Cherry Limeade

Cherry Limeade
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

2-liter bottle lemon-lime soda
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
One 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries, with juice I used a 16 oz. jar
Thin lime slices

 Chill all ingredients before mixing. When cold, combine the lemon-lime soda, lime juice, cherries with their juice and lime slices in a large pitcher and stir. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve with a ladle, getting cherries and limes in each serving. The original recipe calls for 1 c. sugar. I decided to leave the sugar out, but then, I like drinks and treats on the tart side.

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Cilantro Lime Quinoa
from www.sarcasticcooking.com
My friend made this quinoa to serve with Blackened Chicken and Avocado Cream Sauce. Here is the link to the full recipe.

2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock
1 Cup of Quinoa
Juice and Zest from One Lime
A Dash of Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, chopped

Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed. Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl. Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine. I always add extra cilantro ... just can't help it. And I like to stir in chopped tomatoes and avocado for a delicious and healthy one-dish lunch.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing
from Our Best Bites

1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1C mayo
1/2 C milk
1 lime, juiced
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too. You should get about 2T juice. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos + a Vegetarian Version

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
from Our Best Bites

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese
small corn or flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge. 

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing. I never have this problem when I work with flour tortillas. I have used the corn tortillas and they are much harder to roll without cracking.
 
Spread 3 T. chicken mixture on the bottom third of the tortilla and roll up tightly. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.


Vegetarian Black Bean Taquitos
from Our Best Bites
This recipe isn't on the OBB blog, so I thought I would post it even though I think most of us have the cookbook.

1 14 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T. salsa
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 T. lime juice
1 10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped
3/4 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. roasted red peppers
1 c. Monterey Jack cheese
whole wheat flour tortillas

Prepare as above! I liked these lots but my husband said, "Where's the meat?"

Chicken and Mozzarella Sandwiches on Focaccia

This is like a non-recipe more than an actual recipe. But here is what I did for the sandwiches. I have made them before with homemade bread/homemade basil aioli but the simplified version is pretty much just as good.

 

Makes 4 sandwiches.

2 rotisserie chicken breast halves (I just bought a Costco chicken)

1-2 tomatoes

About 4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella (I like to buy fresh mozz at Costco, because it is so cheap compared to most other grocery stores, and I think it is pretty good quality)

Fresh focaccia bread, cut into 4 sandwich size squares (I bought mine from Kneaders. The pieces of  focaccia they sell made 2 of the size sandwiches I made today, for reference)

Basil aioli (The link is for a more homemade sauce with fresh basil, but to simplify, all I did today was mix together some mayo and store bought pesto. Maybe 1/3 cup mayo to 3 tablespoons pesto - just until it tastes pretty good and pesto-y but not too strong)

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Balsamic vinegar

About 1 cup baby spinach leaves

Slice chicken breasts into thin slices about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Slice tomatoes into 1/4 - ½ inch thick slices. Slice mozzarella into ¼ to ½ inch thick slices. Slice focaccia down the middle width-wise so there are two slices for each piece.

On each of the focaccia slices, spread a layer of basil aioli (I usually put more on the bottom and just a thin layer on top). On bottom slices, evenly divide chicken breast slices. Evenly top with mozzarella slices, then tomato slices. Salt and pepper tomato slices to taste. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar. Top with about ¼ cup spinach leaves and then the other focaccia slices and serve.

Strawberry Limeade

I am including the recipe for just 1 serving of this from ourbestbites (because once you have the sauce made up, it is easy to just make a glass for yourself) and the recipe I used to make a big pitcher of it today. Side note: the strawberry sauce is SO good just as a dessert sauce. 

From Ourbestbites.com.

For one serving:

Sprite

1 ½ limes

3-4 tablespoons Strawberry Sauce (see recipe below)

Fill a tall glass with ice. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime over the glass. Fill the glass about half way with sprite. Add 3-4 tablespoons of strawberry sauce. Top of with more sprite or strawberry sauce. Slice remaining ½ of lime into wedges. Squeeze juice into cup, then add as a garnish.

For a big pitcher of it:

2-liter bottle of sprite

10 limes

1 recipe Strawberry Sauce (see recipe below)

In a pitcher, add the strawberry sauce and the juice of 8 limes. Cut remaining 2 limes into wedges, squeeze juice into pitcher, then add juiced wedges to the mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just before serving, add about ¾ of a bottle of  Sprite, or more to taste. Serve over ice.

Strawberry Sauce:

1 pint strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Wash strawberries and remove stems and halve. Combine berries, sugar, and extract in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up strawberries as they soften.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough, transfer to a blender and puree.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread

A late response Liz, but here is a homemade bread recipe I make a lot and really enjoy. I always sub half the bread flour for white whole wheat flour though to make it more of a wheat bread (I need to just change the recipe, but I always forget to). It is pretty light in texture and is really good as toast or fresh. I always err on the side of a tackier dough with this recipe and try not to add too much flour, because the oats will absorb some of the moisture. 

