Raspberry Lemonade

I really do not like summer...too warm in my opinion.  Thank goodness for air conditioners...

The good thing about summer though is that it brings a lot of fresh summer produce especially berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.  The prices are also lower than off season prices.  I was over at the Korean supermarket the other day when I spied some really nice raspberries at a dollar per container. Ha! that is a bargain especially since they cost five times at WholeFoods. Of course, WholeFood's raspberries are organic but still huge difference in price.  I do buy organic produce at times but for the most part I do not really care.  

Berries are pretty flexible since you can eat it raw or add it raw on dishes and salads as well as cook it as fillings for pies, jams, and jellies..  They also work well in juices, shakes, and lemonades. Speaking of lemonades, I cannot remember how many I've featured in this blog so far...who's counting anyway...hehehe 

Lemonades are handy to have especially during summer months as they are great as thirst-quenchers and for fluid replenishment to prevent dehydration due to excessive sweating as a result of sun exposure.  You can serve it in a tall glass with plenty of ice to keep it chilled or you can use frozen berries and fruits as substitute for ices to prevent it from becoming watered down when the ice melts. 

To make frozen fruit garnishes, you can cut large fruits, such as apple, mango, etc into small slices or wedges.  For berries, you do not have to slice then but instead freeze them whole.  Arrange the fruits/ sliced fruits in a parchment paper-lined freezer safe container and freeze for about 1 hour or until they harden.  After an hour, you can transfer them to a freezer ziplock bags and leave in freezer until ready for use.  Freezing them in a single layer will prevent the fruits and slices from sticking together thus making it easier to use.  Use these garnishes as a substitute for ice or in conjuction with ice.

Ingredients:

1 cup raspberries, washed and dried then lightly crushed

1 cup sugar or according to desired sweetness

4 + 2 cups of water

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Place raspberries, 2 cups water, and sugar in pan and let it boil.

2. Once the mixture boils, remove from heat and let it cool

3. Strain mixture and transfer to a container with tight-fitting lid.

4. Add the rest of the water and lemon juice.  Mix well then chill.

5. To serve: Pour lemonade on a glass of ice or frozen garnishes and serve immediately.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Juice

Rhubarb... up until recently,I didn't know that rhubarb is categorically a fruit and not a vegetable. I only learned about it when I picked up a Donna Hay cookbook with information on the different fruits. Its funny because itshure does look more like a vegetable than a fruit...hehehe... apparently a New York court rulled that it is a fruit in 1940s. The leaves are toxic but the stalk is a good ingredient for pies and desserts and of course, juice.
 
Here's another interesting fact about rhubarb: it is considered a laxative by the Chinese...hmmm, no wonder...hahaha...okay,let's not go there...

Fresh, raw rhubarb has a tart taste but the addition of sugar when cooking eliminates the tarty taste. Besides pies, it can also be made into a jam, preserves, or dried fruit. It contains stilbenoid compound that helps in lowering the blood sugar si it is good for diabetics...I guess as long as you do not add too much sugar or use sugar substitute.
 
I sliced the rhubarb into a half and inch to an inch in size and boil it in water. I was going to boil sugar with it but changed my mind at the last minute since I was still going to add strawberries which are juicy and sweet so I wasn't sure if they were going to be too sweet so I opted to add sugar later after the strawberries has steeped in the boiled rhubard and water. Once the water and rhubarb mixture has boiled for about a couple of minutes, remove it from heat and add crushed strawberries. Let it steep until it cools down then strain the fruits from the juice and refrigerate. Serve it over a glass of ice for a refreshing beverage.

