1- 8 hours. I prefer a longer marinate time so the juices really soak into the meat, but don’t marinate longer than 8 hours as the citrus in the mojo will break down the delicate cut of meat and render it mushy.

Once you’re ready to cook the meat, pre-heat the grill and start a pan on the stove to cook the cabbage slaw. (You can also broil the meat, but we prefer to grill if that option is available). Brush the grill with olive oil to keep the meat from sticking. Grill (or broil) the steak for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium-rare. (At once you do the first turn, you can get out the toppings and have them ready.) Remove the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle. Thinly slice meat, heat up tortillas over open flame on the stove and assemble a masterpiece!

 

Pico De Gallo

Pico De Gallo
Pico De Gallo

Pico De Gallo
(Recipe adapted from Food Network)
Yield: 2 cups

4 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium white or red onion, chopped
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
1 Serrano or Jalapeño chile, minced
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced
Salt, to taste (a little goes a long way)

Wash & prep ingredients. Place in large bowl, toss ingredients together. Cover, place in fridge and let the flavors marinate for at 15 minutes before serving.

Taco Tuesday: Black Bean & Lime

TTTTRRAADDDIITTTIIOOONNNN!!! TRADITION!

“Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as… as… as a fiddler on the roof!”(Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof)

Oh, excuse me! I was just practicing my Fiddler on the Roof singing. In case you’re inspired to watch the intro video you can check it out here: Fiddler on the roof – Tradition.

But this outburst of song was inspired by the weekly taco Tuesday tradition that we have.This post was actually last weeks Taco Tuesday adventure but I got busy and figured I better get it up before tonight’s Taco Tuesday adventure (sneak peek: fish tacos are on the menu!). Our Tuesday tradition keeps menu planning simple and I love that I can pick up the ingredients on the weekend and just grab some fresh cilantro from the market on Monday/Tuesday (or heck even Sunday if I’m lazy!) and then everything’s pretty much ready to go when we get home. Because let’s be real, by the time you get home from work and get through chores/errands/working out/traffic/family/pets… the last thing you want to do is cook up some tedious elaborate meal! Well, maybe that’s just me so those of you that are with me… read on!

black bean and lime tacos
black bean and lime tacos

I am the more carnivorous eater in our house, but also dairy-free so we try to find meals that I can get excited about without featuring meat/dairy for the main protein focus. There are a few wonderful things about tacos. First, the word itself. Taco…ttaaccoooo…TACO! It’s just fun to say!  But another very wonderful feature of the taco is that it’s the everyone food. A taco can literally be made that will please anyone! From the meat and potatoes crowd to the vegan or gluten-free eaters, a taco will always have your back. They can be (deep breath) meat free, vegetarian, gluten-free, meat focused, lactose free, diary free, corn free, (air), wheat-free, egg free, nut free, tree-nut free, soy free, fish free, paleo…they can LITERALLY feed ANYONE!

Another amazing thing about tacos is that you can make them with whatever is in the fridge! They can be as simple or elaborate as you desire! Paging through our new cookbook I received as a birthday present from our recent trip to Sonoma, I was remembering the wonderful pureed black beans from Elote Cafe. They…were…delicious!!! Between that and a ridiculous excess of limes in our house (I’m not sure why… maybe it has something to do with a reverse sock monster effect? Someone PUT limes in the fridge?! We also have a glasses gnome that sneaks in an puts their sticky little paws all over our glasses! But back to the point! We had a randomly large amount of limes and decided to use them up in this tasty taco Tuesday recipe! For texture, I pureed some of the beans and left some of them whole. And… since I’m obsessed with grilled corm we also did a few ears of corn!

So sit back, relax, maybe make yourself a delicious sommer sherpa  and enjoy the tradition of taco Tuesday with us!! Stay tuned for tonight’s fish tacos recipe coming soon and let me know what your favorite taco recipes are! I’ll be featuring your suggestions in my Taco Tuesday Pintrest board!

chopped cilantro and jalapeno
chopped cilantro and jalapeno

Black Bean & Lime Tacos w/Grilled Corn

1 can black beans
1 spoon full minced garlic and juice
Cracked Salt & Pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste
2 limes, juiced (plus any additional wedges you want for garnish)
2 Ears Corn
Flour Tortillas (or corn for a gluten-free option)

