So this weekend is hot! Actually it is the hottest weekend we have had so far this year. And obviously when it is hot it is hard to motivate yourself to want to turn on the oven, slave over a hot stove and heat up the house even more. So when my bestie and I decided to make dinner last night we had to think of something light, refreshing and that did not require a lot of stove time.


Of course the first thing I thought of was....hmmm cocktails. I had recently read a recipe in Sunset magazine for Basil Mojitos and I thought they just sounded like a slice of heaven. As many of you know, last weekend I tried to make Mint Juleps. I just loved the tradition behind them, they sounded so refreshing and festive and I hated them. They were just too sweet, I didn't like the taste of bourbon and the mint was too over powering. So in a second attempt to find my summer cocktail I decided to try these mojitos...and I am in love. I loved the earthy spicy flavor of the basil, the citrus from the lime, the hint of sugar and the refreshing nature of the rum and club soda. We have a winner folks!!

And I loved the fact that I got to use a cocktail shaker. It is hard not to feel super classy as you shake the ice and cocktail mixture and pour it into a class. These seriously were amazing cocktails for a warm summer night on the patio! And I am thrilled that my quest is over...well for now...for my cocktail of choice...well for the moment!


Here is the recipe if you want to try it or you can just come over because I will definitely be making these again:


About 10 large basil leaves, divided
1/4 cup plus 4 tsp. superfine sugar, divided
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup white rum
About 1/2 cup cold club soda
Lime wedges

Preparation

1. Whirl 2 basil leaves and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until well blended; transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Put 6 to 8 remaining basil leaves in a large cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes, the remaining 4 tsp. sugar, and lime juice. Muddle the mixture with the back of a thick wooden spoon, keeping your hand over the top to prevent spilling, until basil has broken up.
3. Add rum and a few more ice cubes to shaker, cover, and shake to blend. Rub a lime wedge along rim of 2 lowball glasses and dip in basil sugar (reserve remaining sugar for more cocktails). Add a few ice cubes to each glass. Remove top from shaker (do not strain), and divide mixture between glasses. Top off each with club soda and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.

And although we did think of just drinking mojitos all night we decided we should probably make dinner. My bestie is a nacho fiend, she will seriously do anything for nachos, she actually probably dreams of nachos. So I found this recipe for Spicy Shrimp Nachos, and the rest was history. The shrimp are seasoned with brown sugar and jerk seasoning and the nachos are made with pepper jack cheese and mango salsa. They have the perfect amount of spice, the mango salsa makes them very crisp and refreshing and the shrimp gives just a hint of sweet.

So first make the mango salsa which includes well mango, red pepper, jalapeno and red onion. Just chop and combine in a bowl. Easy!


Next peel and devein the shrimp, then toss with the jerk seasoning and brown sugar. Cook these on a grill or grill pan until they are opaque, mine took about 5 minutes to cook.


Just a quick funny story, I was trying to decide if my pan was hot enough so I threw one shrimp in the pan to hear it sizzle or not sizzle. So my bestie looks in the pan and says,"oh crap are we cooking these one at a time." I started laughing, could you imagine the time it would take to cook one shrimp at a time  for a plate of nachos. Damn how I love that girl!


Spread the chips on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cheese, shrimp and mango salsa. I did get teased as I bought yogurt cheese. I thought it sounded interesting and I didn't even think of the fact that it may melt differently or taste odd. Yogurt cheese is lactose free and it is supposed to be lower in fat. My bestie was definitely a little peeved that I defiled her nachos with low fat cheese, but I got lucky in that it tasted fine and melted perfectly. Phew, disaster averted!!


Broil the nachos for 2 minutes and eat them!!



ingredients
1 cup mango, seeded, peeled, and chopped
1 medium red sweet pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped*
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
1 pound peeled, deveined uncooked shrimp
Nonstick cooking spray
8 cups tortilla chips (8 oz.)
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded


directions
1. Preheat broiler. For salsa, in a bowl stir together mango, sweet pepper, onion, and chile pepper; set aside. In a large bowl stir together brown sugar and jerk seasoning. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Coat a grill pan or large skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add half the shrimp at a time to the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes each side or until shrimp are opaque. Remove and set aside. If desired, coarsely chop shrimp.
2. Spread tortilla chips on a broiler-safe platter or baking sheet. Top with shrimp and salsa. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 4 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.




This was definitely the perfect summer meal! And it was great paired with The Bachelorette and Real Housewives of New Jersey. I do have to say I am just sick of the Theresa and Melissa feud, get over it all ready! Definitely a perfect night! Thank you to my bff for also being the best food/cocktail photographer and well best friend, obviously! XOXO