Mango Popsicle

Whew! Summer's definitely here...well, technically it is not quite summer yet since summer solstice is not until the 20th of June this year but the weather definitely says summer since it is so warm outside. I'd say that it is definitely beyond 80 degrees just from the feel of it. I can only imagine what the temperature would go up to in the actual summer months. While it may be a welcome change for those in the cold areas, it is not my favorite time of the year. Los Angeles is already warm most part part of the year but in the summer months, it is even warmer. I just hope that we won't have any heat wave this year.

I remember my first visit in LA (before I moved here permanently) was in the summer of 2000.  It seemed like the hottest time of the year and LA was experiencing a heat wave.  Can you imagine being in a theme park in the middle of a heat wave?  Ughhh, it was way too warm for me that I nearly fainted.  We had to cut our trip at Universal Studios short because I could not tolerate the heat. Maybe because of that bad experience that I have never ventured back to Universal studios.  I have been to Universal Citywalk more times that I can count (or care to count...hehehe) but not in the actual theme park.

Although summer months here in the US is between June to mid-September, summer in the Philippines is from the end of March to end of May.  Coincidentally, this falls around the same time as the summer break from school.  Summer, in the Philippines, is so harsh as temperature goes up to record high. The good thing is that there's breeze to help cool you down...although, for me, that is really not enough.  In my almost 20 years here in the States, I have only been back to the Philippines during summertime once and will probably not go back in the summer if I can help it.  I was drenched in sweat as soon as I step out of the house.  My dad's water and electricity bill rose up to a record high during our stayed there since hubby and I was taking showers probably 5-6 times a day as well as had the air conditioner runner almost 24 hours a day...hehehe

The summers spent in the Philippines did not bother me when I was growing.  In fact, we welcomed it with open arms as it meant that there's no school.  My friends and I used to play from morning until night with no care in the world.  We played traditional games like tumba-patis, hide-and-seek, Chinese garter, piko, pityaw, and enter-enter.  Okay, do not ask me to translate some of these game names to english because I have no clue ...Hahaha! These games allowed us to develop interpersonal relationships with our peers, get our daily dose of sunshine, and exercise.  This is what differentiates our generation from the children of today who are more into computer games and modern technologies.  We did not have Wii or iPad but we had so much fun. 

Summer months also meant local basketball leagues played by teams from the different villages in our housing compound.  I remember my friend Archie and I along with my aunts, siblings, and cousins will go to the village plaza every afternoon to watch the game and to root for our village's team.  Sometimes we will buy Indian mango (a local variety of mango that's best eaten when it is not quite ripe yet) or halo-halo (shaved ice with all kinds of preserved fruits and tapioca) to eat from the stands at the far end of the plaza while watching the game.  Thinking back, those games seemed really exciting ...  a lot of cheering and screaming in support of our team.  We would sometimes wake up the following day with hoarse voice from too much shouting...ah, those good ol' days...

Another summertime treat are those locally-made popsicles.  They are referred to as ice candy or ice drop in the area where I grew up and are sold as street food.  The vendor often carry his product in an ice bucket, a container with cover made of entirely from styrofoam to keep it from melting in the summer heat.  The vendor would often sell his product on foot and carries a bell which he rings while shouting "iccceeee drooopppp, bakal na kamo sang iccceeee drooooppp" (Ice drop, come and buy some ice drop).  Children would often beg their parents for money to buy these delicious goodies.  We were no different from any children...we would ask my mom for money and buy these things despite the fact that we own a convenience store that carries different goodies.

This dish, while it taste slightly different, is my homage to the summertime treat that I do not only love but also evokes fond memories of my childhood... a time when everything was so simple, basic, uncomplicated, and problem-free.  This taste different because I am using more milk and fruits as well as less sugar so it taste richer than the ones that are sold by the street vendors. 

Ingredients:

1 whole ripe mango, peeled and flesh removed.

1 cup milk (whole, 2%, non-fat- your choice)

Sugar, according to taste

1. Place mango and milk in a blender

2. Blend until well incorporated.

3. Add sugar according to taste then blend some more.

4. Pour in popsicle molds and freeze until frozen solid  (preferably 6-12 hours or overnight)

5. To unmold: place the mold in a pan of water for a minute or two to loosen.

6. Remove popsicle from mold and serve immediately.

NOTE: 

1.  If you do not have a popsicle mold, you can use a disposable cup or any kind of freezer-proof small cup.  

2. Pour the mixture into the cup and freezer until it freezes or solidify slightly before inserting your popsicle sticks in the center of the mold.  