 
Ingredients:

2 - 3 stalks of rhubarb, sliced into about 1/2 to 1 inch diameter

sugar, to taste

1 lb strawberries - de-stemmed, hulled and crushed

6 glasses of water

1. Place water and rhubarb in a sauce and bring to a boil over medium heat.  After it boils, remove from heat and stir in crushed straberries

3. Let it steep for about 30 minutes or until it cools down.

4. Strain the fruits from the juice using a strainer.  Add sugar according to taste.

5. Refrigerate for a few hours.  Serve over a glass of ice.

Mint and Blackberry Lemonade

The abundance of lemons right now is such a blessing for the summer and the warm weather because it means that I can make a lot of lemonade whenever I feel like. Yesterday I went to one of the local bargain grocery stores and found that they had lemons on sale at 4 for $1 which is a real bargain. Normally I do not buy produce at these kind of supermarkets because they tend to have produce that are of lower quality. Today was different though because their lemons looked so good....maybe it is the summer months that's why their produce are of better quality that usual.

I grabbed a dozen which is indeed a bargain at around $3 with the intention of making some lemonade. I also grabbed a bunch of good looking fresh mints and went on my merry way.  When I got home, I prepared everything that I needed to make the lemonade but in the process found a container of blackberries which I bought from the farmer's market this week...light bulb moment- blackberry lemonade....hehehe

I made the usual lemonade and added a handful of bruised and hand-torn mint leaves.  I left it in the refrigerator overnight to allow the mint flavor to infuse into the lemonade.  When I checked on it the following day, the lemonade had a nice minty flavor to it.  Not overpowering but a nice-subtle hint of freshness.  

I used about 3/4 of a cup of blackberry and whirled it into the blender to break up the delicate fruits slight then added it into the lemonade mix.  The result is this nice red concoction that taste really good.  I didn't strain the blackberry seed out because that will also remove all the skin.  Instead,I just added everything as it and stir to mix well. They didn't really bother me since they sink to the bottom of the glass anyway. If you don't want the seed, you can strain then when adding the blackberry into the lemonade mixture. Personally, I think they give the lemonade a nice personally that different from other...hehehe

This lemonade really taste so good that I cannot stop drinking them.  I must have finished half of the batch that I made already,  They really hits the spot and quench your thirst especially if you add it to a tall glass filled with ice.  The minty flavor gives it a fresh flavor profile... a nice departure from the usual lemonade :)

One word of advice though...make sure that you wipe your glass sides and bottom after you have poured the drink because the blackberry can stain your linens.  I wiped the bottom of my glasses before I placed them on the tray and on top of my kitchen towel when I took these shots but still noticed a few scattered spots of blackberry stains when I moved the glasses around ... I was dreading that it might stain permanently but couldn't stop until I got all my shots in.  I made the same mistake when I took shots of a sandwich that I am posting soon and had specks of stain another kitchen towel as well when I used a glass of this lemonade as props...ughhh... I liked these kitchen towels which I got from La Surla Table... luckily, a quick trip into the wash got rid of the stains but make sure to wash them immediately or the stains might not come off.

Ingredients:

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar (adjust to taste)

4+1 cup water

3/4 cup blackberries

a handful of mint leaves, bruised and hand torn + some for garnish

ice cubes

1. In a small sauce pan, add 1 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let it cool. Set aside.

2. Using a juicer, extract juice from enough lime to produce 1 cup of lemon juice.

3. Combine lemon juice, sugar syrup, mint leaves, and water.  Mix well. Leave on the refrigerator overnight.

4. The following day, strain lemonade mixture to remove mint leaves.

5. In a blender, pulse blackberry with about 1/4 cup of lemonade in a blender just until the fruit is broken slightly.

6. Add blackberry mixture into the lemonade and stir to mix well.

*** NOTE, you may have to stir the mixture well prior to serving to mix everything again if it has been sitting for a while.

7. Pour in a tall glass filled with ice and serve.

Limeade

As mentioned in my previous post, I made both lemonade and limeade in one day.  Ha! that should clue you in as to how much I hate the heat.  And mind you, with the temperature outside being as high as it has been lately, I really don't mind having these ready in the refrigerator anytime.

Making these is as easy as 1,2,3 ... as long as you master the correct proportion, then you as set to go.  The only thing I hate about making these drinks is the amount of squeezing that is required.  Good thing I have an electric juicer so it takes the hard work out of the equation.

