Mushrooms en Papillote- Mushrooms Baked in Parchment Paper

Recipes

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

Mushrooms en Papillote- Mushrooms Baked in Parchment Paper

I find myself in the unusual position of being relatively stress-free this December. For once I’m not doing any traveling during the holiday season, I don’t have to worry about cooking or eating in kitchens with counters that seem perpetually covered in glutenous bagel and/or bread crumbs, and I really don’t even have to worry about doing any gift shopping (with the exception of the little ones, family and friends have pretty much adopted a no gifts policy and focus on presence instead of presents… although family will have to wait for my presence for another month or so). In fact, my friends and I have discussed scrapping a traditional Christmas meal altogether and just getting together for either some gluten-free mac and cheese or pizza. Elaborate meals happen all the time around here, so just lounging around, watching movies and having a cheesy carb fest sounds pretty amazing.

Of course there will still be a couple dinner parties this month (you know, the whole presence thing), and this mushroom dish is sure to be on the menu at least once or twice. Since I tend to go overboard with the number of dishes and courses, I always try to keep a couple of them on the simple side to prevent myself from getting overwhelmed.

And these mushrooms en papillote couldn’t be much easier. Toss some mushrooms with some butter, lemon juice, white wine, parsley, salt and pepper and bake everything in a calzone shaped parchment packet. I used a mixture of button mushrooms and some local Hamakua Alii and Pioppini for a little variety. Although they’re intended to be a side, I can easily imagine eating these mushrooms with some mashed potatoes for one-bowl meal.

Mushrooms en Papillote- Mushrooms Baked in Parchment Paper

Yield: 4 side servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
* 1 pound mushrooms, such as button, chanterelle, shiitake, or a mixture, brushed clean
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons white wine
* 2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cut parchment paper into an approximate 18 by 11-inch rectangle. Fold the rectangle in half crosswise. Open the parchment and coat with a small pat of butter. Place the rectangle, buttered side up, on a baking sheet. Cut the remaining butter into small pieces.

Cut or slice any large mushrooms into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. Add the salt, pepper, remaining butter, lemon juice, wine and parsley and toss well. Spread the mushrooms over one half of the prepared parchment paper and fold the other half of the parchment rectangle over the mushrooms. Take the vertical edges (opposite the folded edge) and fold over twice. Continue folding towards each exposed end, until you reach each side, creating a calzone or dumpling shaped packet. Twist each side to seal the packet shut.

Place the packet on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until puffed and the mushrooms are cooked through, about 15-18 minutes. Carefully transfer the parchment packet to a platter, carefully open the packet and serve immediately.

Lait de Poule- Spiked Eggnog

Drinks

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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I feel like the holiday season doesn’t officially begin until I have my first sip of eggnog. And although I’ve done my best to ignore the ingredient list in my beloved Hood Golden eggnog (high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and RED 40, YELLOW 5 & 6) for the past several years, I decided that it was high time to make my own… with no questionable ingredients.

Rich and creamy, this eggnog is spiced with real vanilla bean, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. And because I’d like everybody to enjoy a Salmonella-free holiday season, I decided to go with a cooked egg version.

In past years I’ve skipped the booze because the idea of milk/cream coupled with hard alcohol didn’t seem all that tempting. Man did I miss the boat on this one. After all, both Irish Crème and White Russians are prime examples of just how great the cream and hard alcohol combination can be.

If you’re making this eggnog for children, you’ll want to skip the bourbon and rum. But if you’d like to gussy it up a bit, I saw a great tip from Laura Calder to add a bit of orange flower water to taste. And while the eggnog can be garnished simply with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, a small cap of whipped cream and a cinnamon stick garnish make the drinks extra festive.

Lait de Poule- Spiked Eggnog

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, Split lengthwise
1 stick cinnamon, plus extra for garnish
2 cloves
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (can add more to taste)
1/4 cup bourbon
2 Tablespoons rum
whipped cream

Directions:

Place the milk into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod. Add the vanilla pod, one cinnamon stick, and the cloves. Heat the mixture to the boiling point. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit 20 minutes to infuse.

Beat the egg yolks, sugar, and heavy cream, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Very slowly add the infused milk mixture, whisking constantly. Return everything to the saucepan, place the pan on medium-ow heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil (the mixture will likely curdle if it comes to a boil). Stir in the bourbon and rum. Taste the mixture and add more nutmeg, if desired. Strain the mixture into a jug, cool, and, chill.

When ready to serve, pour the eggnog into glasses, top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, if desired.

Joy The Baker’s Goat Cheese and Black Pepper Truffles

Recipes

Girl Cooks World

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April 10, 2019

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Joy The Baker’s Goat Cheese and Black Pepper Truffles

Before I started typing this out I had to Google, “Are chocolate truffles French?” Good news folks, they are (supposedly the chocolate truffle was first created by Antoine Dufour in Chambéry, France in December 1895).

