March 29, 2020

Japanese Style Creamy Sesame Dressing

One of the things I think I fell in love with the hardest about Japanese cooking when I lived there was sesame flavoring in sauces. This is one of my very favorite sesame based things. It's great on all manner of green vegetables, cooked or raw, and any salad with Asian style ingredients.

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RECIPE: Japanese Sesame Dressing (Just One Cookbook)

March 28, 2020

Frozen Mango Margarita

Made because I missed the taste of fresh fruit in March (it is cold and snowy for nearly half the year where I live) and we are sheltering in place and we were looking for ways to start cleaning out our freezer and liquor cabinet. This ticked all the boxes.

Notes:
  • We used El Jimador silver tequila because I felt like aged tequila might not be the best for mixing into sweet fruity drinks. I am still learning how I like tequila, so you might prefer a different kind.
  • It may be too thick to blend; add additional ingredients to your personal preference. I really liked an extra bit of sour (lime juice) and sweet (simple syrup). You can add water, but if you add too much it will water down the drink and it won't have the sweet-tart contrast that makes it so tasty.
Verdict: Absolute heaven. It's fruity and sweet and sour, and the smooth creamy texture of the frozen mango really makes it for me. This will be my go-to recipe for frozen margaritas, and I'm hoping to try it with other sweet frozen fruits in the future (like strawberries!)

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RECIPE:

Frozen Mango Margarita
adapted from House of Yumm
Serves 1

1 1/2 oz tequila
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1/2 cup ice
2 tbsp simple syrup 
3/4 oz triple sec or orange liqueur
Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tbsp)

If you do not already have simple syrup: mix equal volumes of sugar and water in a saucepan (1/2 cup of each will make enough for about 6 margaritas), heat over high heat while stirring until all the sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and let cool.

Place frozen mango and ice in a blender, then add rest of ingredients, and blend until smooth. If it is too thick to blend, you can add a couple tablespoons of water, or additional liquid ingredients to your personal preference (lime juice or triple sec for me).