Beyond Sweet and Savory

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Drinks

Cardamom espresso hot chocolate

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With quite a few coffee aficonados in our family, I couldn’t be more excited when Calphalon reached out and asked if we would like to try their Temp iQ Espresso Machine. It was a resounding yes given how many espresso machines I’ve seen at the coffee houses and my unwavering curiosity about playing with one. This post has been sponsored by Calphalon. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Beyond Sweet and Savory possible. Without any further ado, let me introduce you to our newest kitchen addition.

After unboxing the machine and reading the instructions, it was a matter of minutes before I had a cup of espresso in my hands. It is that easy to use! The manual is extremely detailed offering many helpful tips if the espresso didn’t come out to your liking.

The taste of the espresso made with the Calphalon Temp iQ Espresso Machine blew me away! And that’s not an easy feat given how particular I am about my coffee. The Calphalon Temp iQ Espresso Machine uses precise temperature and for an even extraction throughout the brew cycle  and has a 15-bar Italian pump for maximum flavor extraction ​and café-quality coffee at home. 

We have had so much fun creating lattes, cappucinos, and flat whites using the integrated steam wand that produces a dry steam for creamy froth with microfoam milk. The machine automatically pours out a single or double shot then stops so there’s no worries about having to turn the dial before the cup overflows.

Once we became comfortable with making espresso, I started experimenting with drinks, cocktails, and desserts. One of our favorite drinks thus far is a cardamom espresso hot chocolate that I created for my hubby. Coffee and hot chocolate are my hubby’s weaknesses! With the weather getting colder, it’s nice to start the morning with a glass of hot chocolate. 

The complex flavor of cardamom and espresso makes this an extraordinary hot chocolate. You can drink it as is or make it a bit indulgent with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. I prefer the latter! This cardamom espresso hot chocolate is so delicious, you’ll find yourself making it again and again.

Since using the Calphalon Temp iQ Espresso machine, we really appreciate the feeling of having our own barista quality coffee at home! If you love espresso, this espresso machine is a must have!  The Calphalon Temp iQ Espresso machine is available at your nearest Bed Bath & Beyond.

5 from 4 votes
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Cardamom espresso hot chocolate
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 

This cardamom espresso hot chocolate is so delicious, you’ll find yourself making it again and again. The complex flavor of cardamom and espresso makes this an extraordinary hot chocolate. You can drink it as is or make it a bit indulgent with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Course: Drinks
Keyword: Cardamom, Espresso, Hot chocolate
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 5 cardamom pods, crushed with the back of a knife
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso
  • Lightly sweetened whipped cream for serving
  • Shaved chocolate for serving
  • A few sprigs of mint for garnish
Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, heat milk over medium-low heat.

  2. Add the crushed cardamom pods and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

  3. Add in the chopped chocolate and whisk until chocolate is dissolved and mixture is smooth and creamy, about 5-7 minutes.

  4. Remove from heat and strain the hot chocolate into a large measuring cup. Stir in espresso.

  5. When ready to serve, divide among serving cups, top with whipped cream, and shaved chocolate. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Three Delicious Dips for Game Day Eats

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With three delicious dips: pork chorizo chili con queso, avocado hummus, and feta labneh dip, you’ll have a delicious selection of appetizers ready for game days! This post was sponsored by RW Garcia. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Beyond Sweet and Savory possible.

Who’s excited for football season! While everyone around me is chatting nonstop about their favorite teams and who they’re rooting for, I’m more excited about game day eats! This is the first series of recipes that I’m partnering with RW Garcia to get you ready for the biggest game day of the year!  I have everything from naughty to nice for every palate at your party-pork chorizo chili con queso, avocado hummus, and feta labneh dip.

Let’s start with that cheesy pork chorizo chili con queso!  Chili con queso is a part of Tex-mex and Southwestern cuisine, originating from the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. My version is mildly hot, loaded with cheesy goodness and pork chorizo to satisfy my carnivorous husband. You can customize this recipe to your family’s taste. My husband can’t eat very spicy food so I used jalapenos but feel free to use Serrano or Habanero to kick up the heat factor. If tomato isn’t your thing, use as little as you like or leave it out all together.  I used a mixture of cheddar and Monterey Jack but you can go all cheddar if you like. 

