Pineapple-Cucumber Frappe, A Refreshing "Simple Saturday Sipper"

I tried a new "Sweet Gold" pineapple today, on sale at a local grocery store. The tag says these pineapples "are pure Hawaiian hybrids that were selected for their super-sweet taste and lower acidity" and are grown only in Hawaii and available in limited quantities. Using my handy-dandy pineapple slicer-corer, I cut up the fruit and enjoyed how juicy and incredibly sweet it was. I ate some, set a bit aside for a salsa tomorrow and decided to blend the rest up into a refreshing "Simple Saturday Sipper". Thinking that a frappe; blended fruit and ice, would be perfect for the warm weather, I decided to add a locally-grown, English-style cucumber picked up at the farmer's market to temper the sweetness. The pairing of the sweet pineapple with the cooling cucumber sounded good, along with some mint and a pinch of salt. I used my hollowed out pineapple to serve my frappe, but a tall glass would work equally as well. 

Pineapple-Cucumber Frappe

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes about 2 1/2 cups)

1 cup chopped pineapple with juice

1 cup English cucumber, peeled & chopped or regular cucumber, peeled, seeded &chopped

1 cup ice

1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

1 tiny pinch sea salt 

Blend all ingredients in a blender until foamy and well mixed. Pour into glasses and serve garnished with mint, straw and a plastic monkey or two! You can also garnish with pineapple chunks and/or cucumber. Enjoy!

Notes/Results: Cold, creamy and delicious. Made with fruit and ice and blended, a frappe has a thickness to it like a milkshake but without all the fat from ice cream and it's non-dairy too. The mint and the touch of sea salt really enhance the flavor of the pineapple and cucumber which pair nicely. An excellent thirst-quencher on a hot day and a make-again recipe. 

Enjoy the Weekend!

Giveaway!

Just one more day to enter a giveaway of the "Sweet Treats" prize package below from the new Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes. The deadline is Midnight (HST) on Sunday. You can find all the details for entering here.