This is another great drink to quench the summer thirst away.  The good thing about these drinks is that they are not only easy to make but they can also be made way in advance.  Don't worry if you make too much because you can just pour them into your ice tray and pop in the freezer to make lemonade or limeade ice cube which when mixed with drinks won't water it down.  The flavored ice cubes are also great to use in frozen mixed drinks such as margarita. Or, they can also be used in ice tea to lemon/lime flavored tea. No need to add sugar in these tea since the ice cubes are already sweet.  Hehehe... I am telling you,,,the possibilities are endless.

Here's a tip for garnish:  before juicing the limes/lemons, remove the peel using a zester that allows you to make lemon or lime zest curls.  Shape them into curls and place in a freezer bag.  Place the bags in the freezer so they are ready whenever you need them.  To use as garnish, place on top of ice-filled glass with lemonade/limeade or any other drink you prefer.  Pour a little juice over it to de-frost and viola! they will look like they were freshly made.  The good thing about these frozen garnishes is that they hold their shape better than the fresh ones :) Also, they stick to the ice so they will stay afloat longer than the fresh ones.

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

3/4 cup sugar (may adjust according to taste)

4 + 1 cup water

ice cubes

Citrus curls (for garnish)

1. In a small sauce pan, add 1 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let it cool. Set aside.

2. Using a juicer, extract juice from enough lime to produce 1 cup of lime juice.

3. Combine lime juice, sugar syrup, and water.  Mix well.

4. To serve, fill glass with ice.  Add limeade and top with citrus curls for garnish.

Pineapple--Kalamansi Juice

Arghhh...too much stuff to do...have to finish my school assignment tonight, work on my paper for the week and go to work on top of all that...how I wish that I have around 48 hours in a day which would probably still not enough to accomplish everything that I have to accomplish. Now I am starting to rethink my decision of going back to school. I like the idea of learning new concepts which are being taught in MSN but I hate that we have a paper that needs to be turned in every single week. I cannot wait though when I start taking the core courses for nursing informatics which is the specialization that I chose. The good news is, I only have 6 more months to go before I finish MSN-informarics then another 6 months to complete the core courses for nursing education which would give me another specialization and option to teach. Hopefully by the end of 2012 I should be done. Aigoo, just thinking about another year of being in school makes me shudder. Doctoral studies? maybe, maybe not. lol... on good days, I want to proceed with further education post masters but on bad days, my brain tells me NO! hehehe


This juice is part of the power breakfast that I cooked this morning to give me the energy to tackle all that I need to accomplish today. Aside from this juice, I cooked homemade pork tocino, sliced a couple of homemade salted eggs with onion/tomato, and garlic fried rice. The recipes for salted eggs and tocino will be posted in a separate post.

Kalamansi is a citrus fruit that is found in the Philippines. It is a close relative of lemon and lime only it taste a little better (at least to me it does). Because of the moderate climate here in California, kalamansi plants thrive when planted outdoors. There aren't that many kalamansi fruits that are sold in Asian or Filipino markets though. Lucky for me, my brother in law has a huge kalamansi tree which bears a lot of fruits. He brought some when he returned the Korean drama dvds last week.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups canned pineapple juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed Kalamansi juice
sugar to taste
4 cups water
ice cubes
sliced kalamansi for garnish

1. Combine pineapple juice, kalamansi juice, sugar, an water. Mix until sugar is dissolved.
2. Chill until ready to serve.
3. In a tall glass, add two or three ice cubes, pour some juice mixture and garnish with sliced kalamansi.

Persimmon Smoothie

My brother-in-law returned my Korean drama DVDs yesterday and brought a box full of persimmons, kalamansi (Philippine lime), and a couple of guavas. The persimmon and kalamansi was from the fruit trees in their backyard while the guavas was from his office mate. My brain was working double time churning possible dishes that I could create from the goodies that I got. Will post update of them when I get a chance to make the dishes that I planned. The fruits of their persimmon tree is really great because it is sweet and crispy. I love eating them raw but I think I will use some of them to make persimmon jam and bread.

