Cherry Ginger Beer Slushies

Cheers to it the weekend! Summer weekends to be more specific! It’s the time of year that I look forward to, when frozen treats make its way onto my Insta feed and my blender finds a semi-permanent spot on my countertop.  These slushies are the ultimate summer cocktail – super refreshing and full of cherry flavour.  YUM!! Cherries are in season right now and I’ve been waiting AGES for this to happen!

So how fun are these cherry slushies? I LOVE them so much.  I just want to wrap my hands around these and sit on my front porch with a good book.  They’re perfect for summer drinking and this might have to be my go to drink for the next 3 months.  Who says getting your 5 servings of produce/fruit can’t be fun? No I’m kidding I swear…sort of.

And I think we deserve a good cocktail this weekend! I set my stove on fire AGAIN for the second week in a row (yipes!) while I was trying to toast marshmallows under the broiler.  Go figure, you can’t walk away from the oven while that’s happening…I learned the hard way.  And to top it off, our fridge has been acting really wonky, which means that we’ve had to clear out anything perishable.  Which ALSO means I’ve eaten my weight in veggies, roasted chicken, greek yogurt and 3 types of cheese.  Oh man, serious food baby over here!

Luckily for me, our fridge is packed with mostly condiments.  Sauces, salsas and marinades are on every shelf.  I’m beginning to think we hoard hot sauces and mustards because we have WAYYYY to many for a normal household.   Is your fridge in the same state?  Please tell me that I’m not the only one who has this problem.  I can’t help it though, my husband and I are big believers that every meal can be even better with hot sauce.  We have the basics, Tabasco and Frank’s, for your every day meals, sriracha, thai sweet chili sauce, a bottle of mango habanero sauce that I made here and a super spicy jar of kimchi that I’m still afraid to try.
Don’t even get me started on the bottles of mustard!

So we spent part of our weekend cleaning out the fridge, or more like consuming everything we possibly could….you know…so it doesn’t go to waste….NOT because I just wanted to.  So these cherry ginger beer slushies are my reward, my toast to what is left of the weekend.
I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes coming up on my social media about Moscow mules.  I was so curious.  I had never tried ginger beer before, but I like ginger and I like beer…..so win! This cocktail is so easy to make, all you need is a blender to make this and within minutes you’re sitting on your patio with one of these in your hand.  You’re welcome.
This cocktail is made by combining frozen cherries, ice, ginger beer, vodka, honey (if you like it on the sweeter side) and a healthy squeeze of lime juice.  Blend and done!

Bring on the weekend cocktails please!!

Cherry Ginger Beer Slushies

Refreshing frozen cherries blended with ginger beer, honey, vodka and lime juice for a perfect summer cocktail slushie!

Author: Priya McHugh
Recipe type: Cocktail/Drink
Serves: 1 big cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 cups frozen cherries
• ½ cup ice
• 1 cup ginger beer
• 1 oz vodka
• 1 tbsp honey
• juice of ¼ lime

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until all large pieces of cherries and ice are crushed. Serve in glasses and garnish with lime wedge, fresh cherries and mint sprigs.

3.2.2925

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Grilled Mojo Chicken and German Potato Salad

**This post is written in collaboration with Stonewall Kitchen. All opinions are my own.
After what seems like an eternity, my house of sickness is finally clearing out. I maybe forcing the issue prematurely by celebrating and throwing a summer BBQ that involves some tropical flavors, but I can’t think of a better way to get everyone back to sane and normal than getting them outside and with food like this.

It started the last week of May with my 10-year-old getting severely sick and missing school for a week. Fast forward a few days and then Matt took his turn who then passed it onto the toddler, who ended up in the hospital from it. Being that I’ve been the caretaker for the last 30+ plus days, I desperately needed some sunshine and good food—whether they were ready for it or not. Admittedly, Matt and the toddler are still moving slow and at 85%, but I’ll take that over hospital runs any day.
And I’ve always been a believer that getting up, moving around and eating speeds up recovery. To entice everyone to get outside, I planned a BBQ meal that I knew everyone would like. To start, I used one a few of my favorite Stonewall Kitchen products to take my basic recipes from good to great. For the chicken I used their Cubano Mojo Sauce it adds just the right amount of sweetness and depth that caramelizes beautifully at high heat.

