Veggies Are the Secret Ingredient Your Cocktail Is Missing

This recipe looks healthy, but tastes divine.

I love serving a specialty sneeky, even when a neighbor is just stopping by. It makes it seem like you went the extra mile! This arugula cocktail is green, so it looks healthy, but it's soooo delicious.

Arugula Sneeky

Serves 2

• 4 ounces gin, vodka or tequila
• 1 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces fresh cucumber juice
• 1 ounces herb simple syrup, plus more to taste (recipe below)
• ¼ cup fresh arugula leaves

Fill a shaker halfway with ice. Add all ingredients and shake-shake-shake, then strain into two glasses over ice. Garnish with slices of cucumber and rosemary sprigs.

Herb Simple Syrup

• ½ cup each of fresh rosemary, mint and basil leaves
• ¾ cup agave syrup
• ¾ cup boiling water

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir, cover and let stand for an hour. Strain syrup into a glass container and store in the refrigerator. It's also great drizzled on top of fruit, or for sweetening iced tea or lemonade.

This story originally appeared in the May 2017 issue of House Beautiful.

Maple Bacon Herb Cheese Crescents

• 1 package pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets
• 1-16 0z (1 pound) package bacon, cooked and crumbled
• ¾ cup herb cheese
• ¼ cup real maple syrup (not the fake stuff)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbs water

Preheat oven to 4oo degrees.  Mix egg with water in a small bowl.  Mix together cheese with maple syrup in small a bowl.

Lay out thawed pastry.  Roll into 16-inch square.  Cut into 8 uniform rectangles and then into 16 triangles.  Spread each triangle with a thin layer of cheese mixture.  Put about a tablespoon of bacon in the middle of each triangle.  Starting at the wide end, roll each triangle up bending the edges in.  Place seam side down on baking tray.  Brush tops with egg.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.