For those of you who don't know, the chili situation in New Mexico consists of red, green, or Christmas (combo of the two). Each restaurant differs as to which kind is hotter. The few times I've been out, I've gone with Christmas, seems to be the best of both worlds for me.
Living in Montana has really raised my standards for beer and breweries. Atmosphere is really important and of course, so is good beer. The first brewery I visited was La Cumbre. It's laid back, has an eclectic group of people, and good beer. I tend to judge a brewery by their IPA and the Elevated IPA at La Cumbre definitely passed. Last Sunday I made my way downtown and visited Marble Brewing. This was the first brewery in Albuquerque. Marble has a great vibe with an outdoor stage and local food trucks scheduled daily to be parked outside. The brewery recently took first in the world Pilsner competition. My favorite beers here were their double IPA and the Marble Red. Unlike Montana, New Mexico does not have laws that put a limit on the number of pints you can drink and most stay open until 1:30 AM.
After a suggestion from a Missoula coworker, I made my way to a downtown bar called Anodyne. Anodyne is an upstairs pool hall/jungle. The space is filled with hanging plants and about 15 pool tables. The beer selection is extensive and diverse. From imported Belgians to local sours. Made me feel like I was back in Missoula.
I still have many places to check off my list before I head back north. In the meantime, I've been doing a lot of cooking of my own. It's been ages since I posted a recipe, so today I'll be giving you four, yes four. It's what I like to call: America's Birthday Dinner, Southwest Style. This dinner features: Fresh Watermelon Margaritas, Buffalo Chicken Tacos, Garden Vegetable Salad, and Flag Cheesecake. Let's begin.
Fresh Watermelon Margarita
4 cups of fresh cubed watermelon (seedless)
3-4 Limes
Silver Tequila
Triple Sec
Salt, for the rim
Puree the watermelon in a blender and add the juice of the limes. Have an additional lime for garnish if you'd like. When making margaritas, I follow the 3-2-1 rule. 3 parts mix, 2 parts tequila, 1 part triple sec. Typically I just measure with a shot glass. Salt the rim, fill it up, and garnish with a lime.
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
I don't think I even need a recipe for this one, but this is what you'll need:
Chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
small corn tortillas
purple cabbage (or some sort of leafy garnish)
cheese (I used feta)
green salsa (I love tomatillo)
avocado
Frank's Buffalo sauce
Preheat the oven to 375. Drape tortillas into the slots of the rack to make narrow taco shells. Bake 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven. Heat cooked and shredded chicken in a saucepan with the buffalo sauce. Cook until heated all of the way through. Assemble tacos as desired!
Garden Vegetable Salad
- Vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey or agave
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Salad:
- 1 1/2 cups (1 x 1/4-inch) julienne-cut zucchini
- 1 1/2 cups (1 x 1/4-inch) julienne-cut yellow squash
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
Cut up all of the vegetables, add vinaigrette and let chill. Overnight is best. I am absolutely in love with this salad. It's perfect for summer and barbecues.
The originally recipe can be found here: Garden Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Last but not least, a patriotic dessert. I know the flag cheesecake is a little cliche, but it's my first time making a flag dessert and a no-bake cheesecake. It was amazingly easy and delicious. On a side note- apparently fresh blueberries are not sold in New Mexico so blackberries had to suffice.
No-Bake Flag Cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 cups of ground graham crackers
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature.
1/4 cup sugar ( I didn't use any sugar, but add as much as you'd like)
Filling:
16 oz cream cheese (I used lactose-free)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries
Mix ground graham crackers, butter, and sugar. Press into square pan. With an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla greek yogurt until it is smooth. If you don't have flavored yogurt or you like a strong vanilla flavor, add 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Spread mixture over the graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until chilled. Top with berries in a flag, USA, or any display of red, white, and blue America theme you'd like.
There you have it. I hope you all have a great holiday weekend full of sun and all things America. You can find me rollerblading, enjoying a PBR, and watching fireworks all while avoiding a sunburn. Until next time!
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