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.

Frozen Lemonade

Ughhh... I swear summer came early this year....but, then again, it is practically summer all year long here in Los Angeles ...hehehe.... I guess it was silly of me to complain.  Unlike the rest of the continental US, the weather here in LA remains pretty constant all year long save for some very occasional rain and a few cool nights in the winter.  Other than those, it is sunny most part of the year. This is great for most people but this is torture for me.  Ha! that coming from a girl who grew up in the tropics :0  It also does not help that daylight saving time is in effect because the sun is out really early in the morning and is still up until about 7p.m. Aigoo, pure torture...

Having lived in LA for over 10 years, I still cannot seem to get adjusted to the weather.  I usually do my errands in the morning to avoid the scorching heat and keep the air conditioner running most part of the year (approximately 10 months).  The temperature these past few days was rather high and it does not help that my living room get the afternoon sun.  even with the air blasting, I can still feel the warmth coming in from outside despite having closed both the vertical blinds and drapes. 

Because of the unusually warm weather, I made some lemonade and lemon-limeade yesterday which are both great thirst-quenchers.  I made too much lemonade that it didn't fit in my pitcher so I poured some in several ice trays and popped them in the freezer.  I checked on them this afternoon and they froze nicely so I made this delicious looking frozen lemonade.  Instead of lemonade ice cubes, you can also make limeade ice cubes which are great as they can be used for frozen margaritas...just add tequila into the mix, coat the glass rims with salt, and you're ready to party...

Ingredients:

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 whole lemon
3/4 cup sugar (may adjust according to taste)
4 + 1 cup water
ice cubes
Mint leaves (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 lemon to produce 1 cup of lemon juice.

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

4. Pour some of the lemonade in an ice tray and place in the freezer until frozen. Chill the rest in the refrigerator until ready to use.

5. To create frozen lemonade, remove lemonade ice cubes from freezer and place on a blender. Add three or four regular ice cubes and about 1/4 of a cup of chilled lemonade.

6. Blend until smooth.  You may add more ice cubes and lemonade to adjust taste based on your preference.

7. Transfer to tall glasses and garnish with mint sprigs. Serve immediately

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

Banana Avocado Smoothie

I bought unripe avocado last week because they were on sale at one of the supermarket that I go to and they have ripened really well so I made some smoothie today. I used both avocado and banana which is a perfect combination. I also added milk and a few ice cubes. They result is a very creamy smoothie which has the consistency that is almost similar to soft serve ice cream.

I think the frozen banana really did help to make it very thick and creamy. I bought a little too many bananas (again) last week which ripened almost all at the same time. I intended to make some banana-nut bread but I was just not in the mood to bake so I ended up with too many bananas that were really ripe. I was going to throw them away since I am not really a big banana eater but it was such a waste since there was too many so I peeled and cut them in half. I then wrapped them individually in waxed paper, placed them in freezer bags, and popped them in the freezer. Wrapping them in waxed paper prior to placing them in freezer bags made removing easier since it prevented the bananas from sticking to each other when frozen. This little trick is a keeper for me. It also cut down the amount of ice cubes which I needed to add for the smoothies.


Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado
1 frozen banana
sugar, according to desired sweetness
1 cup milk
3 ice cubes


1. Cut avocado in half then scrape the flesh using spoon and place in blender.
2. Add frozen banana, milk, sugar and blend until smooth.
3. Add ice cubes and blend some more until smooth.
4. transfer to glass/es and serve.

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.

Apple and Raspberry Smoothie

This was part of my very fruity breakfast today. Hmmm...2 more and I would reach my 5 fruits a day quota...hahaha. THis is a nice refreshing drink albiet needs a little bit more work than my usual shake recipe. I had to strain myapple raspberry mixture after I pureed them to get rid of the raspberry seeds and apple skin. The resulting mixture looks like an apple-raspberry sauce. I had to rinse my blender before I returned the strain mixture and finish the shake. The overall taste and outcome though was quiet nice. The shake might be a little too early for breakfast but who cares? certainly not I...hehehe...besides I really needed it since it was already too warm outside by the time I went out. This is the only way that I would be able to "drink" my juice since I am not a big juice drinker :)



Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and chopped roughly
1/2 cup raspberrries
sugar according to taste
100 ml water
ice cubes

1. Place chopped apple and raspberry in a blender.
2.Add about 50 ml water and puree.
3. Strain mixture in a bowl and rinse blender. Discard what is left on the strainer.
4. Return apple raspberry mixture to the blender.
5. Add sugar ( according to desired sweetness) and the rest of the water and blend until sugar is dissolved.
6. Add crushed ice and blend until smooth.
7 Adjust sweetness , if needed
8. Transfer to glass and serve.

Iced Lime Tea

All the food preparation this morning was making me thirsty plus it doesn't help that the weather is too warm. I cannot wait for this summer to be over though I am not really looking forward to the cold winter either. Good thing that California, especially in Los Angeles (and I mean right smack in the middle of the metropolis, sandwiched in between Hollywood and West Hollywood)area, temperature remains greater than 50s and 60s even when everywhere else in coutry is seeing temperature in the single digits. Anyways, I am so glad I had this baby chilling in the refrigerator to quench my thirst. This is a refreshing drink which is an upgrade from iced tea which are being served in resto. By the way, I used decaffeinated tea bags instead of regular ones because I really do not need the caffeine to keep me awake all night long... hehehe


Ingredients:

1 large decaffeinated tea bags (bought them from Pavilions)
1 quart water
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
sugar, according to desired sweetness

1. Steep tea in hot water. When done, remove tea bag and let it cool completely before using.
2. Once tea has cooled, add lime juice and sugar.
3. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
4. To serve, pour in ice-filled glasses and decorate with sliced lime. Serve immediately.