Optional garnish/additions: Cheese, sour cream, grilled southwest cabbage slaw, avocado, Cilantro, jalapeño, chopped/grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, hot sauce/salsa, Elote, red peppers, radishes, fruit salsa

  1. Soak the corn for 20 minutes then pre-heat the oven and wrap corn in foil and cook for 30 minutes. At that point I usually open up the foil and start to turn the corn every 5 minute to attain a good char. You can also use canned corn and heat on the stove if you’d like.
  2. The beans usually take 10 minutes to prepare so when you’re ready heat the beans over the stove or in the microwave with the garlic, salt/pepper, cayenne pepper and juice of two limes. Once it’s thoroughly heated transfer to a vita mix blender and blend until creamy. You can also use an emulsion blender, potato masher, or food processor.
  3. Slice the avocado and prepare the garnishes you desire
  4. Heat the tortillas over open flame on the stove (or heat in the micro between two damp paper towels or in the oven wrapped in foil).
  5. Spread out the black beans and garnish away!

Grilled Cabbage Slaw

In our house there are two forms of “to do lists”, there’s a “his” and a “hers”. “His” consist of various house chores and interior renovation tasks such as sanding, painting, scrubbing grout, fixing and rearranging various wires and boxes and electrical “this and that’s”.  Tasks on that list are actually being completed while I curl up in the corner, typing away on the dining room table which is against the living room wall with boxes to the right of me, boxes to the left of me, boxes in front of me… ten points and a big golds star to any of you that know that Little Rascals quote. We’re in the middle of redecorating the little perch and I’m actually quite thankful to report that I have a very dashing handyman that LOVES this type of work. Or, at least enjoys it more than I do! He’s been slaving away and I’ll post before and after pictures once we have the new carpet in.

    Grilled Southwest Cabbage "Slaw"Let me proceed to the “her” version of the to do list: banana bread, morning muffins (which I made this weekend and posted here), blueberry muffins with crumbles on top, stir fry, fajita’s… this is just a sample of the meals that are on my list. And I must say, to quote the great Ron Burgundy, “I’m not even mad.” Settling up my part of the redecoration manual labor with some good homemade meals is quite fine with me! After brand new paint in the bedroom and a gorgeous new living room painted the perfect shade of meringue yellow which at the moment is shining brightly in the rare spring Seattle sunshine, my handyman deserved a good hearty meal. I decided to follow the coupon clipping and headed to Metropolitan Market to get some steak for our fajita’s. Up to the counter I bounded, with WAY more than I went in for and happily presented my coupon with a sense of great accomplishment at a few dollars well saved, only to realize that I apparently can’t read dates and the coupon wasn’t good for another 3 days! We already had our hearts set on steak fajita’s so I put back the second of the “buy-one-get-one-free” coupon that was no more, and juggled my groceries to the car.

As all wonderful recipes transpire, parts of this meal are NOT what I originally intended and I have to say that they actually turned out much better! I meant to marinate the meat, and didn’t, yet it was more perfect that I could hope! About an hour before I was going to prep the meal I was still trying to think of a recipe enhancement. While taking a mental inventory of the fridge I stopped on the middle right shelf where 1 1/2 heads of green cabbage still lived as remnant from the post St. Patty’s Day sale at the market. SLAW! I’d never in my life made slaw and wasn’t even sure if it would go with steak fajita’s but it was going to be made and tested to world, watch out! I have to say, the slaw turned out INCREDIBLE! So incredible, in fact, that I make a brand new batch when we enjoyed our next day leftovers. The key to this slaw is fresh ingredients, an entire Anaheim pepper for kick, fresh lime juice and the Creme de la Creme finishing touch is that I pan grilled it! That deep charred taste completed the entire meal. I’ll never again eat another raw slaw… to the grill with that side!

Grilled Southwest Cabbage “Slaw”

3 c. cabbage, chopped
1 ear corn, uncooked
1 medium Anaheim pepper, sliced and diced very thin with seeds
1 good handful cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1/2 Lime, juiced
1 spoon full minced garlic and juice
Cracked Salt & Pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste

  1. In a large bowl, mixing all ingredients and set aside uncovered, to let the flavors mix (you can set this aside for however long you’d like which makes this a great prep ahead of time part of a meal, but let it set at least 20 minutes
  2. Heat a non-stick pan over high heat and grill the cabbage until it’s charred, turning every few minutes (approx. 10 minutes)

 