Everything is cooked on the stove to bubbling, cheesy goodness and paired perfectly with RW Garcia’s organic corn chips. RW Garcia’s chips are made from high quality organic ingredients with no additives or preservatives. They’re also trans fat free, gluten free, and non-GMO. These corn chips are so good straight out of the bag but even better when dunked in my delicious pork chorizo chili con queso. This dip is sooooooooo addicting, it will be gone in a flash!

The next one is my take on the classic hummus. I combined my love for avocado and hummus in one bowl. You’ll find this quick and easy avocado hummus regularly in my fridge. It’s perfect for snacking when you have friends over and need a delicious and healthy option.  The avocado adds a velvety texture while the cilantro and cumin give the hummus a delicious kick distinctive from a regular hummus. RW Garcia organic corn chips and an assortment of veggies like carrots and beets are the perfect accompaniment for this delicious hummus. 

Last but not least to the party, my favorite feta dip has a completely different taste profile from the chili con queso and avocado hummus. Chunky feta, labneh, and herby dill are pureed together to create a tangy, creamy dip that gets even better over time.  Labneh is Greek yogurt that has been strained and results in a thick consistency similar to soft cheese. The labneh adds a creamy texture and wonderful sour kick to the feta dip. With its refreshing taste, the feta labneh dip is perfect with RW Garcia organic corn chips and veggies like cucumber and radish.

There you have it, three easy and delicious appetizers to feed a crowd and get you ready for those fun game days.  Stay tuned for another series of recipes with RW Garcia heading your way!

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #beyondsweetandsavory on Instagram.  We truly appreciate your feedback and incorporate them to continually improve our recipes.

5 from 4 votes
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Chili con queso, avocado hummus, feta labneh dip
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 

With three delicious dips: pork chorizo chili con queso, avocado hummus, and feta labneh dip, you’ll have a delicious selection of appetizers ready for game days!

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chili con queso, dips, feta labneh dip, Hummus
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
Pork chorizo chili con queso
  • 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 1 pound mild cheddar, shredded
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 pound pork chorizo
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
  • Cilantro and jalapenos for garnish 
  • RW Garcia organic corn chips for serving
Avocado hummus
  • 2 medium avocados, halved and pitted 
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, 16 oz, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped 
  • 2 tbsps lime juice
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/4 cup water, and more if needed
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
  • RW Garcia organic corn chips, carrots, and beets for serving 
Feta labneh dip
  • 4 ounces feta
  • 1/2 cup labneh
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsps dill and extra for garnish
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Freshly ground pepper for garnish
  • RW Garcia organic corn chips, radish and cucumber for serving 
Instructions
Pork chorizo chili con queso

  1. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion and saute until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add jalapenos, garlic, and tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.

  2. Add the chorizo to the pan, break it up with your spatula, and let it brown for about 5 minutes. Season with cumin.

  3. Add milk to the pan and let it come to a gentle boil. Slowly add in the cheeses and stir until melted and smooth.

  4. Season with salt and pepper.

  5. Tranfer the chili con queso to a serving bowl, garnish with cilantro and jalapenos, and serve immediately. 

Avocado hummus

  1. Place the garbanzo beans, avocado flesh, cilantro, tahini, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and cumin in a high speed blender and pulse for a minute until combined.

  2. Add water to the hummus mixture and pulse for 3-4 minutes until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed to integrate all the large chunks. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, add one tablespoon of water at a time and pulse until you get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

  3. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, garnish with extra cilantro, and serve with corn ships, carrots, and beets. 

Feta labneh dip

  1. Place feta, labneh, lemon juice, and honey in a food processor and process until smooth. 

  2. Add dill and pepper and blend until finely chopped.

  3. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, garnish with extra dill and serve with corn chips, radish and cucumber slices.

Passion fruit mango mint margaritas

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This passion fruit mango mint margaritas with its tart, sweet, and refreshing flavor is the perfect drink to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

May kind of snuck up on me which means Cinco de Mayo is here!  What do you look forward to the most for Cindo de Mayo? While I love chips, salsa, guacamole, and tacos, it’s really the margaritas that I look forward to making!  This year passion fruit and mango came earlier so I’m making a large pitcher of passion fruit mango mint margaritas.

The combination of tart passion fruit, sweet mango, and mint is so refreshing.  You can keep it virgin for the kids and they’ll love it or add in a generous amount of tequila and Cointreau and your margarita pitcher will be empty before you know it.  I threw all the ingredients into my Vitamix and voila within minutes, I have a large pitcher of margarita for a whole crowd. This passion fruit mango mint margarita is sublime and will have you making it again and again through the summer.  Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

If you like drinks, check out these recipes: blood orange margaritas, classic mojitos, passion fruit sparkler.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #beyondsweetandsavory on Instagram.  We truly appreciate your feedback and incorporate them to continually improve our recipes.