I am like you, I am trying to find a good, not too dense recipe for a traditional honey wheat bread. I have tried some recipes that are pretty good, but if I find a great one, I will let you know!  

Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread

1 teaspoon sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

3 tablespoons warm water (about 110 degrees F)

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons honey

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 ½ - 3 cups bread flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Olive oil

Proof the yeast by mixing water, sugar, and yeast together in a small bowl. Set aside and let sit for at least ten minutes, until foamy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together buttermilk, oats, melted butter, salt, honey, 1 cup of flour, and baking soda. Mix until well combined.

Mix in another ½ cup of flour, then add the yeast mixture. Mix, add another ½ cup flour, then mix well to combine.

Mix in another ½ cup of flour.  If dough looks really wet and sticky, add a little more flour, just a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough comes together. It should be a little tacky, but not too sticky. Let knead in the mixer for about 10 minutes on low, until soft and smooth.

Let dough rest for a few minutes. Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil. Gently form the dough into a ball, place in bowl, and turn to evenly coat with oil. Cover lightly with a tea towel. Let rise until doubled, about an hour to an hour and a half.

Once doubled, punch down gently, knead a few times. Lightly oil a standard size loaf pan. Form the dough into a loaf, and add to pan. Let rise again until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the over to 350 degrees F. Brush the top of the loaf with olive oil. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when bottom is gently tapped.

Allow bread to cool on a rack before slicing.

Homemade Hummus

I know I am incredibly late in posting this recipe from February's LC4L. Thompson and I have been fighting a nasty cold-turned-sinus infections, but are trying to catch back up on life now that we are both getting better.

This recipe makes TONS of hummus, so unless you eat this stuff like crazy, I would half it. Also, I have always just used dried garbanzo beans, because I have heard they taste better for hummus (and they are cheaper), but the recipe would be simplified a lot if cut out the soaking/boiling beans part, so I think I will try canned beans next time. I would probably use 3-3.5 cups canned beans to the 1.5 cups dried. If any of you try it with canned beans, let me know if it is still delicious!

Homemade Hummus

From Paula Wolfert, via The Wednesday Chef.

Makes about 4 cups of hummus.

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

2 small cloves garlic, peeled

¾ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

½ cup fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

½ cup water

Paprika

Olive oil

Rinse the soaked chickpeas well and drain. Place in a saucepan and cover with plenty of fresh water. Bring to a boil, skim off foam, and cover and cook over medium heat for about 1 ½ hours, until the chickpeas are very soft, adding more water if necessary. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the cooking liquid.

Crush the garlic and ½ teaspoon salt together. Add to the bowl of a food processor, along with tahini lemon juice. Process until mixture has lightened in color and has become quite thick and contracted.

Add ½ cup of water and process until completely smooth.  Add chickpeas and process until well blended and smooth. Thin to desired consistency with reserved chickpea liquid. Adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice to desired taste. Serve, drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with paprika. 

Asparagus Tart

 

 

Serves 4-6.

From Not Without Salt.

1 bunch fresh asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sheet puff pastry (½ of a 17-oz package)

¼ cup Mascarpone cheese

¼ cup heavy cream or half and half

1 large clove garlic, minced

½ cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Freshly shaved Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Roll the puff out slightly to form a rectangle about 8X12 inches. Transfer onto baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine the Mascarpone, cream, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Remove woody parts of asparagus by snapping off ends. Toss asparagus with olive oil.

Remove puff pastry from fridge and top with Mascarpone mixture, leaving about a 1-inch border around the entire tart.  Lay the asparagus single file, side-by-side, on top of the Mascarpone. Sprinkle with a fine sea salt and put in the oven. After about 15-20 minutes, check on the tart, rotate, and turn down the temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for another 15-25 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown on edges. Top with toasted walnuts and fresh shaved Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Arugula, Pear, & Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6.

Adapted from Food52.com

Vinaigrette:

1 shallot, minced

1-3 tablespoon pomegranate molasses *(see note below)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

*I made my own pomegranate molasses, using this recipe. Actually, I made my own cranberry-pomegranate molasses, because I accidently grabbed that instead of straight up pomegranate juice. When I made the dressing, I had to add more of the molasses than the original recipe called for to get the right amount of flavor (closer to 3 tablespoons), but store bought pomegranate molasses may be stronger.

Salad:

4 cups arugula, lightly packed

4 cups romaine, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 ripe pears, cored thinly sliced

1/3 cup dried cranberries (the original recipe calls for pomegranate seeds, which would be delicious, but I just used what I had)

1/3 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped

1/3 cup fresh goat cheese

In a small bowl, combine the shallot, pomegranate molasses, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, and whisk until combined. Whisk in olive oil until well combined.

