Homemade Bloody Mary Mix

A simple bloody mary mix made from tomato paste.

Bloody Marys make a great drink for 6 AM kickoff on gameday Saturdays.  However, the bottled mixes can be slightly expensive and you still have to tweak it to suit your tastes.  I decided to make my own.  I don't keep plain tomato juice in the house, but I always have tomato paste, so why not dilute it?  I absolutely love tomato paste.  It is so versatile, you can make tomato sauce with it, add it to soups and stews, and now I have found out you can make tomato juice with it.  I love that I can now, easily, make my own bloody mary mix using my favorite spices and hot sauce.

#Tomatopaste rocks | #Homemade #BloodyMary Mix  [Tweet this]

Homemade Bloody Mary Mix

Ingredients:

1 6oz can tomato paste
3 1/2-4 cups water
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions or 1-2 Tbsp onion powder
1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Big Daddy's Ass Burn Sauce, use your favorite)
1 tsp celery salt
few shakes celery seed
1/2 cup cilantro (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Use less water if you like a thicker bloody mary, use as much hot sauce as you like or leave it out altogether.  I used green onions and cilantro just because I had some that needed to be used.

Pour the blended mixture into a large saucepan and heat to a boil (if you are worried about chunks pour mixture through a wire mesh strainer to catch any larger chunks).  It doesn't need to boil long, just let it reach a boil then remove from heat.  This just helps take off the raw flavor from the garlic, onions, and cilantro.  If you use only dried spices you could probably skip this step.

Refrigerate at least over night to allow the flavors to meld.  Pour over vodka and garnish how ever you like.  You can rim the glass with celery salt, add a stick of celery, pickles or olives. I used a stick of bacon.

Drink, watch football, and enjoy.

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Beef and Pineapple Shish Kabobs

Marinated beef, pineapple chunks, red bell pepper, and red onion grilled on bamboo skewers.

When my husband brought home a pineapple I was at a loss for what to do with it.  However, this did not last long and I decided on shish kabobs.  My original plan was to use shrimp but there were sirloin cuts on sale, so beef it was.  I decided to use a marinade for the beef.  I don't usually marinate beef (I use mostly dry rubs) but I saw some recipes online and decided to try them.  I used vinegar and pineapple juice in my marinade and the beef was tasty, but the acidic marinade gave the beef a grainy texture that was not great.  Sometimes you learn from trial and error.  It didn't ruin the meal, but I now know not to do it again.  The juice and vinegar didn't even add that much flavor and the recipe would be great without them.   So I am omitting the acids from the recipe here and I highly suggest never using acids in beef marinades.  The following recipe will still add plenty of flavor to the beef and hopefully prevent the strange texture.  Aside from the weird graininess these kabobs were awesome and I would not hesitate to make them again.

Ingredients:

2 pounds sirloin, cubed
2 red onions, cubed
2 cups pineapple, cubed
2 red bell peppers, cubed

Marinade:

2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 Tbsp lemon grass, minced (optional)

Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour over beef, in a seal-able bag,  Shake and mix thoroughly then allow to sit in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

Meanwhile soak 8 bamboo skewers in water and chop the rest of the ingredients into about 1 inch cubes.

Thread beef and vegetable (and pineapple) cubes onto skewers.  I had enough for 3 pieces of beef for each skewer.  Reserve any leftover vegetables and pineapple to saute as a side.

Grill the skewers for a couple of minutes on both sides until beef is done to your preference.

Makes about 4-6 servings (1-2 skewers per person).  Serve over rice with sauteed vegetables and pineapple on the side.  Enjoy.

 Make Pina Coladas with any leftover pineapple to accompany the meal.  I just blended together pineapple, ice, rum, and a little coconut milk.

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Dillinger Cocktail with St. Germain

A refreshing cocktail with cucumber, lemon, vodka and St. Germain.

I saw this drink recently on Barefeet In The Kitchen blog.  The cucumber and lemon flavoring a vodka soda sounded great and a new liquor, to me, was used as more flavor, St. Germain.  I've never tried St. Germain, but after reading the comments I had to try it.  I'm glad I did.  The St. Germain adds a sweetness and a floral taste to anything it is added to making any drink taste fancier.  It tastes great.  I had tonic in the fridge instead of soda water, so I used that instead.

Ingredients:

2 lemon slices
3 cucumber slices
Ice
1 shot of vodka
Tonic Water
dash of St. Germain

In the bottom of a glass muddle the lemon and cucumber.  Fill with ice and then pour in a shot of vodka.  Top up the glass with tonic water and add a splash of St. Germain.  Stir, relax and enjoy.

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