Creamy Curried Coconut Frappe

inspirations from India...

To finish up this series, I've made a frozen coconut cocktail laced with curry powder. Just a little goes a long way with this drink. I was inspired in two ways when dreaming up this concoction. First, is that many Indian curries are made with coconut milk and of course curry powder. And second, I thought about chai tea and all the different spices combined with steamed milk. Chai tea also comes from India, how appropriate!

So, for this recipe I've combined toasted coconut, Bailey's, coconut rum, milk, curry powder, and ice in a blender. Whiz it up in seconds and serve with a little more curry powder and toasted coconut for garnish. Again, I'm using the curry powder I made in the first post of this series, but any will do. This drink is a fun and delicious twist on a classic creamy coconut cocktail. Try it tonight. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 4

1/2 C Shredded Sweetened Coconut

1 C Bailey's Irish Cream

1/2 C Coconut Rum

1 C Milk

1 tsp. Curry Powder, more for garnish

2-3 C Ice Cubes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Toast the coconut: Spread the coconut onto a baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

Make the frappe: In a blender combine 1/3 C toasted coconut, Bailey's, coconut rum, milk, curry powder, and ice. Blend until the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.

Garnish and serve: Divide the drink among 4, 8 oz. glasses. Garnish with a sprinkle of curry powder and toasted coconut. Serve with a straw and enjoy. Cheers!

Puerto Rican Pina Colada

I like pina coladas and gettin' caught in the rain...

About 30 years prior to that song the pina colada was born in Puerto Rico. There is a debate about who created and branded the drink first. The Caribe Hilton, specifically Oasis Bar, claims to have created the original pina colada. We actually stayed at this hotel, it was beautiful, but didn't have an opportunity to try the drink. We did however try it on our food tour at the other place who claims to have created the drink - Barrachina. No matter it's origins, one thing is for sure, I like pina coladas...

When we visited Barrachina our tour guide, Victor, explained that what makes their recipe different than others is the way the drink is prepared. Barrachina prepares their drink in a "slushy" machine, thus never adding any ice, which they claim dilutes the drink. Most pina colada recipes call for blending the ingredients with ice. This is not so at Barrachina. I also attempted that with my recipe, but had to add some to get the right consistency. Also, I'm using an aged Puerto Rican rum - Don Q. This is what Barrachina uses (not Bacardi). I found it at Party Source in Kentucky. Make the most original pina colada you can, follow my recipe...

Ingredients - Makes 1 pitcher (serves about 4)
8 oz. Aged Rum (suggest Don Q Anejo*)
12 oz. 100% Pineapple Juice
6 oz. Cream of Coconut
Scant 1 C Ice
To Garnish: Fresh Pineapple Wedge and Leaf, Maraschino Cherry, a Little Umbrella, and a Straw (all optional)
*If you can't find Don Q Anejo, use another aged Puerto Rican rum such as Mount Gay.

Directions
The night before serving, freeze the pineapple juice in an ice cube tray. When ready to use, pop them out. This is one way I tried to cut down on using ice. I was semi successful.

Combine the rum, pineapple juice ice cubes, cream of coconut, and the scant cup of ice into a blender. Process until smooth and icy. Pour into glasses and garnish as desired. Let me know if you like my pina colada recipe, leave a comment. Cheers!

Hard Raspberry Lemonade Swirl

the beach is calling...

My husband and I are going on a Caribbean cruise in about 2 weeks. We are SO excited and ready to go! We are porting out of Puerto Rico and will be visiting the islands of St. Maarten, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados. This will be our second cruise (first was to Alaska), so we have a lot to look forward to even in terms of what the boat has to offer. I suppose the only caveat (mostly in my husband's mind) is that we are going with my family. Don't get me wrong! We love my family, but we will be on a boat with them for 7 days. I know it will be perfect...there's always alcohol if not every moment is.

