summer recipes

Strawberry Rhubarb Smash Cocktail

August 9, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

I normally don’t post about cocktails but this one is such a perfect summer drink I had to share it. When farm stand strawberries are in their peak, this is a great way to take advantage of the bounty. You only need a few ingredients to whip this thing up but you do need a shaker to incorporate it all together. While I’m not a “mixologist” I do know that a good rule of thumb for cocktails is if it has a citrus component it should be shaken, not stirred! The mashing of the strawberries is a bit of a chore but it winds up being totally worth it. I’m not sure if this is standard for fruit based cocktails but I actually like to shake the ingredients twice during two different stages. The first stage is to get the strawberry and water well mixed together to create a juice just before straining out the pulp. The final shake comes at the end to get everything good and mixed together. The results are divine and make for a perfectly delicious, refreshing drink on hot summer days!

Strawberry Rhubarb Smash Cocktail

Prep Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 Drink

Calories 275 kcal

Ingredients

2 oz. vodka
1 oz. simple syrup
4 strawberries
3 dashes rhubarb bitters I used Fee Brothers
1 lime juice
1 oz water or more depending on desired consistency
ice

Instructions

In a metal shaker, add the strawberries and mash until the strawberries are smooth.
Add a little water to the strawberries and add several ice cubes. Give the mixture a few good shakes.
Strain into a cocktail glass, adding as much or little pulp as you like.
Add the vodka, lime juice, simple syrup and rhubarb bitters to the glass.
Add 5-6 new ice cubes to the shaker and pour in the mixture. Give it several good shakes. Strain out the ice or serve it on the rocks with fresh ice cubes.

Spiced Beef Fajita Tacos with Avocado Cream and Restaurant Style Salsa

May 3, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

For Cinco de Mayo I wanted to showcase one of my favorite “food truck” style taco recipes. As you can probably tell by my post history I am a big fan of tacos. I wanted to incorporate my favorite part about fajitas–the seasoned peppers and onions–into a taco recipe. The beef is seasoned with a medley of spices that complements the bell peppers and caramelized onions. The salsa is a simple “restaurant style” recipe made with oven roasted tomatoes and blended with chilies, garlic and jalapenos. It also happens to be excellent with chips so have some of those handy for an appetizer! One of my latest favorite taco toppings has been avocado cream which sounds fancier than it is. While avocados are always perfect on their own, I sometimes like to mix them up a bit. All you need is a ripe, well mashed avocado, sour cream and lime juice. Mix together and there you have it–super easy! Top this one with plenty of the salsa and lime juice. I used a finely shredded sharp cheddar to garnish but a crumbly queso fresco or white cheddar would be excellent as well.

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Homemade Potato Salad

May 14, 2014 by The Partial Ingredients

Potato salad is a classic American summer side dish that reminds me of hot summer days, afternoon picnics and grilling sessions. I used to purchase potato salad from a local deli but the ingredients on the label were a bit off-putting. I didn’t recognize most of them listed and I finally decided to just make it from scratch. This recipe is a perfect antidote to the store-bought problem. While it is more time consuming than just running to the store, this recipe is healthier and you know exactly what’s going in it. It’s a delicious alternative to the processed stuff!

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