{Cuisine} A Barbeque Wedding Feast with a South of the Border Taste

One of the best things about summer and fall weddings is the amazing variety of food options -- veggies, salads, sweets, fresh fresh fresh! Aside from the usual, formal fare, couples are now choosing low key picnic and barbeque style wedding receptions and for budget conscious celebrations, backyard, homestyle buffets fit the bill perfectly.  Even though it is getting a little nippy in some parts of the country, a gorgeous afternoon in a local park makes for some good eating time!

In honor of one of our favorite wedding cultures, here are some drool worthy Mexican inspired recipes, perfect for infusing your wedding with a little culture. Add these fresh dishes for a truly authentic and yummy good time. So get out the grill and get it! DELISH!!

Grilled Corn with Mexican Cheese and Lime - My favorite, so irresistible!!

hands-on time: 15 minutes

total time: 15 minutes

serves: 8

8 ears of corn shucked

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher salt

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese) or feta will do in a pinch

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 limes, cut into wedges

• Heat grill to medium-high. Brush corn with oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. 
• Grill, turning often until tender and charred.
• Sprinkle the corn with cheese and cayenne pepper.
• Squeeze lime wedges over the ears.

You can also go unshucked, which makes for a visually interesting dish. Here is an easy recipe. 

Grilling Ancho-Rubbed Pork with Smoky Tomato Salsa

hands-on time: 15 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

serves 8

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon ground ancho chili pepper or regular chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

4 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

3 pork tenderloins (about 3 1/2 pounds total) 

2 pints grape tomatoes

6 cloves garlic sliced

2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced

16 8-inch flour tortillas

• Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chili pepper, cumin, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Rub the mixture over the pork.
• Divide the tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeno peppers evenly between two large pieces of heavy duty foil. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold and seal to form two pouches.
• Divide the tortillas between 2 pieces of heavy-duty foil and wrap.
• Grill the pork, turning occasionally for about 18-22 minutes at 145 degrees F. Let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing. 
• Meanwhile, grill the tomato pouches for 10 minutes, shaking occasionally; transfer contents to a bowl. Grill the foil wrapped tortillas for 3-5 minutes, turning once. 
• Serve the pork with the warm tomato salsa and tortillas.

Tangy Red Cabbage Slaw

hands-on time: 15 minutes

total time: 1 hour

serves 8

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 medium red cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and shredded

2 large carrots (about 1/2 pound), grated

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• In a large bowl, whisk together the orange and lime juices, oil, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Add the cabbage and carrots and toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for at least 45 minutes. Fold in cilantro before serving.

Each of these recipes serves 8, so it should increased based on the number of wedding guests. Recipe and Photo Credits: Real Simple

For the full south of the border experience, serve Margaritas as your signature drink. Better yet, set up a 'Rita bar and let your guests choose their own flavor.  Finish up the night with a delicious and easy dessert of vanilla ice cream and cinnamon crisps - perfect ending for a perfect day.

We are having quite a heat spell where I am in CA -- it had been up to 90 in September! Hope you enjoy these recipes and find a way to incorporate them into your wedding menu. Food is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to celebrate culture and there are so many options! 

Go with the YUMMY!

 

Summertime Wedding Signature Drinks, Oh So Refreshing!

As we prepare for the high nuptial season, nothing says summertime wedding like a Signature Drink, which is also a great way to add a little personality and even culture to your reception. Choose something fun, festive (think mini umbrellas and a pretty garnish) and relatively easy to prepare. It can star your favorite liquor, match your color scheme, or just sound delicious.

Thanks to our Facebook Fan Sonia for the reminder that these personalized libations are a must have accessory this season. We would be honored if you would become our Facebook Fan too! Just click the LIKE button.

Here are our top ideas for signature drinks that are refreshing as well as cultural.

Sangria - Spain, Latin America
Sangria is the classic Spanish accompaniment to summertime meals and an excellent choice for a hot summertime wedding.  I actually had Sangria at my wedding made by my husband on our wedding day. It was rather warm and the sweet wine, fresh fruit and cold ice were a refreshing and delicious way to cool off.

Photo Credit: Andrea's Recipes

Sangria is relatively easy to make, wine, fruit and a spritzer, although a bit time consuming. Sangria style is up to your taste, traditional with red wine or Sangria Blanco made with white wine. Any combination of fruit will work, peachs, pineapple, oranges, apples and even strawberries. The great thing about Sangria is you sort of throw it all together, pour over ice and enjoy. Here's a great recipe to get you started but creating your own  as you go along makes this your very own wedding drink.

Caipirinha - Brazil
This is a great drink to help get the dance party started, especially if the DJ is spinning some Samba! The caipirinha is a national cocktail of Brazil, and is enjoyed in restaurants, bars, and many households throughout the country. Once almost unknown outside Brazil, the drink has become more popular and more widely available in recent years, in large part due to the rising availability of first-rate brands of cachaça, Brazil’s national liquor similar to rum. A Caipirinha is fairly easy to make and only requires a few ingredients: limes, Cachaca or rum, superfine sugar and crushed ice. Here is a great step by step Caipirinha recipe.

Photo Credit: Qualidade de Vida

Mojito - Cuba
Cuba is the birthplace of the Mojito, although the exact origin of this classic cocktail is the subject of debate. Cuba's answer to the mint julep, this drink is perfect for a hot summertime wedding. Mojitos have been around since at least the mid-1800s. Traditionally made of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime, sparkling water and mint. Its combination of sweetness, refreshing citrus and mint flavors are intended to complement the potent kick of the rum. Try this mojito recipe.

Photo Credit: LaaLoosh

Some historians contend that African slaves who worked in the Cuban sugar cane fields during the 19th century were instrumental in the cocktail's origin. Guarapo, the sugar cane juice often used in Mojitos, was a popular drink amongst the slaves who helped coin the name of the sweet nectar. There are several theories behind the origin of the name Mojito; one such theory holds that name relates to mojo, a Cuban seasoning made from lime and used to flavour dishes. Another theory is that the name Mojito is simply a derivative of mojadito, Spanish for "a little wet", or simply the diminutive of "mojado"
(Credit: Wikipedia)

Rum Punch - Caribbean
Depending on whom you believe, planter's punch was either created by the wife of a Jamaican plantation owner, or at the Planter Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Regardless, this fruity punch has become a popular beverage to serve to guests throughout the Caribbean. Recipes vary widely, but they all contain rum, lime juice and a sweetener or other fruit juices. Found on most major Caribbean islands, this punch is refreshing and fruity without being too heavy on the alcohol. Easy to follow punch recipe.

Photo Credit: Examiner

Signature drinks are just that, YOUR signature! Name them, mix them, have a great time with trial runs....there is no right or wrong. The only requirement: Refreshing and Delicious. 

Go with the good stuff!