5 from 7 votes
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Passion fruit mango mint margaritas
Prep Time
5 mins
 

This passion fruit mango mint margaritas with its tart, sweet, and refreshing flavor is the perfect drink to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Course: Cocktails, Drinks
Keyword: cocktails, mango, margaritas, Passion fruit
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Champagne mango flesh, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh passion fruit pulp, strained
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves
  • 3/4 cup Tequila blanco
  • 1/2 cup Cointreau
  • 1/2 cup simple syrup
  • 4 cups crushed ice
Mint salt rim
  • 3 tbps Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves and extra for garnish
  • small passion fruit for garnish
Instructions

  1. In a Vitamix, add the mango, passion fruit pulp, lime juice, mint, and simple syrup and blend until smooth.

  2. Add the tequila, Cointreau, and blend until you get a slushy consistency.

  3. To make the mint salt, combine mint leaves and salt in a mortar and use a pestle to pound the mixture until homogeneous. 

  4. Moisten the rims of the glasses with a slice of lime and garnish the rims with mint salt.

  5. Serve the margaritas immediately garnished with fresh passion fruit pulp and a few sprigs of mint leaves. 

Spiced hot chocolate with cardamom cinnamon and rum

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On a recent trip to Seattle, I was introduced to Intrigue Chocolate Company where I had the best hot chocolate ever. I initially picked the Jamaican hot chocolate because of the interesting name but was completely blown away by the flavor when I had my first sip. No ingredients were listed on the menu but I could taste the richness of dark chocolate spiced with cardamom and cinnamon, a slight note of vanilla, and a touch of rum. Since coming back from Seattle, I have been obsessed with recreating that Jamaican hot chocolate. While this cup of hot chocolate won’t be the exact replica of Intrigue Chocolate’s, it’s pretty darn good and perfect for sipping on these chilly fall days.  If you’re serving it to the kids, don’t forget to skip the rum.



Spiced hot chocolate

1 ¾ cup of milk
1 cup of heavy cream
¾ cup of semi sweet chocolate, chopped
7 cardamom pods, crushed with a pestle and mortar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp rum
1 vanilla bean, splitted
½ tbsp sugar (to taste)
Marshmallow and cocoa for serving


1. In a small saucepan, heat milk and heavy cream over medium-low heat.

2. Add the crushed cardamom, cinnamon stick, and vanilla bean. Let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

3. Add in the chopped chocolate and whisk until dissolved.  Whisk in the sugar.

4.Remove from heat and strain the hot chocolate.5.When ready to serve, stir in the rum, garnish with marshmallow and cocoa powder.

Beet and Carrot Juice

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Today, we’re sharing another favorite juice that we have on regular rotation at our house, root vegetable juice–consists mainly of the carrots and beets grown from our garden.  If you don’t have home grown root vegetables ready at your disposal, they are abundant at your local farmers market. 
Carrots and beets have many wonderful vitamins (vitamin A, B and C) and minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron and many more) due to all the nutrients they absorb from the soil and sun.  Some people shy away from root vegetables when it comes to juicing but they’re quite delicious in a juice, a bit earthy, sweet, and much milder in taste than perceived.  We hope you give it a try!   
Beet and Carrot Juice (yield ~12 oz)
5-6 small organic carrots, about 2 cups, scrubbed and top cut off
2 small organic beets, about 1 cup, scrubbed and top cut off
1 cup of organic kale, washed
2 small organic apples (Fuji or Pink Lady apples), washed
1 .Cut the carrots, beets, apples, and kale to fit the juicer.
2. Start the machine and place the apples and kale leaves into the feeder of the juice extractor.
3. Next, add the carrots and beets into the feeder of the juice extractor.
4. Pour the juice in a glass and add a handful of ice cubes and enjoy as soon as possible.
Cook’s note: if you use organic carrots and beets, you don’t have to peel them.  For the freshest juice and highest level of nutrient, drink juice within 24 hours.  Otherwise refrigerate your juice in a airtight glass bottles for up to 72 hours.  Weck jars and Ball mason jars work very well.

