Strawberry Paloma Slushies With Tequila & Lime

Last Friday my neighbor Sandra had me over for dinner. When I arrived through the back porch, I followed a whirring sound into the kitchen, where I found her standing by her blender with Julia Turshen’s Small Victories open to the Paloma Slushies recipe beside her. Yes , I thought. But also: Trouble . Long story short, by the end of the night, Sandra and I had polished off the serves-four batch of the tequila cocktail, and at one point, I told her I loved bull dozers , as I pet her bull dog , who sat by my feet. Cheers.

When I awoke from my tequila blur the following morning, I had so many questions. Namely, what other gaffs had I made? And what is a Paloma slushie and where has it been my whole life? I made the trek back across the lawn to retrieve my copy of Small Victories , which Sandra, understandably, has had a hard time returning.

I soon learned that a Paloma is similar to a margarita but includes grapefruit juice. Julia’s version, too, lends itself to large-batch mixing. The trick? Instead of juicing limes, you peel them and blitz them whole in a blender. Brilliant! And instead of salting the rims of glasses, you add salt directly to the mix, which Julia notes serves two purposes: 1. Reduces work 2. Enhances the flavor of the grapefruit and lime juices. Genius!

As I read through Julia’s variations for pomegranate juice, hibiscus tea, and blood orange juice, I wondered: “Could I replace the grapefruit juice with something more summery? Could I make red, white, and blue Paloma slushies for the Fourth?” In the name of research, I broke out my blender and the tequila and set to work peeling limes, hulling strawberries, and stemming blueberries. My boozy, patriotic slushies came together in no time, and while the hue of each didn’t perfectly emerge as envisioned, each cocktail was festive and delicious nonetheless. Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Slushies are fun. Fresh out of the blender, poured over ice, these palomas present with a frothy cap that’s surprising and refreshing, a nice change from many on-the-rocks summer cocktails.
2. As with cooking, drink making requires tasting and adjusting. Strawberries worked nearly seamlessly in place of grapefruit juice, while blueberries needed a little help: more fresh lime juice to balance their sweetness. Depending on the fruit you choose, you will need to add lime and sweetener to taste.
3. Large-batch drink making need not be taxing. When I play host, I often shy away from drink making, opting instead to serve beer and wine. But this Paloma slushie experience has boosted my cocktail-making confidence. Peeling limes and whizzing them whole with fruit into an icy whirl is simple, satisfying, and fun. As I blitzed, I found myself chanting this: “One small victory for Julia Turshen, one giant leap for Alexandra Stafford.” Replace my name with yours—I have no doubt you’ll enjoy the ring.

Description

Adapted from the recipe for Paloma Slushies in Julia Turshen’s Small Victories , which calls for grapefruit juice as opposed to strawberries.

As with cooking, drink making requires adjusting to taste. Depending on how sweet your strawberries are, you may need more or less honey (or agave) or fresh lime. Also, depending on the size of your blender, you may need to add the strawberries in batches, and you may need to add the ice in batches as well. It all works out in the end, just be mindful of your blender’s capacity.

• 4 limes
• 1/4 cup (85 g) honey or agave syrup, see notes above
• 3 to 4 cups strawberries
• 1 cup (240 ml) tequila
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups (720) ice cubes

1. Peel three of the limes by lopping off the tops and the bottoms of each one, cutting just deep enough to expose the fruit beneath the pith. Stand each lime on your cutting board—it should be nice and steady. Cut the remaining peel and pith off the lime in wide strips, working your way around the fruit, so that you end up with a complete, peeled piece of fruit. Discard the peels or reserve them from another use. Cut the remaining lime into thin slices.
2. Put the peeled limes in a blender; add the honey or agave, the strawberries, tequila, and salt; and blend until combined. Add the ice (see notes above—you likely will need to do this in batches) and let the machine run until the ice is totally blitzed and the mixture is very smooth.
3. Pour into four glasses and garnish with the lime slices. Serve immediately.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Drinks
• Method: Blender
• Cuisine: Mexican, American

Description

Adapted from the recipe for Paloma Slushies in Julia Turshen’s Small Victories , which calls for grapefruit juice as opposed to strawberries.

