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.

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.

Papaya- Asian Pear Smoothie

I have a ripe papaya and asian pear which I got from the Korean market and they look really yummy but I didn't feel like munching on so them so I turned them into smoothie which is an easier way for me to get my daily fruit requirements. They are so easy to make and involves just a few steps but they are packed with nutrients and are so good.


Asian pears are basically the same as their counterparts which are sold at the regular American store except that they are shaped like an apple They are naturally sweet and juicy. Papaya, on the other hand, are abundant in Asia as well as South America. They can be consumed raw or used in dishes. They can also be eaten unripe or ripe depending on the dish. In most some asian cuisines such as that of Vietnam and Thailand, unripe papayas are served as salads. In the Philippines, they are used in dishes such as tinolang manok (chicken soup with papaya) and achara (pickled papaya).


Ingredients:

1 small (about 1 lb) papaya
1 Asian pear
sugar, according to taste
ice cubes

1. Peel papaya. Remove seeds using spoon and then cut into chunks.
2. Core and peel Asian pear and cut into chunks
2. Place Papaya and Asian Pear in blender. Add sugar according to desired sweetness.
3. Puree fruits and sugar until smooth.
4. Add ice cubes and about 30 to 60 cc water and blend until smooth. NOTE: the proportion of pureed fruit to ice cubes should be 1 cup of ice cubes for every cup of pureed fruit mixture or you can adjust it according to your taste.
5. Transfer to tall glasses and serve immediately

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.