Loverboy Spritz Unofficial Official Tasting Menu

Summer should be fun & these dishes are nothing if not fun.

If you are a fan of Bravo or low-calorie delicious cocktails, you’ve heard over Loverboy. I was excited to try the spritz because they utilize less than ordinary flavor profiles – blueberry lemon kissed with basil, mango peach kissed with chili, & passionfruit guava kissed with honeysuckle.

1. Mango Peach kissed with Chili Pepper – Mango Peach Chili Skewers

My mind immediately went to tijuan spiced mango – chili lime spiced mango. It’s sweet, savory & spicy. The ultimate flavor combo. Enter peach. Similar to mango, peach is highlighted by the contrast of chili and lime.

This recipe calls for queso blanco, a firm white Mexican cheese. Queso blanco is very mild cheese which balances out the mango, chili and peach.

Mango Peach Chili Skewers

Ingredients:

1 ripe mango

1 semi-ripe/firm peach

1 block of queso blanco

1 semi-ripe/firm avocado

1/2 TBSP of chili powder

1/2 lime worth of lime juice

  1. Cut mango, peach, queso blanco & peach into semi-identical cubes.
  2. Place mango in bowl. Squeeze lime juice on mangos, and sprinkle with chili powder. Toss until fully coated.
  3. Place seasoned mango, peach, avocado, & queso blanco on skewer.
  4. Serve & enjoy!

2. Passion Fruit Guava kissed with Honeysuckle – Honey Encrusted Feta & Guava Crostini

This one was tricky. Passion fruit & guava are not ingredients I cook with on a daily basis. Additionally, they are not always available at grocery stores depending on the season. Wanted to use these fruits in a mode accessible year round.

Honeysuckle was also tricky. While I adore the smell of honeysuckles, I am not familiar with it’s taste. I turned to honey because honey typically has notes of flavor of the pollen said worker bees use to create said honey (yes, I paid attention in middle school science). While honeysuckle honey does exist, I was unable to find at my local whole foods which I took as a sign I’d be unable to find elsewhere. So this recipe utilizes whichever type of honey you have handy.

Honey Encrusted Feta & Guava Crostini

Ingredients:

Crostini

1/4 cup of Goya Frozen Guava Pulp

1/4 cup of Goya Frozen Passion Fruit Pulp

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of honey

1/4 cup of sesame seeds

  1. Prepare crostini.
  2. Add guava & passion fruit pulp, water and sugar to pan at medium heat. Bring to a medium bowl, lower and cover.
  3. Cook on low heat for 25-30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Cool in fridge overnight.
  4. Cube feta small enough to fit on crostini.
  5. Heat honey for 10 seconds in the microwave just to ensure it is liquid enough to easily spread.
  6. Brush feta with honey on one facet of the cube and dip into sesame cubes. Repeat until fully covered.
  7. Place on hot pan on each side for 2-3 minutes or until crispy but not completely melted.
  8. Layer crostini, jam, feta. Garnish, serve & enjoy.

3. Blueberry Lemon kissed with Basil – Candied Lemon & Roasted Blueberry ‘Caprese’ Salad

I knew for this recipe I wanted to present the whole of the lemon and not merely it’s essence and or juice. Lemon rind, when prepared properly, is delicious (read, fritto misto). I decided to add a sweet foil to savory mozzarella by candying the lemon.

For the blueberries, I wanted to present them in an elevated manner. Hence why this recipe calls to lightly roast them. Roasting fruits has been a concept I’ve experimented with as of late partially due to tik tok roasted grape crostini. For many fruits, it’s a grate way to unlock a deeper flavor profile.

Overall, in this dish the sour is sweet, sweet is savory but everything is delicious.

Candied Lemon & Roasted Blueberry ‘Caprese’ Salad

Ingredients:

1 medium sized lemon

1/2 cup of sugar

2 cups of water

4 oz of blueberries

1 TSP of EVOO

S&P to taste

7-10 large leaves of basil

8 oz of fresh mozzarella

  1. Heat water to roaring boil. Add sugar. Lower to medium heat.
  2. Add thinly sliced lemon. Cook at medium heat for 15 minutes.
  3. Lower to a simmer and cover. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the rind is transparent.
  4. Remove and let sit for 24 hours or until dry.
  5. Heat oven to 350.
  6. Add blueberries to oven safe pan. Coat with olive oil and S+P.
  7. Roast for 8-10 minutes. Be sure that blueberries do not burst.
  8. Assemble mozzarella, basil and candied lemon alternatively. Top with roasted blueberries.
  9. Serve & enjoy!