Drinks

As a kid growing up on the islands my dad had a passion fruit vine growing on a tall Poui tree at the back of our house and most of the fruit were normally out of reach. Since we all went to school far from home, I remember it was always “who could get up first to go check to see if any passion fruit fell to the ground” with me and my brother, on the weekends when we were home. As kids in North America would go on their Easter Egg hunt, for us the hunt were usually Mangoes, Passion Fruit, Sapodilla, Avocado or any of the other fruits which would normally fall off the trees when ripe.

You’ll Need…

6-8 passion fruit
6 cups water
1/2 cup sugar (adjust accordingly)
3 drops almond extract
3 drops Angostura Bitters
1/2 lime (juice)

* As mentioned in the video below, these passion fruit were not like the bigger / yellow version we would have off our vine.

The first thing we have to do is remove the pulp and subsequently the juice or nectar from it. While my mom would use a different technique for removing the seeds from the nectar, I usually use my blender. Cut each passion fruit in half and using a spoon, scrape out the pulp. Yes, there will be black or grey seeds.

Add everything into your blender and work on a very low setting. The goal is to dilute the sugar and remove the pulp off the seeds to fully flavor the juice. It will take about 30 seconds to a minute on a low setting.

The very last thing you have to do is strain (with a fine strainer) into the pitcher you’re serving it in to remove the seeds and chill. Do taste and adjust the sugar if needed and you’re free to use any sweetener you normally use, if sugar is not your thing.

Some dark rum would be delightful in this, but we’re keeping this passion fruit rated “G” so the kids can have a refreshing exotic drink on those hot summer days when you’re blazing your fav cocktails. Be sure to give it a stir before serving as it may tend to settle the longer you have it in the fridge.

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Passionfruit is rich in the water soluble antioxidant, vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. This vitamin helps the body gain resistance against infectious agents and pro-inflammatory free radicals. One serving provides you with 100 percent of the recommended daily amount.

Vitamin A and the flavonoid antioxidant, beta carotene, are found in high concentration in passionfruit. Vitamin A has antioxidant properties, supports good eye sight, healthy mucus membranes, and healthy skin. Carotenoids, also found in passionfruit, help produce vitamin A in the body. This fat soluble substance increases the absorption of vitamin A, which is a fat-soluble vitamin. One serving provides about 25 percent of the average person’s recommended daily value. Potassium is an important component of body cells and body fluid. It aids in the regulation of heart rate and maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Non-heme (plant based) iron is found in passionfruit. Iron aids the body’s absorption of vitamin C. Increased health benefits are found in this fruit because of the combination of iron and vitamin C. Passionfruit also contains the minerals copper, magnesium, and phosphorus. In general, a diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables is protective to health. These low calorie, nutrient dense foods help prevent obesity, which is an important risk factor for diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

Drinks

Natural Caribbean Orange Pineapple Juice.

July 16, 2017July 16, 2017Leave a Comment

As we continue with the refreshing summer drinks series, I thought I’d share a drink my mom would make for us on those hot weekend days when we were home from school. She would boil the skin of the pineapple (after it was washed) in water, then strain and use that liquid as the base of the drink. In those days the oranges and pineapple came from our backyard and the honey was from wild honey my dad would harvest in old Immortelle tress scattered though the cocoa and coffee estates in my village.

You’ll Need…

1 large pineapple (ripe)
5-7 oranges
1 lime
2 tablespoons honey (to your liking)
4-6 drops Angostura Bitters
1 cup water
2-4 cups carbonated water

IMPORTANT! In my version I won’t be using the skin of this pineapple as our mom would normally do, as I’m not sure if where it was grown if it was sprayed with insecticide while still on the plant. With the texture of the pineapple skin, it would be impossible to wash it all out if it was.

Remove the skin off the pineapple and cut into cubes to help it break down easier in your blender. It’s ok to include the core. Put the cubes in the blender with the water and puree until smooth.

Now juice the orange and lime into the jug you’ll be serving the juice in.

Using a fine strainer, strain the pineapple juice into the jug. You may need to help it through with a spoon. Discard the pulp.. or use it in making muffins.

Skim off any foam (or wait for it to settle), then go in with the honey and bitters and stir well. Finally go in with the carbonated water and stir gently so we don’t loose too much of the bubbles.

Keeping in mind that your pineapple and/or oranges may not be as sweet as the ones I used, so do taste and add a bit more honey if needed. If it’s a bit tart add a pinch of salt. Serve with ice cubes (crushed is best) or chill in the fridge before serving (stir before serving as it may settle). I used a raw organic honey, but you’re free to use whatever sweetener you have/like. Toss in 1/2 cup (or more) of coconut rum (Malibu comes to mind) if making this for grown folks.

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Drinks

Refreshing Summertime Shandy Drink.

July 8, 2017July 8, 20171 Comment

One of my favorite drinks as a young fella growing up on the islands, which I also passed on to my daughters (they prefer the sorrel version) is Shandy. Cold, refreshing and simply delicious… on those hot summer days when the mercury starts climbing up the 30’s (Celsius). While this version is alcoholic and best kept away from the kids, there’s no reason why you can’t make the kids version with non-alcoholic beer as the version I grew up enjoying.

You’ll Need…

3-4 beers (your fav – bottle or can)
5 slices of ginger
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 lemon (sliced)

Place the slices of ginger and lemon in a large jug or container you’ll be serving the Shandy from, then tip the container to the side and gently pour the beer in (watch the video below).

Feel free to use a cheap beer or one you enjoy and I must mention that a Lager works best. After you’ve gone in with the ginger, lemon and beer, it’s time to add the lemonade concentrate (thawed) and stir well to combine all the flavors. While stirring I try to bruise the ginger the lemon slices to allow the flavors to really come out.

