It’s cocktail o’clock here at tuja! Souped-up sips and healthy(er) libations are in your near future as Kris Osborne shows you how to make cocktails that are both good and good for you.
If you live in Canada, you know that tomato season is upon us, and these red, yellow, orange, green, and purple globes are fresh, juicy, and ripe for the picking. This glorious season only comes but once a year, so why hold back?!
In addition to their sweet, yet slightly acidic flavour profile—a perfect pairing with basil, avocado, burrata, and sourdough bread, just to name a few—these delicious beauties have a notable number of antioxidants. Because of their nutritional prowess, regular consumption of tomatoes is associated with decreased risk of chronic degenerative disease, reduction in oxidative stress, and supporting your heart like a boss.
You heard it here: Tomatoes are off the charts good for you! Because a person can only eat so many tomato salads, pasta tosses, tarts, and toasts, we’ve taken the liberty of flipping your green juice habit on its head.
We’ve seasoned our red juice with other farmers’ market gems that also flow freely this time of year (onion, garlic, and celery), but amped up the flavor and gave it some kick with horseradish, hot sauce, and a few other clever add-ins.
This is the juice that drinks like a meal. It’s super tasty on its own, so if you want to stop there, by all means. But it’s Friday, so we thought that this pepperoncini pepper infused vodka would cap off the week nicely (and add a little spice to your life).
Olé!
Red Juice (makes 2 servings)
2lb field tomatoes, about 4 large*
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp celery leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp hot sauce, or to taste (We like this one.)
2 tsp horseradish
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, vegan if you prefer
2 tsp pepperoncini pepper brine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Pepperoncini Pepper Infused Vodka
1 part pepperoncini pepper brine
2 parts good quality vodka
Optional:
Rim it with lime juice and celery salt.
Garnish with celery sticks (the sweeter inner hearts), heirloom cherry or grape tomatoes, a pepperoncini pepper, and a wedge of lime.
**Any variety of tomatoes will work, but the flavor profile will change, so you may have to adjust the seasonings below and add in a pinch of sweetener.
Blend the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and celery together until completely smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and return the juice back to the clean blender. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until fully incorporated and smooth. Place in the fridge to chill for several hours.
To make the cocktail, rim a collins glass with a lime juice and celery salt then fill it with ice. Pour 1 ounce of pepperoncini pepper-infused vodka into the glass and fill with tomato juice. Stir to combine, and garnish with any/all of the above options, if you like.
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Born into the family-owned restaurant business, Kris Osborne was destined to love food and learned to cook as a little wee one. When she’s not creating goodness in the kitchen or over at her blog, she can be found studying naturopathic medicine and attending culinary school, getting her fitness on in a group exercise class, or snuggling with her adorable cat.