Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous (30 page)

In this chapter you’ll also get my mocktail recipes for when you choose to pass on the alcohol but you still hanker for the taste and ritual of the cocktail experience.

The palate pleasers in this chapter are mostly a digression from the everyday beverage habits I recommend. For all my readers, teetotalers or other, I share with you the two ways I like to consider my beverages: cocktails for Fundays and nonalcoholic mocktails for Sundays (but they still taste indulgent so you can sip, gulp, and thrive).

If you’re out on the town or at a party in someone’s home, remember to alternate cocktail and water every round to avoid a dull hangover and extra calories. If you want to drink less water (and remain clearheaded), you can drink
mock
tails instead. As their name implies, these bevvies only “mock” the real drinks and are nonalcoholic; the choice of course is yours whether to include booze or not.

TOP

5
Heroes of the Beverage Universe

Strawberries/Pomegranate—antioxidants.

Ginger—excellent for digestion, good source of manganese,
fights infection.

Lemons/Limes—tangy sources of vitamin C; detoxifying.

Mint and/or Spearmint—add refreshing flavor, aid relaxation, preventative against colds and flu.

Hot Sauce—the cloudier, the better. Traditional hot sauces are just infused with chile seeds. The more dense and cloudy ones are made with crushed seeds for a more potent and beneficial product.

Fizzy Pom-Pom

Makes 4 Servings

P
omegranate is a free-radical killer and makes for a killer cocktail. Mixed with sparkling wine, it is refreshing and totally delightful.

Ingredients:

8 ounces pomegranate liqueur

6 ounces pomegranate juice

1 bottle sparkling wine

1 pomegranate, seeds for garnish

Preparation:

Combine the pomegranate liqueur and pomegranate juice. Pour the mixture into champagne glasses and top it with sparkling wine. Drop pomegranate seeds into the champagne glasses for garnish.

Spiced Red Wine

Makes 4 Servings

M
uch to wine about on this Funday! Skin-friendly grapeseed extract and reservatrol are two powerful antioxidants contained in red wine. In moderation,
vino tinto
has long been thought to increase levels of good cholesterol and protect the heart against artery damage. This recipe for spiced red wine can be enjoyed any time of year, but I tend to make it during the colder months.

Ingredients:

1 bottle red wine (such as cabernet or merlot)

8 tablespoons brown sugar

1 orange peel

1 grapefruit peel

10 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks, plus 4 to garnish

Preparation:

1
Combine the wine and sugar in a large pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.

2
Add the orange and grapefruit peels, cloves, and 2 cinnamon sticks. Heat the mixture for 20 minutes, but don’t allow the wine to boil.

3
Strain the wine through a fine sieve and let it cool. Serve garnished with cinnamon sticks.

Cran-Pectin Cosmo

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

I
n this cosmopolitan take on a popular cocktail, I employ a thickening technique to get the party started, nightclub music optional.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (2 envelopes) unflavored pectin gel—vegan and more powerful than gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1-1/4 cups cranberry juice

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup cold triple sec—vitamin C!

1/2 cup cold vodka

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 cup fresh raspberries

Preparation:

1
In a large bowl, sprinkle the pectin evenly over the cold water and allow it to absorb the water for 2 minutes.

2
In a saucepan, bring the cranberry juice and sugar just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, then pour the boiling mixture into the pectin and stir until the gelatin is fully dissolved.

3
Let the mixture cool; stir in the triple sec, vodka, and lime juice.

4
Refrigerate until thickened but not set. Fold in the raspberries. Spoon into six to eight martini glasses. Refrigerate until firm and serve.

Sparkling Ginger Cocktails

Makes 10 Servings

I
love ginger because it has such a distinct flavor and spicy attitude! It’s a powerful root wonder-spice that targets everything from heartburn to migraines and morning sickness. If you are expecting (congratulations!), simply omit the Prosecco from this recipe.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup sliced fresh ginger (2 ounces)

3/4 cup Truvia Baking Blend, divided

1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger

2 lemon wedges

2 (750-ml) bottles chilled Prosecco

Preparation:

1
Simmer the water, fresh ginger, and 1/2 cup of Truvia Baking Blend in a small saucepan, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the ginger syrup steep for 15 minutes.

2
Strain the syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding the solids. Chill until cold.

3
Finely grind the crystallized ginger with the remaining 1/4 cup Truvia Baking Blend in a blender or food processor, then spread it on a small plate.

4
Run lemon wedges around the rims of glasses, then dip the rims into the Truvia mixture.

5
Put 1 tablespoon of ginger syrup into each glass and top off with Prosecco.

Strawberry Mint Spritzer

Makes 4 to 6 Servings

T
his sparkling drink is ideal as a refreshing spritzer for a brunch or on a hot summer day; but I also crave it après ski.