Try to use the lemonade while it’s still a bit slushy so it chills the overall Shandy and you won’t require ice when serving. Additionally I chilled the beer, lemon and ginger too. I find by adding ice cubes to it really takes away from the bold flavors I enjoy. I guarantee you this will be your new drink for the summer. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked by friends for the recipe and the lazy ones will simply ask you to bring a pitcher along. You can easily double or triple this recipe for a more “tusty” crowd.

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Drinks

Classic Tropical Fruit Punch – With No Added Sugar.

September 27, 2017July 2, 20171 Comment

We have an abundance of outstanding fruits in the Caribbean so it’s only natural that we make some of the best punch/drinks in the world. Debatable? Absolutely not! That brilliant Caribbean sunshine allows us to enjoy juicy, sweet and refreshing fruits, fresh off the tree. Unfortunately.. for some reason we’re still addicted to ‘sugar’ as a people and it’s truly a shame as there are ways we can avoid the use of additional sugars in our drinks.

* It’s very important that the watermelon, mango and oranges are sweet, so you don’t have to add any added sweetener.

You’ll Need…

1 med/large watermelon
1-2 cups mango (ripe)
3-5 oranges
2 grapefruit
2 limes
1 lime
3-5 drops of mixed essence (almond extract will work great)

* Add a few drops of bitters if you’d like a slightly different taste (wonderful). If you feel the need to add a sweetener, I’d recommend agave or honey.. pure cane sugar will also work well.

As we did when making the watermelon juice, you’ll need to cut the watermelon into chunks and puree into a liquid. I added the cubed mango into the blender at the same time as the watermelon (my mango was frozen)

Strain the watermelon/mango juice into a large bowl (to remove any thick pulp) and get ready to juice the other ingredients into the same bowl. Now add the juice from the oranges, grapefruit, lime and lemons. Stir well and skim off any frothy bit at the top of the bowl.

Go in with the mixed essence, place in a jug and chill in the fridge for a few hours so you don’t have to water-down by adding ice when it’s served to your guests this summer. In case you’re wondering, mixed essence is basically distilled water, oil of almond, pineapple, pear, vanilla, strawberry, citric acid, caramel and sodium benzoate.

With only the natural sugars from the fruits, it’s a more healthy choice for you and your children, so there’s no real guilt if they have a glass or two on those hot summer days. Before you do anything else, you can go and toss out those packages of Kool Aid you have. Go in with a bit or orange liquor and rum (tequila will work too) and you have the makings for a super adult beverage.

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Drinks

Traditional Cocoa Tea (Caribbean hot chocolate).

June 6, 2017May 4, 20175 Comments

Did you know that any hot drink you have along with breakfast in the Caribbean is mainly refereed to as being ‘tea’? That said, here’s the most classic of Caribbean ‘tea”.. Cocoa Tea! My dad would tell me stories about when he lived with my great grandparents as the kid, on their cocoa and coffee estate in Trinidad and Tobago, and how rich and creamy his grandmother would make his tea in the morning. From the cocoa he would have helped to harvest and process the season before.

You’ll Need…

3-4 tablespoons grated cocoa
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
3 cups regular milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch salt
pinch allspice
1 bay leaf
2-3 tablespoon brown sugar
2-3 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
1 stick cinnamon (small)
2 pods cardamom (optional)
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

*The addition of the cardamon pods is not traditional.. I saw some in my spice drawer and knew it would be an excellent addition. I added some orange peel to the pot but it’s optional. Traditionally my mom would have dried orange peel in the kitchen (added) so I grew up appreciating that hint of citrus in my cocoa tea.

In a deep pot place all the ingredients (except the sweetened condensed milk) and bring to a boil on a medium flame.

As it starts coming up to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer (don’t boil vigorously) and whisk.

Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the condensed milk (adjust to your liking). Finally… strain and serve hot.

The cocoa stick I used (processed and shaped into the cigar shape) was a gift from my friend, who’s mom brought it back from Dominica. Most Caribbean grocery stores would usually stock this processed cocoa and if you’re traveling through the Caribbean, it’s usually found in those souvenir stores at the airports. If you choose to do this dairy free, you can substitute the milk with whatever your milk substitute of choice is and instead of the condensed milk you can use a good cane sugar, palm sugar or honey. I won’t recommend using only coconut milk (as my great grandmother would) as it may cause your stomach to act-up.

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Drinks

Energizing Apple Beet Coconut Smoothie.

May 28, 2025February 4, 20172 Comments

Here’s one of those drinks which is guaranteed to give you a boost of energy, especially during those draining winter months we experience in Canada. I was visiting mom and dad in Toronto a while back and I saw she had brought back a ton of Turmeric from our garden in Trinidad and Tobago. She went on to mention that she makes this drink for dad and my sister (who lives close to them), so I got her to share the concoction with me. I’ve been making this smoothie ever since then.

You’ll Need…

4 beets
2 apples
1 tablespoon fresh turmeric
2 slices ginger
3-4 cups coconut water (unsweetened)
1 tablespoon honey – optional

Important: Please wear gloves when handling the beets as the RED juice will stain your hands.

Basically all you have to do is peel and cube the beets (save the tops for salads or to cook as you would other ‘greens’) and core/cube the apples.

I also scrapped off the other skin of the turmeric with a spoon, but I didn’t bother to peel the ginger.

Add all the ingredients to your blender and puree until smooth. I’d recommend chilling everything before you make the smoothie, so you don;t have to add ice and water it down.

My intention was to post this recipe on ChrisDeLaRosa.com, but my mom mentioned that while one may not associate this smoothie with the Caribbean (because of the apple) this is made and enjoyed in one form or the other at ‘home’.

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