Peachy White Sangria

It was sweltering hot here on the 4th of July so I wanted a drink that would be light and refreshing. Sangria is always good but I thought the red wine would be a little too heavy for the weather so I decided on this peachy sangria. It was delicious and it seems to be my new drink of choice ever since. Here's how you make it:

Ingredients:

1 Bottle of Chardonnay (or whatever white wine you prefer)
1/4 cup Peach Schnapps
1/2 cup of ginger ale or club soda (optional)
2 sliced peaches (frozen peach slices work well)
1 sliced orange
1 sliced apple
1 mango peeled and sliced

Preparation: 

Soak sliced orange, apple and mango in just enough wine to cover. Pour remaining wine and Schnapps in a pitcher and add sliced peaches. Chill mixture for at least one hour. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving. Top each glass with some sliced orange, apple and mango as garnish.

Orzo-Stuffed Tomatoes

This tomato dish was really tasty and could almost be a meal in itself. The next time I make this recipe, I'll probably create a Greek version with feta, or maybe add some sausage to the orzo mixture to make it a full meal. (FYI: The orzo-and-sauce mixture is more than enough to fill 4 large tomatoes. Three options: prepare for leftovers, half the recipe or stuff a few extra tomatoes before you bake.)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red chile, finely chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes
12 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
1 cup dried orzo
4 basil leaves, torn
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 kalamata olives, finely chopped
4 large tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
Parmesan cheese (optional)
 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°. Cook orzo until al dente; set aside. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté garlic 1 minute. Add onion and red chile; sauté 6 minutes. With clean hands, crush canned tomatoes into saucepan. Add minced sun-dried tomatoes, basil leaves, brown sugar, sea salt, and pepper to pan; bring to a simmer. Cook until most of liquid is cooked off (~ 20 minutes). Add olives to pan; remove from heat. Add orzo to sauce, mixing well. Core tomatoes; stuff with orzo-and-sauce mixture. Top each tomato with 2 tablespoons mozzarella. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.