As with cooking, drink making requires adjusting to taste. Depending on how sweet your strawberries are, you may need more or less honey (or agave) or fresh lime. Also, depending on the size of your blender, you may need to add the strawberries in batches, and you may need to add the ice in batches as well. It all works out in the end, just be mindful of your blender’s capacity.

• 4 limes
• 1/4 cup (85 g) honey or agave syrup, see notes above
• 3 to 4 cups strawberries
• 1 cup (240 ml) tequila
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups (720) ice cubes

1. Peel three of the limes by lopping off the tops and the bottoms of each one, cutting just deep enough to expose the fruit beneath the pith. Stand each lime on your cutting board—it should be nice and steady. Cut the remaining peel and pith off the lime in wide strips, working your way around the fruit, so that you end up with a complete, peeled piece of fruit. Discard the peels or reserve them from another use. Cut the remaining lime into thin slices.
2. Put the peeled limes in a blender; add the honey or agave, the strawberries, tequila, and salt; and blend until combined. Add the ice (see notes above—you likely will need to do this in batches) and let the machine run until the ice is totally blitzed and the mixture is very smooth.
3. Pour into four glasses and garnish with the lime slices. Serve immediately.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Drinks
• Method: Blender
• Cuisine: Mexican, American

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2017/06/29/red-white-blue-paloma-slushies/

Many of you likely know Kathryn Taylor, author of the beautiful blog, Cookie and Kate , and the recently released Love Real Food, which, like her blog, is filled with vibrant photos and inspiring vegetarian recipes (not to mention adorable photos of her adorable pup, Cookie). I want to make everything , namely the make-your-own instant oatmeal mix (I love oats !), the best-ever guacamole with toasted pepitas , every cocktail, and the sweet potato, poblano, and black bean enchiladas.

So far I’ve made two: a kale caesar salad with a tahini dressing (yum!) and the kale and quinoa salad featured here — no such thing as too many kale salad recipes, right?

This one has a lemony-mustard dressing, dried cranberries that plump with the cooked quinoa, crisp celery, toasted almonds, and goat cheese. It comes together in a snap and has been a welcomed addition to the summer salad rotation — a great use for so many of my CSA greens, too: Swiss chard, arugula, lettuce. What’s more? It keeps well in the fridge for days, making it perfect for lunch-on-the-go or a picnic at the beach. I find it irresistible, and while it’s a great side salad, it’s nearly a meal in itself.

I’m so looking forward to exploring Love Real Food more. As always, I’ll keep you posted.

Hope you all had a Happy Fourth !

Description

From Cookie and Kate’s Love Real Food

I’ve used other greens in place of the kale — Swiss chard, arugula, lettuce, anything from my CSA. With this more delicate greens, I don’t massage them.

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1 bunch curly kale ( 8 oz ), tough ribs removed and leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces
• fine sea salt, see notes
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese ( 2 oz )

1. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until all of the water is absorbed, 11 to 14 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the dried cranberries, and cover the pot. Let the quinoa and cranberries steam with the lid on for 10 minutes, then plump with a fork and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper, and whisk until blended.
3. Place the chopped kale in a big salad bowl. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands by scrunching big handfuls at a time, until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant, and reduced in volume by about one-third. Add the celery to the bowl.
4. In a small skillet, combine the almonds and olive oil and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the almonds are fragrant and golden on the edges, 5 to 8 minutes. Watch closely! Pour almonds into the salad bowl.
5. While the quinoa mixture is warm, add it to the salad bowl. Drizzle in most of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste. Add the remainder of the dressing if needed. Wait until the salad cools to room temperature before adding the goat cheese. Serve immediately or keep chilled for up to 4 days.