Happy Monday, everyone!
How was your weekend? Mine was absolutely wonderful and refreshing–filled with lots of drinks, swimming, reading, and of course, a ridiculous amount of yummy food. It’s beginning to feel a bit too much like summer around here which makes focusing on the end of the school year a bit tough! Still, it’s definitely welcome after a long rainy April.
Jeff and I held a little impromptu cinco de mayo celebration on Saturday, and I wanted to make a little something special to go along with our favorite margaritas. So on Saturday morning, I was browsing one of my favorite recipe sites–Better Homes & Gardens–and came across this: Strawberry Sangria. And since it’s the beginning of strawberry season yet again (although I don’t think we ever stopped getting strawberries in our CSA box all winter!), I figured it would be the perfect compliment to our casual affair.
I think this recipe is perfect to adapt to any occasion: a casual backyard bbq, a swanky shower or party, or just those endless lazy summer days. Gotta love versatile recipes!
Strawberries were definitely the star of the Better Homes & Garden’s version, but I decided to spruce it up a bit by adding some lime juice and a touch of rum just before serving. It can still be sangria with rum, right? And it was cinco de mayo after all!
The process is really simple too.
All you need to do is cut about 4 cups of strawberries in half and then slice about another cup to use later.
Next, combine the halved strawberries in a saucepan with 1/3 cup sugar and a 1/4 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to thicken a bit, about 5 minutes. It won’t seem like much water but once the strawberries become to heat up, they will add their own water into the pan and the level will increase significantly.
Once the mixture has cooled, strain the strawberries over a bowl using a fine strainer to extract the syrup. I saved the leftover strawberry pieces to use on toast the next morning–delicious!
Add the strawberry slices you cut earlier to the syrup along with 1/2 bottle of white wine and the juice of 1 lime, then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Just before serving, transfer the syrup into a pitcher then add 1-2 cups of sparkling water, depending on preference. I loved the addition of the sparkling water–it lent the sangria an unlikely creamy richness.
Finish each glass with a slice of orange and lime, and top with a bit of spiced rum.
Ah, summer…
Strawberry Lime Sangria
Adapted from http://www.bhg.com/recipe/drinks/strawberry-sangria/
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 cups strawberries, trimmed and halved
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 bottle white wine
1-2 cups sparkling water
Rum
Lime slices, for garnish
Orange slices, for garnish
Steps:
Trim and halve 4 cups of strawberries and slice about another cup to use later.
Combine the halved strawberries in a saucepan with 1/3 cup sugar and a 1/4 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to thicken a bit, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely.
Then, using a fine strainer, strain the strawberries over a bowl to extract the syrup.
Add the strawberry slices you cut earlier to the syrup along with 1/2 bottle of white wine and the juice of 1 lime, then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Just before serving, transfer the syrup into a pitcher then add 1-2 cups of sparkling water, depending on preference.
Finish each glass with a slice of orange and lime and top with a bit of spiced rum.
Enjoy!
Time: 25 minutes (up to 24 hours in fridge, once made)
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