But even if they weren’t I was still going to try to slip these goat cheese and pepper chocolate truffles into this France segment with some sort of irrefutable logic like, “French people eat chocolate, French people eat goat cheese, therefore these chocolate and goat cheese truffles are French. Which, of course, would have been a total lie because they’re 100% California courtesy of the super talented and hilarious Joy the Baker.

Do any of you remember a time when chocolate was just that- chocolate? And even the idea of sprinkling salt seemed foreign or scandalous. But then folks like Katrina Markoff came along and before I knew it I was eating chocolate bars infused with chile peppers and chocolate topped with hickory smoked bacon. And all was right with the world until I realized that I couldn’t sustain a Mast Brothers or Vosges Haut Chocolate habit without dipping into my retirement account.

But what’s a girl to do when she wants fancy-pants chocolate with a unique, funky flavor but doesn’t want to spend an arm and a leg? Joy the Baker to the rescue.

Joy brilliantly combines melted dark chocolate, plenty of fresh, crumbly goat cheese and freshly crackled black pepper into a smooth truffle that knocked my socks off. The goat flavor is assertive, so you can’t be on the fence about goat cheese for this one.

But if you are a fan of goat cheese and goat milk, the kind of fan that thinks Laloo’s ice cream isn’t goaty enough, then you’re going to want to try these sooner or later. Preferably sooner. And I need to get to work on turning this into an ice cream, stat.

Joy The Baker’s Goat Cheese and Black Pepper Truffles

Yield: about 15 truffles

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2/3 cup dark/bittersweet chocolate chips (or 4 ounces chocolate, coarsely chopped)
4 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarsely chopped black peppercorns
2-3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
coarse sea salt, for finishing

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Add the goat cheese, sugar, vanilla and pepper and stir until well combined. Cover and set in the refrigerator for one hour, or until firm.

Once the mixture has cooled, use clean hands to roll the mixture into small balls of your desired size. Place the cocoa powder on a plate and roll the balls to coat and then top with a couple grains of sea salt.

Serve slightly chilled.

Vegan Curried Pumpkin Cream Soup

Soups
Vegan

Girl Cooks World

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April 10, 2019

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Since I live in a relatively small condo with very limited closet space, it’s a constant battle to keep clutter at bay. Although I try to weed through things fairly often, my enthusiasm for purging is quickly overpowered by my sentimentality and I usually end up with only a small bag or two in the donation pile.

But after having a stuffed-to-the-gills pantry and a leaning tower of paper boxes in my bedroom closet for far too many months, it’s time to get serious. Nothing is safe, including that old folder with recipe print-outs that, since I’ve discovered Pinterest, has sat largely untouched.

I spotted this circa 2007 recipe for curry pumpkin soup and couldn’t even remember whether I’d ever tried it. Since I had all of the ingredients in the pantry, I thought I’d give it a shot. If it was good, I’d post it. If not, into the recycling bin it would go.

Well, since you’re reading this post about it, I guess there’s not much of an element of surprise when I tell you that it was good. So good that I’ve been lamenting the fact that the past several years of my life have been vegan curried pumpkin cream soup-less.

And the silver lining on this silver cloud? It’s also helping me work my way through my excess supply of curry powder. Win-win.

Vegan Curried Pumpkin Cream Soup

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup coconut oil
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons curry powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus extra for garnish
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups vegetable broth (or use chicken stock if soup doesn’t need to be vegan)
* 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
* ~13.5-ounce can full fat coconut milk
* coconut cream (see note below) or, if soup doesn’t need to be vegan, crème fraiche or sour cream
* chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the curry powder, coriander, red pepper flakes and salt and stir to coat the garlic and onions. Cook, stirring, for about a minute or until the spices are very fragrant.

Add the broth and pumpkin puree and stir to mix. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender until the mixture is smooth. Add the coconut milk, stir and return to heat. Heat for another five minutes, until heated through.

Ladle into individual bowls, top with coconut cream, crème fraiche or sour cream, some cilantro, a sprinkle of black pepper and a small shake of crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Note: place a unshaken can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to serve, carefully open the can and scoop off the thick cream that rests on top.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Girl Cooks World

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April 10, 2019

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I didn’t set out to develop a pumpkin spice granola recipe. I mean, why reinvent the wheel? There’s certainly no shortage of recipes out there in cyberspace. But I wasn’t sure the recipes I looked at would meet my desired objectives: I wanted sweet, buttery granola with clusters that had both crunch and chew. And, most importantly, the granola needed to taste like mini pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies.

So those of you looking for a healthy snack or breakfast are probably going to have to look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for an indulgent fall treat then you’re in the right place.

I ended up using my cranberry coconut nut granola as a starting point. But instead of the cranberries and coconut I added pumpkin puree and the usual holiday spice suspects: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. The spices are assertive but not overpowering: the butter and honey flavors also shine through.

