Something For the Weekend

So usually I don't bother much with cocktails - they're great to drink and I'm a sucker for vodka slush in summer, but generally speaking they always seem like a bit too much effort to make.

However, during a recent flick through of one of my old Sainsbury's magazines I discovered an appealingly simple recipe for a 'Raspberry Sparkle' cocktail which, I decided, must be made. As per usual, I'm unable to just leave a recipe alone, so here's my version...

Ingredients (serves 1):
- 25ml raspberry vodka (or normal)
- 50g fresh raspberries
- juice of 1/4 lime
- ½ tbsp honey
- soda water
- sprig of rosemary, to serve (optional)

The thing with this recipe is that, as well as being easy, it's incredibly adaptable. For example, I love the flavour combination of blackberries and thyme, which would be a great Autumnal alternative. Also: I'm currently in possession of raspberry vodka, but it's so easy to make your own with ANY flavour, and the internet is full of recipes telling you how. So there is absolutely no excuse!

Method:
1. Grab a stick blender a blitz the raspberries, then use the back of the spoon to push it all through a sieve (I love raspberry seeds, but I don't want a drink full of them). If you don't have a stick blender, then with a little extra work just use the sieve and spoon - you'll get the same end result, it'll just take a little longer.
2. Mix your raspberry purée with the vodka, honey and lime juice.
3. Pour the mixture into a glass, add ice cubes (and a couple of frozen raspberries if you happen to have some), then top up with more soda water. Garnish with the rosemary and an extra raspberry or two if you don't have any frozen ones. 
4. Repeat as needed and get gloriously drunk in our new-found sun.
 

It's turned out oranges and lemons again

Sometimes the world is trying to tell you something. 

Yesterday it told me I needed to make Lemon and Orange Vodka Slush. 

FOR THESE REASONS.

1. Lady Grey Tea. Made with orange and lemon peel. And awesomeness. 

2. The Student Union fruit and veg market. FLIPPING NORA how huge are these lemons?

I have never seen a lemon dwarf an orange to such an extent before. Just wow.

There was no way I couldn't buy a couple.

3. The Vodka bit. Because Bryony needed motivation to get her butt back here to uni and I know she likes cocktails.

SO I made Lemon and Orange Vodka Slush.

What You NEED: (Also quantities can be a bit vague, depending on how much you want and whether you like it sweet or sharp. This made a big tub to keep in the freezer for the rest of this term.)

350 ml of Vodka.

200 ml of Pineapple Juice.

100 ml of Limoncello (optional, I put it in because I had it but you don't really need it).

3 MASSIVE Lemons or 5 normal sized ones.

3 (disappointingly normal) Oranges.

Simple Syrup (I made two cups worth using this recipe).

A splash or two of Concentrated Lemon Juice.

WHAT to  do:

1. Pour the Vodka into a freezer safe container. Add the Pineapple Juice and the Limoncello.

2. Juice your Oranges and Lemons. I just squeezed them into a jug then poured it into the main container through a sieve. (Mine got a little bit mutilated in the process...)

3. Make up your Simple Syrup. Add as much or as little as you want. I added around 250 ml. 

4. Splash in some concentrated Lemon Juice.

NOW. What you're left with will look like a massive, uninspiring container of juice. With Vodka in it...

BUT the next step is the clever part...

5. Stick it in the freezer overnight. The Vodka stops the whole mixture from freezing so when you stir it it has the consistency of a slush puppy. But for grown ups/students/not children...

6. Go and live your life for a while. Mine involved baking, The Hundred Years War and dressing a certain Miss Hilsdon up as a cake. True story. (Come back tomorrow for more on two of those topics...)

7. Revisit your freezer excitedly at 9am. Take a teaspoonful and realise that this is far too early for vodka even when disguised in slush. 

8. Come back later and serve.

How to serve it?

We came up with two methods:

On the left, Bryony is enjoying the Ice Cream Method. Where one eats it out of the tub with a spoon.

On the right, I added Grenadine Syrup and a straw. Mix before serving. 

(Also you can use a glass, I just found a jar first...)

Lovely.

(Inspiration via Pinterest.)

Vodka Time

So I'm half Polish. And naturally, this means I have quite an affinity with vodka.

Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka. TASTES LIKE SUMMER.

And most other people seem to as well. 

So long as its not Tesco value, people are generally quite content to knock back a few shots of the stuff, and it goes with almost any mixer under the sun.

Although not gonna lie, I've seen vodka and milk done before and that is NOT a good plan. 

Last night Vodka met my other very good friend, pasta. Apparently its supposed to clarify the flavour. And it tasted flipping good. So I guess it does...

Bryony wasn't convinced by the concept but it turned out pretty bloody well in the end...

SO. Tomato Vodka Pasta time.

(I got the start of my method from here... And then I started guessing...)

Here's what you need for 2 servings:

1 red onion.

3 cloves of garlic.

Butter.

1 cup of vodka. (I used Smirnoff, probably best not to use the fanciest stuff...)

1 can of chopped tomatoes.

1 oxo cube.

1 pinch of dried rosemary.

Splash of olive oil.

1 cup of cream.

Salt and pepper.

Fresh basil and grated parmesan to serve.

And here's what you do:

Cook your pasta. You know what to do. The sauce should take about the same time as the pasta so you need to multitask a bit...

1. Chop up the red onion and the garlic. Melt some butter in a pan then add the onion and garlic.

2. Fry until they start to discolour, then add the vodka. 

3. Leave to simmer for a minute then add the tomatoes and mix them in thoroughly.

4. Crumble in an oxo cube, add a pinch of rosemary and a splash of olive oil. 

5. Keep stirring the sauce as your pasta cooks.

6. Just before your pasta is ready, add the cream and stir in thoroughly.

7. Season with salt and pepper and add the fresh chopped basil.

8. Place pasta in bowls and split the sauce equally. Add parmesan and EAT. 

Potential new favourite recipe.