So, in terms of preparing us for this trip I've created this drink. Yes, there's alcohol. Yes, it's beachy. Yes, we will have something similar as soon as we get to Puerto Rico. Make this frozen, fruity cocktail before your next tropical trip. Or, maybe it's just in your mind, let's go there. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 4 Frozen Cocktails
1 (12 oz.) Frozen Lemonade Concentrate, slightly thawed
1 C Vodka (suggest Chopin)
1 (12 oz.) Bag Frozen Raspberries, slightly thawed
1 C Chambord
Ice
Optional Garnish: Fresh Raspberries, Lemon Wedges, and/or Little Umbrellas

Directions
In a blender, combine the lemonade concentrate, vodka, and 4-5 C ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into a pitcher and set aside.

In the same blender (no need to rinse out), combine the frozen raspberries, Chambord, 1 C water, and 2-3 C ice. Blend until smooth.

Swirl the drinks by layering the two frozen cocktails together. In a tall glass (maybe a hurricane), pour the frozen lemonade 1/4 the way up. Spoon in the frozen raspberry mix about 3/4 the way up the glass. The raspberry mix is more dense, so it will sink to the bottom, but that's what creates the swirl. Top the final 1/4 of the glass with the frozen lemonade and a spoonful of raspberry mix. Serve with a colorful straw and garnish as desired. Sail away with me to the Caribbean. Enjoy!

Farmer's Market Lassi

lassie, lassy, Lassie...no lassi

So many words sound the same (homophone) but have completely different meanings. The same can be said for food. There are many different types of fried potatoes - french fries, home fries, hash browns, Jo Jo's, etc. For this post I've made a lassi, which is like a cross between a smoothie and a shake, but different in a few distinct ways.

Yogurt and fruit are blended together with some unusual ingredients - coconut water & basil. These two ingredients make this drink different from your average smoothie, and fresher, I think. This drink is also different because it's not very sweet making this drink perfect for breakfast or dessert. Make this for our last few warm days left this year. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1C Nonfat Greek Yogurt
1C Coconut Milk (lite okay)
1/2C Strawberries, sliced
1/2C Pineapple, cut into chunks
3 Leaves Fresh Basil
1C Frozen Purple Grapes
1C Ice Cubes
Garnish: Toasted Coconut & Fruit

Directions
Begin by making the toasted coconut: preheat the broiler to high. Move the oven rack 2 slots from the top. Spread shredded coconut into a single layer on a sheet tray and broil until brown and crunchy. Be sure to check the coconut often and turn it so that it doesn't burn. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Make the lassi: combine the yogurt, coconut milk (mix well), strawberries, pineapple, basil, frozen grapes, and ice in a blender. Process until smooth and pour into 4 serving glasses. Garnish with the toasted coconut and extra fruit. That's a good lookin' lassi! Enjoy!

Frozen Sangarita

fresh and fruity on the tongue

To finish up this first rainbow series I thought it would be fun to stick with the flavors and style of my last two posts - Southwestern/Mexican. So, my husband, Steven, helped me come up with a fun riff on a margarita. He is more of the mixologist type than me.

Sangria is such a beautifully colorful drink and I thought it would be delicious to mix in the flavors of a margarita. The sweet fruity flavors of the lime, orange, cherry, and grape juice balance the salty flavor of the tequila. This drink takes me away from the incessant grey skies of Cincinnati to a beautiful tropical beach. Come away with me...

Recipe - Makes 1 Drink
2oz. Silver Tequila (such as 1800)
1 Lime, juiced (approx. 1 oz.)
1T Orange Liquor (such as Cointreau)
1T Maraschino Cherry Juice
9 Cranberry & Concord Grape Juice Ice Cubes
Garnish with a slice of orange & lime and a Maraschino cherry

Directions
A day ahead make the Cranberry & Concord Grape Juice ice cubes. Simply fill a standard ice cube tray with the juice and freeze overnight. You can use light juice if you would like. You can also just use concord grape juice, but I like the tartness given by the cranberries in the blended juice.

Let's make the drink! Put the tequila, lime juice, orange liquor, maraschino cherry juice, and cranberry & concord grape juice ice cubes into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour the frozen drink into a margarita glass and garnish with a slice of orange and lime and a Maraschino cherry.
Sip and sail away...