In a large bowl, combine arugula, romaine pears, cranberries, pistachios, and goat cheese, reserving some of the goat cheese, cranberries, and pistachios for the top of the salad. Gently toss to combine.

Drizzle about ¾ of the prepared vinaigrette over the salad. Gently toss. If salad looks dry, add more vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking. Sprinkle with reserved goat cheese, cranberries, and pistachios and serve.

Caramel Apple Cider

From our best bites. 

½ gallon apple cider (8 cups)

½ cups orange juice, freshly squeezed (from about 3 large oranges)

1 orange

8 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

¼ teaspoons ground allspice

1/3 to ½  cup jarred caramel sauce, plus more for topping

Whipped cream

Pour cider into a large pot on the stove.  Set heat to medium-high. Add orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and allspice.

Thoroughly wash your orange and gently stab the whole cloves into it (you can use a toothpick to poke a little hole first and then insert the cloves to make it easier).

Add orange to the pot. Bring cider mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer on low for at least 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, remove orange so it doesn’t split open. Before serving, mix in 1/3 cup caramel sauce and stir to combine. Add more to taste if desired.

Ladle cider into mugs, top with whipped cream, and drizzle with caramel. 

Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream and Pumpkin Seeds

This recipe makes A LOT of soup. I usually make the full recipe and freeze part of it, but you could definitely halve it if you just want one meal + some leftovers. The original recipe also has 1/2 teaspoon more dried thyme, but I add less because I don't love a strong dried herb taste. 

Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream and Pumpkin Seeds

Adapted from Bon Appétit.

Serves 10.

5 tablespoons butter

2 ½ lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)

2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)

½ cup chopped peeled carrot

½ cup chopped celery

2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves

5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

1 ½ cups apple cider

2/3 cup sour cream

½ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pumpkin seeds

Melt butter in large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add squash, leeks, carrot, and celery. Sauté until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, thyme, and sage. Add stock and 1 cup of cider; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Puree soup in blender in batches or with an immersion blender. Return soup back to pan, and bring to a simmer.

In a small saucepan, boil remaining ½ cup cider until reduced by half, about five minutes. Cool. Whisk cooled cider with sour cream in a small bowl. Set aside.

When soup comes to a simmer, turn heat to low. Mix in whipping cream. Keep on the heat a few minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with cider cream and pumpkin seeds. 

Fishy Fishy.

Here is the recipe for the fish crackers I had. I have also done them as squares, which is a little faster, because there is nothing to cut out, but Thompson seems to have an easier time eating the fishes. The recipe says that poking the eyes help keep the cracker from puffing too much, so that is why I did it, and when I do the squares, I poke a hole in the center. After making these a handful of times though, I am not convinced they puff up enough to need to poke the holes in them. Also, I have done all whole wheat flour before and they are still really good, so I think any mix of flours would work. An example of how to make your own goldfish mold can be found here.

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

From smittenkitchen.

6 ounces (about 1 ½ cups coarsely grated) sharp cheddar

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, running the machine until the dough forms a ball, about 2 or 3 minutes.

If the dough is soft, wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about an 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into small squares or cut out goldfish. Transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving a little space between them. Bake on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes, or until they are barely browned at the edges. Remove from oven and let cool. 

Roasted Fennel and White Bean Dip

Adapted from Food52.com.

2 small to medium sized fennel bulbs (mine were maybe baseball size), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, still in their papery shells

Salt and pepper

½ cup olive oil, divided

2 ½ cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (either from dried or from a can works)

1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 teaspoon lemon zest

¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

Crostini, pita chips, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the fennel and garlic cloves in olive oil to lightly coat. Evenly spread on a sheet pan. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for about 35-45 minutes, turning a few times during cooking, until fennel is beginning to caramelize and garlic is a golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, squeeze roasted garlic out and discard skins.

While the fennel is roasting or cooling, begin the bean puree. In a medium frying pan, heat ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add rosemary and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add cannellini beans and cook for another 1 minute. Remove from heat.

In a food processor, combine the garlic bean mixture, roasted garlic and fennel, lemon juice, zest, and ½ of the cheese. Process until well combined. Slowly add remaining ¼ cup of olive oil to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency (may need more or less of the ¼ cup). 

Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. Transfer puree into a small baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until the top is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve with crostini, pita chips, or whatever you want to use for dipping.

*This is an easy dish to make ahead of time, if you make the puree beforehand and then bake to melt/brown the cheese at the last minute.

Apple, Pepita, and Queso Fresco Salad with Roasted Poblano Dressing

Dressing from Bobbly Flay.

Salad inspired by Tiburon Restaurant.

