Happy Labor Day + Some End-of-Summer Cocktails

Beach Chair

Happy Labor Day everyone..I can’t believe how fast the Summer has flown by!

St Pete Pier

It’s definitely my favorite time of year and I’ve been so busy traveling and working lately that it went by in the blink of an eye! I guess that’s not a bad problem to have, but I feel the end-of-Summer blues coming on…

beach chairs

To keep that relaxed Summer feeling going, I’ve rounded up a few cocktails for you that are light and refreshing and will keep you in that beach-y state of mind!

Hornitos Tequila Zarza

Hornitos Tequila Zarza

This lovely Summer cocktail blends spicy, smoky Hornitos Resposado Tequila with fresh blackberries and lemon juice and a floater of DeKuyper Creme de Cassis liqueur.

Pinnacle Light & Ripe Apricot Honeysuckle Green Tea

Pinnacle Light & Ripe Apricot Honeysuckle Green Tea

The ultimate refreshing Summer cocktail blends Pinnacle Apricot Honeysuckle vodka with green tea, honey and peach slices with soda water.

On The Rocks The Cosmopolitan

On The Rocks The Cosmopolitan

The classic Cosmopolitan martini never goes out of style – especially at a pool party or backyard BBQ. The best part? This Cosmo is already pre-mixed with Effen vodka so all you need to do is pour it in a glass and garnish with a fresh lime and enjoy!

Happy Labor Day + Some End-of-Summer Cocktails

Ingredients

  • Hornitos Tequila Zarza
  • 2 parts Hornitos Reposado Tequila
  • 1-part Simple Syrup
  • 1-part Fresh Lemon Juice
  • Blackberries
  • Float: DeKuyper Creme de Cassis Liqueur
  • ---
  • Pinnacle Light & Ripe Apricot Honeysuckle Green Tea
  • 1.5 parts Pinnacle Apricot Honeysuckle
  • 3 parts Unsweetened Green Tea
  • .25 oz (½ Tbsp) Honey
  • 2 Peach slices
  • Soda Water
  • ---
  • On The Rocks The Cosmopolitan
  • A wildly popular cocktail, the Cosmopolitan is a simple cocktail with a big history. This classic cocktail blends flavors of cranberry, triple sec, lemon zest and lime - cut through with smooth EFFEN Vodka.

Instructions

  1. Hornitos Tequila Zarza
  2. Combine all ingredients, excluding liqueur. Shake well. Strain and serve over crushed ice in a rocks glass. Float liqueur on top. Garnish with fresh blackberries.
  3. ---
  4. Pinnacle Light & Ripe Apricot Honeysuckle Green Tea
  5. In a highball cocktail glass, gently muddle peach slices and honey. Add Pinnacle Light & Ripe Apricot Honeysuckle, green tea and ice. Stir to combine. Top with soda water and garnish with additional peach or apricot slices.
  6. ---
  7. On The Rocks The Cosmopolitan
  8. Simply pour over ice and enjoy!
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2021/09/happy-labor-day-some-end-of-summer-cocktails/

hammock-tree

Enjoy the last days of Summer, with a lovely cocktail in hand….!

Tequila, Sunsets and a Mexican Feast in San Diego (Story + Recipes)

San Diego Sunset
San Diego Sunset

I recently got back from an amazing trip to San Diego – one so lovely and rejuvenating that the sunsets are burned into my brain, leaving me wishing for more of the bright colorful skies, fresh air, palm trees swaying in the wind and cool sand between my toes.

The San Diego Crew
The San Diego Crew

This is a fun trip that started last year with an amazing group of friends and has now turned into a yearly tradition.

Beach House
Beach House

Seven of my friends and I rented a gorgeous beach house on Mission Beach in San Diego –

Beach House Room
Beach House Room

Our house had two levels, two kitchens, five bedrooms, a beach front patio, two grills, plus another two patios outside,

Upstairs
Upstairs

all with stunning views of the ocean from every angle and every room.

Windows
Windows

It all started as a birthday celebration trip for my friend Suzanne last year and now with another birthday girl, my dear friend Linda. Plus five other cool cats I’m proud to be friends with: Paula, Cris, Jackie, Janis and Andrew. What a crew.

Kristen and Paula
Kristen and Paula

great friends..

Janis-Paula-Suzanne
Janis-Paula-Suzanne

great times…

Andrew-Cris
Andrew-Cris

enjoying each other’s company with a Corona or two…

Mission Beach
Mission Beach

taking in the stunning views..

Mission Beach Boardwalk
Mission Beach Boardwalk

people watching on the boardwalk..

Seagull at Dusk
Seagull at Dusk

and making new friends.

Kristen-Paula-Linda
Kristen-Paula-Linda

There’s something about California that makes me feel relaxed, happy, and in a totally different world than the one I live in New York City.