Green machine smoothie

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Remember our green goodness juice that we shared a few weeks ago?  Well, we also have a green version for smoothie.  Vu’s sister made us smoothies every single day we stayed with her last month.  She made smoothies seem effortless and delicious.  Throw everything in a blender, fresh or frozen, and you have a healthy treat to start your morning, a delicious afternoon pick me upper, or easy dessert at the end of your busy work day.  


Aiden seemed to really enjoy the smoothies so we went back and forth about investing in yet another kitchen gadget.  With only eight teeth, he still prefers soupy meals, juices, and smoothies.  In the end, we decided on the Nutri Ninja Pro Blender over NutriBullet after reading numerous reviews and asking friends and family about their experience.   


Nowadays, we juice twice a week and make smoothies the other five days.  Juicing can be quite laborious and take up half of our morning.  With smoothies, we toss everything in the Ninja and in less than five minutes, we have a delicious treat.  We added the chia seeds for the boost in fiber, protein, calcium, antioxidants, and omega-3s (you can find more info here).  If you’re skeptical about putting greens in your smoothie, give it a try and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.  




Green Machine Smoothie (yield 24 oz)
½ cup kale, chopped
½ cup spinach
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (frozen is ok)
1 banana
1 small Hass avocado, pitted and peeled
2 tsps chia seeds
1 cup coconut water (you can also use soy milk, almond milk, or other nut milks)
a handful of ice cubes

1. Put all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add more ice or liquid as needed to get the consistency you like.

Note: this smoothie has about 450-550 calories

Green Goodness Juice

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We have juiced sporadically over the years and recently started juicing on a weekly basis after ditching our Jack LaLanne Juicer for the Omega Masticating Juicer.   It’s impossible for us to eat all of the recommended daily servings of vegetables and fruits so juicing has become a way to incorporate a lot more green leafy vegetables in our diet.  We enjoy juicing and think of them as a treat rather than a cure all or weight loss miracle.    

Even Aiden likes this juice even though they’re loaded with tons of greens like kale, spinach, and celery, hence the name “green goodness”.   This is the only way we sneak greens into his diet since he’s quite a picky eater.  


The apple provides s a sweet flavor that balances the harsh taste of kale, spinach, and celery.  Another immediate benefit that we have seen with this juice is Aiden’s bowel movement becoming more reqular and constipation becoming a non issue.  


Besides providing a lot of fiber, kale and spinach have high amount of vitamins (vitamins K, A, B, C, and E) as well as minerals (manganese, copper, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorous, and magnesium) necessary for a growing toddler.  If you’re new to juicing, give this recipe a try! 

Green Goodness (makes about 1 cup)
1 cup of spinach
1 cup of kale leaves and stems
2 celery stalks
1 medium-large Fuji apple
1. Soak kale and spinach in a cold water bath for 5 minutes.  Rinse and let them dry in a colander.  Cut the kale leaves into 1 inch pieces.
2. Wash and cut both the celery and apple into 1 inch pieces.
3. Juice the spinach and kale first.
4. Juice the apple next and celery last.
*All of the vegetables and fruit for this juice are organic.  For the freshest juice and highest level of nutrient, drink juice within 24 hours.  Otherwise refrigerate your juice in a airtight glass bottles for up to 72 hours.  Weck jars and Ball mason jars work very well.

Crack coffee

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You’re probably wondering what the heck is crack coffee?  “Cafe sua da” or Vietnamese iced coffee of course!  My friends and I call it crack coffee because it’s quite addictive.  
At our house, cafe sua da is an integral part of our morning ritual.  Both my husband and mom can’t live without it.  And one cup is never enough.  Growing up in Vietnam, I remember going to the supermarket with my mom and we couldn’t take a few steps without seeing another “quan cafe” or coffee shop.  Men congregate at the coffee shops as early as 5 A.M., getting their morning fix and enjoying a game of chess before starting their busy day.  
Although the French colonists introduced coffee to Vietnam in the mid 19th century, Vietnam has become one of the leading coffee exporters in the world.  Vietnamese are quite proud of their coffee and cafe sua da has become a quintessential drink of Vietnam.  Coffee is both a social and cultural part of Vietnamese life.  If you get a chance to travel to Vietnam, take in the cafe scene in Saigon.  It’s quite an experience.  Cafes cover every corner of the city  in the form of casual street stalls and rooftop patios to independent coffee houses.  No longer are the men dominating the cafe scene but University students, both guys and gals have integrated this into their daily ritual.  They drink coffee as a mean to catch up with friends and hang out.  
At its purest from, “cafe sua da” is made with Vietnamese dark roast coffee individually brewed with a “ca phe phin” or small metal drip filter.  At our house, we prefer Cafe Du Monde with chicory and Trung Nguyen premium blend.  The coffee slowly drips into a cup containing condensed milk, then stirred and ice added.  No sugar.  No cream.  Although most drink it with condensed milk, a small group prefers Ca Phe Chon, also known as civet coffee beans, at an outrageous price of $700 per kilogram.  Personally, I don’t prefer my coffee coming from an animal’s other end no matter how good it is.  My aunts who recently vacationed in Hanoi told me  that Hanoi people prefer their cafe sua da with a dollop of yoghurt or cafe sua chua.  We can’t wait to try this variation!  For now, we’ll share with you our recipe for cafe sua da.  Enjoy!

