ESPA Live Sessions on Instagram

The ESPA Training team will be LIVE on ESPA Instagram account- daily at 12:00pm – over the next two weeks to take you on a Modern Alchemy Journey – Delivering Mindful Rituals focused around each one of the 6 Modern Alchemy Products teaching people how to use and create the perfect ritual in their own home to bring holistic welling being and calm alongside Nicola – Head of Education at ESPA who will be delivering Restorative and Flow yoga sessions

Each of the Live sessions will also be recorded and uploaded on to YouTube for future Ritual / Educational reference and for any accounts that wish to take the Mindfulness and Yoga sessions.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDjnX-qAZGzsLGJF83g3O4A

Rosa Mexicano Cocktail

How about treating yourself to a fresh and delicious cocktail today? Why not try the colorful and fresh flavors of the hibiscus and chili in one drink,?

So bring cocktails and the gorgeous ocean from Bar A’Kan to your home and enjoy this signature recipe for your happy hour!

Ingredients

  • 02 oz. Silver Tequila Centenario or White Tequila
  • 1 oz. Guava purée
  • 1 oz. Hibiscus Flower Syrup*
  • ½ oz. Lime Juice
  • 1 oz. Ginger & Serrano Chili Syrup*
  • Ginger ale
  • Angostura
  • Garnish: 1 slice of dehydrated orange, Serrano chili thin strips or pineapple plume leaves

*To prepare the hibiscus flower syrup

  • 4 cups Water
  • 2 cups Granulated Sugar
  • 2 cups Dried Hibiscus Flowers
  • The peel of one whole lemon

Preparation

Peel a whole lemon. Combine the water and the sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Add the hibiscus flowers and the lemon peel, turn the heat high and bring to a boil.If you want your syrup very thick (grenadine-like), leave the mixture boiling for about 10-15 minutes before removing it from the stove. If you want it less dense, remove it from heat immediately after the boil, and steep it for 20 minutes. Let the mixture cool down. Strain it through a fine sieve to discard the hibiscus flower leftovers. Bottle and label. Syrup will be good for up to 3 weeks when refrigerated. 

*To prepare the Ginger & Serrano Chili syrup

  • 1 cup sugar,
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 cup of sliced ginger
  • 1 serrano chile, helved.

Preparation

Combine the water and the sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Add the ginger & serrano chili and continue to heat, bringing the syrup to a light boil. Cover, reduce heat, and allow simmering for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and steep in the covered pan for about 1 hour or until it reaches your preferred taste. Strain out the ginger and bottle under a tight seal. Store in the refrigerator, it should keep for about two weeks.

Now you are ready to prepare your cocktail!

Procedure

  1. Pour the Tequila, guava puree, lime juice, hibiscus syrup, ginger & serrano chili syrup into a cocktail shaker.
  2. Add a handful of ice cubes and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds
  3. Strain the preparation into a Collins glass full of ice, fill up the glass with Ginger Ale, add a dash of Angostura and stir a bit. Garnish with a slice of dehydrated orange, Serrano chili thin strips or pineapple leaves.

Great drink for a great afternoon! Cheers!

Ceviche Sensación

From NI Restaurant

At NIZUC all of our ceviches are made with the freshest seafood and the best ingredients. Then, each chef gives his own magic touch to his recipe.

Here we would like to share the ingredients and simple steps of our best seller from NI Restaurant, the Ceviche Sensación. Colorful, fresh, delicious, well balanced and healthy ceviche to enjoy at home.

Ingredients for Ceviche

  • 450 gr. Fresh Fish- sea bass, red snapper  or grouper
  • 450 gr.  Of shrimp, cleaned and poached
  • 450 gr. Sliced cooked octopus
  • Grilled octopus tentacles
  • 1/2 cup  of fresh coriander, chopped
  • ½ cup of fresh red tomatoes, chopped
  • Sliced red onion
  • 1/4 cup of fersh lime juice
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup olive oil or garlic oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

 

For the Cooked & Grilled Octopus

Ingredients

  •  Fresh octopus — size of your preference
  •  Olive oil
  •  2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Wash and clean your octopus, rinse your octopus thoroughly using running water. You should also ensure that you remove the ink sac.