I loved it so much, I mixed it into my German Potato salad along with their Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette. The combination gave the ensemble just the right amount of acidity and dimension. Of course, my little guy loves his with an extra bit of chives and bacon. Next to the taste this potato salad also holds up way better and longer on those hot summer days when it’s classic mayo-based cousin starts to separate.


Pair all this with a kiwi margarita and you got a summer BBQ that comes together in under an hour. Yay to that and yay to some sunshine and banishing all the sickness from my home!

Grilled Mojo Chicken

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breasts, pounded to 3/4 inch thick
• 4-5 tablespoons kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup Stonewall Cubano Mojo Sauce

Directions:

In a small bowl whisk together kosher salt, cracked pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Heavily coat each chicken breast with mixture. Place chicken on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet The idea is to have air circulate below and above the breasts for a quick brine. Set aside at room temperature, in the meantime heat the grill.
Preparation: Heat gas grill on high for 15 minutes with the lid down. Open lid and turn down heat to medium, wait for 5-7 minutes for grill temperature to drop to about 400F. Oil grates with canola oil.
Alternately, if you are using a charcoal grill. Heat charcoal until white and ashy. Oil crates with canola oil.
Place chicken breast on prepared BBQ and grill for 5 minutes. Turn and grill for another 5 minutes. Brush one side with Cubano Mojo Sauce and grill for another 2 minutes. Brush remaining side with Cubano Mojo Sauce and grill for another 2 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the chicken for doneness (chicken should be at 165 F). **Optional: Serve with grilled pineapples and mango relish.

German Potatoes
Serves 6

• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1.5 lb. red fingerling potatoes, cut to 1/2-inch pieces
• 1.5 lb. gold fingerling potatoes, cut to 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 pieces bacon
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 Stonewall Kitchen Cubano Mojo Sauce
• 1/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
• 3 tablespoons parsley
• 2 tablespoons chives
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper

In a 3-quart pot bring water and salt to a boil. Carefully add potatoes and turn heat down to a simmer, cook potatoes until they are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
In the meantime, cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove bacon and pour out all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Fold shallots into potatoes. Coarsely chop bacon and fold into potatoes. Set potato mixture aside to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, add remaining ingredients: Stonewall Kitchen Cubano Mojo Sauce, Stonewall Kitchen Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette, parsley, chives, lemon juice and black pepper. Fold and mix to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

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Pressure Cooker Chipotle Chicken and Rice Bowls

My husband is a big fan of chipotle – both the spicy, smoky peppers themselves and the restaurant chain. He declared this dish to be better than Chipotle’s fast-casual burrito bowls, so I’m calling it a win!
This is certainly more budget-friendly than ordering take-out for four people. It also cooks in about the same time that it would take us to drive over and pick up dinner!
The chicken and rice both pack a spicy wallop with this recipe. Boneless chicken thighs are cooked in a homemade chipotle sauce (it’s a blender sauce that comes together in a flash), and the rice is tossed with diced jalapeño peppers, cilantro, and green onions just before serving.
You can definitely cut down on the spice if you’re not a chili head like me. Just use a heaping spoonful of smoked paprika in place of the chipotle peppers, and omit the jalapeno.
I use the “pot-in-pot” method to make this recipe, and cook the rice and chicken together at the same time in my 6-quart Instant Pot. It sounds complicated, but it’s actually very easy!
You just combine the chicken and chipotle sauce in the bottom of the pot, nestle a raised metal steam rack over top, and then set a bowl of water and rice on the trivet. After cooking, fluff the rice and mix it up with its spicy add-ins.
For this pot-in-pot method, make sure to use a steam rack that’s about 3 inches high and a small (1 1/2-quart) stainless steel bowl for cooking the rice. It’s important that the bowl is raised over the chicken and that you are still able to lock the lid closed.
Any long-grain white rice will work well for this recipe. I’ve also had success with quick-cooking brown rice (Trader Joe’s brand).
You can also cook the rice separately on the stovetop while the chicken is cooking in the pressure cooker, if you prefer. Without the rice, the pot takes about 10 minutes less to come up to pressure.
Serve the chicken over the rice, and top each bowl with sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, and a generous sprinkle of cotija or other mild cheese.