I used almonds because that’s what I had on hand, but pecans would also be great. And I like my pumpkin spice granola free from dried fruits, but dried cranberries would work well here, and provide a little burst of color.

And since we’re going to go the all-butter, super indulgent route, might I suggest taking it even one step further? Layer the granola with some honey-flavored full fat Greek yogurt (p.s., this stuff is unreal good) and you’ll have the best yogurt parfait out there.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Ingredients:

* 6 Tablespoons butter, divided
* 2-1/2 cups gluten-free oats
* 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup chopped almonds or pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly oil a large, rimmed baking sheet or line with a Silpat mat.

Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats and stir to coat. Cook, stirring, until the oats have darkened a shade or two. Pour oats into a large bowl. Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt.

In the same saucepan, combine the remaining butter, pumpkin puree, honey, and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Stir in the vanilla and remove from heat. Pour mixture over the oats and stir to combine. Mix in the almonds and then spread onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden and the nuts are toasted. Remove from oven and let cool. Break up any large chunks and store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Vegan or Detox Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

Girl Cooks World

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April 10, 2019

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I might be on a cleanse, but that certainly doesn’t mean that desserts are off-limits. During past cleanses I’ve been a big fan of frozen banana-based ice creams (check them out here and here).

This time around I knew I wanted to develop a healthy version of Cherry Garcia to use up some very, very last of the season Bing cherries.

Some early attempts using bananas didn’t pan out quite as I’d hoped, but Marla’s Vegan Chocolate and Cherry Ice Cream inspired me to change course and use coconut milk for the base instead.

So I adapted my coconut ice cream to be sugar-free, and added in lots of chunks of fresh, sweet Bing cherries (frozen would also work) and some chopped chocolate.

Obviously if you’re making this vegan, you’ll want to add vegan chocolate to the mix. And if you’re not on a cleanse or detox, feel free to use sugar instead of stevia… three-quarters of a cup will do the trick.

I should note that sugar affects not only the sweetness of ice cream, but also its texture and freezing point. Should you go the stevia route, you’ll want to eat it right out of the ice cream maker or take it out of the freezer at least 10-15 minutes to allow it to soften. The stevia version is also not going to have quite the same texture as your average ice cream.
But I’m guessing that if you’re a week or two into a strict cleanse and this will probably do the trick just fine…

Vegan or Detox Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 5-24 hours

Ingredients:

Two 15-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk, divided
3 full droppers of Vanilla stevia (or 3/4 cup sugar if you’d like it closer to traditional ice cream)
Pinch salt
2-1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup roughly chopped cherries (frozen is OK) plus 3-4 extra for ice cream base
1/2 cup chopped chocolate

Directions:

Combine all but 1/4 cup of the coconut milk, the stevia or sugar and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut milk until smooth. Add to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour into blender and process with 3-4 cherries to tint the base a light pink color. Cover and chill at least 3-4 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In the last minute or two, add the cherries and chocolate to mix into the base. Serve immediately or place in the freezer.

Goi Ga- Vietnamese Spicy Chicken and Cabbage Salad

Salad

Girl Cooks World

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April 10, 2019

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Goi Ga- Vietnamese Spicy Chicken and Cabbage Salad

When the oppressive heat and humidity of summer hits, nobody likes turning on their oven. I sure wish I was one of those who people who craves salads exclusively until the mercury drops, but sadly I usually turn to items with significantly less nutritional value: ice cream, gelato, frozen peanut butter pie, sangria, etc., etc.

But if there was ever a salad to change my ways, this would be it. It’s filling, healthy, colorful and has that hot, sour, salty and sweet combination that those Southeast Asians do so well.

What really makes everything pop is the herbs- two full cups of chopped mint, cilantro and Vietnamese coriander (also called rau ram or rau rahm). A final sprinkle of toasted peanuts adds a little crunch.

The cabbage and chicken combo is classic, but I think the salad could be easily adapted to whatever you have on hand. Shrimp would be great, as would leftover grilled pork or beef.

Goi Ga- Vietnamese Spicy Chicken and Cabbage Salad

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts (about 1-1-1/2 pounds)
large head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded
1 small to medium red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
4 carrots, peeled and shredded
2-4 Thai chiles (depending on heat tolerance/preference),thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons rice or rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 cup fresh Vietnamese cilantro (also called rau ram or rau rahm), finely chopped. If unable to find, omit and increase the cilantro and mint to 1 cup each.
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, roasted peanuts

Directions:

Place the chicken in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool. Discard the chicken stock or reserve for another use. When cool enough to handle, use forks or your fingers to shred the chicken breasts.

