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.

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.

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