{ pineapple cocktail }

I love pineapple juice cocktails, but often times they're too sweet for more than a taste or two. And finding a pineapple mixed drink that doesn't include [Malibu] rum is a rare occurrence.

Until now.

I love this drink because it retains the taste of the pineapple juice, yet also adds undertones of citrus. And the vodka gives it a bite worthy of a martini glass.

A perfect Friday (or Tuesday!) night cocktail. Salud!

Pineapple Cocktail
(adapted from FoodNetwork.com)

• 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce orange liqueur
• 1/2 ounce freshly-squeezed lime juice
• sugar, for the rim
• Maraschino cherry

Chill a martini glass in the freezer. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the pineapple juice, vodka, orange liqueur and lime juice. Shake vigorously until combined (about 30 seconds). In general, by the time the exterior of the cocktail shaker is coated with condensation from the ice, the drink is ready.

Using a lime wedge, completely coat the top edge of the rim of the glass, and then dip into sugar (on a plate). Strain/pour the drink into chilled glass and garnish with a cherry.

Sip, sip, repeat.

{ lime and chili pork tacos with jalapeño cream sauce }

These pork tacos are awesome -- so many contrasts of flavors make for an overall tangy combination that's out of this world. Ty kept saying, "These are GOOD," throughout dinner, which is always a good sign.

The jalapeño cream sauce was made from peppers grown by a friend (thanks, Ben!), and the potential list of dishes to which this could be added is limitless. For starters, I added it to my eggs the next morning (and included a picture below!). It's delicious. If possible, make it in advance so that it has a chance to chill before being added on the tacos. The cool, smooth texture is so yummy with the warm meat and onions (don't skip making the onions!).

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to eat another pork taco. :)

Lime and Chili Pork Tacos with Jalapeño Cream Sauce
(adapted from Food & Wine)

Ingredients
Jalapeño Cream Sauce

• 4 jalapeños, seeded and cut into large sections
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves (about 1 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• juice of one lime
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt, to taste

Tacos

• 8 1/4-inch-thick boneless pork chops
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced in rings
• juice from 1 1/2 limes, divided
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons Mexican chili powder (regular chili powder works fine), divided
• kosher salt and freshy-ground pepper, to taste
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
• 1 avocado, halved and sliced length-wise
• jalapeño cream sauce (see accompanying recipe), lime wedges, and cilantro, to garnish

Process
Jalapeño Cream Sauce
In a food processor,puree jalapeños, cilantro, mayo, garlic, olive oil and lime juice. Taste and add salt, as needed.

Refrigerate.

Tacos
Preheat a grill pan for at least 5 minutes. Arrange the pork on a large baking sheet. Brush all over with half of the olive oil. Season with salt and half of the chile powder. Squeeze the juice from a lime on the meat before putting on the grill. Do the same once the meat has been flipped.

Grill the pork, turning once, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Preheat heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Place sliced onions in a bowl and top with remaining olive oil. Stir until evenly coated. Add remaining chili powder and sprinkle with salt.

Add onions to hot skillet, stirring occasionally to cook evenly. Once onions begin to soften, squeeze the juice from half a lime over the onions and continue to cook until charred and tender.

Transfer the pork to the cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch strips; transfer to a platter. Serve on warm tortilla with the onions, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño cream sauce and lime wedges.






breakfast the next morning!

{ soft coconut-lime sugar cookies }

Two of my favorite culinary loves: lime and coconut. Combine them together and the result is magic (and a great summer cookie!).

Soft coconut-lime sugar cookies
(adapted from The Cookin' Chemist)

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1-1/2 cups sugar, plus 1/3 cup for sprinkling
• 2 oz. cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp. finely grated lime zest
• 6 Tbsp. salted butter, melted and still warm
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp. coconut milk (plain milk is also fine)
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice

Process

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

 

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and coconut together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

 

Place 1-1/2 cups sugar, cream cheese, and lime zest in a large bowl.

Set aside remaining 1/3 cup sugar to use in final steps.

 

Pour warm, melted butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine (some small lumps of cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later).

Whisk in oil. Add egg, coconut milk, and lime juice; continue to whisk until smooth. With a rubber spatula, fold in flour in small amounts and mix until soft dough forms. The final dough will be

slightly softer than most cookie dough. For best results, handle the dough as little as possible when shaping the cookies.

Use a scoop to form equal-sized cookies, approximately 2 tablespoons each, and evenly space them on prepared baking sheets, 12 cookies per sheet. Lightly press down on cookies to partially flatten (dipping fingers into water reduces sticking). Sprinkle tops evenly with remaining sugar and discard any remaining.

Bake, 1 tray at a time, until edges are set and just beginning to brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the tray after 7 minutes.

Cool cookies on baking sheets for at least 5 minutes (I let mine sit for about 15 minutes). Using a wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool.

Serve at room temperature.

{ coconut banana bread with lime glaze }

I originally intended to make this as a sweet treat to nibble on at breakfast with a more savory dish.

The problem ... I ended up munching on it all day.

Breakfast? Why limit yourself?

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
(adapted from OurBestBites)

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas)
• 1/4 cups sour cream or plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons apple juice (or milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut
• Topping: 3 tablespoons additional coconut
• Glaze:  1 cup powdered sugar whisked with 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Process
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs and beat until combined. Add banana, sour cream or yogurt, apple juice (or milk), and vanilla.  Continue to beat until blended.

Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.

Spray 9×5″ loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour in batter. Sprinkle additional 2 tablespoons of coconut on top.

Bake for about 1 hour, or until a knife or skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Check bread after about 40 minutes. If the top has browned and the coconut pieces are looking toasty, cover top of bread lightly with a piece of foil. Continue baking until done.

When done, remove pan from oven. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan.

Whisk together powdered sugar and lime juice and then drizzle glaze over the top. Cool for another 15 minutes before slicing.

( freshly-squeezed whiskey sours )

Using freshly-squeezed citrus in this cocktail makes all the difference in the world. If you don't have a mini-juicer, my unsolicited tip du-jour is to invest in one. The Cuisinart Citrus Pro Juicer that I own can be purchased for about $25. I use mine as much as any other appliance in my kitchen, especially in cocktail-making. It sits right next to my blender, always plugged in and ready for use.

Now, back to whiskey sours. You know it's a classic cocktail when there's a maraschino cherry involved.

*One more quick item I want to discuss is the simple syrup. It's another ingredient I always keep on hand for cocktails -- I keep it in a mini glass pitcher in the refrigerator. The standard simple syrup ratio is 1:1 (1 cup of sugar to one cup of water; bring sugar to a boil, simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved; chill before using); however, I use a 2:1 ratio (2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water). It allows me to use less syrup in my drinks, and it's a little bit thicker, which I like. Which simple syrup you use makes a difference in the recipe, as far as how much to add.

Freshly-squeezed Whiskey Sours
(adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients

3/4 cup whiskey (I prefer Maker's Mark)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately 4 lemons)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (approximately 4 limes)

1/3 cup sugar syrup* (2/3 cup if using a 1:1 syrup - see note above)

Crushed ice

Maraschino cherries

Process
Combine whiskey, lemon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and pour in the drink mix 2/3 full. Shake for 15 seconds and pour into glasses over crushed ice.

Add a maraschino cherry.