Kalamansi is the Philippine version of lime which is a citrus fruit. Like its American counterpart, it is slightly sour but the taste is slightly different. I can't really explain the difference but it has a distinct flavor that sets it apart. The juice is often mixed with water, ice, and sugar to serve as a juice/ beverage. The juice, like lemons and limes, can also be used in dishes such as part of a marinade for beef, pork, and chicken. It can also be combined with soy sauce and served as a dipping sauce. Normally, kalamansi do not grow very tall but my brother-in-law's kalamansi tree is almost as tall as their persimmon tree which bears so many fruits. Fresh kalamansi fruits are hard to come by even at the Filipino store but you can purchase it frozen and comes in small sachet which cost a fortune :(

Ingredients:

1 ripe persimmon, peeled and chopped
1 frozen banana
1 cup milk
sugar, according to desired sweetness
3-4 ice cubes

1. In a blender, combine persimmon, frozen banana, milk, and sugar.
2. Blend until smooth then add ice cubes.
3. Blend some more until smooth.
4. Transfer to a tall glass and serve immediately

Salabat (Ginger Tea)

Salabat or ginger tea is not really a tea as it does not contain any tea leaves in it. Instead, it is a warm ginger drink made from boiling ginger root and brown sugar so the flavor is infused into the boiling water. This is the Filipinos' go-to drink for cough, colds, flu, sore throat, or congestion. It is also believed by Filipino that it can help improve one's siging voice or preserve a singer's singing voice. Whatever the case may be, I just like it because it is soothing and warm. The drink has a little it of a kick due to the peppery and spicy taste of the ginger. This is commonly served during the cold season which, in the Philippines, is around December. It is also a popular drink among those who goes to simbang gabi (early morning mass) during the christmas season.


My earliest recollection of this drink was that it was served during my grandfather's (my mom's uncle) wake. I think I was around 8 years old at that time and children don't normally like this drink because of its taste but I remember really liking it. Hmmm, I guess my taste was a little advance for my age...hehehe. It can sometimes be very strong but you can just add a little bit of water to water it down and dilute it a little bit. Brown sugar is normally the sweetener of choice but I guess you can substitute it with honey.


Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ginger, sliced
5 cups water
brown sugar, according to desired sweetness

1. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir to dissolve sugar.
2. Boil for about 8 minutes then strain to remove ginger pieces.
3. Serve warm.

NOTE: If the flavor is too strong, you can add more water to dilute to desired strength.

recipe was adapted from The Philippine Cookbook

Refreshing Cantaloupe Smoothie

Ah the summer that refuse to end...October is just around the corner yet the weather here in Sunny LA is stillas warm as it was in the summer. Why??? I really long for the weather to cool down a little bit, not much, just enough to allow me to turn off the air conditioner even at night. Yesterday, I turned the AC off at around 1030 in themorning which was okay since the house was still cool. I fell asleep on the couch at around 130 pm and woke up drench in sweat about 3 hours later. WhenI checked the thermostat, it registered a whooping 84 degrees..yikes! I cannot live in that kind of temperature which is really surprising since I came from a tropical country where it is perpetually summer all year long except of a couple of months of rainy season and occassional storms. But it has beena long time ago since I left Pinas...


I woke up this morning starving because I did not eat dinner last night as I was finishing yet another school paper. Graduate school is really no fun since we have so many homeworks and papers to write :( I would be so glad when this is over...might take a few months to a year break before I embark on tackling the doctorate degree. Hmmm, but then again, I might just stop when I finish grad school... hehehe... Anyways, I had some cantaloupe slices which were leftover from last night and has been chilling in the fridge so I thought of making a refreshing drink to fill me up before I start cooking lunch. This is quite easy to make. All you need is about half a cup of cantaloupe puree, sugar, ice cubes, and lemon juice ...blend them all together and presto! Instant breakfast/refreshment.


