Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Summer Sangria

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A party is not complete without booze. I still remember the drink I prepared for my first house warming party was a Bellini,  prepared with peach puree and champagne. I was not totally into cooking then but still managed to wow my guests with curry chicken and beef rendang prepared with Prima pre-mixed paste.... it wasn't difficult because most of my friends and colleagues do not cook so any sort of reasonably decent culinary effort was sufficient to impress. As the years went by and as I started to dig deeper into recipes, premixes started to feel like a cheating easy way out... the party dinner preparations became more frentic and tedious as I insisted on making everything from scratch. Drinks took a backseat over the last few years. Most of the time, we would just open up bottles of wine as we ate. This year, in addition to the 6 dishes I prepared, I decided to make 2 drinks to go with them. The non-alcoholic drink is a Lemon Grass/ Pandan drink that is exotic and refreshing. For the booze, I settled on this Summer Sangria taken from an old issue of Donna Hay magazine.

A spin on the traditional sangria, this tastes lighter and fresher. Prepared with a dry white wine and perked up with a splash of homemade lemonade, summery stone fruits and cooling mint, this bright and cheery concoction evokes memories of balmy beaches.... perfect for putting everyone at the party in a happy mood.

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Sangria3(250)
Summer Sangria
Recipe :

Combine 1x750ml bottle dry white wine, 60ml Contreau, 250ml of lemonade in a pitcher or jug. Add sliced lemons and limes, nectarines, strawberries and mint leaves and stir to combine.
Add crushed ice to serve.

Note: an aromatic white wine such as riesling or sauvignon blanc would be great for this sangria.

17 comments:

  1. I am not a fan of pre-mixed paste and prefer to cook from scratch but they do become handy when you are crunch for time. I like the light pink color of the sangria instead of the usual red color. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wishing you and Happy and Properous 2012!!

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  2. Very pretty Shirley..earlier the photos would not appear..and Now..yay..:)

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  3. Such a pretty and delightful drink!
    Shirley, I wish you Happy New Year 2012 with lots of hope, joy and happiness!
    Angie

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  4. Awww, I wish it was summer here, now. This looks so delicious and refreshing.
    The photos are just lovely, by the way. Love the soft brightness of them.

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  5. I love Sangria. This really does look lighter and refreshing.

    Sending you Best Wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year

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  6. Very refreshing and fresh :-). Me gusta, I like it.

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  7. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. Will you be posting the Lemongrass/Pandan recipe? Would love to make this drink for my nieces and nephew.

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  8. @Anonymous: Ok. I can try to post it. It is really a very easy drink to make. Thank you for stopping by.

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  9. the drink has a beautiful color! So pale and pure!

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  10. Looks like a very delicious and festive drink!

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  11. That looks SO good!

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  12. Shirley, 我和姐姐Jane都是你的忠实的follower叻!虽然没有每次留言给你,但是你的每一个贴子我都留意。很喜欢你的blog。

    在这里也祝你和家人新年快乐!

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  13. i've been resorting to hot chocolates spiked with baileys these few days because of the rain, but i'm definitely gonna whip this sangria out on one of the hot sunny mornings that should be arriving come chinese new year ;p

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  14. I related to this post when we entertain.

    Luckily for me, Vijay makes the drinks - booze, non-booze and what-nots - while I take care of the food. On top of that we open bottles of wine. After which depending on the time of day we also make coffee before the two of us face the mayhem of doing the dishes.

    Happy New Year Shirley!

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  15. what a great drink to usher in the new year... happy 2012!!

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  16. beautiful drink,,i dont have almost all the ingredients, just come to drink yours..hehehe..

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