Saturday, July 18, 2009

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


15 comments:

  1. Yay! I want to drink out of a pineapple!
    Looks so wonderfully refreshing and tropical.

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  2. If I were living in Hawai'i (and I would count my blessings every day if I did!) I would also have a pineapple slicer/corer always on hand! 8-)

    Yay for cucumbers, too! I've only just started thinking of them as other than a vegetable. This is an incredible drink altogether that I know would transport me to an island beach.

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  3. looks yummy and gourmet presentation

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  4. I'm with Natashya...I WANT TO DRINK OUT OF A PINEAPPLE!! This does sound seriously great, Deb! I love fresh pineapple and I just think this sounds like the perfect Saturday Sipper!

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  5. This reminds me of how pineapple fried rice is served in pineapples in thai restaurants. Most things taste better when you eat them out of a pineapple. I think it's because it makes you feel like a native in paradise.

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  6. This looks cool and refreshing. A perfect Saturday Sipper.

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  7. Hi,
    I just found your blog by searching,I just have family vacation there few day ago . I like Hawaii weather and the foods .
    Oh ya ... the pineapple more sweet than my place ... nice to know you .
    Lily

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  8. oh that looks utterly delicious! So perfect for summer! I just wanna take a bath in it! ok, not really, but oh my god, it really looks SOOO good! I could use a huge bathtub full of it now!

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  9. wow...beautiful, enticing..LOVE fresh pineapple from Hawaii. Rarely do we get anything NEAR that sweet here in calif. So, I'll take one of those with my lunch...and then maybe after dinner I'll have another one, with a little malibu rum in it ;)

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  10. Seeing the drink served in a pineapple made me think of the fruit salad they serve inside a coconut shell at Mandalay Hotel. Too cool.

    Drove past Mo's the other day - and thought of you. Haven't gone in yet - but there's still time.

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  11. such delectable treat! This would be perfect for summer! Aloha from Japan!

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  12. That looks so refreshing and delicious! I'd like to sit on the beach with my toes in the sand sipping at it!

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  13. That sounds so incredibly refreshing!

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  14. Sounds so refreshing and I love the picture!

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