2. Start boiling water, adding a pinch of salt, allspice, and bay leaf.

3. Before boiling octopus, you can start by dunking the tentacles first. You can do this by holding your octopus by the head, and submerging the tentacles for one second. Take it out, put it back in, and repeat 4-5 times. What we want to achieve in this step is to make the tentacles roll up and coil a bit before boiling the entire octopus.

4. Once the tentacles have coiled up nicely, you can simmer your octopus. Make sure the water is on low heat and adjust the boiling time until the octopus becomes tender. Boil for about 40-45 minutes.

5. You can check for consistency with a fork. When it is already tender, take your octopus out and make sure to drain well.

6. Drizzle with olive oil and add chopped garlic. Let it cool and rest at room temperature, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Thinly slice your octopus and set aside.

For Crispy Octopus tentacles

7. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat. Slice some octopus tentacles. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side, until it’s crunchy. Remove from heat, place in a bowl and set aside.

Coriander Mayonnaise

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 limes juice only
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • A piece of onion
  • A piece of celery
  • A piece of sliced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon of mustard
  • 2 spoons of natural yogurt
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 300 ml olive oil
  • 100 g fresh coriander, leaves boiled
  • 1 serrano pepper (If you wish a spiciy mayonnaise)
  • Salt & pepper

Instructions

1 .On a blender, add the lime juice, add the garlic set aside for 10 minutes – this effectively cooks the raw garlic. When the garlic is ready, add the onion, celery, ginger, mustard, yogurt, the coriander, (serrano pepper optional) the egg yolk and a pinch of salt. Blend for a few seconds till all the ingredients are well mixed.

2. With the blender still on, then start adding the oil– drip in one tiny drop at a time until the yolks have absorbed about a third of the oil and the mayonnaise has started to emulsify. Add the oil any quicker and the mayonnaise might split.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Now you are ready to prepare your Ceviche!

Instructions

  1. Place the fish in a large mixing bowl, you can add some sliced onion, season with salt & pepper and add the lime juice and mix well. Set aside for 30 minutes till the fish looks cooked on the outside but still has a firm sushi-style texture in the middle.
  2. Add the shrimp and cooked octopus to the bowl, add the chopped tomatoes and chopped cilantro, add 2-3 spoons of the coriander mayonnaise and mix well.
  3. Place a portion of the ceviche in a plate, add the cherry tomatoes as a garnish, fresh red onion, set the grilled octopus on top.
  4. You can accompany your ceviche with crackers, tortilla or plantain chips

Buen provecho!

Mindfulness

One thing that makes our minds and bodies feel balanced is to make sure we allocate time each morning to set the tone for our day. Every morning is a new beginning. Take a deep breath, smile and enjoy what the day will bring. We invite you to follow some of these morning rituals from NIZUC in the comfort of your home to enrich the mind and nourish the soul.

Mindful breathing for one minute

Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Mindful breathing is used as a therapeutic technique.

Follow this mindfulness morning ritual to start your day with a sense of gratitude and joy:

  1. Sit down, bring your hands to heart, and close your eyes and mouth. Breathe in through your nose only
  2. Lower your eyes and notice where you feel your breath most distinctly. Focus on your breath.
  3. When your mind wanders, as it will do, just bring your attention back to your breath. You might like to say ‘thinking’ when you notice your thoughts and just gently shepherd your attention back to your breath.
  4. Clean your mind and connect in the deepest of your soul and spirit. Breathe from your 3rd chakra – your navel point, the center of your senses.
  5. Stretch your back and shoulders down and bring your chin slightly to your chest.
  6. Inhale and expand your navel out, exhale and contract your navel to your spinal cord.
  7. Stay focused on the sound of your breath and notice your mind and body moving towards a state of balance.