Recipes

Watermelon Rum Punch

Watermelon Rum Punch

Ponche de Sandia y Ron
Summer picnics or backyard fiestas require something special to drink, like this watermelon punch, which is served right from the hollowed-out watermelon. You can offer sparkling water, to those who want to add a splash to the punch just before drinking. Put a bucket of ice next to the punch for self-service.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes about 12 to 16 servings

Instructions

  • Prepare the simple syrup and reserve amount needed.
  • Store the rest in the refrigerator.
  • Cut off the top third of the watermelon lengthwise.
  • Scoop out all of the melon flesh, in chunks, from both pieces.
  • Remove the seeds and discard the seeds and the top third of the shell.
  • Put the melon flesh in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth.
  • With a large knife, cut off a thin strip of the larger hollow shell bottom so that shell will sit flat.
  • Then, with a sharp knife, make short zig-zag cuts around the top edge of the shell to make an attractive rim.
  • Reserve.
  • Pour the watermelon purée into a large glass container.
  • Add the pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, rum, and syrup.
  • Mix well, cover, and refrigerate until cold.
  • Refrigerate the carved shell, too, if you have refrigerator space.
  • Shortly before serving, pour the punch into the carved watermelon shell.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve in punch glasses.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Alcohol / Cocktails
Cuisine; Mexican

Christmas Wine Punch

Christmas Wine Punch

Ponche Navideño
Patricia Quintana of Mexico City, a cookbook author, instructor, and authority on Mexican cuisine, shared her recipe with me for Ponche Navideño. This is my simplified version of her festive punch.The punch is served during the Christmas holidays and after Posadas (the re-enactment of Mary, with the infant Jesus, looking for shelter). My husband, Bill, and I joined one such Posada procession one evening in Oaxaca. We were given lighted candles to carry, and at the end of the walk the procession returned to a small plaza for Ponche Navideño and sweet fried pastries called Bunuelos.Mexican cinnamon (canela) sticks are available in cellophane packages in Mexican markets and the Mexican section of many supermarkets.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 10 to 12 servings

  • 4 quarts water
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 cup pitted dried prunes halved
  • 1 cup dried apricot halves
  • 2 medium apples cored and diced (about ½ inch)
  • 1 small orange pierced with 5 whole cloves
  • ¾ cup raisins
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar or to taste
  • 2 cinnamon sticks Mexican canela or Ceylon variety preferred
  • ½ teaspoon whole allspice berries

Instructions

  • Put all of the ingredients in a large stainless steel pot and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, 45 minutes.
  • Discard the orange and cinnamon sticks.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve the punch hot with a bit of the fruit in each cup.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Alcohol / Cocktails
Cuisine; Mexican

White Wine Punch

White Wine Punch

Sangria Blanca
White sangria is a very nice change from the usual red wine punch. It is especially appropriate for a special and festive luncheon. White sangria goes well with chicken or fish, or is good for sipping on a hot afternoon. In Mexico, chenin blanc or a blended vino blanco (white wine) from the states of Baja California, Coahuila, Aguascalientes, or other growing regions would be used for the sangria. This is my version of white sangria that I sometimes make for cooking classes.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

Instructions

  • In a large pitcher, mix the wine, orange liqueur, orange juice, sugar, orange, lime and lemon slices.
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to about 6 hours.
  • Shortly before serving, add the club soda.
  • Pour the sangria over ice cubes into 6 stemmed glasses.
  • Put a cluster of grapes over the rim of each glass and add a sprig of mint.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve at once.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Alcohol / Cocktails
Cuisine; Mexican

Guadalajara Red Wine Punch

Guadalajara Red Wine Punch

Sangria de Guadalajara
Sangria, the refreshing red wine punch, is as popular in Mexico as in Spain, where it originated. This version was served at El Tapatio, a resort hotel outside Guadalajara. The ingredients are simplicity itself, and the two-color, layered effect is eye-catching. The idea is to pour the limeade first, directly into the glasses, over ice cubes, and float the wine on top. The drinker can stir the drink together or not, as desired. This is a great punch to serve with grilled steak or other red meats.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes about 6 servings

  • 1 12-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
  • Ice cubes
  • 1 750 ml bottle dry red wine

Instructions

  • Pour the limeade concentrate into a glass pitcher, and dilute with water as directed.
  • Stir well.
  • Put 3 ice cubes in the bottom of each of 6 (8-ounce) wine glasses.
  • Pour limeade over the ice cubes, halfway to the top in each glass.
  • Slowly pour the red wine directly onto the ice cubes to within 1 inch of the glass rim.
  • Add a stirrer to each glass, if desired.
  • (The wine usually floats at the top of the glasses until stirred in.
  • )

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve at once.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Alcohol / Cocktails
Cuisine; Mexican

Red Wine Punch

Red Wine Punch

Sangria Rojo Here’s one of the many ways to make sangria, the well-known red wine punch with Spanish roots that’s also made all over Mexico—at home and in restaurants. Most of the wine vineyards are located in northern Mexico in the states of Baja California, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and Aguascalientes. Mexican red wines suitable for sangria include zinfandel, pinot noir, and blended red wines called vinos tintos. There is no need to use a very expensive wine for sangria since the fruits mask much of the flavor. There are many ways to mix fruit and wine to make sangria, but using citrus fruits and juices is pretty classic. Sliced apples, pears, or peaches are also sometimes used in sangria.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Instructions

