I started out March saying this would be the month I explored new Chinese and Asian recipes and it ended up being a month where I made copious amounts of Mexican food, per usual. Beyond the guacamole, chicken fajitas and turkey enchiladas (posts forthcoming) I threw a margarita into the mix.
While margaritas are really delicious and refreshing they tend to pack a serious number of calories. Look up the nutrition facts online and you’ll see some stats in the neighborhood of 200 calories… but that’s for a relatively small serving. A more normal restaurant serving could run you 400-500 calories or more! Yikes. The Skinny Girl cocktail line of beverages sells a mean tasting “Skinny Margarita” but with hardly any of the hard stuff – mostly just sugar and water. So while there certainly are bottled versions of pre-mixed margaritas for sale at the store, they tend to be overly full of sugar, or lack any real booze, neither of which cuts it for me.
Tequila used to be a serious aversion of mine until I discovered the white stuff – silver tequila, that is. Most people think of gold tequila which is your typical bar pour – the only difference between the two is that the silver tequila is aged in steel up to two months and the gold tequila is un-aged silver tequila and flavored with caramel. Somehow those two little differences add up to a big flavor change. Use whichever you prefer in this recipe but know that I think it’s better with silver.
This margarita is really easy to make for a single drink or a pitcher for a crowd – see recipes below for both. This recipe takes the margarita back to the basics – tequila, lime and a little soda water. The total calorie count comes in at just over a 100 while still delivering on the flavors and booze of the fully-loaded original.
- 1 jigger shot white tequila (1.5oz)
- 2T prepared orange, lemon or lime juice (want something with sugar – this is the only sweetener)
- Zest of 1/2 lime
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- Splash of soda water or diet 7up
- 1 cup ice
- Fill a martini shaker with ice.
- Add one shot white tequila.
- Add 2T. orange juice, lemon juice or limeade.
- Add the zest of ½ a lime, then squeeze in the ½ lime’s juice.
- Add a splash of soda water or diet 7up.
- Shake, then pour liquid and ice into a glass.
- Garnish with a large lime peel.
- This recipe makes one cocktail at roughly 110 calories.
- 1 cup white tequila
- 1 1/4 cup prepared orange, lemon or lime juice
- Zest of 3 limes
- Juice of 5 limes
- 1 cup soda water or diet 7up
- 6 cups ice
- In a large pitcher, add 6 cups of ice.
- Pour tequila and juice into the pitcher.
- Add zest and juice of the limes.
- Pour in the soda water or Diet 7up.
- Stir gently to mix, pour into glasses to serve.
- Garnish with lime wedges or twists.
- This recipe makes a large pitcher of margaritas, with one cocktail at roughly 110 calories. If desired, mix all ingredients in the pitcher then pulse in a blender to make blended margaritas rather than served over ice.