    Grilled Cabbage Slaw Salad with Seared Flank Steak and Galaxy Rice Cheese
Grilled Cabbage Slaw Salad with Seared Flank Steak and Galaxy Rice Cheese
    Seared Steak Fajitas with Grilled Cabbage Slaw and Avocado
Seared Steak Fajitas with Grilled Cabbage Slaw and Avocado

Cilantro Lime Chicken & Baked Potato Skins

Date night in our house is very important! We happened upon “Thursday nights” one week when we’d gotten home from work, gone to the gym, headed back home and realized that we were NOT in the mood to stay in and do our usual cook at home in pj’s. This, my fine friends, was the birth of date night! From that point forward EVERY THURSDAY we do something special but that doesn’t always mean going out. Since we’re trying to keep a closer budget (thank you new couch which will arrive in 8 weeks!!) and we both love to cook so much the past month or so we’ve been doing date night at home. I also have SO many recipes to cook through that this is a way to assure that I cook through at least one a week!

Cilantro Lime Chicken, Baked Potato Skins & Moscow Mules ...gone Sherpa
Cilantro Lime Chicken, Baked Potato Skins & Moscow Mules ...gone Sherpa

This date night was really one that made the memory books! I wanted to do something special and as you may have read in my previous post, our “honey do” lists for the house are pretty different…
his= house updates & open jars I can’t man handle open
hers= various dishes and meals he’d like me to cook

Well, I decided to really out do myself this week and built an entire meal around his favorite drink, the Moscow Mule . It’s a vodka based drink traditionally served in Copper serving Mugs and it has the most refreshing blend of ginger beer, mint and lime! We added a little twist to ours, the Sherpa Twist, and you’ll just have to read about it in the Moscow Mule with a Sherpa Twist post!

It took a few iterations of  the menu but I finally gathered a few favorites and decided on cilantro chicken lime skewers and a game day favorite, baked potato skins. These usually have cheese so I tired out a new dairy-free cheese (review here) and was quite pleased with it! You can find Galaxy Rice cheese and their other various produces at Whole Foods. We grilled the chicken skewers  as opposed to baking them because I have a wonderful grill master that’s willing to brave the cold for me. But if you don’t have access to a grill or it’s too cold, you can bake  the chicken in the oven (as a full breast) or grill up in a pan (slice chicken as directed in recipe).

Enjoy this meal with some delicious Moscow Mule with a Sherpa Twist and you’re ready to party!!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Skewers & Baked Red Potato Skins
(For the chicken)
2 1/2 limes,fresh juice
drizzle olive oil
4tbsp minced garlic
Fresh cracked salt and pepper to taste
2 chicken breasts
Fresh Cilantro

(for the potato skins)
Small red potatoes
Milk (Soy Milk for me, half and half if you don’t have allergies)
Fresh cracked salt and pepper to taste
1.5 slices of Apple wood smoked bacon per person
Cheese (I used rice for mine, and regular Tillamook cheddar for my master griller skins)
Garnish Options: Cilantro, chives, salsa, sour cream, salt & pepper to taste

Marinate/Night before

  • Combine lime juice, oil and garlic and fresh chopped cilantro in a large ziplock
  • Rinse chicken and slice into 1in thick strips, season to taste with salt and pepper
  • Add to bag and mix around all the juices and spices mix
  • Marinate chicken overnight, turning once or twice to mix up the juices and spices
  • Wash the potatoes and pat them dry for tomorrow skins and cook up the bacon for the skins

For the Meal

  • Remove chicken from bag and thread onto metal skewers .
  • Make a small batch of the marinade and brush onto skewers while they grill. Start grilling/heat up the grill judging by how long the potatoes take. Chicken should take about 10-15 minutes to grill so once the potatoes go in the oven, send the chicken to the grill.
  • Meanwhile, place potatoes in a zip lock and microwave until soft (depends on potato but I’d judge about 45 seconds per potato just to be sure that they don’t get mushy).
  • Lay potatoes out to cool down, then half and scoop out into a bowl. Splash with soy/milk and season to taste with salt and pepper mix together and crumble in the bacon. (optional add ins: Broccoli, cheese, grilled onions). Scoop the mixture back into the skins, careful to not
  • Pre-heat oven to 400 & send the chicken to the grill
  • Bake the potato skins for 8-11 minutes. Top with cheese to melt and bake 3-5 min more

The Moscow Mule…with a Sherpa Twist!