San Diego
San Diego

No crazy traffic or cars honking, just beautiful beaches and cool, relaxed people up early for morning jogs and bike rides, swaying palm trees,

Magenta Sunsets
Magenta Sunsets

hazy blue and pink sunrises, and breathtaking bright magenta and orange sunsets that will blow you away.

Beach Houses
Beach Houses

The boardwalk is lined with colorful pastel houses and bungalows that look like Jordan almonds lined up in the sand.

Sand Volleyball players
Sand Volleyball players

We took daily walks down the beach, watching the surfers and volleyball players,

Surf's Up
Surf’s Up

catching some rays down by Crystal Pier while gazing out into the turquoise blue water.

Foodie Excursions
Foodie Excursions

To satisfy our foodie fix, we grabbed a fish taco and a Bloody Mary (or two) at the little beach side cafes and food stands on the boardwalk while soaking in the sunshine.

Patio Surfing
Patio Surfing

We took advantage of our gorgeous views and drank plenty of tequila and margaritas out on our beach front patio playing penny can, laughing and telling stories,

Frolicking on the beach
Frolicking on the beach

and frolicking on the beach at sunset like fools.

The Bar
The Bar

With a large group of eight people that all love to eat and drink, we spent over $1500 on our grocery bill and stocking our bar so we could take advantage of our two kitchens and grills and had massive amounts of cooking and eating (and drinking) going on each day. I swore after this trip I would never eat again – but that didn’t last long.

Jackie's Famous Eggs
Jackie’s Famous Eggs

Jackie made her Famous Eggs with Sausage, Mushrooms and Cheese, served with my Spicy Fried Potatoes, toasted bagels and plenty of bacon and mimosas to go around and feed the masses. Best Breakfast EVER.

Sunset Grilled Feast
Sunset Grilled Feast

Cris was our designated grill master, who made us a delicious feast at sunset with heaps of tender grilled steak,  shrimp and veggies – love those baby peppers on the grill!

Cooking up a storm
Cooking up a storm

Paula made us a yummy Chicken dish stuffed with Prosciutto, Sage and Provolone which I gladly assisted with while multi-tasking by drinking my Sauv Blanc with a HUGE mitt (just in case that wine glass gets too hot – LOL).

IMG_3376

She also made us a Flaky Egg Bake for Suzanne’s birthday breakfast – with layers of buttery phyllo dough filled with sausage, eggs, cheese, peppers, mushrooms, onions and baked into a yummy casserole fit for a Queen (ahem, Suzanne..)

Andrew's Chicken Marsala
Andrew’s Chicken Marsala

Janice and Andrew made their delicious Italian lunch of Caprese Salad made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar with prosciutto, olives and fresh Italian bread, accompanied by a few bottles of great wine. They also made a delicious Italian meal of Chicken Marsala over pasta with fresh parmesan cheese, parsley and Sauteed Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts for our last night in town – totally delicious and gone in five seconds FLAT.

Mexican Feast
Mexican Feast

My designated meal was to make a feast for Mexican night – when i say feast, i mean FEAST – we had enough food to feed the entire Mission Beach strip and enough leftovers that we seriously thought about donating it to a homeless person so we didn’t have to throw it out if we didn’t finish it all up the next day!

Guacamole
Guacamole

My Mexican menu included fresh Pico de Gallo, fresh Guacamole with lots of cilantro and lime and some jalapeno,

Tequila Lime Shrimp
Tequila Lime Shrimp

Grilled Marinated Steak with Lemon and Herbs and Sauteed Lime and Tequila Shrimp to go with the tortillas for tacos and burritos,

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I also made a cheesy baked Chicken Enchilada Casserole,

Mexican Sides
Mexican Sides

Red Mexican Rice, Tortillas, Sour Cream, Warm Queso Cheese Dip, Hot Sauce and PLENTY of Margaritas to go around for at least three more days.

Pool sharks
Pool sharks

I think we all fell into a serious food coma by Night #3 and decided to kick it up a notch and wake ourselves up with some music and a few games of pool after dinner, and even some video games with the help of services as overwatch boost.

Stunningly Spooky Sunset
Stunningly Spooky Sunset

After all the eating and feasting, a breathtakingly spooky view appeared when the sun went down. We missed the Green Flash though – which apparently happens for a split second as soon as the sun goes over the horizon line and sinks into the abyss.

Night Out on the Town
Night Out on the Town

Jackie, Cris and I headed out to the bars for some debauchery and drinking activities at the local bars, involving Cinnamon Whiskey shots (ordered by Cris)..FIRE IN THE HOLE! 🙂

Breathtaking bask in the glow
Breathtaking bask in the glow

My favorite moment of the entire trip was basking in the glow of that big orange fireball in the sky one evening, dreaming of the day I can return to this lovely, lovely place. Until then, I’ve had my fill of tequila and Mexican feasts to last me another year. The sunsets? I never get tired of those – especially when they look like this.