Pressure Cooker Chipotle Chicken and Rice Bowls Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

This recipe is spicy! If you'd prefer less spice, replace the chipotle peppers with a heaping spoonful of smoked paprika and omit the jalapeno.
This recipe works best in a 6-quart pressure cooker. If you are using a larger pressure cooker, add a 1/2 cup of water or broth to the sauce mixture in the blender, or double the recipe to ensure there is enough liquid to get the pot up to pressure.
You can also use bone-in, skin-on chicken in this recipe (up to 3 1/2 pounds).
Stovetop Instructions: Simmer the chicken thighs in the sauce in a covered soup pot or dutch oven for 30 minutes, until tender. Cook the rice in a separate pot.

Ingredients

For the chipotle chicken:

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 2 canned chipotles in adobo
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 medium limes)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

For the rice:

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 medium green onions, sliced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

To serve:

• 2 ounces crumbled cotija cheese
• 12 thin slices jalapeño pepper
• 1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Special Equipment:

• 6-quart pressure cooker
• Raised steam rack
• Wire mesh strainer
• Small 1 1/2-quart stainless steel bowl

Method

1 Make the sauce: In a blender, combine the garlic, onion, chipotle peppers, water, lime juice, honey, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Blend for about a minute, until it becomes a smooth sauce. If necessary, scrape down the sides of the blender halfway through blending.

2 Mix the chicken with the sauce: Put the chicken thighs in the pot of a 6-quart or larger electric pressure cooker, then pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to evenly coat the chicken in the sauce.

3 Nestle a raised steam rack in with the chicken. Make sure all of its legs are touching the bottom of the pot.

4 Rinse the rice. Place the rice in a wire mesh strainer and rinse under running water. Let it drain for a minute or so, then combine the rice with a cup of water in a small (1 ½-quart) stainless steel mixing bowl.
Place the bowl of rice and water on top of the steam rack in the pot. The bowl should fit snugly inside the pot; make sure that you can still lock the lid of the pressure cooker closed.

5 Cook the chicken and rice: Secure the lid on the pressure cooker. Make sure the pressure regulator is set to the “Sealing” position.
If you are using an Instant Pot, select the “Poultry” or “Manual” program, then adjust the time to 15 minutes. If your pressure cooker does not have a “Poultry” program, set it manually to “High Pressure” for 15 minutes. For stovetop pressure cookers, cook for 12 minutes at high pressure.
It will take about 15 minutes for your pressure cooker to come up to pressure, and then the actual cooking will begin. Total time from the time you seal the pressure cooker to the end of cooking is about 30 minutes.

6 Release the pressure: When the cooking time ends, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes, then perform a quick pressure release by moving the pressure release knob from “Sealing” to “Venting.”

7 Fluff the rice: Wearing a pair of heat-proof mitts, remove the bowl of rice and the steam rack from the pot.
Fluff the rice with a fork and mix in the cilantro, green onions, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt.

8 Working in the pot, shred the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces with two forks.

9 Serve: Divide the rice between individual bowls and spoon the chicken on top, along with a some of its sauce. Top each bowl with the cotija cheese, sliced jalapeño, and a wedge of lime.

Read More: Pressure Cooker Chipotle Chicken and Rice Bowls