We can’t remember where we first experienced this wonderful, refreshing and tasteful drink that has blessed our lives, but I hope that this post will inspire a first encounter for you!

Seeking to do something extra special for date night I decided that we needed to spend a fun night in, which was also better on our budget, and decided to make what turned out to be a most incredible dinner! Our menu was planned solely around the drinks like any cocktail menu should and after much debate and recipe searching I settled on writing a recipe for Cilantro Lime Skewers & “whinging” the compilation of some loaded Potato Skins (recipe here). We splurged and got the traditional Copper serving Mugs for the Mule’s because, life is short and really… is there really ANY other way to drink these!?

I mastered the kitchen side while I instructed my faithful sous chef to play bartender and he whipped us up a pair of wonderful drinks!! According to Wikipedia, “the cocktail was invented in 1941 John “Jack” Morgan, President of Cock ‘n’ Bull Products & an East Coast spirits and food distributor.”

The smell of the fresh squeezed lime and the aroma of mint overtook the kitchen and I couldn’t help by peek over his should and snap a few pictures (staged to perfection of course!) while he concocted our libations. They turned out marvelous and just when I thought we’d reached the utmost perfection after the third sip, my bartender grabbed my mug and added his own little twist to the drink: a splash of Sailor Jerry Rum. Well now, ladies and gentlemen, this was the game changer. This is now an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT DRINK! Okay, maybe not that dramatic of a change but it warranted a new name and we decided on the Summer Sherpa. There is a story behind this but I think I might loose you if I dive into it to much. For now, let’s just all grab a Summer Sherpa and talk about good times and great oldies! (And the hope of summer where we can be sipping these on the roof.. okay there’s half the story behind the name! 🙂

On a side note for ingredients, we LOVE the Crater Lake Vodka and Gin; it’s SO smooth! I would highly recommend that you stock your pantry with this wonderful Vodka, but truly any Vodka will work for this recipe. This go around was preparation for what will be many nights of enjoyment up on the roof this summer, sipping Moscow Mule’s out of our fancy copper cups!

Moscow Mule
Ingredients for single drink

Directions

  1. Squeeze lime into copper mug (and if you’d like you can drop in half lime

  2. Add 2 or 3 large ice cubes, then pour in the Crater Lake Vodka

  3. Fill with cold ginger beer (optional Sailor Jerry Rum added here) and garnish with a fresh lime and a few springs of mint

  4. Enjoy your wonderful drink!

 

 

 

 

 

Once you make the recipe, I’d love to see your pictures, hear your personalization flares, and read what menu’s you created to accompany this wonderfully refreshing drink!

Punch of Misunderstandings- Refreshing Cockatil Punch

One of the fun parts of living downtown is that you never know what will happen! While walking home from our Thursday night date night a few weeks ago, we were walking the rainy streets of Seattle after a drink and some happy hour appetizers at RN74 (review to come, stay tuned!) we walked past Goorin Hat Brother’s location on 1st avenue. Music was playing, the place was packed, and the scene resembled a scene from A Christmas Carol with the dreary outside and such a rosy and cozy party happening indoors. Leaning out of the open door, the 20’s era clad worker beckoned us in, “There’s live music folks”… pause from us…”there’s an open bar and GREAT drinks, come on in and have one”. Now THAT was the sales man’s trick, know who you’re selling to!

Besides the fact that we stayed for over an hour and the two hats that I walked out with we did enjoy a few glasses of the truly delicious libations. Luckily, they were distributing the recipe!! Not only is the alcohol itself smooth and delicious, but their packaging is just classic!!

Despite the silly name, the punch is actually quite forward and smooth! Enjoy!!

Punch of Misunderstandings
(Recipe from Deaths Door Spirits)
Serves 8-12 people

ingredients

  • 1 bottle Death’s Door White Whiskey
  • 12 oz Death’s Door Vodka
  • 12 oz Sombra Mezcal
  • 12 oz Agave Nectar
  • 12 oz Lime Juice (Fresh, approx 12 limes)
  • 64oz COLD water
  • 4 c ice

 

 

 

  1. Combine agave and lime juice into large punch bowl and stir to combine
  2. Add whiskey, vodka, Sombra Mezcal and cold water to nectar-juice mixture and stir thoroughly to combine
  3. Add approx 4 cups ice to chill
    Serve with a slice of red apple as a garnish if you desire