In a very large bowl* combine the cooled, shredded chicken, cabbage, onion and carrots. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the chiles, garlic and sugar. Use a wooden spoon to mash together until the chiles and garlic have broken down a bit and have tinted the sugar an orangey-red color (you can also use a mortar and pestle for this step if you have one). Add the lime juice, rice or rice wine vinegar and fish sauce and stir. Pour the dressing over the chicken and cabbage mixture and toss well. Add the cilantro leaves, mint and Vietnamese cilantro and toss again. Let sit for at least ten minutes to allow the flavors to meld and for the cabbage to wilt just a bit. Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates and top with the peanuts.

* Note: Before the dressing is added and the cabbage wilts, this is a very voluminous salad. Unless you have a 5+ quart mixing bowl, you might have to divide the ingredients in two large bowls to be able to fit everything. Alternatively, you can halve the recipe.

Ga Kho- Vietnamese Caramelized Spicy Chicken

Recipes

Girl Cooks World

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April 10, 2019

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Ga Kho- Vietnamese Caramelized Spicy Chicken

Judge me if you’d like, but I sure miss being able to eat American Chinese food. Not the fancy stuff or dim sum… I’m talking about Panda Express-style orange or General Tso’s chicken. And while I’m in disclosure mode, I may as well admit that I wouldn’t mind a goldfinger or crab rangoon either.

Sure, this caramelized spicy chicken isn’t Chinese food. But the good news? It’s even better (and naturally gluten-free!). Chunks of boneless, skinless chicken are simmered in a sweet and spicy fish sauce-based broth until the liquid has reduced into a sticky, super flavorful sauce that coats every tender bite. It’s traditional to make this dish in a clay pot, but I found a basic skillet worked just fine.

I’m thinking this is a dish that could appeal to the whole family- just adjust the Thai chiles according to heat tolerance and preference. I’m the kind of girl who gravitates to menu items marked with the little chile/heat symbol, so I used 3 sliced Thai chiles AND a couple whole chiles as well. But that’s probably excessive and not necessarily traditional, so feel free to adapt it to make it work for you.

Ga Kho- Vietnamese Caramelized Spicy Chicken

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

* 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken (thighs preferred, but breast also works)
* 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, grated (peeled, frozen ginger is easy to grate)
* 2-3 small shallots, minced (I used shallots about the size of ping pong ball)
* 1-3 Thai chiles (depending on your heat tolerance/preference), sliced
* 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
* 2 Tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
* 1 Tablespoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/4 cup water
* 6-8 green onions, sliced on the diagonal into approx 2-inch lengths

Directions:

Cut the chicken into large chunks and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the pieces of chicken are no longer pink. Push the chicken to the perimeter of the saucepan and add the garlic, ginger, shallots and Thai chiles. Cook for several minutes, until softened.

Combine the fish sauce, both sugars and black pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix.

Toss the chicken and garlic mixture and then pour in the fish sauce mixture and stir to coat. Bring to a boil for a minute or two and then add the water. Adjust heat to a low simmer and then let the chicken cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and the chicken is cooked through. Add the green onions.

Remove from heat and serve with rice.

Rhubarb and Ginger Mojito

Drinks

Girl Cooks World

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April 10, 2019

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Although I’m happy (and lucky) to live in Honolulu, there sure are a lot of things I miss about living on the mainland. Proximity to family, reasonable real estate prices, and Trader Joe’s probably top the list. And one more thing? Sidewalk bars and cafes.

When I lived in Chicago, I loved watching the streets came alive in the spring. After being cooped up indoors for a long, cold and windy winter, everybody wanted to spend all of their free time outside, happy hours included. And so Chicagoans transitioned from drinking beer and shots in loud, smoky bars to sipping margaritas and mojitos on sidewalks and in back patios.

Sure, I drink mojitos year round, but they always remind me of spring and summer in Chicago, when we’d hit up post-work happy hours to soak up the day’s last rays of sunshine and partake in some people-watching on the streets of my Lincoln Park neighborhood. Even busy, stressed-out types lingered for hours… savoring the warm evenings and freshly made drinks.

Obviously you can’t go wrong with a basic mojito (lime and mint are one of those magical combinations), but I’m also a fan of dressing them up according to whatever fruit is in season. When summer rolls around, I’m all about watermelon and tequila mojitos. Until then, I’ll be enjoying this rhubarb and ginger version. Just be careful: this seemingly innocent drink (pretty… and pink!) will sneak up on you after just one or two.

Rhubarb and Ginger Mojito

Yield: one serving

Ingredients:

10 mint leaves
1/2 of a lime, cut into three wedges
rhubarb and ginger syrup, to taste
3 Tablespoons white rum (I also like using white or silver tequila)
ice cubes
sparkling water
mint sprig and a slice of lime for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a glass, muddle the mint and lime wedges (I use a wooden spoon). Add the rhubarb and ginger syrup and alcohol and stir to mix. Add ice and a splash of sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of lime and mint leaves, if desired.