A Tangy Duo: Tequila Mojito and Spiked Marinade

If you're looking for lots of fresh summer flavor and a quick, easy way to feed guests all on a budget, you've come to the right place.

Recently, while making my favorite summer marinade I got creative and added a good dose of white tequila I had on hand to it. Then, I took it a step further - to compliment said marinade, I concocted a drink using the same ingredients, slightly different, of course.

The result was a sweet, sharp flavored meal complimented with a tangy and refreshing drink, all on a budget. Depending upon the meat and tequila you use for your marinade this summertime meal can prove super-inexpensive.

This summer, shop smart and save on summer entertaining using my cardinal rule: use what you've got! Sure it requires a bit more creativity in the kitchen, but that's always fun.

Tequila Spiked Marinade:

Pair this marinade with anything from steak to fish to chicken to veggies. It's incredibly versatile and full of fresh summer flavor. We used our marinade on a couple of skirt steaks we bought for $10 - it fed 4 comfortably. The rest of the ingredients ran us $8 as we had olive oil, salt and pepper on hand!

Ingredients:

1 cup of chopped cilantro

1/4 cup white tequila

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 - 4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all your ingredients together in a large bowl. Add in your meat and cover. Marinate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.

And since you've already got those ingredients, make a night out of it with a complimenting cocktail!

Tangy Tequila Mojito:

Since you have cilantro, tequila and lemon on hand, why not mix up a cocktail? A spin on the classic mojito, this recipe isn't as sweet, but it's beyond refreshing. If like us, you enjoy the occasional summer margarita you'll probably have tequila on hand - this drink cost us $0 since we needed the ingredients for our marinade anyway!

Ingredients:

2 ounces white tequila

1 ounce lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

club soda

lemon for garnish

Directions:

In a tall glass, combine your cilantro, sugar and lemon juice. Muddle a bit with your spoon.

Add in ice and tequila, top with club soda, stir well and garnish with a lemon wedge.