1 small container mixed greens (I used a spinach and baby greens mix)

Roasted Poblano Dressing, recipe below

1-2 gala apples*, julienned

¼ - ½ cup toasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

¼ - ½ cup Queso Fresco cheese (could also Cotija or Feta)

In a large bowl, lightly dress mixed greens with roasted poblano dressing (you won’t need the full recipe of dressing). Add apples, pepitas, and cheese; mix in gently. Start with 1 apple, ¼ cup pepitas, and ¼ cheese; add more if needed to get a good ratio. Transer to a serving dish and top with additional apples, pepitas, and cheese, if desired.

*To keep apples from browning, you can soak in sprite or 7-up for about 10-20 minutes, drain, and pat dry before using. They will stay fresh for quite a long time!

Roasted Poblano Dressing

2 poblano chiles (sometimes labeled pasilla chiles in the store)

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon honey

¼ cup canola oil (may need more to thin dressing)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

To roast the peppers: preheat oven to broil. Place peppers on a small baking sheet in the oven. Roast until skin bubbles up and turns brownish-black in spots. Flip and repeat on the other side. This will take about 5 minutes per side, but depends on the heat of your broiler. After both sides are charred, remove from oven and place in a bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let steam. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin, stem, and seeds. Roughly chop.

Add roasted peppers and remaining ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.  If too thick, thin with a little extra canola oil. 

Brazilian Lemonade

Brazilian Lemonade
*from Our Best Bites*

5 fresh, juicy limes
6 c. cold water
1 c. sugar
6 T. sweetened condensed milk
ice, for serving

Choose limes that are round and thin-skinned (insofar as you can tell) and wash them well with soap.  Set aside one lime to slice as garnish.  With the remaining four limes, cut them in half, in quarters, and then in eighths.  In a large measuring cup, combine cold water and sugar, stirring to dissolve.  Place half of the sugar-water and half of the limes in a blender and blend for 5-10 seconds.  Placing a fine mesh strainer over a pitcher, pour lemonade into pitcher, pressing the strainer gently with a spoon to extract any additional flavors and juices.  Repeat with remaining sugar-water and limes.  Add sweetened condensed milk and stir gently to combine.  Slice remaining lime as garnish for six ice-filled glasses.  Pour lemonade into prepared glasses and serve immediately, as the mixture will not keep.

*I don't know why it is called lemonade when it is clearly limeade.  But whatever.  It tastes awesome.

French Peasant Bread

French Peasant Bread
*from the kitchen of Mindy Gilkey*

2 c. warm water
1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar
2 t. salt
4 c. flour (I used high gluten bread flour)
oil
cornmeal
butter

Place water, yeast, sugar, and salt in a warm bowl and stir to dissolve.  Add 4 c. flour and stir until blended. (I suppose you could use your Bosch or KitchenAid, but I stirred the flour in by hand and it wasn't difficult.)  Do not knead.  Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled.  Flour hands, remove dough, and place in two rounds on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal and flour.  Cover and let rise an additional 45 minutes, or until doubled.  Bake at 435 for 10 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 375 and cook an additional 20 minutes.  Brush with butter and serve warm.

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Avocado Salad

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Avocado Salad
*from the kitchen of Mindy Gilkey*

1-2 fresh tomatoes, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
fresh mozzarella, sliced
fresh basil, chopped
2 T. basalmic vinegar
1 t. garlic, minced
1 t. olive oil
1/4 t. salt
1/4  t. dried basil
1/4 t. dried oregano

Layer tomatoes, avocado, and mozzarella in a dish.  Top with fresh basil.  Combine vinegar, garlic, olive oil, salt, and dried spices in a smal bowl and drizzle over the top of the salad.  Serve immediately.

Pesto

Pesto
*from the kitchen of Ina Garten*

1/4 c. walnuts
1/4 c. pine nuts
9 cloves garlic
5 c. basil
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 1/2 c. olive oil
1 c. Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender except oil.  Add oil in a steady stream as you process everything to bring together.  According to the Barefoot Contessa, "air is the enemy of pesto," so the best way to preserve it is to add a layer of olive oil on top and freeze it.  FWIW.

Raspberry Lemonade

From My Baking Addition.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

¾ cup raspberries

1 cup fresh lemon juice (around 8 lemons)

4-6 cups cold water

Lemon slices, whole raspberries, torn mint leaves (optional)

Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and mixture begins to bubble slightly. Remove from heat and let cool.

Puree ¾ cup raspberries in a blender or food processor until smooth (you can add a little water, about ¼ cup, to help the process). Push the puree through a fine mesh strainer to separate out the seeds. Discard the seeds, and reserve the puree.

Once the simple syrup has cooled, combine the raspberry puree, simple syrup, and lemon juice in a large pitcher. Add about 4-6 cups cold water (or more if needed) until desired concentration of sweetness/tartness in met. Add in lemon slices, whole raspberries, and torn mint leaves, if using, for garnish.