3. Place back in the freezer to solidify (preferably 6-12 hours or overnight)

4. Unmold and serve.

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

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

When I looked out the window this morning, it looked so gloomy...reminds me of fall weather in Tennessee...of course, the close location of the houses and the numerous apartment complexes tells me that I am NOT in Tennessee...still it invoked that feeling and reminds me that it has indeed been a long time since I have been back...makes a mental note of planning a trip one of these days to visit friends there...


Fall... I wish we do have one here in LA. It would be nice to see the color of the leaves change into different hues of fall colors as well as to be able to wear a light sweater but the temperature here in LA remains constant the whole year through that one does not really need a jacket. To be honest, I have not owned one in more than 8 to 9 years. Although we don't really get to experience fall and winter here in LA, that does not mean we cannot have a taste of it...even it is just through fall inspired dishes and drinks such as the one that I made this morning - pumpkin pie smoothie. Read on to check how I made it...



adapted from here
Ingredients:

Ingredients
1 can (15 oz.)pureed pumpkin, chilled
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk, chilled
1 cup crushed ice
Sugar, according to desired sweetness
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, + extra for topping
Whipped cream (optional)


1.Place pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in blender.
2.Blend until mixture is smooth.
3.Add ice and continue to blend until well incorporated and smooth.
4.Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice.

Avocado Mousse

The avocado that I bought has gently ripened so I decided to make avocado mousse. This is quite simple and requires just four ingredients. The outcome though is great because it was light and delicious. The lightness is due to the incorporation of whipped cream into the avocado mixture. If you do not have a food processor, You can mash together all the ingredients (except cream) using fork until it reaches a pureed consistency. Make sure though that the sugar has dissolved well.


Avocado is one of those fruits that is common in the Philippines though we have several different varieties that are usually bigger in size compared to the ones that are found here in the States. We have a sticky variety whose peel remains green even though it is fully ripe. That one is not very common though even in the Philippine but the taste is really nice. When I was young, we used to take ripened avocado and mash it with forks together with condensed milk and then place it in the freezer to let it harden a little. Yummy...


Up until the latter part of last year, I have not bought any avocado since I moved here int eh States. I've had avocado as a guacamole which we buy but never have made any or used avocado myself for nearly 17 years. I do not know why but the avocado sold in the supermarket just looked weird to me. I somehow thought it would taste different than what I have remembered. Then I found an avocado salad recipe which I really liked so I bought some ripe avocado. I laughed because they just look so tiny compared to the ones we have in the Philippines. When made and tasted the salad, it reminded me of how great avocado taste. Since that time, I have been experimenting on different avocado dishes and this is one of the avocado dishes that I really liked. Silly me...

Ingredients:

2 Ripe avocado
1/2 cup evaporated milk
sugar, according to desired sweetness
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Cut avocado in half, remove stone and scrape flesh off the peel.
2. Place avocado in a food processor then add evaporated milk and sugar.
3. Process until smooth then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4. Whip cream until it forms soft peaks.
5. Gently fold whipped cream into the avocado mixture and transfer to individual serving dish.
6. Refrigerate until well chilled before serving.
7. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

Mango Lassi

Lassi is a traditional Indian drink made with yogurt and can either be sweet (with sugar added) or savory (flavored with spices). Mango Lassi is one of the more popularlassi drink and can be made with or without sugar addition depending on how sweet the mango used in the drinks are. Most people serve their lassi over ice but I think it dilutes the flavor. Personally, I like mine chilled before serving and usually use glasses that have been chilled in the refrigerator of freezer for a few minutes. Be careful though as it may cause the glass to shatter if left in the freezer for a long time.



Ingredients:

1 cup cube ripe mango
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup to 1 cup of milk
sugar, according to taste
ground cardamon or chopped pistachio for topping

1. In a blender, mix mango, sugar and about 1/4 cup mulk. Mix until it has been pureed.

2. Add yogurt and milk. Blend until well combined and smooth.

3. Taste and adjust according to desired sweetness.

4. Chill before serving.

5. Prior to serving, transfer to glasses and top with cardamon or chopped pistachio.