Cafe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee)
2 ½ to 3 tbsps Vietnamese coffee (Cafe Du Monde with chicory)
2 tbsps condensed milk to taste
½ cup of boiling water
ice
1. Pour condensed milk into a small glass.
2. Remove lid and metal screen from coffee filter.  Add coffee.  Gently twist screen back on until it stops.  Don’t push screen all the way down or it will take longer for coffee to drip, unless you prefer a strong brew.
3. Place filter over the glass and add boiling water.  Place lid back on filter.
4. Let coffee drip for 5 minutes or until all the liquid has drained from filter.  If coffee stops dripping sooner, gently loosen the filter to relieve pressure.
5. Once coffee has finished dripping, remove filter.  Mix coffee and condensed milk together with a spoon.
6. Add ice, stir, and enjoy.

My Mojito

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When Vu and I visited Puerto Rico last month, we took a rum tour at the Bacardi Distillery.  It was surprisingly not cheesy but quite enjoyable.  The tour started with a short video of the famous rum’s origin dating back to 1862 and how the company has evolved over the years. Then the guide took us to a replica of Bacardi’s first distillery in Cuba and indulged our olfactory bulbs with the various rums that the company produces.  I was amazed at the different notes that the rums carry depending on how long they had been aged and what they were infused (ie berries, apple, etc) with.  Imagine wine tasting, but with rum.  And of course, we weren’t allowed to take pictures so I don’t have anything to share with you.  

We were ushered to another room, a recreation of the original VIP bar in Cuba where the Bacardi family and their close friends frequented.  At the VIP room, a bartender demonstrated how the cuba libre (rum and coke), daiquiri, and mojito are mixed.  The tour concluded with everyone’s favorite part, or at least my and Vu’s, free cocktails at the Bacardi bar.  It was an entertaining experience and left us with a newfound appreciation for Bacardi rum, or just rum in general.   
Today, I’m recreating that awesome mojito, which has become one of my favorite cocktails.  A mojito is a Cuban highball, simply made with only 5 ingredients but so refreshing.  Don’t be surprised if you indulge in a few.  Here goes!       

Mojito (one serving) 

6 mint leaves
1 oz of lime juice (about 2 medium size limes)
1 oz of white rum or light rum
5 oz of club soda
2 tbsps sugar
Crushed ice
Extra lime wedges and mint sprigs for garnish
1. Muddle mint leaves with sugar and lime juice in a tall glass.
2. Stir in club soda and rum. 
3. Add crushed ice, and garnish with a lime wedge and mint sprig.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Spiked Passion Fruit Sparkler

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I love lazy weekends, waking up late, trying to stay underneath the warm blanket just a tad longer, and not hurrying anywhere.  Even Betsy, our maltipoo, feels the same.  Work has been hectic for both Vu and I.  We sat on our balcony, enjoying the warmth of the glorious San Diego sun.  Sorry East Coast peeps!  The heat was making our throat a bit parched so I made a spiked version of the passion fruit drink we had in Vietnam.  So simple yet refreshing!  Vu and I enjoyed our drink while reminiscing about our Vietnam trip back in 2009, wondering when we will see the motherland again.  A trip shorter than three or four weeks would not be worthwhile but we cannot afford a vacation that long. There are many regions of Vietnam that we have yet to explored.  Oh well! Until then, we have plenty of memories, pictures, and passion fruit drink.

 

 

Spiked Passion Fruit Sparkler
2 cups club soda
2/3 cup vodka (more if you like)
1 cup passion fruit pulp
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups of crushed ice
Mint for garnish
1. Combine the club soda, sugar, and passion fruit together.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Stir in the vodka.  Add ice.
3. Garnish with mint before serving.