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries

3 to 4 springs of mint

6 lemons

1 bottle sake (any kind will do)

1 bottle champagne

Ice

Vanilla Truvia

Preparation:

1
Slice the strawberries into vertical slivers, tear the mint leaves roughly, and add both to a large pitcher.

2
Squeeze the juice of 6 lemons and gently muddle (mash/mix together) the ingredients using a wooden spoon. Add equal parts sake and champagne and lots of ice. Squeeze a dropper full of vanilla Truvia into each glass before serving.

Variation:
If you prefer an alcohol-free version, simply substitute sparkling mineral water for the sake and champagne. It’s absolutely delicious and will make you feel like a million bucks every time you take a sip! This recipe is great for entertaining—your guests will be raving about it and asking for the ingredients list, guaranteed.

Major Bloody Mary

Makes 1 Serving

T
his is the cocktail to get things moving at a lazy Sunday brunch; enhances Saturday night recall!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 ounces lemon vodka

1/2 cup tomato juice

2 twists juice from lime

3 pinches white pepper

3 pinches celery salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 to 3 drops Tabasco

Lime slices, for garnish, optional

Preparation:

Pour all the ingredients, adding only
one
twist of lime, into a shaker half full of ice and shake for a minute. Pour into a highball glass fairly full of ice and then add the next twist of lime to the top of the drink. Garnish with a lime slice, if you choose.

Borba Bullshot

Makes 1 Serving

S
avory and hearty with a kick, and good for that long brunch with your cousin’s family, the Bullshot takes no prisoners.

Ingredients:

2-1/2 ounces vodka

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

5 ounces beef bouillon

1 dash Tabasco

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 wedge lemon

Preparation:

Shake all the ingredients except the lemon wedge in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a highball glass full of ice cubes and garnish with the lemon wedge.

Minus the Sinus

Makes 1 Serving

A
stiff shot for knocking out a stuffy head and clearing the nasal passageways. Note: If you are under the weather, do not drink alcohol in conjunction with cold or flu medications. In this recipe I use the liquid ratio in “parts.” One part means to use a set amount to measure one. It can be a shot glass worth, thimble’s worth, ½-cup worth. It depends on how much of the drink you want to make.

Ingredients:

1 part pepper vodka

1 dash Tabasco sauce

1 pinch white pepper

Preparation:

Mix the vodka and Tabasco in a shot glass. Sprinkle the pepper on top.

El Cisne Negro
(The Black Swan)

Makes 1 Serving

T
his little devil’s got a bite that can sneak up on you so proceed with caution!

Ingredients:

2 ounces tequila

3/4 ounce crème de cassis—sweet, red, black-currant flavored liqueur

Ginger ale

1 lime wedge

Preparation:

Stir the tequila and crème de cassis over ice in a chilled Collins glass. Top off with the ginger ale, squeeze the lime wedge over the drink, then drop it into the glass.

The Sponge

Makes 1 Serving

T
ypically, a sponge wrings out, but this one can boost hydration levels to help keep skin smooth and firm. Guava juice contains many nutrients; it is also rich in fiber and lycopene.

Ingredients:

2 ounces vodka

2 ounces guava juice

1 lemon twist, as garnish

Preparation:

In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, combine the vodka and guava juice and shake well. Strain the mixture into a chilled, stemmed cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Jalapeño-Cilantro-Strawberry Margarita

Makes 1 Serving

I
love sweet and savory cocktails. The flavors complement each other in unexpected ways with the appropriate amount of bite and taste-bud tingle. This recipe may awaken the scientist in you; requires advance preparations.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon organic agave nectar, to rim glass

Sea salt, to rim glass

2 ounces jalapeño-infused silver agave tequila (see How to Infuse Beverages sidebar)

2 ounces fresh organic lime juice

3 ounces strawberry mix or purée (Maizena makes a good one, so does Nesquik)

1 ounce cilantro water (blend organic cilantro with small amount of fresh water)

1 organic lime, sliced, as garnish

Preparation:

Rim the glass with organic agave nectar and sea salt. Shake together the tequila, lime juice, strawberry mix, and cilantro water in a shaker and strain over fresh ice in a margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

TIP:
Stop the weight! You can gain nearly 5 pounds in one night if you have one-and-a-half sugar-rich cocktails plus a fried appetizer. Imagine how many of us do this late at night when we are out with friends.
Sheesh!

Margarita Hibiscus

Makes 2 Servings