California Guacamole with a Kick

Ingredients

  • 6 avocados
  • Juice from 2 limes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 purple onion, minced
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, minced fine, stems and seeds removed
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Dash of hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Cut avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl and squeeze lime juice on immediately (to prevent the avocado from oxidation and browning). Mash avocado well with a fork until slightly smooth but still a little bit chunky.
  2. Add garlic, onion, tomatoes, jalapenos, cumin, salt and pepper, and hot sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap tightly and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more to let the flavors meld.
  4. Serve with tortillas, chips, veggies or crackers with fresh made salsa (tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper) and plenty of margaritas to go around.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/02/tequila-sunsets-and-a-mexican-feast-in-san-diego-a-true-story-recipes/

Sauteed Tequila Lime Shrimp

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup tequila, divided in half
  • Juice from 2 fresh limes (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, deveined and seeded, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil for marinade, plus 1 tablespoon for cooking
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash and drain shrimp, and place in a medium bowl.
  2. Mix together 1/2 cup of tequila, lime juice, cayenne pepper, chile flakes, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, and olive oil in a separate bowl and pour over the shrimp. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and discard marinade off shrimp in a colander or with a slotted spoon and set shrimp aside.
  3. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat for a minute or so. Add additional 1/2 cup of tequila to the saute pan (with pan removed off the burner to avoid flames!).
  4. Add 1/2 of the marinated shrimp to the heated saute pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add the rest of the shrimp to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes until pink.
  5. Add two tablespoons of butter to the saute pan and return first batch of shrimp, adding it to the shrimp in the pan and saute while tossing the pan for another 2 minutes or so. Sprinkle salt and pepper into the shrimp to taste and mix through for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  6. Serve the shrimp on a platter with the tequila-lime-butter sauce on top with a side of tortillas and all the dressings: guacamole, cilantro, hot sauce, sour cream, rice to make tacos or burritos.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Oprah.com

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/02/tequila-sunsets-and-a-mexican-feast-in-san-diego-a-true-story-recipes/

Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 8-10

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), poached and shredded
  • 1 32-ounce container of chicken stock (for poaching chicken)
  • 2 cans of red enchilada sauce
  • 9 flour tortillas (large burrito size)
  • 2 cups of shredded Mexican-blend cheese
  • 1 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
  • Sour cream, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, cayenne, salt and pepper and hot sauce. Saute for about 5 minutes until onion is soft and golden. Add minced garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Remove onion-garlic mixture from heat and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
  3. To poach chicken breasts, heat chicken stock in a large Dutch oven or high-sided saute pan and cook chicken breasts in the stock, covered, for approximately 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let chicken sit in the pot (still covered) for another 10-15 minutes.
  4. Remove chicken breasts from the stock on to a platter and let cool for a few minutes. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and add to the onion-garlic mixture in to the mixing bowl.
  5. Spread 1/2 of the enchilada sauce from one can on the bottom of a rectangular glass casserole dish. Place three tortillas over the sauce, overlapping.
  6. Top the layer of tortillas with 1/4 of the chicken-onion mixture, spreading evenly over the casserole dish. Top with 1/4 of the crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.
  7. Repeat 3 times until you have four layers and have used up all the enchilada sauce, tortillas, chicken-onion mixture, crushed tomatoes and shredded cheese. (Like making a Mexican Lasagna!)
  8. Place casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden brown.
  9. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with chopped cilantro and sour cream.

Notes

Can also make casserole with ground beef or steak, and it can be made in a circular or oval casserole baking dish rather than rectangular if preferred.

Recipe inspired by Williams-Sonoma.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/02/tequila-sunsets-and-a-mexican-feast-in-san-diego-a-true-story-recipes/

Spanish Red Rice with Jalapenos and Cilantro

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, deveined and minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cups of long grain rice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
  • Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute jalapenos, garlic and onion about 5 minutes in a large saute pan.
  2. Add the rice to the saute pan and cook, stirring often, until rice is browned slightly another 5 minutes.
  3. Pour water, chicken stock and crushed tomatoes into the pan and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes until rice has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked through.
  5. Remove rice from heat, uncover and fluff with a fork. Add rice to a large serving bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro for serving.

Notes

Feel free to add some fresh cooked corn, red or green peppers or peas to the rice for additional flavors.

Recipe inspired by Saveur.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/02/tequila-sunsets-and-a-mexican-feast-in-san-diego-a-true-story-recipes/

All photographs, copy and recipes are copyrighted by Kristen Hess/The Artful Gourmet © 2010-2013. Please do not share, use or distribute this content without granted permission from me. Thanks!