Ingredients:

1 Cantaloupe - peeled,chopped, and seeded
sugar according to taste
1 cup ice
15 ml water
1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice


1. Chop cantaloupe coarsely and place in a bkender. Add water and blend until pureed. Transfer to a clean container.
2. Measure about a cup of cantaloupe puree and return to blender.
3. Add sugar and lemon juice. Blend until sugar is dissolved.
4. Add ice and blend some more until smooth.
5. Transfer to a tall glass and serve immediately

Mango-Cantaloupe Cooler

Last day of summer 2011! Whoa, time flew by so fast. It seems like it was only yesterday when 2011 started and now we are entering the fourth quarter of the year. I am so not ready to bid goodbye to this year because it would mean I will be turning a year older. Ah, I was just coming to terms with the fact that I entered a milestone,make that two milestones, this year and now what? I am turning another year older? Does that even make sense? I guess that's life. Although we cannot make it slow down, the least we can do is make the journey as enjoyable as possible right? Enjoy each passing moment because once it is gone, it is gone for good...no second chances,no undoing, and yes, it it becomes part of a memory. Some memories are good for reminiscing, others are best left where they are... the best memories though are those that makes us feel happy and contented...


I made this refreshing drink as a way to send off summer and welcome autumn. Hopefully the weather cools down considerably so I can turn off the air conditioner and open the windows. I am getting tired of using the exhaust vent instead of opening the windows to get rid of the smell from the cooking that I have been doing these days. The weather outside though has been too warm, at least to me, to allow me to open the windows :( Actually, living in LA makes me long for cool autumn nights in Tennessee where the weather dips down slightly but not too low like other parts of the country. Funny how man is never really satisfied with what he has. I remember complaining about the cold weather when I lived in Tn but now longing for them since I live in LA where it is practically summer all year long...ha ha ha.


Ingredients:

2 cups roughly chopped cantaloupe
1 cup chopped mango flesh
1/2 tsp orange blossom water
sugar, according to desired sweetness
30 ml water



1. Place cantaloupe, water, and mango in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add orange blossom water and sugar and blend some more until sugar is dissolved.
3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until well chilled then serve.

Ripe Mango Smoothie

Woke up today feeling tired after staying up too late watching Korean variety shows online. Ha! I just love them shows as well as Korean dramas and movies. There is something about them that just draws me in. I always tell my friends that I may have been Korean in my previous lifetime because I can just feel the connestion. It is weird because the first time that I watched a Korean drama (Lovers in Paris), I just instinctively know what was going to happen next. It was like I was having deja vu... all the scenes, drama characters, and actors were so familiar...so weird. I was wracking my brains to see if I watched it somewhere or maybe caught an episode or two on cable but there was nothing that I could remember of. The only foreign shows that I used to watch on tv was Takeshi's Castle which is a Japanese show back in the 80s I think and that surely was no Korean drama...hehehe

It was late 2004 (i think) when I saw the drama Lovers in Paris. Little did I know that encounter with Korean drama would turn into an obssession with everything that has to do with South Korea (food, Korean culture, language, variety shows, k-pop, korean movies, and Korean drama). It has been quite a journey from that first encouter to the present. I met a lot of wonderful people along the way, learned about other cultures, and developed an appreciation for everything that makes each and every one of us unique. How's that for a cultural diversity? Oh, and don't get me started on the many new things that I was able to learn along the way - photoshop, video editing, gif making are just some of the new things that I have learned...things that I would never have learned or reason to learn had it not for my Korean drama obssession...



Ahhh...back to my energy booster drink that I made this morning. Mango is a fruit that I would probably never going to get tired of. There is just so many dishes that you can create with it- drinks, salsa, salad, etc.

Ingredients:

2 Large ripe mango, peeled and pitted
sugar, according to desired sweetness
ice cubes
30 cc water


1. Chop mango coarsely and place in a blender.
2. Add 30 cc water and blend until smooth.
3. Add sugar according to taste and blend until sugar is dissolved.
4. Add ice and blend until smooth and well incorporated.
5. Transfer to tall glasses and serve immediately.