  • In a large glass container, stir together the wine, orange juice, lime juice, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Add the soda, orange, and lime slices.
  • If time allows, let the sangria sit about 1 hour to blend the flavors.
  • Pour into glasses over ice cubes.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Alcohol / Cocktails
Cuisine; Mexican

Sparkling Limeade

Sparkling Limeade

Limónada
Nothing is quite as welcome as an ice cold glass of tangy, refreshing juice on a hot afternoon. Limes are the source of one of the best-loved and most common Mexican refreshers and the small Key lime (sometimes called Mexican limes) is the one used in Mexico.To squeeze the juice, hand-held small lime squeezers are in every kitchen and sold in every market in Mexico. The hinged handles have cup-shaped depressions to hold cut limes. Close the handles, press firmly and the juice is extracted, leaving the seeds behind and the skins inverted. Simple and amazing! There are also larger sizes for oranges and grapefruit. The squeezers are available in some Mexican markets in the United States, and a new colorful enameled model is even sold in cookware shops here and in Mexico. You can also use a reamer or other juicer, if you prefer.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

  • 6 large limes
  • 1 quart soda water
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar or to taste

Instructions

  • Squeeze the juice from 5 of the limes.
  • Put the juice into a glass pitcher.
  • Cut the remaining lime into very thin slices and add to the pitcher.
  • Pour soda water over.
  • Sweeten with sugar.
  • Serve in tall glasses with ice cubes.
  • Note: If using the smaller Key limes, squeeze 11 limes, and slice an additional lime for the pitcher.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Cold Drinks
Cuisine; Mexican

Citrus-Mint Ice Tea Punch

Citrus-Mint Ice Tea Punch

Ponche de Tea con Naranja y Limón
This quick and tasty iced tea punch with the added flavors of orange and lime juices is equally good with a meal or as an afternoon refreshment.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Instructions

  • Pour the water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
  • Turn off the heat and add the tea bags, 4 sprigs of the mint, and sugar.
  • Stir to dissolve the sugar and let steep 8 minutes.
  • Cool to lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
  • Strain the orange and lime juice through a fine wire strainer into a pitcher.
  • Remove the mint sprigs from the tea and pour the tea into the pitcher with the juices.
  • Taste for sweetness.
  • Put about 6 ice cubes in each of 4 tall glasses and fill each glass with punch.
  • Garnish with the remaining mint sprigs.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve cold.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Cold Drinks / Fruit
Cuisine; Mexican

Easy Pineapple Punch

Easy Pineapple Punch

Ponche de Piña
This is a convenient way to make a refreshing non-alcoholic punch for any occasion. Frozen pineapple juice takes out the work of preparing, peeling, and blending fresh pineapple, when in this case, frozen juice works very well. For the punch, dilute a 12-ounce container of frozen pineapple juice with only 2 cans of water, not 3 cans as directed on the container.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Small saucepan

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, simmer the sugar, water, cinnamon sticks and cloves about 10 minutes.
  • Cool to room temperature.
  • Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves.
  • Pour liquid into a large pitcher.
  • Stir in the pineapple and the orange juices.
  • Add the lime slices.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve cold with ice cubes.
 
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Cold Drinks / Fruit
Cuisine; Mexican

Pomegranate Cooler

Pomegranate Cooler

Fresca de Granada
This drink spotlights the glorious color of the jewel-like seeds of the pomegranate. When pomegranates are abundant in the fall, surprise your family and friends with this refreshing thirst-quencher.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Instructions

  • Cut open the pomegranates and break the fruit into sections.
  • In the sink, in a bowl of cold water, pick out the small red seeds.
  • Discard the thin white membrane between the sections.
  • Put the seeds in a blender or food processor.
  • Blend on low speed, or pulse to a coarse purée.
  • Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl to catch the juices.
  • Discard the seeds.
  • Add the orange juice and water.
  • Sweeten to taste with sugar.
  • Pour into a jar, cover and refrigerate until cold.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve over ice.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Cold Drinks / Fruit
Cuisine; Mexican

Tamarind Cooler

Tamarind Cooler

Fresca de Tamarindo
Dry, brown-colored tamarind pods are steeped in hot water for this distinctive tart-sweet beverage. The pods are found in Latin-American markets. Tamarind is also a popular flavoring for Mexican hard candy, and the hot drink made with tamarind paste (Tamarind Masa Drink).
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 1½ cups about 8 ounces tamarind pods
  • 3 cups water
  • â…“ cup sugar

Instructions

  • Break off and discard most of the outer bark of the tamarind pods.
  • Rinse the pods and cut into small pieces.
  • Put the pods in a medium saucepan and add the water.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and cool.
  • Cover and refrigerate the mixture about 6 hours or overnight.
  • Pour the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or glass jar.
  • Discard the tamarind.
  • Add the sugar, and stir until dissolved.

Notes & Wine Advice

Pour into glasses, over ice, and serve.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Cold Drinks / Fruit
Cuisine; Mexican